Heisenberg007
Gold Journalism
Yeah, nah, both of these numbers are wildly incorrect.
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"Xbox Game Pass Standard" is launching in September
DragonNCM
Member
The same moment they find solution for gamers that can play their game library out of the Xbox consoles they will kill xbox console. Probably we will need to wait one more console generation to see it done for good.
Topher
Identifies as young
We don't know current sales numbers but we know units sold have dropped significantly in the past year. Seriously doubt they are at 30 million.
Game Pass had 34 million subscribers once Xbox Live Gold was added into Game Pass so that 42 million number is completely wrong.
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Topher
Identifies as young
I think it is interesting that when they talk about they avoid using the word "console". They only refer to "hardware".
rabbity-thing
Member
There is definitely an excuse, but it's not valid.
The problem, as I've come to understand it, thanks to this thread, is that Microsoft insists on pretending that the right to play games online is a privilege that is worth the amount they charge for it. They are not alone in this. The other consoles also pretend there is a real value there. What it actually is, is extortion. They are locking out core functionality of their hardware behind a paywall. That's probably why the tier that basically only includes online is called "core."
On PC, no such paywall exists, so, in theory, they can charge less for Day One access because the PC base tier doesn't have the "added value" of online access that Microsoft provides for the console's Core tier.
I've said it before, but the problem here is that Microsoft decided to make a set of PC Tiers to their sub service that only serve to highlight how ridiculous it is for console makers to charge for what should, in 2024, be a core functionality of modern systems. Not, as they've been treating it, a premium yet somehow optional extra.
They've exposed their scam for what it is. The smarter option would have been to just equalize the lowest sub tiers w/o losing day one access. They even could have raised both regardless of the lack of online needing to be provided for PC. That way, they could state that the Gamepass games were where the actual value of Gamepass comes from instead of refusing to let go of the concept that online is worth what they charge.
It's such an unforced error.
DeltaPolarBear
Member
I always wondered why it took so long for Xbox to allow Free To Play games to run without Gold.
I am starting to see a pattern emerging. Perhaps Xbox was just trying to fight against Free To Play because it is eating GamePass's lunch. Back then the plan was to have 100 million subscribers by 2030. But that plan can't physically happen for as long as tens of millions of casual gamers keep playing Free games and nothing else.
Sure, these gamers pay a lot in lootboxes, but the fact is they would never accept any kind of subscription. Gamepass is basically a lost cause to such gamers because you can't lure them with "cheap games". They are already playing FREE games, "cheap" is too expensive.
This means the more popular Free To Play games is on Xbox, the less people would want to pay for Gamepass. So my new suspicion is that in the last few years, Spencer and Crew had been sabotaging the likes of Fortnite and forcing their players to pay Gold in order to play what would otherwise be a free game, because it makes those games less attractive. Because Gamepass was the only way forward and they can't risk people starting to spend all their money and time NOT on Gamepass.
Maybe that's why Genshin Impact is nowhere on Xbox even now. They are literal direct competitors to Gamepass subscriptions. 50million players. That is 1/2 of the 100million total subscriber goal Gamepass wanted. And if Genshin Impact ever show up on Xbox the Gamepass numbers would likely drop and not rise.
I am starting to see a pattern emerging. Perhaps Xbox was just trying to fight against Free To Play because it is eating GamePass's lunch. Back then the plan was to have 100 million subscribers by 2030. But that plan can't physically happen for as long as tens of millions of casual gamers keep playing Free games and nothing else.
Sure, these gamers pay a lot in lootboxes, but the fact is they would never accept any kind of subscription. Gamepass is basically a lost cause to such gamers because you can't lure them with "cheap games". They are already playing FREE games, "cheap" is too expensive.
This means the more popular Free To Play games is on Xbox, the less people would want to pay for Gamepass. So my new suspicion is that in the last few years, Spencer and Crew had been sabotaging the likes of Fortnite and forcing their players to pay Gold in order to play what would otherwise be a free game, because it makes those games less attractive. Because Gamepass was the only way forward and they can't risk people starting to spend all their money and time NOT on Gamepass.
Maybe that's why Genshin Impact is nowhere on Xbox even now. They are literal direct competitors to Gamepass subscriptions. 50million players. That is 1/2 of the 100million total subscriber goal Gamepass wanted. And if Genshin Impact ever show up on Xbox the Gamepass numbers would likely drop and not rise.
mayham2199
Member
This is a good theory and very possible. With that in mind though they have to see that GP is a lost cause period because F2P is even more prevalent on mobile and PC. So while it's a good theory I'm not so sure it's true because if that's their mindset then they have to understand that there is pretty much no real growth opportunity for GP.
DeltaPolarBear
Member
The 100million sub is probably what they needed to be profitable and not raise prices.
Since they HAVE raised prices, it means they have given up on that old goal.
Your're arguing Microsoft is deliberating sabotaging major F2P games on Xbox that have the potential to bring in a ton of IAP revenue? Even when you know the decision to gate F2P behind paid subs predates GamePass? and even when Microsoft launched Halo Infinite's multiplayer as a F2P, potentially sabotaging GamePass by your logic?
You're saying they're deliberately blocking Genshin Impact from Xbox even though the game has the potential to make them many tens of millions of dollars in their storefront cut? And that people who pay for GamePass ultimate to play Day 1 games and a library of other games will ditch the service to play Genshin impact? Even when we've seen no impact on the higher PS+ tiers with all the F2P Mihoyo games on Playstation?
Hmm.
Edmund
is waiting for Starfield 7
Poor
O
Ozriel
laughing at posts by
D
DeltaPolarBear
and
M
mayham2199
. You guys hurt him real bad lol.
SmurfMustard
Member
Grow up kid.
DeltaPolarBear
Member
You are perplexed, but that is no more perplexing than Xbox blocking potential Fortnite Revenue by putting up a cost barrier.
It would not be the first time that a major corporation did something because they are trying to reach a certain business goal. For example, Sony deliberately cease selling games in countries that doesn't have PSN. That's millions of dollars lost RIGHT THERE.
The reality is that business leaders are not paid by their company by making money, they are paid by reaching salary benchmarks. And for a while until recently, one of the benchmarks for Xbox is the growth of Gamepass. Everything else is secondary if not detrimental to that goal. So if making millions more dollars from Free To Play games would affect Xbox's ability to grow Gamepass, then hell yeah they would restrict Free To Play games. Obviously this was a futile struggle, hence they have given up that fight. But it makes business sense even if it makes no financial sense.
Gating F2P games behind Xbox Live has been a thing LONG before GamePass existed. Kills your theory dead.
Truth be told, there's absolutely no logic in making F2P games free to play online, while keeping paid online games behind a subscription. But that's a whole other topic.
ChorizoPicozo
Member
I'm just going to leave a couple of things:
we are going to see, and we are going to learn.
we are going to see, and we are going to learn.
Is this related to your bold prediction that GP would be ended before end of the year?
Or the one that claimed COD wasn’t going to be on GamePass?
Best to clarify
ChorizoPicozo
Member
already happened.
Game pass standard and CORE aren't getting COD. sooo
my bold "prediction" has become true. it was not a prediction but a simple observation tho.
No, this:
always learning....
already happened.
Game pass standard and CORE aren't getting COD. sooo
my bold "prediction" has become true. it was not a prediction but a simple observation tho.
No, this:
always learning....
GamePass looks completely locked on to be alive and well by end year, and nobody in their right mind ever thought they’d be bringing COD to GamePass Core Day 1
0/2 so far.
ChorizoPicozo
Member
Oh boy, Ozriel is salty for no reason. It's time to learn and grow. My boy Phil (King of Xbox) is the best example in the flesh. In fact; let's all learn and grow together.GamePass looks completely locked on to be alive and well by end year, and nobody in their right mind ever thought they’d be bringing COD to GamePass Core Day 1
0/2 so far.
Oh boy, Ozriel is salty for no reason. It's time to learn and grow. My boy Phil (King of Xbox) is the best example in the flesh. In fact; let's all learn and grow together.
Why in the world would I be ‘salty’ when I’m the one with a long term subscription to a service that provides me great value?
Oh boy.
adamsapple
Or is it just one of Phil's balls in my throat?
ChorizoPicozo
Member
Oh, that explains a lot.
as I said many times, one shouldn't feel defensive for an ill-advised service (for the company) if the consumer gets the value and even "hack" the systems to get even more out of it. that's good.
criticism, or just being skeptical about it shouldn't trigger any kind of emotion.
With these changes to GP, MS can kiss goodbye to the idea of getting 100+ million subs tho.
but hey! we are learning.
Not really my concern whether they hit 100 million subs or not. I’m a consumer. You’re free to cosplay as the CEO if you want.
I’m locked in to GP Ultimate until mid 2027. It’ll cover a ton of games that I’d enjoy playing. That’s value, given what I paid for it.
ChorizoPicozo
Member
and thats what I say.
people always confuse the GP conversation and make it personal.
I don't care if GP makes you happy
, sad 
or angry 
. we are in a videogame forum, people argue about how many frames and pixels are displayed every second.
Again. we are going to see and learn.
No but people expected it for xbox Gamepass. Now it's not happening.nobody in their right mind ever thought they’d be bringing COD to GamePass Core Day 1
0/2 so far.
ChorizoPicozo
Member
why no one can see the beautiful future Phil Spencer is building for us?
rabbity-thing
Member
Microsoft could probably just use your GAF posts proclaiming the imminent death of GamePass and Xbox as evidence that they aren’t having outsized power in the market.
That and a PDF file of the posts everytime the EU hardware sales numbers come out.
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ChorizoPicozo
Member
mayham2199
Member
Oh no doubt they've given up on the 100 million sub goal. There's no way that plan never included raising prices though all sub services raise prices it's impossible that they never expected to raise prices for the next 7 years.
ShaiKhulud1989
Gold Member
adamsapple
Or is it just one of Phil's balls in my throat?
I know .. I even read someone say that they're killing it before Black ops 6 comes out.