Game pass is bleeding

 

Game Pass is known as 'the greatest deal in gaming' for a good reason. For a nominal fee you get access to a simply obscene amount of games that you can play without restriction as though you were logging into the 'Netflix-of-gaming': as it is sometimes charitably called. And that deal is made all the more exciting by the fact that many of these games are literally day-one releases dropping on the platform and on Gamepass at the exact same moment. Throw into that the fact that PC players can throw themselves in too with the Ultimate edition (although that does necessitate use of the Microsoft storefront which might actually be the single worst launcher on the PC) and there really is nothing like Gamepass. It's a deal that seems too good to be true. And that's because it is. And when a deal is too good to be true, it's only a matter of time before that deal will no longer be true.

What makes Gamepass so utterly ridiculous is the fact that given the price you have to play anyone would be saving almost hundreds for access to AAA tier games, albeit at the whim of Microsoft and their unclear deals which can sometimes line up that one game you were interested in to be pulled off the platform when within the next few weeks when you aren't expecting it. I think most would consider Game Pass to be one of those 'dip in services' to go through a lot of those games that they would otherwise never buy themselves. That was how I got around to playing through 'Lords of the Fallen' and... yeah, I would probably feel pretty jipped if I played full price to play a Soulslike played by a team who seem to deeply dislike the genre and what it stands for. But at least I can experience it's very good control scheme for myself!

But what does this deal mean on behalf of the actual people who make and sell the things? I mean sure they get their money and an influx of players- but can they rely on that small percentage of players to stick around and buy the game after they're done with it? Or can Live Services depend on that audience when the next update rolls around and the game is no longer on the service? And what happens when the culture on Xbox starts to disincentive the buying of games altogether? All pertinent and worrying queries at present. Some developers have even grumbled if the deal is wholly worth it on their end- although that doesn't seem to be the overwhelming opinion as of yet.

Still- Game Pass exists as perhaps the sole bastion of the Xbox platform worth flocking to, given that their first party deluge of upcoming games is still too far away to rely on. Which of course means it is going to be the pressure point that the Xbox team steps on when they need to justify themselves to Microsoft in the midst of a slow growth season. And yet- one might argue that stepping on such a system, the sole one you rely on, would be the single best way to- how do they say- bite the hand that feeds you? Really a 'push and pull' dilemma with this one, it would seem. I suppose we'll learn which way this ends up leaning for Xbox given their coming changes to pricing.

Yes, you've probably already heard. Game Pass is currently undergoing a total restructuring of it's plans in order to make itself actively worse all around whilst scoring major 'asshole' points by spouting out that "this is for player choice" bull that every cretin parrots whenever they're sticking their hand in your pocket and trying to get out clean. Game Pass is losing it's console only version of it's service and now offering a new tier of subscription that forgoes the single best perk of Game pass- the ability to play fresh games pretty much right away. The allure of being able to rattle through 200 dollars worth of games on a cheap subscription that you hop off of when you're done is pretty much the golden goose of the Xbox platform and sacrificing that is kind of like murdering your cash cow.

Now the Ultimate Subscription remains untouched- we still get day-one games as soon as they drop, but we're getting a cost increase punishment for our sins of simply enjoying the service because, you know, 'player choice' and all that. What's crazy is that Game Pass is following the 'slowly bleed out our accessibility' path that Netflix has been doing for years now, having just removed the Netflix basic subscription plan, only Xbox has no competitors to fall back on for a straw-man. They made this choice all of their own and we're suffering the consequences- all so that Xbox can justify that unhinged spending spree form a few years back to their investors. All to pay for not-even-exclusive access to Call of Duty. Was it worth it?

The new Game Pass deal moves in a direction that takes away from players, guts the service they've grown used to and ups the price around the board for everyone except the PC exclusive Game Pass users. All whilst the company are seemingly trying to increase the coverage of Game Pass to other consoles- if that's not something they have altogether given up on at this point. So what does this realistically leave Xbox fans with? The gnawing sensation that their deals are moving towards the worse-off end of things and Xbox is in trouble, eating at it's own tail in order to make ends meet. The same feeling we've had over us ever since studios started shutting down earlier this very year.

I don't know if I'd go so far as to call this the slow death of the Xbox brand continuing, or a stimulus package for the upper parties at the expense of us lesser- but I do know that I hate coming back to Xbox and seeing it's value shrivel more and more with each passing month. Nothing substantive coming with a real release date, their only unique offerings becoming worse and more expensive- what real reason is there to own an Xbox in the modern age? It's smaller than the PS5 and thus can fit on your desk much neater. Really wish there was more to it than just that, to be honest. Really wish I can say something mattered underneath the hood.

We live in a time of shifting realities. Where institutions are falling to the unexpected other choice. Indie Games make up the majority of most played games on Steam, Crime Boss Rockay City is out stripping Payday 3 in recurrent numbers and Xbox are making all the kinds of greedy goodwill-rotting decisions that a company only really has the luxury to make when they are the number one- whilst they currently sit dead last in the console race. Time and time again we ask ourselves why. There was a time when Gamepass really did have a shot at rising the Xbox brand- but at the first sign of trouble Xbox does what it always does- freak out and start making panic cuts. One of these days those panic cuts are going to hit an artery, and then all we'll be able to do is watch with our arms crossed as the great beast gurgles on it's own life juices shaking our heads and muttering "We told you so."