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[JeloSWE]

I don't like subscriptions models as games/shows can and does get removed after a while. Also, I have periods when I don't consume said media and then I have to keep cancelling/resubbing. It's better for me to just pay for what I want at that moment and then it's mine for ever.

 

[Ritsumei2020]

Subscription has the same weak point as buying day 1.

Why buy day one if you already have a whole library of unplayed games? Wait 3 months and get it half price or so.

If you pay MS money every month but are not playing often you basically wasting your money on a service instead of games you could actually own.

 

[Malcolm9]

OP, there are more benefits to subscription.

You have a choice of 200-300 games so you can take a pick and decide what you are in a mood for. Instead of forcing you to choose from your backlog.

I find backlog to be a dreadful thing, instead of, look I have so many games.

I have personally moved on from backlog, and maybe, someday will revisit some of the absolute classics (like Final Fantasy 8) in there.

Isn't a backlog a load of games you wanted anyway, so what difference does that make to having 200-300 on a subscription model?

 

[Gameplaylover]

Without Game Pass i would have missed out many good games i never heard of or just didn't pay attention to. But i also like buying digital games or disc games. So i like both.

 

[Fredrik]

What about games you kind of want to play but aren’t sure if they are worth the money?

Exactly, this is the key advantage with subscription services, suddenly games you just have a slight interest in will be worth trying, and sometimes that’s where you’ll strike gold.

I would never have bought Microsoft Flight Simulator. But the hype for the Xbox release woke me up as an old sim gamer from the Amiga days 30 years ago.

So I installed it day 1 on Xbox Series X.
And now it’s very likely my game of the year.

Without Gamepass it would still be unplayed.

I have since played it on PC too, no further payment needed, and there it’s even better. And on VR with Quest 2, no payment again, where it’s just insane.

 

[DeltaPolarBear]

"Subscription" is wrong. It is "rental".

You can rent cars, computers, fridges, even homes.

Ask yourself; do you want to rent everything, or not?

Why do you need to buy a car when you can just rent one? Why ever buy a home when you can pay rent forever?

Simple. Because rent loses you money. it costs more to rent. "Subscription" used to not be renting, because you are usually given something physical you can keep every month, when you subscribe to something. Being subscribed to a Newspaper means you get newspaper delivered that you can keep. And when you stop your subscription you don't get your old newspapers taken away.

RENT is when you lose what you are renting once you cancel. Thus "game subscription" is not subscription at all, but just software renting. They call themselves subscription to hide the fact that it is a money trap.

 

[reksveks]

Ask yourself; do you want to rent everything, or not?

Or do you want to rent some stuff and not others?

 

[GHG]

What about games you kind of want to play but aren’t sure if they are worth the money?

If your gaming tastes are mature enough then you should know what types of games you enjoy so you can make your purchases accordingly.

There's room for both subscription services and permanent purchases. People backing themselves into a corner one way or another are doing themselves a disservice.

 

[Fredrik]

"Subscription" is wrong. It is "rental".

You can rent cars, computers, fridges, even homes.

Ask yourself; do you want to rent everything, or not?

Why do you need to buy a car when you can just rent one? Why ever buy a home when you can pay rent forever?

Simple. Because rent loses you money. it costs more to rent. "Subscription" used to not be renting, because you are usually given something physical you can keep every month, when you subscribe to something. Being subscribed to a Newspaper means you get newspaper delivered that you can keep. And when you stop your subscription you don't get your old newspapers taken away.

RENT is when you lose what you are renting once you cancel. Thus "game subscription" is not subscription at all, but just software renting. They call themselves subscription to hide the fact that it is a money trap.

Do you watch movies?
Have you ever rent a movie?

I do it all the time when I’m not sure it’s worth $20 to buy it. I can rent 1 movie for about $5. I lose the access to it in 48 hours.

To me Gamepass is a steal no matter what you call it. I’m renting 400 games and some games I lose access to after 6-12 months, others I can rent forever. And it’s not like Netflix where you get worse quality than purchased movies or like Geforce Now where you get added latency. It’s literally the exact same quality and locally installed games as if you buy them. And if I want to buy them I get a discount.

 

[vaibhavpisal]

Isn't a backlog a load of games you wanted anyway, so what difference does that make to having 200-300 on a subscription model?

Question must be asked why a game went into backlog? Is the game not good or you are not in mood for that sort of game.

While some games are definitely worth playing in backlog, some of them are average and you feel compelled to play cause you paid for them.

That can include games that got bought cause of hype or high review scores that are not perfect for you.

Besides, with subscription service, there is a frontlog, ie onslaught on upcoming games. Which I find to be a much better problem than backlog, where you rummage to find something interesting.

 

[vaibhavpisal]

If your gaming tastes are mature enough then you should know what types of games you enjoy so you can make your purchases accordingly.

There's room for both subscription services and permanent purchases. People backing themselves into a corner one way or another are doing themselves a disservice.

You can never make a definitive call.

Final Fantasy 7, 10 are my top 3 games of all time.

But Final Fantasy 8 is in my backlog for 4 years.

 

[anthony2690]

I don't know if you know, but you can do both.
Buy/own the games you absolutely love.
Play games you're curious about/like the look off on game pass, if you love it, you have the option to buy it with a discount.

Some games you playthrough once, despite enjoying it, you know you'll never touch again.

 

[GHG]

You can never make a definitive call.

Final Fantasy 7, 10 are my top 3 games of all time.

But Final Fantasy 8 is in my backlog for 4 years.

Of course not, we've all been there where we've bought games we thought we would like but the experience ended up saying otherwise.

Personally I use subscription services to confirm my assumptions about a game (from gameplay videos/reviews) one way or another and then I decide whether it's something that's worth a permanent place in my library. The first hour or two is enough to make a definitive call.

I tend to dip in and out of sub services if and when there's something new I want to try but for the games I like I don't want them to be tied to a service that comes with a never ending monthly fee along with the fact that they can be removed from said service.

By the way I'm one of those weirdos whose favourite FF is 8 so I'd say 100% give it another try.

 

[Boss Mog]

OP forgot the number 1 con of subscription services: freedom of choice. The game you want to play may never show up on your subscription service so you'll still have to buy it if you want to play it. Personally if I had to choose one or the other I would obviously buy my games. I don't really subscribe to the "you'll own nothing and be happy" philosophy.

 

[Kenpachii]

I buy them as i tend to replay my games a lot.

 

[Kenneth Haight]

I am old fashioned and like to own my games

 

[edbrat]

Games catalogue subscription type services are totally irrelevant to me, my issue is time not cost. If I'd arrived fresh from Mars and had never played video games before and had a few months to kill playing old games I'd consider one temporarily, but having another of these bloody subscription services leeching off my money pile just pisses me off so I'm very stingy about committing to any recurring payment services these days.

I'm the same with the SVOD services, I don't want endless choice I want quality. Tried Netflix last year when I had fuck all to do during lockdown and cancelled it after three months once I'd watched breaking bad and the bourdain stuff, maybe I'm not typical but I'm astonished at the garbage which keeps people subbing these days.

 

[bellome]

Subscription services: You will own nothing and you will be happy

 

[Spukc]

when you can get gamepass for cheap it's worth it.
lol at paying full priced.

 

[McCheese]

Most modern games have so much online functionality, DRM and updates that buying physical does nothing from a preservative standpoint. Once servers get shutdown you'll just be left with a slowly rotting Blu-ray disc.

I buy physical switch games but for almost everything else I'm all digital, every Xbox game I play is via gamepass.

It's a shame, I miss owning games properly like the olden days

 

[twilo99]

Ever since I got on gamepass I haven't felt the need to buy a single game and gamepass is supposed to be getting better. I don't think I can go back to the old days of buying games..

 

[GuinGuin]

I prefer to own.

 

[THEAP99]

Tbh, most games I'll only play once. But it's good to have an option for both.

Ideally, try a game out on subscription, then buy it if it's that good. If it sucks, then just don't worry about buying it. Win win

 

[Ellery]

For me it mostly comes down to the quality of games that is being offered.

I am going to be where the best AAA(A) single player story driven masterpieces are. I am not sure how long this is going to continue and when the point come where every single studio gives into trying to maximize money with predatory microtransactions and online multiplayer worlds and other ways to get your money and don't deliver quality. It is like the Netflix movies. Yeah some are decent, but those movies are not Fight Club, Terminator 2, The Matrix, The Lord of The Rings, American Beauty, 12 Angry Men, The usual suspects, Seven, Shawshank Redemption, The Godfather, Inception, Pulp Fiction, Apocalypse Now, The Dark Knight, No country for old men, Jaws, Silence of the lambs etc.

I have been gaming for so long and I see myself as a gaming romatic. I love games like The Legend of Zelda Ocarina of Time, Final Fantasy 7, God of War, The Last of Us, Bloodborne, Metal Gear Solid, Prey, Silent Hill, The Witcher 3, Dark Souls, Mass Effect 2, Half Life 2, GTA San Andreas, Super Mari 64, Resident Evil and so on and so on.
I don't like games like Fortnite, Outriders, Anthem, mobile games, gacha games, Overwatch, etc.

Even though I don't like paying 80€ for a game, if the alternative is a big all you can mediocre mac n cheese then I won't mind paying 80€ for actual good food that satisfy me and my limited time on earth using my most precious resource : time.
However if games that have the quality of the games I mentioned above come from a subscription based service directly and day1 then I would also don't mind gaming there.

 

[arvfab]

I'm in no way supporting stuff like Gamepass or PSNow. Quality is already bad and will be worse as soon as they try to fill it regularly with new stuff.

 

[Hobbygaming]

Ever since I got on gamepass I haven't felt the need to buy a single game and gamepass is supposed to be getting better. I don't think I can go back to the old days of buying games..

That's the trap that they want you to fall for, getting gamers comfortable with not owning their games

 

[Metnut]

With the subscription model you don’t get all the games. You’ll have to pay for the sub and then pay for games that you want that aren’t covered by the sub. Or, you’re stuck with just what Microsoft says you can play.

 

[TonyK]

Cons
1:You have to constituently pay every month to keep the games.
2: Games leave the service
3: You cant keep those games. you only have 1 month to complete them.

These bad points eclipses any positive reason for me.

 

[Topher]

OP, there are more benefits to subscription.

You have a choice of 200-300 games so you can take a pick and decide what you are in a mood for. Instead of forcing you to choose from your backlog.

I find backlog to be a dreadful thing, instead of, look I have so many games.

I have personally moved on from backlog, and maybe, someday will revisit some of the absolute classics (like Final Fantasy 8) in there.

I don't agree that there are "more benefits to subscription". Not for me, at least. If the game I want to play isn't on the subscription then that subscription has no benefit to me. I do not want to have to choose from a curated list of games. I want to choose whatever game I want, whenever I want. If that game is on the subscription then I have to decide how long I'll be playing it. If I'm going to put in 20 hours and then never play it again then sure, a sub might work fine. Depends on the scenario. So subs have a place but not all the time.

Ever since I got on gamepass I haven't felt the need to buy a single game and gamepass is supposed to be getting better. I don't think I can go back to the old days of buying games..

And The Ascent is the first game I've played on Game Pass since The Outer Worlds. Just shows these subs are not everything to everyone.

 

[ZywyPL]

Why not both? Subscription service model isn't perfect, but you can stll buy the games you like that are on the service, or are leaving it, either digitally or physically.

 

[DaleinCalgary]

What about games you kind of want to play but aren’t sure if they are worth the money?

I just don't have the time or urge to play games i'm really not 100% into. I have gamepass and have dabbled in Forza Horizon but I really liked it and am looking forward to the next one, I am having some fun with flight sim too.

Subscription services are like Netflix to me where yes you have a huge selection but I don't feel like playing them and its not worth the money but I did sign up for the 3 year deal for a dollar and when that runs out I will decide if enough is on there to continue but I doubt it.

 

[Captain Toad]

I hate how often games are removed from GamePass. On PS+, and even GWG, you keep those games for as long as you're subscribed.

 

[kingfey]

These bad points eclipses any positive reason for me.

What about day1 games? Let's say platform X has the game at 60$ day1. At the same time, the company which makes the game, has a service, which you can sub 1 month for 15$.

Wouldn't be more savings, to play the game day1, and pay 15$ for it. Or would you wait for the game to be cheap, and buy it.

 

[Saber]

Buying my games is the way to go. Its yours to keep, unless someone steals from you or you damage it.

Price is the problem? Don't buy day one. Patience is the key, buying later is aways rewarding. Theres aways better prices on the net, even in shit country like mine.

Its also a way to keep your gaming libraries in check. Dunno why people want to play 12 games at time.

 

[Markio128]

Had game pass for a couple of months now (3 months free with Series X) and I have been given not one reason to continue. The game I have played the most on the console is FH4, but I had that given free as a digital purchase, along with Forza 7, so I will be able to continue to play those once I cancel the sub. MS FS - glad I got the opportunity to try it for a few hours, but no matter how pretty it can be, it is what it is and fairly boring after a while, so won’t be buying a copy. I may sub for a month to try FH5 and Halo, but purchase the games if I like them. The other games on the service are just not for me - I’m not big into multiplayer shooters and it takes a special indie game to pique my interest.

My opinion of the service may change in a few years once some really big exclusives are released because in all honesty, if Sony had the same service and offered their exclusives, I’d imagine a sub would be a far more attractive proposition.

As things stand, the reality is that I have to buy the big Sony games that I love and MS hasn’t got enough big games on the service.

 

[kingfey]

I hate how often games are removed from GamePass. On PS+, and even GWG, you keep those games for as long as you're subscribed.

Timing is also an issue. You are busy with your life, and suddenly GWG/Ps+ have a mega hit game on that week/month. You just miss out that game. And sometimes you forget to claim it.

I am still sulking about 2020 ps+ games. Should have subbed and claimed those games. Extra games wouldn't have hurted me.

Now that I checked the list again, I missed out some of call of duty game.

 

[Duchess]

an old sim gamer from the Amiga days 30 years ago.

Bet you were an F-18 Interceptor junkie back in the day

 

[junguler]

subs may let you sample more games you otherwise wouldn't have but it's exactly that, sampling. when you buy a game it's more likely you would want to finish it or at least get all the enjoyment you want out of it but a person who has access to many games would just want to switch between them to find that "perfect" game that doesn't even exist.

a kid in a candy store can only get stomach ache and feel awful for a few days but if you bought them a few of their favorites they'll be happy.

 

[HeisenbergFX4]

I buy games I know I am going to play a lot even if they are on Gamepass because these devs can not survive on Gamepass alone.

But I have used Gamepass as a try before you buy experience as well and have found several gems I would have never purchased before.

 

[vaibhavpisal]

I don't agree that there are "more benefits to subscription". Not for me, at least. If the game I want to play isn't on the subscription then that subscription has no benefit to me. I do not want to have to choose from a curated list of games. I want to choose whatever game I want, whenever I want. If that game is on the subscription then I have to decide how long I'll be playing it. If I'm going to put in 20 hours and then never play it again then sure, a sub might work fine. Depends on the scenario. So subs have a place but not all the time.



And The Ascent is the first game I've played on Game Pass since The Outer Worlds. Just shows these subs are not everything to everyone.

Subscriptions are not supposed to replace option to purchase games.

I will be taking a haitus from gamepass once my current subscription is over.

There are certain games I would like to play that will never come to the service.

I hate how often games are removed from GamePass. On PS+, and even GWG, you keep those games for as long as you're subscribed.

This is the whole point of gamepass. Play new games.

When Ascent dropped, my entire friendlist was playing same game.

Was so much fun.

 

[MastaKiiLA]

There's theoretically a place for both. I have Netflix, but still buy a ton of movies digitally. Having the same for games would be fine, but the monthly cost for a gaming service is high enough that I'm not interested. Netflix doesn't cost more than ordering delivery. I think $10-15 would be the sweet spot.

 

[Markio128]

subs may let you sample more games you otherwise wouldn't have but it's exactly that, sampling. when you buy a game it's more likely you would want to finish it or at least get all the enjoyment you want out of it but a person who has access to many games would just want to switch between them to find that "perfect" game that doesn't even exist.

a kid in a candy store can only get stomach ache and feel awful for a few days but if you bought them a few of their favorites they'll be happy.

That’s what demos used to be for, and they were free. I ain‘t paying for a demo service.

 

[Fredrik]

Bet you were an F-18 Interceptor junkie back in the day

Oh yes!
F/A-18 Interceptor
Falcon
A-10 Tank Killer
F29 Retaliator
And more
Played some C64 flight sims as well, F19 Stealth Fighter was among the first I think, still have the complete package with cassettes and keyboard overlay

 

[Markio128]

Oh yes!
F/A-18 Interceptor
Falcon
A-10 Tank Killer
F29 Retaliator
And more
Played some C64 flight sims as well, F19 Stealth Fighter was among the first I think, still have the complete package with cassettes and keyboard overlay

I have terrible flashbacks from the Speccy and C64 era as my dad used to make me type out those bloody programs from magazines back in the day. 4 hours of typing and trying to locate why there was a syntax error, to then watch a square bounce around the screen. Good times.

 

[Chukhopops]

Out of 24 games I finished this year, 11 were on GP. If you play a lot and enjoy varied styles it’s completely worth it - I paid €91 for all of those.

If you’re a casual and play only the big blockbusters it’s not worth it obviously.

Also lol at « ownership » of digital games . It’s a myth, the only thing you can really own is physicial.

 

[Fredrik]

I have terrible flashbacks from the Speccy and C64 era as my dad used to make me type out those bloody programs from magazines back in the day. 4 hours of typing and trying to locate why there was a syntax error, to then watch a square bounce around the screen. Good times.

Yeah I’ve done those things too Me and my brother had a BASIC programming book with 100 programs or something like that. But it was just text games, ASCII graphics, and barely even games in many cases.
My brother typed in a Star Trek game with like a thousand lines, when he was done it didn’t even work, he went through every single letter several times and never got it to work. Good times indeed!

 

[brian0057]

1: You have to spend 60$-70$ day1.

No, you don't.
Patience is a virtue. And apparently, a sorely lacking one these days.
Most games drop in price after a while, so that's when I consider buying them.

How do I Justify buying games, When these things exist on pc.

Because I like owning what I buy.

 

[Nico_D]

Some games I just want to own and very likely will replay which may not be possible with subscription services. Then there are other games which I would like to play but I don't deem them worth of the full price. In those cases subscription service is fine.

Nevertheless, I'm opposed to having to play a monthly fee for something which I may not even use be that Netflix or PS+ or whatever. I can always cancel Netflix without missing anything but if I cancel a gaming subscription, I'll lose the games.

 

[Leyasu]

Just the buy the games that you want. The only thing sure at the moment is that Microsoft 1st party are going to be there day one. Assume that everything is not unless announced.

 

[odhiex]

I would be happy if both options continue to exist.