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[Sintoid]

This would lead to every game to try their absolute darndest to waste as much of your time as possible. Not just with a high amount of cheap repetitive content, but also through tricks like slow menus and unskipables intros/transition for everything. I bet some devs would go as far as making loadings longer on purpose.

It would drive me fucking nuts.

Maybe my first post was easily misunderstandable. I'm not telling that the only measure MUST be the game time. Try to imagine your scenario with an user score implementation. Lot of people that complain about this cheap trick to improve gaming engagement could be an added feedback for Microsoft.

 

[Griffon]

Maybe my first post was easily misunderstandable. I'm not telling that the only measure MUST be the game time. Try to imagine your scenario with an user score implementation. Lot of people that complain about this cheap trick to improve gaming engagement could be an added feedback for Microsoft.

This is too complicated for MS, you're creating a problem that has to be handled through user moderation and a proper technical backbone. MS can barely make the Xbox app download and launch your games.
Revenue determined by time and user reports can only lead to serious exploits and bad faith game design.


I have an even better alternative: what if users directly gave money to the developers? With an optional refund window of, say, two hours? That way we'd know for sure what games deserve to succeed or not, regardless of how much time they manage to waste.
And to sweeten the deal, we could even incentivize devs to release demos (maybe through a demo festival? call it the next fest), that way users can try most of the games even before spending money.

 

[peish]

With all the recent bad news studio closures, layoffs, and underwhelming releases it's becoming clear to me that gamepass might be Xbox's death sentence. Subscription models work for movies and TV because content is cheaper and quicker to produce. Games are a different beast though, they take years and hundreds of millions to develop.

Microsoft's gamepass strategy doesn't seem sustainable long term. We're seeing a constant declining in quality of their releases and unless a miracle happens, this could be the beginning of the end for Xbox as we know it

Lets have a healthy debate papitos

It is not gamepass fault. If anything, Phil did not cut the head counts quicker. It always is the case with acquisitons, roles are duplicated, it took them too long which makes this mass cutting looks massive.

 

[poppabk]

I dont think gamepass was a mistake - but MS have approached it weirdly. So many single player games with no real DLC.
A subscription service makes a whole lot more sense when you are selling add-ons for games - we know that Sony for example makes more money from addon-content than they do selling games. When you didnt have an initial outlay for a game that upgrade or DLC is an even easier sell.

 

[Sintoid]

I have an even better alternative: what if users directly gave money to the developers? With an optional refund window of, say, two hours? That way we'd know for sure what games deserve to succeed or not, regardless of how much time they manage to waste.
And to sweeten the deal, we could even incentivize devs to release demos (maybe through a demo festival? call it the next fest), that way users can try most of the games even before spending money.

That is a great idea, no other words needed

 

[Three]

Some gamers: Games are expensive AF.
Microsoft: Here's an option to play games for cheap is called GP.
Some gamers: GP is renting.
Microsoft: You can buy the game at full price if you want.
Some gamers: Lol, Xbox is going bankrupt.
Microsoft: Don't worry about that, we are a 3B dollar company, just enjoy the games. We are going to be fine.
Some gamers: No, i don't want options. GP is evil.

I don't get that mentality…

Some gamers: games are expensive as fuck
Microsoft: we're making games $80. Please subscribe.
Some gamers: no, get fucked.
Microsoft: fine, we're cancelling games and shutting down studios despite being a 3"B" dollar company.

 

[photogaz]

The industry has been terrible the last few years.

Xbox side it was Gamepass and poor leadership. I also believe the terrible naming of the Xbox consoles caused so much confusion.

Sony had it's fair share of mishaps too. The GAAS was a huge mistake. It's all come out of greed.

I hope the industry can recover.