Game Pass Was Supposed To Be the Netflix-Style All-You-Can-Play Subscription That Would Save Xbox – Instead, It’s Killing the Company
www.ign.com
Game Pass was supposed to be the all-you-can-play subscription service that put Xbox on top after a disastrous generation. Instead, it's a failure that's threatening to ruin the company.

cross-posted from: https://piefed.ca/c/[email protected]/p/869515/game-pass-was-supposed-to-save-xbox-instead-its-killing-the-company

“Netflix for games” has proven to be far from the ideal solution.

  • TeaWithDani@lemmy.worldEnglish
    5·
    10 hours ago

    I’m actually really surprised this didn’t work. They had acquired such a large amount of quality studios, IPs and a huge back catalogue. They had enough money to keep the subscription low indefinitely. Getting added to the Game Pass was a huge deal for indie devs at one point, but I think those who did were disapointed with returns.

    Granted the article says they dropped 300 million on Jedi Survivor and Suicide Squad… which gets to the point of how unsustainable subscription models are. It’s like a smaller version of the Ai market. Just like how you can’t break even on 300 million selling a $10 a month subscription, you can’t break even on $30 billion investments with the same $10 subscription.

    Still, how could you possibly mess this up. lol

    • purplemonkeymad@programming.devEnglish
      5·
      9 hours ago

      It was great when I first got it, but I ended but getting fatigued with it. New releases wanted time investment, but the rising costs meant I felt I should play more stuff. In the end everything I wanted to play required time and I felt that I was no longer getting value out of it. It would have cost less to not have it and just buy the game for some titles.

      • TeaWithDani@lemmy.worldEnglish
        4·
        9 hours ago

        I think that’s how it went down for most people.

        I remember getting free games with Gold back on the 360 and One. Eventually they became unplayable without the subscription. Kinda enshitified.

        There’s just something about your progression being tied to a subscription that makes you want to invest less in the game.