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[GHG]

Why should Classic games be disregarded if they’re no longer available for purchase in retail stores, or digital storefronts - but made available to subscribers?

It’s no different than Nintendo putting N64 games on their subscription service, but not letting you buy them for Switch.

There are ways to access and play those games without a subscription.

That wouldn't be the case for a new release designed around modern hardware that is only made available via a subscription at the time of release.

It feels like some people are attempting to use this "but classic games" loophole as a way of avoiding having to answer or think about the question that's being put forward.

 

[Putonahappyface]

I’d advise that you at least rent it. Probably gonna be fun.

Why when I can physically buy it!

 

[Roronoa Zoro]

^ Didn’t realize Nintendo had already done it.

Voted MS.

It’ll be a tough and noisy transition for MS, but necessary. That’s how they’ll calm the fanbase once they start to release their games on more platforms. Gamepass will be the platform, and there will be exclusives.

No physical release of the next doom? Yoooo FU MS if true

 

[Godot25]

There's a chicken and egg problem for those who want to drive further subscription adoption.

How do you create a scenario that reignites subscription growth after a long period of stagnation?

In current climate you can't.
Considering AAA games costs 200+ million $ to make, tying them to subscription service is just stupidly risky move. And I doubt it would work out at the end. And with low budget game you won't have pulling power to do that.

Like. In theory Call of Duty is probably the most suitable for this stunt, because outside of GTA, it's a brand with biggest recognition. But you are risking way too much for this experiment.

Audience is just not prepared for that. So it's pretty clear what you need to do. Wait, until market develops further. Generation that won't care about owning a game will come and then you can do that.

 

[SmokedMeat]

There are ways to access and play those games without a subscription.

That wouldn't be the case for a new release designed around modern hardware that is only made available via a subscription at the time of release.

It feels like some people are attempting to use this "but classic games" loophole as a way of avoiding having to answer or think about the question that's being put forward.

It’s another way to lure people into paying for a subscription. Offering a classic game exclusively to a subscription service that you otherwise can’t buy.

Tracking down used game consoles and spending $$$ on those games isn’t a viable way to access those classics.

 

[Futaleufu]

Isnt the last released Trackmania game a subscription only release?

 

[GHG]

It’s another way to lure people into paying for a subscription. Offering a classic game exclusively to a subscription service that you otherwise can’t buy.

Tracking down used game consoles and spending $$$ on those games isn’t a viable way to access those classics.

Well those classic games are clearly not driving any supscription growth as the information in the OP implies.

Nobody expects people to track down old consoles and games, which incidentally is why Nintendo are so hard on emulation.

 

[Fredrik]

No physical release of the next doom? Yoooo FU MS if true

Maybe, maybe not. I’m thinking the full transition to subscription libraries with hardware independent launcher apps and exclusives is about a decade away. The industry will take baby steps for years, for awhile they’ll do it as a parallell thing, consumer choice.
Think of all this like Netflix Originals, exclusive content to pull people into a subscription plan.

 

[Happosai]

At least get your facts straight if you're going to leap to the classic persecution complex.

They didn't read OP. It's been done with nearly every platform but one in particular does stick out in OP. I voted...so my answer's there.

 

[Roronoa Zoro]

Maybe, maybe not. I’m thinking the full transition to subscription libraries with hardware independent launcher apps and exclusives is about a decade away. The industry will take baby steps for years, for awhile they’ll do it as a parallell thing, consumer choice.
Think of all this like Netflix Originals, exclusive content to pull people into a subscription plan.

Problem is these damn games are harder to get Blu-rays of when they don't release physically. I do that for Netflix shows right now

 

[simpatico]

Why when I can physically buy it!

Maybe. Def not GTA7

 

[Fredrik]

Problem is these damn games are harder to get Blu-rays of when they don't release physically. I do that for Netflix shows right now

Yeah I understand the concern. As with movies this future is not for everyone. A friend refuse to subscribe to anything. No Netflix, no Spotify, etc.
I think I have like 10 subs if I count music, movies, TV-shows, games.
My concern is the scenario when nothing runs natively but on servers. No more mods.

 

[Roronoa Zoro]

Yeah I understand the concern. As with movies this future is not for everyone. A friend refuse to subscribe to anything. No Netflix, no Spotify, etc.
I think I have like 10 subs if I count music, movies, TV-shows, games.
My concern is the scenario when nothing runs natively but on servers. No more mods.

Oh yeah music I have YouTube premium so do music through there but get vinyl as much as possible

 

[Fredrik]

Oh yeah music I have YouTube premium so do music through there but get vinyl as much as possible

I haven’t got into vinyl, used that enough in my youth, and I haven’t bought a CD in over 10 years, I think the last one was Metallica’s Death Magnetic.
Used to have 100s of CDs ripped to FLAC and played from a NAS. Then the NAS hdd crashed… This was a couple years ago. I haven’t recovered yet. Took ages to rip them all. Won’t do that again. So now I’m all in on Spotify and I kinda think it’s good enough.

 

[poppabk]

It feels like some people are attempting to use this "but classic games" loophole as a way of avoiding having to answer or think about the question that's being put forward.

It feels like someone maybe made the OP with a specific answer in mind with the goal of attacking a specific company and is upset that people are putting actual thought into.the discussion.
Just framing it as an act of 'desperation' is disingenuous. You don't put a game exclusively on a subscription service in a desperate move to grab subscribers who otherwise arent interested in your service, because they will bail after completing the game having spent less money. You would only do this if you are confident that a large share of any subscribers that you bring in will stick around, because you are confident that your overall catalog is solid.

Take a look at Netflix - there are barely any spikes in their sub numbers they just slowly grow over time. No-one is signing up for the Night Agent - but they watch it and it along with hundreds of other similar shows keeps them subbed for another month.

 

[Putonahappyface]

Maybe. Def not GTA7

Says who?

 

[Salty Popsicle]

There's only been one company so far that seems to be all about their subscription service in the expense of everything else.

The company that pivoted all their studios into creating 12 GAAS titles over the next decade?

 

[Rippa]

It’ll be MS.

In ten years, you’ll only be able to play COD with a subscription to GamePass.

No longer will you be able to purchase COD because they’ll stop developing story modes and only offer MP.

 

[simpatico]

Says who?

Not sure if you've been to Best Buy recently, but.... it's going that direction. There's very little upside for Take2 to print those discs. They're sacrificing margin on each of those copies. How many used copies of GTA6 do think GameStop will move? 1 million? Probably 2? I mean I know they're doing good, but just handing another company $140 million dollars is not idea. Does that make up for the revenue they would lose by being digital only? Don't know, but I bet they're paying people a lot of money right now to run those numbers and try and figure it out.

 

[Putonahappyface]

Not sure if you've been to Best Buy recently, but.... it's going that direction. There's very little upside for Take2 to print those discs. They're sacrificing margin on each of those copies. How many used copies of GTA6 do think GameStop will move? 1 million? Probably 2? I mean I know they're doing good, but just handing another company $140 million dollars is not idea. Does that make up for the revenue they would lose by being digital only? Don't know, but I bet they're paying people a lot of money right now to run those numbers and try and figure it out.

I live in the UK physical media is in most shops from films, music to games.

 

[Astray]

Those who voted Gamepass are not really understanding what MS is doing lately.

They are expanding across other platforms, reducing Gamepass costs via changing Gold exchange ratios and (mostly) killing the $1.

They are trying to control their financial footprint, this is the complete opposite of foregoing launch revenue like that.

 

[GHG]

It feels like someone maybe made the OP with a specific answer in mind with the goal of attacking a specific company and is upset that people are putting actual thought into.the discussion.
Just framing it as an act of 'desperation' is disingenuous. You don't put a game exclusively on a subscription service in a desperate move to grab subscribers who otherwise arent interested in your service, because they will bail after completing the game having spent less money. You would only do this if you are confident that a large share of any subscribers that you bring in will stick around, because you are confident that your overall catalog is solid.

It's not disingenuous to state it would be "desperate" when the data (and available information) is suggesting it will be difficult for all of the mentioned companies to grow their subscription numbers from this point forward.

We have very much reached a point of equilibrium across the market when it comes to subscriptions and it will take someone doing something different to change that and get growth going again. Making a game only accessible via the sub service is an obvious one (and I believe it would be the last resort, hence "desperation") but there are other avenues that are more likely to be explored before we get to that point (some of which I mentioned in the OP).

You just don't seem to like the answer that the majority have arrived at, that's really not my problem. I don't share their opinion for various reasons, but I can also see why they might come to that conclusion based on the information that has surfaced in the last 12 months.

Take a look at Netflix - there are barely any spikes in their sub numbers they just slowly grow over time. No-one is signing up for the Night Agent - but they watch it and it along with hundreds of other similar shows keeps them subbed for another month.

Incorrect. Netflix's subscribers have peaked and reach points of stagnation (or have even shrunk) at various points in time. Things are not as smooth as things would suggest if you just look at annual charts. In fact, it tends to take new content exclusive to their subscription platform in order to reignight growth and get them out of ruts when subscribers slow or even start to decrease:

Netflix reverses subscriber decline with help from Stranger Things and Dahmer

Streaming service adds 2.4m subscribers in past three months to comfortably beat forecasts after ‘challenging’ first half of year

www.theguardian.com

They can whip up new content in a matter of months, so they are able to react both strongly and quickly when need be. There is no such luxury in gaming, where it typically takes anywhere from 2-5+ years to create impactful content.