Is Game Pass Ultimate going to survive?

Is Game Pass Ultimate going to survive?

  • Total voters
    384
In the current state - no. But if they remove ea+ubi+cloud (with a reduced price, obviously) from the ultimate - yes.
 
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It's hard to imagine Microsoft think that people will keep paying up for it at $30 a month constantly.

The only possible way I can see it making sense is as a dip-in dip-out service. Grab a month to play the latest game, basically a rental service. Maybe there are a couple of titles you want to play.

In that way, it kinda makes sense if you're a digital console owner. Some games can be played through in a month or a week or even less. In that setting, you could pay $30 rather than $70 and see everything. In the same way that some people used to buy the latest game on a disc and then sell it on a week later.

So, there's that, I guess. I wouldn't do it, personally.

But as a $360 a year service. I can't see it making sense for me.
 
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Im pretty sure people felt the same about the ps plus levels and that seems to be doing the same at least we haven't heard its dying.
 
Let's be honest, it was DOA the moment the GP stalled and it became obvious the it will never reach even the minimum 50m target, let alone the lofty 100m.

I mean, Microsoft converted Gold to Core to at least somehow save the membership numbers not because GPU was sustainable with low 20m to begin with.
 
Mr Reasonable said:
It's hard to imagine Microsoft think that people will keep paying up for it at $30 a month constantly.

The only possible way I can see it making sense is as a dip-in dip-out service. Grab a month to play the latest game, basically a rental service. Maybe there are a couple of titles you want to play.

In that way, it kinda makes sense if you're a digital console owner. Some games can be played through in a month or a week or even less. In that setting, you could pay $30 rather than $70 and see everything. In the same way that some people used to buy the latest game on a disc and then sell it on a week later.

So, there's that, I guess. I wouldn't do it, personally.

But as a $360 a year service. I can't see it making sense for me.
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If you're considering paying all year round, you should stack with Game Pass instead.
 
Sebastian1295 said:
Phil spencer is the worst gaming CEO of all time and a walking embarrassment of a man who single handedly destroyed the xbox
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Singlehandedly?

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As bad as Spencer is, Mattrick started it and did waaaaay more damage to the Xbox brand. Phil is just finishing it.
 
DirtInUrEye said:
As bad as Spencer is, Mattrick started it and did waaaaay more damage to the Xbox brand. Phil is just finishing it.
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I will probably get a lot of flak for saying this, but despite terrible PR-related steps Mattrick provided one very important things: actual games. A lot of them, some are truly exclusive. Some even by former Sony teams, like Insoimniac.

Xbox One launch was a lot of things, but it was quite frontloaded game-wise, unlike PS4. Part of the reason why it took PS4 a solid year and a half to outsell XBO in US. Uncle Phil basically coasted of Mattrick's deals, commitments and overall pipeline for years.
 
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I think it will survive, but will aim to fewer users paying more and users subscribing for a month when a big game launches. Which it must be how most people use Game Pass
 
Yes. Anybody that thinks that the PC subscription price is sustainable are just fooling themselves. They'll merge it with the Ultimate sooner or later.
 
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Mr Reasonable said:
It's hard to imagine Microsoft think that people will keep paying up for it at $30 a month constantly.

The only possible way I can see it making sense is as a dip-in dip-out service. Grab a month to play the latest game, basically a rental service. Maybe there are a couple of titles you want to play.

In that way, it kinda makes sense if you're a digital console owner. Some games can be played through in a month or a week or even less. In that setting, you could pay $30 rather than $70 and see everything. In the same way that some people used to buy the latest game on a disc and then sell it on a week later.

So, there's that, I guess. I wouldn't do it, personally.

But as a $360 a year service. I can't see it making sense for me.
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EVen $30 as a rental service is no longer worth it when you consider that most AAA games end up at $50 or less within a month. Some as low as $40.
 
ShaiKhulud1989 said:
I will probably get a lot of flak for saying this, but despite terrible PR-related steps Mattrick provided one very important things: actual games. A lot of them, some are truly exclusive. Some even by former Sony teams, like Insoimniac.

Xbox One launch was a lot of things, but it was quite frontloaded game-wise, unlike PS4. Part of the reason why it took PS4 a solid year and a half to outsell XBO in US. Uncle Phil basically coasted of Mattrick's deals, commitments and overall pipeline for years.
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So is this like when after so many years had passed, people eventually started to reckon the Star Wars prequels were actually quite good?
 
DirtInUrEye said:
So is this like when after so many years had passed, people eventually started to reckon the Star Wars prequels were actually quite good?
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Dunno, I've always though people were demonizing Mattrick a bit, like this fiasco was his sole creation. People like Spencer were more than involved in making this mess too, he is Kathlyn Kennedy of Xbox so to speak.
 
vaibhavpisal said:
All the people unsubscribing prematurely will be scrambling to re subscribe again when NG4, Keeper, OW2, COD will drop in just a month.
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My goodness he really is going all the way down into the grave with Xbox. I have to hand it to the man, that's loyalty you can't buy.

Or is it
 
ShaiKhulud1989 said:
Dunno, I've always though people were demonizing Mattrick a bit, like this fiasco was his sole creation. People like Spencer were more than involved in making this mess too, he is Kathlyn Kennedy of Xbox so to speak.
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Hmm, I don't know. Kathleen Kennedy also produced many Spielberg films including:

E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
Poltergeist
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
Empire of the Sun
Schindler's List
Jurassic Park

Star Wars was going wrong before Kennedy took over its stewardship. George Lucas discovered green screens, CGI and a typewriter.
 
Mr Reasonable said:
It's hard to imagine Microsoft think that people will keep paying up for it at $30 a month constantly.

The only possible way I can see it making sense is as a dip-in dip-out service. Grab a month to play the latest game, basically a rental service. Maybe there are a couple of titles you want to play.

In that way, it kinda makes sense if you're a digital console owner. Some games can be played through in a month or a week or even less. In that setting, you could pay $30 rather than $70 and see everything. In the same way that some people used to buy the latest game on a disc and then sell it on a week later.

So, there's that, I guess. I wouldn't do it, personally.

But as a $360 a year service. I can't see it making sense for me.
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This is the only way I ever used GP personally. I did not like to get invested in games I might have to renew to pick up the save, it was just a demo/rental station. If I seriously liked a game, I bought it usually on Steam or Switch. It's not malice, it's just that Steam would often be cheaper and more future-proofed from that ecosystem, and Switch is portable.
 
Why would it die? Either pay it or don't. They will put games on the service and those still there will pay $25 a month. Those not paying for GP will buy the games outright for $70-$80
 
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There will always been idiots/whales that pay for stupid overpriced shit simply because they can. (I know people who have dropped thousands into Fortnite skins.)
Netflix is a great example of a product which has gotten worse over the years whilst the price has gone up... But people continue to pay for it. This is what'll happen with GamePass. (And Microsoft will probably make the cancellation process more convoluted.)
If people get a tiny dopamine hit from something, they'll continue throwing money at it.
 
Hasnt Xbox live gold changed to game pass core or something?

If core requires online, then no. Ultimate, maybe, but core no

Unless, of course, if Xbox stops it's hardware line, then it would disappear.
 
Mr Reasonable said:
It's hard to imagine Microsoft think that people will keep paying up for it at $30 a month constantly.
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Look at the value you get, like EA Play, Ubisoft + Classic, 75 Day 1 Releases (incl. all of MS own IPs), Cloud Gaming, over 400 Games etc.
Now take the comparison wie EA Play Pro and Ubisoft+, how much you have to pay for both services and what you get.
It's still a fair offer they make and you don't have to pay the MSRP.
You can get Game Pass Ultimate way cheaper, like maybe 10 $/month.

Nobody is forced to subscribe to GPU.
Just choose Game Pass Premium.
 
DirtInUrEye said:
Singlehandedly?

137276021529.png


As bad as Spencer is, Mattrick started it and did waaaaay more damage to the Xbox brand. Phil is just finishing it.
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Nah. Mattrick fumbled, and then as an immediate reaction, he resigned (or was fired). Phil fumbled 743 times in 10+ years and he kept getting promoted.
 
Ramiro_Rodriguez said:
Look at the value you get, like EA Play, Ubisoft + Classic, 75 Day 1 Releases (incl. all of MS own IPs), Cloud Gaming, over 400 Games etc.
Now take the comparison wie EA Play Pro and Ubisoft+, how much you have to pay for both services and what you get.
It's still a fair offer they make and you don't have to pay the MSRP.
You can get Game Pass Ultimate way cheaper, like maybe 10 $/month.

Nobody is forced to subscribe to GPU.
Just choose Game Pass Premium.
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But that's the problem - the value is dictated by what you personally get. They can add all kinds of enticements but to me the day one first party games is what is important in Gamepass for me. I probably wouldn't subscribe otherwise. But, that's my own personal situation.

I personally don't consider Ubi or EA games on there as being worth much to me.

I'm topped up untill mid 2028 so it's not a big deal to me either way, by then I think the landscape will have settled to whatever it'll be and Microsoft will have worked out what's working with their Gamepass offering. It remains to be seen if they change pricing down the line.
 
Baemono said:
Nah. Mattrick fumbled, and then as an immediate reaction, he resigned (or was fired). Phil fumbled 743 times in 10+ years and he kept getting promoted.
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I agree that Phil is shit, but let's not suddenly have the rose tinteds out for Don (for some reason). The pivot he attempted to make with Xbox was catastrophic and it essentially destroyed the 360 brand dominance and handed the last two gens back to Sony.
 
Mr Reasonable said:
It's hard to imagine Microsoft think that people will keep paying up for it at $30 a month constantly.

The only possible way I can see it making sense is as a dip-in dip-out service. Grab a month to play the latest game, basically a rental service. Maybe there are a couple of titles you want to play.

In that way, it kinda makes sense if you're a digital console owner. Some games can be played through in a month or a week or even less. In that setting, you could pay $30 rather than $70 and see everything. In the same way that some people used to buy the latest game on a disc and then sell it on a week later.

So, there's that, I guess. I wouldn't do it, personally.

But as a $360 a year service. I can't see it making sense for me.
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I'll be in the "dip in dip out" crowd when my current subscriptions lapses. Thankfully PC Game Pass is still decently (and oddly) priced at $16.49. No different than what I do with Ubisoft+. If $30 were the only option then I'd just wait for a lower price from a key reseller.
 
Mattrick shattered the 360's momentum yes. Yet, it seemed the world was willing to give Xbox another chance with Series. They could have capitalized on the fresh start and Covid. Even I, a lapsed customer in PC land, gave the blind benefit of the doubt and bought a Series X. In short, everyone kinda wanted Xbox to be good, but BOTH suits kept curbstomping it. At least Mattrick got kicked out after the dumb reveal. Phil had a whole gen to prepare. Now they just keep him as a scapegoat/front man to take the PR hits.
 
Yes, there is a lot of shills out there, a personal friend is sharing his Xbox Ultimate account in order to pay only half.
 
Mr Reasonable said:
The only possible way I can see it making sense is as a dip-in dip-out service. Grab a month to play the latest game, basically a rental service. Maybe there are a couple of titles you want to play.

In that way, it kinda makes sense if you're a digital console owner. Some games can be played through in a month or a week or even less. In that setting, you could pay $30 rather than $70 and see everything. In the same way that some people used to buy the latest game on a disc and then sell it on a week later.
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This is why Microsoft got rid of Tango and canceled games like Perfect Dark and Everwild, they don't need 10 hour adventure games and they don't want them because it doesn't keep people on the service. BUT, honestly neither does Call of Duty if the monthly service costs the same as two or three months of playing the game. Most peolpe play the game much more than that.

So it's a weird conundrum they are in. I guess the other option is to spend a shitload on third party games but that just makes it more unsustainable.
 
I'm subbed until 2027, so personally I'll see how the value holds up to decide about going forward. I've overall loved the service, however I haven't used it at all in 4~ months so if I were paying monthly at the new price I'd cancel. 2026 lineup looks like it will be worth the sub if you're into many of those releases.
 
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