Gamepass was a mistake

M majestix1988 don't be angry with me, i was just provoking you. (y)
Some PS users also complain about PS5's lack of worthy games. Console sales numbers are great though.

Xbox recent strategy failed simply because they invested in a lot of things that didn't gave the intended return.
Their games ended up not being that great like you said and even available day one on PC; billions wasted in acquisitions; sustainability of Game Pass in the long run even for developers is doubtful; hardware sales completely flattened.
Maybe Backwards Compatibility was really the best thing Xbox made.
 
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It was never a good idea. It was never sustainable. It was a great deal for gamers but it unfortunately taught an entire ecosystem to never buy games.

Reminds me of Embracer group. We kept watching them scoop up over a hundred developers and all this IP and asking ourselves "How is this business model sustainable?" And then in 2023 we confirmed what we suspected all along when it went bankrupt.
 
Buggy Loop said:
Thinking Think GIF by Rodney Dangerfield


That's not what a 360 is..
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I'm fairly certain they meant this classic two decade old gif.

UuewvCB.gif
 
Game Pass is bad business and good for me.

God bless Microsoft's endless pocket money that they can sink into GP. I've saved hundreds on buying new games by just buying month-long subscriptions to GP when there's one I want to play.
 
Rush2112 said:
Oh so NOW people are going to wake up.
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I asked this question 3 years ago and half of GAF said Gamepass was sustainable...

Gambit2483

Thread 'Is a Subscription Service Model Truly Sustainable in this Industry?'

As I think more and more about Gamepass I find myself questioning if this system is truly sustainable moving forward, making enough money to continue such a service...

As gaming technology advances, It is likely that game development costs will also increase, meaning the more subscriptions they MUST have. If they don't gain or worse lose subscriptions then the subscription prices will hike, which may cause further subscription lost.

Then you have some 3rd parties that have or will lose faith in putting games on Xbox (due to anemic software sales) unless they are guaranteed a Gamepass...
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Apart from the fact that games cost a lot to make and take more time to produce, there is also the time each game demands from you. Even when I had no wife and kids I would acquire one game per month, at most, and play it to completion. Today, it's less than that.

On the other hand, a movie I watch for two hours and it's done; the next day, maybe another one. So during that same month I could watch 10 or 15 movies, but only play one game. Given that, having many movies on a streaming service available makes a big difference, but for games time is a much greater limiting factor.
 
I mean yeah. This was the plan the whole time, lock people to a service for life and they never own anything. Lets continue to devalue games as something cheap and not worth putting any effort unto making too as well $-$
 
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Throttle said:
Apart from the fact that games cost a lot to make and take more time to produce, there is also the time each game demands from you. Even when I had no wife and kids I would acquire one game per month, at most, and play it to completion. Today, it's less than that.

On the other hand, a movie I watch for two hours and it's done; the next day, maybe another one. So during that same month I could watch 10 or 15 movies, but only play one game. Given that, having many movies on a streaming service available makes a big difference, but for games time is a much greater limiting factor.
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Also I'm never really in the mood to play "rando game". I am always thinking of a specific game that I want to play before I sit down and play. So gamepass just doesn't work on a psychological level. I don't want to feel guilty that I"m not using my subscription because I feel like rolling another Hearts of Iron campaign or something.
 
It was the ONLY strategy. Microsoft had no interest in making a tidy little profit selling Xboxes and video games. It was total domination of gaming as a medium or nothing. Simply making a profit selling Xbox's would have been considered a failure.

Now they did make mistakes along the way. Specifically not going harder with the acquisitions. They should have absolutely done everything in their power to make COD exclusive.
 
simpatico said:
It was the ONLY strategy. Microsoft had no interest in making a tidy little profit selling Xboxes and video games. It was total domination of gaming as a medium or nothing. Simply making a profit selling Xbox's would have been considered a failure.

Now they did make mistakes along the way. Specifically not going harder with the acquisitions. They should have absolutely done everything in their power to make COD exclusive.
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This.

Xbox was making a loss for along time then when it did start making profit not revenue, it was pennies to what MS actually makes.

It was a big bet on a new idea to dominate a market from all their competitors and it failed. Phil is gonna need a colostomy bag with the amount of shit he's threw at the wall that hasn't stuck.
 
MiguelItUp said:
Then the whole Game Pass thing. Is it a necessity? No. But it's an option.
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It's an option but lets be real here- how many people who have gamepass actually buy games? It's NOT the option Microsoft truly wants. They want and NEED gamers to buy games. They have tied themselves and their identity to gamepass and day 1 on that shit and they can't escape it now. Train your monkeys to never buy games and they will do just that. They have completely devalued gaming on their consoles and are doing it now on PC.
 
Physiognomonics said:
they are chain canceling games right now. it has not been great for consumers. and people are leaving the sinking ship.
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And? So are Sony.

I guess Sony are cutting the deadwood whilst Xbox are scavaging around for games.... I mean, that has to be true doesn't it - look at the 1p release schedules... Oh wait a min.

*insert eye roll gif here**
 
Jimmy_liv said:
And? So are Sony.

I guess Sony are cutting the deadwood whilst Xbox are scavaging around for games.... I mean, that has to be true doesn't it - look at the 1p release schedules... Oh wait a min.

*insert eye roll gif here**
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You can't be serious if you are comparing the level of first party production between the two.
 
Team Andromeda said:
Game pass is the best thing in gaming right now . Buying ABK was the mistake IMO
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Game Pass is part of the reason why they bought ABK. Buying ABK meant they now had a whole new library of "first party" games they could funnel onto their subscription service. Otherwise, they'd have to write up big money contracts for each and every ABK game they wanted to have "Day One on Game Pass".

As Ev1L AuRoN Ev1L AuRoN wrote a page back, the issue with a service like Game Pass is you have to constantly have content being loaded to it in order to make people want to subscribe and stay subscribed. We're already seeing this isn't even sustainable in the TV/Streaming business where far cheaper products (shows) are barely getting 8-10 episode "seasons" and then getting shitcanned after one season because they didn't generate enough views. If it doesn't work there, how is it expected to work in a medium where the products cost significantly more to produce in both time and money?

Jimmy_liv said:
And? So are Sony.
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Took most of the day but here come the SonyToo™ spinners.
 
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Nydius said:
Game Pass is part of the reason why they bought ABK. Buying ABK meant they now had a whole new library of "first party" games they could funnel onto their subscription service. Otherwise, they'd have to write up big money contracts for each and every ABK game they wanted to have "Day One on Game Pass".

As Ev1L AuRoN Ev1L AuRoN wrote a page back, the issue with a service like Game Pass is you have to constantly have content being loaded to it in order to make people want to subscribe and stay subscribed. We're already seeing this isn't even sustainable in the TV/Streaming business where far cheaper products (shows) are barely getting 8-10 episode "seasons" and then getting shitcanned after one season because they didn't generate enough views. If it doesn't work there, how is it expected to work in a medium where the products cost significantly more to produce in both time and money?



Took most of the day but here come the SonyToo™ spinners.
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Don't let facts get in the way of your good narrative eh!
 
simpatico said:
Now they did make mistakes along the way. Specifically not going harder with the acquisitions. They should have absolutely done everything in their power to make COD exclusive.
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Double down on that?! It's funny because i feel like the whole acquisitions deal was the nail in the Phil's coffin. They ended up having to release the games on PS anyway, it was pointless and more billions were wasted.
 
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Nydius said:
Game Pass is part of the reason why they bought ABK. Buying ABK meant they now had a whole new library of "first party" games they could funnel onto their subscription service. Otherwise, they'd have to write up big money contracts for each and every ABK game they wanted to have "Day One on Game Pass".

As Ev1L AuRoN Ev1L AuRoN wrote a page back, the issue with a service like Game Pass is you have to constantly have content being loaded to it in order to make people want to subscribe and stay subscribed. We're already seeing this isn't even sustainable in the TV/Streaming business where far cheaper products (shows) are barely getting 8-10 episode "seasons" and then getting shitcanned after one season because they didn't generate enough views. If it doesn't work there, how is it expected to work in a medium where the products cost significantly more to produce in both time and money?



Took most of the day but here come the SonyToo™ spinners.
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If that was true all of ABK games would be on GamePass and that didn't happen. So spare us on that one
 
MacReady13 said:
It's an option but lets be real here- how many people who have gamepass actually buy games? It's NOT the option Microsoft truly wants. They want and NEED gamers to buy games. They have tied themselves and their identity to gamepass and day 1 on that shit and they can't escape it now. Train your monkeys to never buy games and they will do just that. They have completely devalued gaming on their consoles and are doing it now on PC.
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To be honest it's not a number we can pinpoint as I'm sure there are some folks that don't care to own or buy games at all, and then there are others that still do. For instance, I bought DOOM The Dark Ages because I've always loved DOOM and want to support id however I can. But with COD I did Game Pass, because it's COD, lol. But it'll be different for everyone.

As others have pointed out, I get it may feel like it has "devalued" gaming on their console, but I think they did that to themselves. There were way too many mishaps on their brand before Game Pass was even launched. Which is why I believe Game Pass was very likely their "Hail Mary" attempt. I get some people are saying it's not sustainable, but clearly there's some form of sustainability there as they keep leaning into it harder and harder. At this point I don't think they have much choice. They need any kind of positive sentiment and traffic they can get, and if it's coming from Game Pass then they're going to lean into it more.
 
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Zacfoldor said:
When did this myth come to pass?

No, Microsoft did not publish Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. While Microsoft did partner with the game by including it as a day one release on Xbox Game Pass, the game is actually developed by Sandfall Interactive and published by Kepler Interactive.
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I never used the word "publish", so just throw that assumption out. I said "connected with", because Microsoft even when they're not funding or developing a game directly, typically haven't been great at picking games to promote their services around. This pick is akin to Sony being smart enough to feature Rocket League on its release for Playstation Plus members.

Game Pass is a nice service for overall value per dollar, but that's mostly for having a large collection of older games on it. Newer games that release day one for the service have been lacking in quality since its inception, but I do think that has been picking up in the last year with games like Nine Sols, Atomfall, Indiana Jones & The Great Circle, Neon White, Blue Prince, Rematch, etc.
 
I have chimed in on this subject of subscription services that do Netflix style game rotation. But it is Netflix. Hundreds of things to pick from with some old titles that are fun to play and new ones, but there is no quality control. Honestly them releasing there new games day one is basically them shooting themselves in the foot. If I was a studio and I had the choice to put my game on any platform why would I even consider gamepass if I barely made any money from this platform. Why bother? I'm better off releasing a game for Steam, GOG, Nintendo, or Sony. Shit I would honestly make my own and just go full independent in the PC space. Xbox is not creative company nor do I think they care about what makes games special as an artistic medium. I love the arts and to see the artistic medium of video games get disrespected while profiting from a subscription service that doesn't benefit the artists in those studios just for a giant corporation such as Microsoft to shut them down shows how little Microsoft actual cares about the artists and studios they work with. Stop using artists for miscalculated sales just because that was top brasses call. To end this rant cancel game pass and buy your damn video games.
 
20 million + people enjoy gamepass and I continue to be one of them. Been subscribed since it started, it basically replaced my gamefly subscription. I honestly dont see myself canceling it in the future unless it gets above $30/month. Would be interesting if they start including games from steam.
 
The moment you don't get to the subsciption numbers you need to be "profitable" is a HUGE mistake... more if you let ppl suscribe for years for a fraction of it's price...
You can't keep the studios working for free if you don't have the revenue in subs... and yet you have to release games for those already subscribed for years...

And on top of that not only you hurt yourself... but the whole industry teaching your userbase to no buy games and wait for them to be "free".
 
I'm going to need a gif of a well known former Xbox Developer mimicking Hayao Miyazaki with the following quote:

Those who identify as "Microsoft Executive" they sicken me deeply.

Game Pass was a mistake. It's nothing but trash.
 
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It failed the simple "How do the economics work?" question. And "Microsoft's big coffers" isn't a valid answer as we've observed with the repercussions behind the ABK acquisition.
 
I remember thinking that Phil Spencer saved Xbox after taking the reigns from Don Mattrick. Now I'm worried about EVERY studio that they acquired. It wasn't like Microsoft saved Bethesda or Activision/Blizzard by acquiring them.
 
Long term yeah. It is good for consumers in the short term. You get to play all of the mediocre ganes for cheap. Now if gamepass took off like phil wanted you can be damn sure the subscription would be through the roof.
 
Gambit2483 said:
I asked this question 3 years ago and half of GAF said Gamepass was sustainable...

Gambit2483

Thread 'Is a Subscription Service Model Truly Sustainable in this Industry?'

As I think more and more about Gamepass I find myself questioning if this system is truly sustainable moving forward, making enough money to continue such a service...

As gaming technology advances, It is likely that game development costs will also increase, meaning the more subscriptions they MUST have. If they don't gain or worse lose subscriptions then the subscription prices will hike, which may cause further subscription lost.

Then you have some 3rd parties that have or will lose faith in putting games on Xbox (due to anemic software sales) unless they are guaranteed a Gamepass...
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More like 35%. 63% said no or yes, but only like how PS is doing it.
 
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