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Calling all Game Pass subscriber: how have your gaming habits changed?

Jemm

Member
I currently mentally divide my games collection to paid games and Game Pass games.

While I concentrate on paid games, I leave the Game Pass games in the background, though occasionally I want a break from grinding the same game or want to try some new day 1 game on GP.

When I have finished the latest paid games, I continue working on my infinite backlog or start new games (that I probably wouldn't have otherwise bought) on Game Pass.

It's sometimes relaxing to pick some indie games that can be completed fast or are otherwise fascinating. If they suck after trying, they can be easily ignored and I can jump to some other game. No need to force myself playing games that are not worth my limited time. With paid games, I'd be more inclined to finish them, even if I don't like them that much.

This way I have something always to play, even though there may be long pauses between new games that I want to buy, like right now.

I don't stress about finishing Game Pass games before they are taken out of the service. If it is so good game that I want to finish it, then I can buy it through the Game Pass for cheaper or from some other sale.

Currently I'm waiting for Valhalla DLC and in the meantime I'm primarily playing Rage 2, that got added to the Game Pass after the Zenimax/Bethesda-deal.
 

IntentionalPun

Ask me about my wife's perfect butthole
Not at all.. I barely use the sub..

Just having a ton of games "free" (not really) for me to download doesn't really change my habits anymore than having 1,000+ games on Steam I got from bundles did.
 

yugoluke

Member
Its awesome.

I will break it up into short and long term.

Short Term:

I play more games at a whim. If I don't like a game I stop playing it without feeling like I wasted my money. I play genres I would not regularly play (Forza Horizon, Grounded, Subnautica ). I play more Indies (Narita Boy recently, Call of the Sea). I am much more open to suggestions from friends about games they think I should give a go (Deep Rock Galactic). The low level of commitment is just really great. Having EA play, allows family members to just get their sport games fix without spending any additional money. Being able to also play older games is really cool. Many times older games have increased performance which is also nice. Additionally, I game share so we have 3 xboxes across 2 accounts with GPU so my siblings can all play these games together. It is just really awesome.

The Long Term:

Knowing that I will have access to all Xbox first party and Bethesda games day and date is great to know. Additionally, I am sure that future partnerships and acquisitions will be forthcoming. Meaning more games on the platform. Eventually, some percentage of games I have had my eye on will make their way to the platform for me to play. This is really cool.
 

Plantoid

Member
Brought me back to gaming since I was only playing mobile stuff...

Had a old gaming pc 1080ti card, used to play lots of pirated games (gaming is ultra expensive here)

I had sold my gaming pc to my uncle and was playing only mobile here and there,

Made me get a series X
 

cromofo

Member
I try new games I otherwise wouldn't and demo games I'm interested in buying (on Steam/GOG).

Game Pass is worth every single penny.
 
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IDKFA

I am Become Bilbo Baggins
Made me realise that I really don't want to buy games.

Why purchase Mass Effect trilogy when it'll be on GP/EA Play in a few months?

The sooner every single game, including AAA third party titles, are released on GP day one the better.
 

DJTHEGREY

Member
My approach to trying games have changed since subscribing to Gamepass. If there is a lot of hype for a new release or a lot of positive "word of mouth" about a older game releasing on gamepass I'll try it. Even if it's not my type of game. So I naturally invest more time in games due to gamepass.

Examples of games I enjoyed but probably never would've purchased are Wasteland 3, Tell Me Why, Hollow Knight, Call of The Sea, Grounded, Planet Coaster, HellBlade and Yakuza 0. Although I haven't finished most of them

I can't say there is annoying aspect about gamepass. It's fairly prices for what you get. Very convenient, downloading games is easy on series x or on your phone. If you have multiple systems you can choose from your phone which system to download to. It's an awesome service that I hope only gets better in time.
 

01011001

Banned
not much. gamepass can be used like testing demos, but i still only play games I'm interested in just like before
 

Fredrik

Member
The biggest change is that I play games I would've never touched otherwise and quite often I really enjoy the games. Best Gamepass feature imo.
Yup that’s me as well, since it don’t cost me anything extra to try a game there is no reason to not try it if it seems interesting, even if it’s a meta 60 or 70 game. And yeah I’ve found quite a few little gems I would’ve missed otherwise.

The downside is that fullpriced games seem expensive now, I basically never buy games day 1 anymore.
 

Alebrije

Member
Its not for me , you need plenty of time to get a beneffit , tried 2 months but barely ended 3-4 games..

Yep is a good service but time is a mus. Also most of games are AA. When I tried from all the catalog just 5-6 games were interesting for me.
 
The thing I like about Gamepass is that it lets me try games without committing to a purchase. Since I have access to so many games I can try a game and if I dislike it I don't feel too bad about dumping it.

There have been several games on Gamepass that I bought on Steam after playing on Gamepass because I know I'll play them again in the future.

It's a great way to try out indie games as well. If I were making a game, say a turn-based Comedy RPG with a story based around 'Journey to the West', I would want it on that service to get as many hands on it as possible.
 
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The first big change for me has been that I no longer feel obliged to play a game I am not enjoying. Since getting Gamepass I have learned to play for a bit and then if I like it I keep going, and if not I just switch to something else. Without trying to force myself to play games that I've purchased gaming has become far more enjoyable for me, and I'm playing many more hours. Some games I really enjoyed that I probably would not have taken a chance buying are:
Outer Wilds
Mutant Year Zero
The Touryst
Wastelands 3 (my GOTY for 2020)
Outer Worlds
Subnautica
Carrion
Yakuza series (somehow I had never really paid attention to this amazing series. I am on Yakuza 3 now, can't believe I missed this)

I have also played parts of untold number of games that I didn't enjoy, and I don't feel guilty at all. So freeing!
 

bargeparty

Member
I don't understand people buying more games with this service. Game is on GP, you play it, you finish it... you buy it? What?

I could maybe see buying a game if it really has the legs and will be removed from GP, but how often is that really?

Are you guys just buying games to keep because you love backlogs and owning games you'll never play, is it some fomo thing?
 
(1) How has it affected the way you approach deciding whether to play/invest time in a game?

If it's a game I want and it's coming to GP and is 'free', I get it there. Unless it's the type of game I'd like to mod, in which case I'll get it on Steam. With that said, I've only downloaded maybe half a dozen games since subscribing many moons ago. Service probably isn't worth it for me, tbh, just based on the amount I've paid so far compared to number of games downloaded and their average retail price.

(2) What is an example of a game or multiple games that you really enjoyed but probably wouldn't have played if it hadn't been available at no extra cost through your subscription?

None yet, tbh.

(3) What are the best aspects, and what are the most annoying aspects about Game Pass as a service?

Best: Can't really think of anything off the top of my head.
Worst: Modding is difficult/impossible. For me, this is HUGE.
 
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Subscribed to Game Pass since the launch of XSX. I own both a PC and a XSX.

(1) How has it affected the way you approach deciding whether to play/invest time in a game?

It made me try some games, but just because a game is free doesn't mean I have any interest in playing it (my wallet isn't the one playing games, my mind is). As a matter of fact, it made me consider never buying games on XSX. A game has to be on Game Pass for me to bother, otherwise I look at other platforms (like my Playstation, Steam) for when I want to buy something.

(2) What is an example of a game or multiple games that you really enjoyed but probably wouldn't have played if it hadn't been available at no extra cost through your subscription?

Tetris Effect. Amazing experience on a good TV and some good headphones. I would have never bothered with Tetris in 2020 if it were not for Game Pass.
Same with Ori and the Will of the Wisps, which is a showcase of OLED/HDR. Not my type of game, but enjoyable experience thanks to availability on Game Pass.

(3) What are the best aspects, and what are the most annoying aspects about Game Pass as a service?

Best aspect : value proposition. I've bought 3 years of Game Pass for a little less than 180 euros. EA games on Game Pass on XSX is a great addition. First time I booted my XSX I was completely in shock at the sheer amount of games I could DL/play right away.
Worst aspect 1 : on PC, it uses the Windows Store which is a godawful abomination (download speed, encrypted game folder (!!!!!)) that actually makes me shudder anytime I think about playing on PC.
Worst aspect 2 : on PC, if you want to play EA games from Game Pass, you need to log in with an EA account. You don't have to do that on XSX, why should you on PC?
 
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ThisIsPrfct

Neo Member
That's actually one of the best points I've seen in this thread so far, never occurred. So annoying trying to work out who has what.

It even gives me an idea for remote movie nights (or maybe it's already a thing and I don't know about it). Imagine if on Netflix or something there was some way to auto-sync up movie/show timings with your friends so that you could remote watch stuff together.
Me and my friends just stream movies through Discord to watch them "together".
 

Bridges

Member
1) How has it affected the way you approach deciding whether to play/invest time in a game?

I am much more likely to put at least 30min-1hr into a game that I'm unsure about since I don't have to pay full price for it. It's been nice, but more importantly for me, it's given me versions of games in my backlog that I own for old/other consoles make me reluctant to dig them out to finally start/finish them. Thanks to Game Pass I've been able to give second chances to games I ended up really enjoying like Nier: Automata and Brutal Legend on my preferred platform.

(2) What is an example of a game or multiple games that you really enjoyed but probably wouldn't have played if it hadn't been available at no extra cost through your subscription?

So many at this point. First off, the big one, Yakuza 0. Got me hooked on the franchise and now it's one of my favorites, I'm working my way through them chronologically and I just finished Yakuza 4, so I guess you could count all of those. I first started my trial when Crackdown 3 came out because reviews/impressions made it seem like it wasn't worth full price, but I actually ended up loving it. Journey To The Savage Planet also, sadly it isn't on Game Pass anymore but I had no idea how incredible this game was, I had heard very little about it and had no idea it was so heavily Metroid Prime-inspired, makes me angry such a talented team immediately got bought up by Google and will probably never get to make a sequel. Outriders also, when it's working it's a phenomenal game but I thought it looked like absolute garbage before launch and would've never given it the time of day without GP.

(3) What are the best aspects, and what are the most annoying aspects about Game Pass as a service?
The best aspects most people have already mentioned. Having a shared multiplayer library is awesome when trying to have game nights with friends. The discovery of trying games you wouldn't have otherwise. Best part overall for me, is that through Microsoft Rewards you can pay for the whole subscription with Rewards Points and make the service effectively free.

Most annoying parts are probably the lack of sorting options. When you go the Game Pass section of the OS there are bunch of categories by genre but no option to sort by local multiplayer or online multiplayer, as far as I'm aware you have to select each game and check its page individually to see any of that information. Also, the lack of parity between the Console and PC versions can be frustrating. I use Ultimate so I have both, but unless the game specifically is better as a PC experience (like Gears Tactics, Hyponospace Outlaw, Day of The Tentacle, etc) then I like to play on console. Even still I would like the option for 1st party games like Age of Empires to be available on both, and conversely I'm sure there are plenty of people primarliy on PC who wish that it didn't take as long for some of the games that hit the console side to make their way over to PC.

It even gives me an idea for remote movie nights (or maybe it's already a thing and I don't know about it). Imagine if on Netflix or something there was some way to auto-sync up movie/show timings with your friends so that you could remote watch stuff together.
Netflix actually used to have this on Xbox 360, I think they called them Netflix Parties or something. You'd all sync up to the show/movie and in the bottom of the screen it would show your avatars watching it, and they could emote and stuff during it. It was kinda dumb but still cool, I was sad when they got rid of it.
 

yurinka

Member
I got 3 months of free PC GP because I bought Discord Turbo (before they added Bethesda and EA Play). Played some old MS exclusives I didn't play back in the time, in the same way I did with old Sony exclusives when I got PS Now during some time. But this time I obviously played all of them locally. In PS Now instead played some of them streamed, some of them locally.

I didn't renew it because already played most of the games I wanted to play, most of the new added ones aren't appealing enough for me and I almost don't have time to play. Since then I continued playing a few games I buy, some I got from Kickstarter, some I got from PS Plus/Play at Home/Epic Store/some dev friends who made it, etc.

The impression I got was that it had mostly pretty old games, like a smaller PS Now. But played some minutes a couple of new indies released at launch, and look forward to subscribe to it maybe in 2023 or so, after MS released several of the announced next gen big exclusives day one there.
 
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My brother has gamepass,i have a look once a month, its a bit like netflix, there is very little on there i have not played or peeks my interest, ms realy need more quality games and alot more variety. Would love more single player games on there. Who knows if game pass will ever be good enough for me subscribe to it. Right now i prefer to buy the games that interest me.
 
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lachesis

Member
I play none third party games first. Mostly because I'm afraid they'll go down sooner or later. Something like Halo, it's likely to stay up there almost indefinitely - so they are way bottom of my list. ;)
 
Still spend the same amount of money, just don't have to go crazy on games day one. Spending more on DLC (Doom and Ark recent examples) and more indie games.
 

Wizz-Art

Member
It gives me the chance to try out and play games I'm not sure enough buying. At the moment I'm into MLB The Show21 which I'd never would've played without Game Pass. I pay the normal price for Game Pass Ultimate and the 15 bucks it cost me gives me way more enjoyment than I have with Netflix so I canceled that sub last summer and resubbed for a month twice to catch up on some shows they released in the meantime.

I discovered a lot of games through Game Pass and finished a bunch, to me it's hands down the best deal in gaming. I still buy games though and Game Pass doesn't stop me in that regard, I've bought Dirt 5 Amplified edition on release for 80, but it was bought with giftcards I got with points I saved through Microsoft Rewards so it didn't really hurt when it got announced for Game Pass, if I paid real money I would've been pissed because after playing it some time I found out it's not a game I need to own.

I play more, I also play more varied and having 14TB's of storage available to me makes it very easy to have all the Game Pass games immediately available to me - I always download the new releases through the Game Pass app on my phone - if and whenever I want to try.
 

Old Empire.

Member
I downloading games i would not have paid full price for and likely would have touched anytime ever. So definitely my habits have changed.
 

MOTM

Banned
I don't understand people buying more games with this service. Game is on GP, you play it, you finish it... you buy it? What?

I could maybe see buying a game if it really has the legs and will be removed from GP, but how often is that really?

Are you guys just buying games to keep because you love backlogs and owning games you'll never play, is it some fomo thing?I
I buy more games now than before but I don’t buy games that are already on Gamepass. I just feel that because I have Gamepass I feel more free to buy more games because I’m not wasting as much money as before on games I don’t like, games that I feel forced to finish etc.
 
I still play Halo and Forza horizon. While still paying Microsoft more money.

It hasn't changed a thing. I guess it's a good deal if you new to gaming or want to play games that released years ago because one didn't have the money at the time.
 

Danknugz

Member
Check the leaving soon page that’s what I play next at the end of the month and usually never get to them on time.
 

Chukhopops

Member
To me the best example is the Yakuza series. For years I dismissed it as weeb trash because all that was ever posted about it was the wacky and random parts, and while I like Japanese games I never found that they were good at humor.

Then I played 0 on Gamepass and I loved it, realizing that the best part is actually the dead serious and fairly dark main story. Then I played Kiwami also on GP, and then I bought Like a Dragon and (yesterday) Judgement.

So from Sega’s point of view it’s actually a great deal since I’m sure I would never have bought a Yakuza game before. Now it’s one of my favorite series and I’m sure I will eventually play the other games.
 

reinking

Gold Member
Honestly. Not much. I had already been gaming the Gamefly queue to test new games. It has made it more convenient to not deal with postage return times or the occasional lost disc. However, it limits it to one console.
 

supernova8

Banned


As OP noted. Before - I would judge games based purely on reviews. Now, with the service I try and play more games now than before.

Games that are good - I’ll buy if/when they are removed from the service.

This is something I keep seeing/hearing.

Why would people buy games they've already played on Game Pass? If it's a multiplayer-focused game then I could see it but otherwise seems a bit pointless. Do you get any sort of discount if you've already finished it on Game Pass?
 

supernova8

Banned
I don't understand people buying more games with this service. Game is on GP, you play it, you finish it... you buy it? What?

I could maybe see buying a game if it really has the legs and will be removed from GP, but how often is that really?

Are you guys just buying games to keep because you love backlogs and owning games you'll never play, is it some fomo thing?
Yeah was thinking the same. Personally I think if you subscribe to GP then also buying (lots) of games outright sort of defeats the object of subscribing to GP. If we're talking games that are not coming/will likely never come to GP then fair enough.
 

supernova8

Banned
(2) What is an example of a game or multiple games that you really enjoyed but probably wouldn't have played if it hadn't been available at no extra cost through your subscription?

Tetris Effect. Amazing experience on a good TV and some good headphones. I would have never bothered with Tetris in 2020 if it were not for Game Pass.
Same with Ori and the Will of the Wisps, which is a showcase of OLED/HDR. Not my type of game, but enjoyable experience thanks to availability on Game Pass.
Yeah this is pretty much the exact same thing with me and Amazon Prime Video. It's funny I think "I would never have paid for that" and then when I'm finished watching it's like "Oh wait... maybe I would have paid for it.." or at least it turned out to be worth my time more than I originally thought.

I guess it depends on the original price of the game, how much you enjoy it and how much you felt was a "fair price".

Back in the day when I used to FIFA with my uni mates, I had no issue paying full price for it because I would be on it religiously every day (uni was not that hard after all) but nowadays I really don't want to be paying 60-70 dollars for a game.
 
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ZywyPL

Banned
This is something I keep seeing/hearing.

Why would people buy games they've already played on Game Pass? If it's a multiplayer-focused game then I could see it but otherwise seems a bit pointless. Do you get any sort of discount if you've already finished it on Game Pass?

Yeah, that's such a dumb move if you ask me, a game is already on GP, you can play it as long as you want, as many times as you want, so why not spend the money on new games that are not on GP, or DLCs to the games you constantly play? Paying for a game you already finished is like paying for a game you already bat twice because you borrowed it from a friend, just for the sake of... I don't know really, the sense of supporting the dev?
 

Sweden85

Member
I've used it to play Outriders and tried some of their own catalogue. I try some games before buying it on my PS5 otherwise no change to this date.
 

Markio128

Member
I subscribed for 6 months when I had my Xbox One X. I had fun with FH4 and a couple of other games. The problem is, my gaming time is precious ( with work and family commitments), so whilst it may seem a bit shallow, I usually only bother with big budget games. For this reason, I soon tired of the games available. Gaming is a big hobby of mine, so I’m not going to settle for 2nd best. However, once TES and a few other top tier games are available, I’ll be getting a Series X. Still undecided if I’ll be getting game pass again though because I may just buy the next TES and any other top games available at that time.
 

mrqs

Member
Being honest: I haven't bought a game since November. Am playing GTA V right now. I have plenty of money, will buy RE8, but minor games that i want to try it out? Nope. Almost bought Destroy All Humans, lucky me that i didn't.

I've never played so many games in all my 30 years. It's been amazing. GamePass changing my gaming habits for the better, and for waaaay cheaper.

Just played Rain on Your Parade, a game that i would never in a million years buy, and it was super pleasant!

GamePass made me get rid of my PS4 and buy a Series X. Excited for Psychonauts 2 and Halo this year!
 

HoofHearted

Member
This is something I keep seeing/hearing.

Why would people buy games they've already played on Game Pass? If it's a multiplayer-focused game then I could see it but otherwise seems a bit pointless. Do you get any sort of discount if you've already finished it on Game Pass?
I come from before an era when gaming was a try before you buy model.

Doom was a prime example of this.

Now - you’re stuck with either paying full price and hoping it’s good (depending on if you buy right at launch), waiting for awhile to buy it used or on discount, or “renting” (or getting for “free”) on GP... or any combination of the abov

Many here seem to hold value in “owning” the game - which I find a bit absurd because you don’t “own” the game - you own a license to use the game.

All of this doesn’t really matter in the end - it’s clear that the way we buy and access games are rapidly changing in the coming years. Look at how rapidly other channels (TV, Movies, Music) has changed over the past several years.

To answer your question - I doubt I will buy games that I’ve previously been able to play fully on GP.

The only scenario I see where it may be different is when I’ve not had enough time to spend with a game to play it all the way through before it’s removed from the service.

In this case - I would either wait for the game to return to the service - or if I really wanted to play it - then I’d buy it (probably for the cheapest available price across the consoles/PC that I own).

EDIT: I’m not aware of specific discounts if you’ve played a game on GP - however, XBox constantly has digital games available digitally throughout the year.
 
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CAB_Life

Member
I play way more games and a variety of genres than I ever did before. It's definitely broken me out of my gaming "bubble". It's also rekindled my love for JRPGs and I'm currently finishing off Vesperia, Octopath and FFXII. Gamepass takes away the hesitation or buyer's remorse since everything is covered under one sub, so there's no harm, no love lost if you don't like a title you were ambivalent on to begin with--and only unexpected delight when you do.
 

supernova8

Banned
Many here seem to hold value in “owning” the game - which I find a bit absurd because you don’t “own” the game - you own a license to use the game.
Sure you technically only own the license but up to the previous gen (PS4/XB1, and excluding PC because that's a different kettle of fish) you really did "own" the game because once you bought it, it was a complete product (ie there was generally no "DLC" or day one patches (read: patch to fix the broken release)) and your device didn't need to be updated to work. If you bought a PS1-PS3 and some games.. that's it they're your games and there is not much the platform holders or publishers can do about it.

Nowadays, though, a lot of games are shipped incomplete with game-breaking bugs and you are literally tethered to the servers (which are tied to the platform) to make those games work.

So, yeah, with regard to the current gaming landscape, you really don't own stuff anymore but it didn't used to be like that.
 

HoofHearted

Member
Sure you technically only own the license but up to the previous gen (PS4/XB1, and excluding PC because that's a different kettle of fish) you really did "own" the game because once you bought it, it was a complete product (ie there was generally no "DLC" or day one patches (read: patch to fix the broken release)) and your device didn't need to be updated to work. If you bought a PS1-PS3 and some games.. that's it they're your games and there is not much the platform holders or publishers can do about it.

Nowadays, though, a lot of games are shipped incomplete with game-breaking bugs and you are literally tethered to the servers (which are tied to the platform) to make those games work.

So, yeah, with regard to the current gaming landscape, you really don't own stuff anymore but it didn't used to be like that.
Go back and read the licenses to games from that era (or before even...) - I think you’ll be surprised...

You own the license to use (and right to sell or let others borrow said license). AFAIK it’s been this way for quite some time now.

EDIT -

From here: https://www.playstation.com/en-gb/legal/software-usage-terms/

2.1. "Authorised Systems" means any of PS one, PlayStation®2, PlayStation®Portable, PlayStation®3, PlayStation®Vita, PlayStation®TV, PlayStation®4 and PlayStation®5 systems.

and...

4.1. When you purchase Software, you are granted a licence to use that Software as described in these Terms, but you do not acquire ownership of the Software. If you do not comply with these Terms we can terminate the Software licence granted to you under these Terms, which means you will no longer have the right to use the Software.
 
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quest

Not Banned from OT
Sure you technically only own the license but up to the previous gen (PS4/XB1, and excluding PC because that's a different kettle of fish) you really did "own" the game because once you bought it, it was a complete product (ie there was generally no "DLC" or day one patches (read: patch to fix the broken release)) and your device didn't need to be updated to work. If you bought a PS1-PS3 and some games.. that's it they're your games and there is not much the platform holders or publishers can do about it.

Nowadays, though, a lot of games are shipped incomplete with game-breaking bugs and you are literally tethered to the servers (which are tied to the platform) to make those games work.

So, yeah, with regard to the current gaming landscape, you really don't own stuff anymore but it didn't used to be like that.
I think the ps3 store closing should be the warning for the future you don't own your games. When patches can't be downloaded many games are unplayable. I learned my lesson after my ps1 digital games rotted when Sony refused to bring emulators forward.

To the OP I still get games I really want like RE 8 in May. I also try many games I would never tried before and liked. So it changed my habits that way playing games I never would of played since I wouldn't pay to try them.
 

mxbison

Member
Not much honestly. I still play the games I want to play, regardless if they are on GamePass.

If it's on Game Pass, cool, if not, then I buy it.
 

Roberts

Member
Here are a few personal stats:

When I got Xbox One X I had around 25k gamerscore. I’ve been with Xbox from the start. Around the same time I subscribed to Gamepass, maybe a bit later. Now my GS is 150k. So, yeah, it changed my gaming habits in a huge way even though I have less free time than before. But GP made me appreciate genres that I ignored before. Can’t really say anything negative about GP - it slaps so hard.

I started buying games digitally around the same time I got gamepass. Before I mostly bought used games so MS didn’t get a cent of that. Now they have my money and I always have something to play.
 
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