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Should Sony invest in it's game pass type service?

Should Sony invest in it's own game pass?

  • Of course you dummy, Sony is severely tunnel visioned, Meanwhile Xbox has looked far into future

    Votes: 41 30.4%
  • I don't know dawg, this game pass thing is all smoke and mirrors if the games aren't of high quality

    Votes: 48 35.6%
  • I just buy 2 exclusives a year from Sony, I think I can afford their games and then some

    Votes: 17 12.6%
  • Can you please let me pre order the PS5 for god's sake Sony

    Votes: 11 8.1%
  • I am day one on Xbox Series S/X

    Votes: 18 13.3%

  • Total voters
    135

Audiophile

Member
A couple high quality 1P/2P exclusives a year at full price (and not stuffed full of mtx) are far more appealing to me than any pass. Keep it simple, sustainable and give me premium experiences. One thing I think that would work well is building PS Plus into modular subscriptions so you can pick and choose the parts you want; a more selective approach rather than everything and the kitchen sink.
 

Evangelion Unit-01

Master Chief
Your name is Mr. PlayStation Mr. PlayStation ... Isn't this your decision? Are you asking us for permission or what?

I think Sony will invest here w/ PSNow. Just a matter of the fact that they have the luxury of being able to afford to take their time. Phil inherited a tough hand when he took over at Xbox so he needed to move faster but I think he has done well to make the most of it.
 
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DunDunDunpachi

Patient MembeR
It is in the companies' best interests to get you on these subscriptions.

I don't see a teeming mass of customers demanding that we throw everything on these passes... for now (don't worry, the astroturfers and the lowest-common-denominators will ensure we eventually get that teeming mass). The corporations want gaming to go digital, to go multiplatform, to go GaaS. PS+ meets all three of those needs. I unsubscribed awhile ago once I stopped playing online and using Remote Play as frequently.
 
Sony should do it like Disney. Disney is still committed to their blockbuster movies while creating shows and contents for Disney+ in the sidelines.

Sony's story-driven games does not fit subscription model. Sony have to create games tailored for PS Now. They should keep it at $60 and put AA GaaS games on it day and date. Their AAA games would come to it too but not Day 1. Maybe after 2 years or so.
 
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They should, but not sure they can - compared to the competition they are both philosophically and financially challenged...
 
Good idea. Episodic games in the style of Telltale's adventure games would be a good fit.

Yeah, but people will likely just wait for the last episode to arrive before they subscribe. I'm thinking more in the likes of multiplayer designed games. Warhawk, Socom, Twisted Metal, TLoU2 Factions, Uncharted4 multiplayer, Calling All Cars, Fat Princess, MLB The Show, Destruction All Stars. Also MMO games and MMO-style games like FF XIV and MAG.

They could also do the deals like Fall Guys and Rocket League more often. They could make Survival Games which really fit the GaaS model. And it doesn't have to be their precious AAA studios to be doing it. They could make a deal with 3rd party devs.

Old PS4 games like that of PS+ Collection. New games that are unique that don't break the bank to make.
 
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Agent X

Member
Yeah, but people will likely just wait for the last episode to arrive before they subscribe.

Some people might. But, if they can put together a really attractive game, then people will be eager to get the newest episode as soon as it's available. The trophy hunters will also want to get their trophies as quickly as possible.

I do like the idea of Sony producing some small, fun multiplayer games like Calling All Cars or Fat Princess, but these don't need to be tied to PS Now.
 

Moonjt9

Member
I think Gamepass is possibly the worst thing that has happened to the game industry in 30 years. It will without a doubt dilute the quality of games. I can only hope Sony continues doing what they do best: offering quality games and quality hardware that have real value, not just as a business but as fun and art.

Microsoft does not care about games anymore. They only care about subscription dollars. That’s not the future I want in video games.
 
Nah, Sony seems to be drawing their crowd to big blockbuster games. They don't really care about the smaller stuff.

Nintendo is there to scrape the cream off the indie folks.

(I'm not console warring, I play switch more than anything)
 
Some people might. But, if they can put together a really attractive game, then people will be eager to get the newest episode as soon as it's available. The trophy hunters will also want to get their trophies as quickly as possible.

I remember that horror game called Siren was episodic. I haven't played it though. Yeah I think that could work. But that would mean the game as a stand-alone would be sold as episodic too.

I do like the idea of Sony producing some small, fun multiplayer games like Calling All Cars or Fat Princess, but these don't need to be tied to PS Now.

They don't have to be tied. They could be sold stand-alone too. But I was thinking they're the type of games that releases day 1 on it for free.
 

Hezekiah

Banned
Not if this negatively affect the budget\quality\time in the oven for the games.
GamePass is a money sink, and Sony trying to copy it effectively means less money to invest in big-budget games from its first-party studios.

I think Sony is on the right track with its expanded studios - Insomniac/Guerilla etc developing multiple games at once (aswell as the new San Diego studio), and shortened development time for games.

Think about it, 4 years for Horizon Forbidden West and God of War Ragnarok is very impressive and it would be great if they can continue their output at a faster rate.
 

chilichote

Member
No, because I don't think that would be good for gaming - if everything was just geared towards fast consumption; and for quick profit, then the quality will inevitably suffer. But those who advocate and support such a thing will only notice that when the time comes.

In the medium term, however, I think Sony will have to take this step, because quantity is much more important than quality these days. So it will come that way, I'll make my peace with it, buy an Amiga 500 and start all over again^^
 
I don't want them to, but if MS are going to start spending billions to keep games off other consoles, they might have to.

Thus begins the race to the bottom that has ruined mobile gaming and made TV/Movies an irritating, expensive and confusing mess of different subscription services, all with their own exclusive content.
 

sublimit

Banned
Personally speaking i don't care for rental subscription services. The only reason i still pay for PS+ is for online.

I will not pay for a Gamepass-like service from Sony or any other company. Ever. I like to own my games.
 
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Yes they should.
They don't need to play the exact same game as Microsoft though. If they leverage their absolutely Titanic backlog of games through the generations, they can certainly strengthen their subscription service to match GamePass.

If I were in charge I would absolutely start funnelling money into getting a working PS1 and PS2 emulator/virtual runtime on PS5. PS3 as a whole might be a challenge, but I would still try with select, critically acclaimed titles available to download and play (with the rest via game streaming). Enable save downloading and/or maybe a USB memory card adapter for the real fanatics. Highlight them on the front page. A "classic of the week" sort of thing where certain old games are put in the spotlight. PS4 games are an easy addition too.

Then, they don't even need to offer brand new major releases at launch but offer subscribers a discount on digital purchases of brand new titles.

Easy marketing win in markets where they are already dominant. In other markets they can play to the 30-something parent who used to play on PSone with the revived classics via PSNow. The opportunity is there. They don't need to wholesale copy Microsoft. But they have the pieces to compete strongly in their own way.
 
They have an entirely different core strategy at the moment which is working fine.

With that said, they absolutely need to continue adding value to Psnow/Psplus; they don't need to try to match, or have something better than Gamepass, but they do need to make sure their services remain close enough.
 
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Relativ9

Member
There are a few ways the future of Game Pass can go.

1. The quality or budget of the games made available through it will drastically reduce.
2. The quantity of the games made available through it will drastically reduce.
3. The price of the subscription will drastically increase.
4. Most or all of the games made available will have alternative revenue streams built into them (data collection, "heavy" micro transactions, ads).

It's not that a service like this can't work, but at the current prices and with the current library of games they must be taking pretty decent losses. I'd prefer not to be the early adopter of a service like that only to have it change and worsen over time. I'd rather buy in when it's matured, or stay comfortable with the classical a la carte storefronts that we're all used to and actually "own" my games.
 
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Warnen

Don't pass gaas, it is your Destiny!
Has Lying Ryan said Game pass is a bad idea yet? When he does expect its release in 3 months.
 
Incorrect. How is that harmful? They lose money on the consoles. Seems they would make more money if I was just buying games without the console.

I guess it could depend on the time frame of the PC release, but anything relatively soon could devalue the console. Sony relies on console sales much more than Microsoft. They have to make the console look appealing as possible to the average consumer.

Yeah, they generally don’t make much money, if anything at all selling PlayStations, but that install base is how they are able to sell so much software, services and a plethora of accessories. There is a reason Nintendo’s Switch is still in demand. If you could play Nintendo games anywhere, then I literally guarantee much less people will feel inclined to invest in a Switch then?
 
Gamespass is just viable while Microsoft is willing to pump money into the service and the studios/publishers behind it. Don't come back blaming me when people start to thinking games are not worth $60 (some aren't really, but you know what I mean. Oh shit, now is $70 ffs) and feel conceited about it. I'm glad Gamepass isn't the norm, for now, we know it will only grow exponentially from here on out.

This service is doing marvelous things for gaming to expand to the average consumer who is not willing to invest it as a hobby, but let's no turn a blind eye on this potentially devaluing games' prices long-term.
 
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Deleted member 775630

Unconfirmed Member
If they want to stay relevant in 5 years, then yes
 

12Dannu123

Member
Sony's as a company isn't known to embrace new business models. Their current business model has been the same since the 90s, the only difference being the online subscription element. Whereas Microsoft has went from selling Windows and Office licenses with a high fee to subscription services all within a span of 1 decade. So I think in the long term, Sony will need to eventually adapt to the current environment or risk being left behind.

There's a scenario being by the time Sony invests in a GP-like service, Microsoft will have a acquired a large swarm of studios and publishers and have potentially 50-100 Million Game Pass subscribers, by that point it'll be too late for Sony to gain a foothold.

I do question if Sony can absorb the heavy losses in the short term to start a subscription service. The PS3 era almost bankrupted Sony, this model could actually bankrupt Sony.
 
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MH3M3D

Member
Its a bad idea for games. Sony takes profits from game sales and reinvests it in more studios and higher budget games. Game pass loses money and nudges devs to make games as a service so that people don't cancel their subscription. I hope MS proves me wrong. Time will tell.
 
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