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[supernova8]

Coming out of the Xbox Games Showcase, I was a bit irritated at the lack of true next-gen offerings.
Then I remembered that everything they showed is coming to Game Pass.

I took a look at the Game Pass console games list earlier today and I found it to be a mix of great titles and then more obscure stuff I'd probably never play even if I subscribed.

All in, if I were to own an Xbox (I don't) it seems to be a no-brainer to get Game Pass. Especially if you consider the individual cost of XBL Gold and Game Pass, GP Ultimate is a far better deal.

I'm currently a PS4 owner (haven't owned an Xbox since 360) and it's a tough one to weigh up. Even though I'm most likely getting a PS5 due to Sony first party stuff/exclusives, the prospect of getting access to currently 200+ games and then all the games we saw in the showcase for $15 seems like a great deal. Even if there were no annual discounts and you had to pay $180 ($15 x 12), that's still cheaper than buying 3 games next-gen per year at full price (if we assume games are going to routinely cost $70).

What do we all think?
I know people will have differing opinions depending on what console/ecosystem they're currently invested in so I've tried to account for that in the poll options.

If you have any thoughts on what Microsoft can/should do to get you interested in XSX (if you aren't already), please feel free to mention that too.

UPDATE (7/26)

So some interesting (not necessarily surprising) insights!

- Xbox (only) owners are 71% towards 'Yes'.
- Playstation (only) owners are 88% towards 'No'.
- Owners of both are split, with a slight lean towards (54%) 'Yes'.
- Owners of neither are 80% towards 'No'.

While the sample is very small (151 votes so far) and this forum is certainly not indicative of the wider (mainstream) market, it's interesting to see that the vast majority of people who don't currently own an Xbox (ie arguably Microsoft's biggest target) are not swayed by Game Pass.

One thing I did neglect to include was the option for PC, since Game Pass is also available for PC. That would be making the poll a little too long (and the results would fragment too much), but will keep in mind for future polls.

 

[NinjaMouse]

As I’ve gotten older, my scope for gaming interests has narrowed quite a bit and GamePass doesn’t excite me nearly as much as it should. I currently have a sub to it through the $1 deal a while back and I just look at row after row of games thinking “don’t care, don’t care, nope, don’t care.” So based on that alone, I’ve next time no excitement for a Series X. I’m not really bored or displeased with my Xbox One X, either, and the few things I can see myself playing, which are coming to GamePass, are also coming to Xbone One.

 

[Tulipanzo]

If none of your games look interesting, that makes a bad case for your console, and consequently for GP.

The problem is that the kind of games people enjoy from Nintendo and Sony are literally unsustainable on GP.
Want all games at 10$ a month? Those games need to be GaaS. We've already seen Halo as a Service, prepare for Forza, Everwild, SOD3 (and tbh Fable) to join it.

 

[Craig of War]

You don"t need to buy Xbox MS is giving everyone a choice where they want to play just pay 10-15 bucks for gamepass Xcloud and you can play all gamepass games from your phone a console is not even needed yeah it will hurt their console sales but they don't seem to care so we as consumer should not either.

 

[supernova8]

You don"t need to buy Xbox MS is giving everyone a choice where they want to play just pay 10-15 bucks for gamepass Xcloud and you can play all gamepass games from your phone a console is not even needed yeah it will hurt their console sales but they don't seem to care so we as consumer should not either.

Yeah that's a fair point, but I'm going to make a leap of faith and say that the vast majority of people frequenting NeoGAF are in the market for an actual device as opposed to just getting Xcloud/GP.

 

[Quezacolt]

No, it isnt something i even consider, i prefer to just buy my games.

They could be like they were with the OG xbox and in the first half of the 360, then they could get me back as a customer.

 

[ambar_hitman]

If none of your games look interesting, that makes a bad case for your console, and consequently for GP.

The problem is that the kind of games people enjoy from Nintendo and Sony are literally unsustainable on GP.
Want all games at 10$ a month? Those games need to be GaaS. We've already seen Halo as a Service, prepare for Forza, Everwild, SOD3 (and tbh Fable) to join it.

This. If gamepass starts affecting game design, then it's a disaster waiting to happen. Just keep the quality games away from gamepass at launch, so that you can continue to make proper AAA experiences.

 

[Tulipanzo]

This. If gamepass starts affecting game design, then it's a disaster waiting to happen. Just keep the quality games away from gamepass at launch, so that you can continue to make proper AAA experiences.

You can't. GP means games are either a) very small or b) GaaS, to be financially sustainable.

From a business POV, there's also the matter that GP is likely a money sink, and MS has done nothing to justify a complete reworking of their business model.

 

[supernova8]

This. If gamepass starts affecting game design, then it's a disaster waiting to happen. Just keep the quality games away from gamepass at launch, so that you can continue to make proper AAA experiences.

I don't think they can because the whole draw of Xbox (as they see it, at least) is that all the first party stuff comes to Game Pass immediately. It would be like a Netflix original coming to Netflix but then them making you pay for it for an arbitrary amount of time on top of your existing subscription. If it's third parties refusing to put their stuff on GP then that's cool. It'd be like the rentals on Amazon prime.

I'd be down for Xcloud + GP if they services are fast without hitcing, because then you could subscribe for a few months here and there on a games binge and then remove the Xbox needle from your proverbial arm. Wouldn't want to throw big bucks down on an expensive box only for there to be nothing much to play but I have to pay $15 per month.

 

[Clarissa]

I don't want to wait for God knows when for the 3rd party games to release on GamePass.

I want to buy it Day 1 and also own the game. There's a reason why the majority of games are sold on the 1st week of release. Because people can't wait to play the new games.

 

[Redefine07]

I did get my One X for the Gamepass and X360 backwards compatibility for next-gen I plan to get PS5 and a new GPU for my PC since I can run gamepass there also.

 

[THEAP99]

I really have no issue spending money at launch for a game i am interested in and keeping it forever. I actually enjoy games more when i feel like i earned it.

i know that's a really weird argument. But I've not enjoyed some things before because i got it for free.

 

[kraspkibble]

Game Pass is a big reason I am still leaning towards moving to Xbox. I'd quite happily pay a monthly subscription and get games like Halo, Forza, State of Decay, Flight Sim, etc.

I think it's £11/month here. Assuming those games are gonna be £55-60 then I'd pay £220-240. For that price I can get 20-21 months of subscription and I'd play more than 4 games in that time and of course there is xCloud so that's even better value.

I will admit the showing of Halo was disappointing but I still will play it and there are still a lot more games on Xbox that I want to play than PlayStation. It's gonna take MS a monumental fuck up to convince me to stay with PlayStation. Xbox Series X right now just feels like the perfect console for me.

 

[Tulipanzo]

The only argument for GP is price by this point and look, I'm going to save even more money by NOT buying a Series X.

 

[supernova8]

I really have no issue spending money at launch for a game i am interested in and keeping it forever. I actually enjoy games more when i feel like i earned it.

i know that's a really weird argument. But I've not enjoyed some things before because i got it for free.

Yeah I totally agree. I download loads of Kindle books on Amazon Prime and yet I never read them because there's no 'value' so to speak. Same goes for the vast majority of stuff I bagged on PS Plus.

There's something oddly satisfying about only being able to buy a few games and then having to force yourself to enjoy them. Reminds me of my childhood. "Here's Earthworm Jim, that's all you're getting so bloody enjoy it"

 

[Denton]

It is a

sufficient sweetener

to buy into gamepass.

Which is what matters to MS.

 

[Redlight]

In a world where some publishers are toying with $70 per title, the below games will be available to Xbox and PC gamers, day and date (and possibly for streaming), for one low monthly fee...

•Halo Infinite
•Grounded
•Destiny 2: Beyond Light
•Everwild
•Tell Me Why
•As Dusk Falls
•Psychonauts 2
•STALKER 2
•The Gunk
•State of Decay 3
•Forza Motorsport
•The Medium
•Avowed
•Fable
•Tetris Effect: Connected
•Dragon Quest XI S

Plus many others.

GAF decides this is a bad thing because? Well, I don't know, I'm reading the above comments and most 'concerns' seem, let's say, flimsy.

Quite a few of these are timed exclusives, so it'll be fascinating to see what is said when they turn up at full price on PS5.

I'm sure that there will be relief that Sony fans get to pay full price and avoid the total calamity of good value.

 

[93xfan]

As I’ve gotten older, my scope for gaming interests has narrowed quite a bit and GamePass doesn’t excite me nearly as much as it should. I currently have a sub to it through the $1 deal a while back and I just look at row after row of games thinking “don’t care, don’t care, nope, don’t care.” So based on that alone, I’ve next time no excitement for a Series X. I’m not really bored or displeased with my Xbox One X, either, and the few things I can see myself playing, which are coming to GamePass, are also coming to Xbone One.

same here. Gamepass is what gets me to branch out a little. With that said, I likely would’ve bought Forza, Halo, Avowed, Fable, Forza Horizon 2 and maybe Flight Sim. Now I’ll also play The Medium, State of Decay 3, The Gunk, Psychonauts 2, Hellblade 2, Gears of War 6 and Gears Tactics.

 

[nyr88nyg]

In a world where some publishers are toying with $70 per title, the below games will be available to Xbox and PC gamers, day and date (and possibly for streaming), for one low monthly fee...

•Halo Infinite
•Grounded
•Destiny 2: Beyond Light
•Everwild
•Tell Me Why
•As Dusk Falls
•Psychonauts 2
•STALKER 2
•The Gunk
•State of Decay 3
•Forza Motorsport
•The Medium
•Avowed
•Fable
•Tetris Effect: Connected
•Dragon Quest XI S

Plus many others.

GAF decides this is a bad thing because? Well, I don't know, I'm reading the above comments and most 'concerns' seem, let's say, flimsy.

Quite a few of these are timed exclusives, so it'll be fascinating to see what is said when they turn up at full price on PS5.

I'm sure that there will be relief that Sony fans get to pay full price and avoid the total calamity of good value.

It’s like paying for a meal at Golden Corral. You get a lot of stuff, but all that stuff is empty calories and no nutrition.

 

[TLZ]

No.

 

[supernova8]

In a world where some publishers are toying with $70 per title, the below games will be available to Xbox and PC gamers, day and date (and possibly for streaming), for one low monthly fee...

•Halo Infinite
•Grounded
•Destiny 2: Beyond Light
•Everwild
•Tell Me Why
•As Dusk Falls
•Psychonauts 2
•STALKER 2
•The Gunk
•State of Decay 3
•Forza Motorsport
•The Medium
•Avowed
•Fable
•Tetris Effect: Connected
•Dragon Quest XI S

Plus many others.

GAF decides this is a bad thing because? Well, I don't know, I'm reading the above comments and most 'concerns' seem, let's say, flimsy.

Quite a few of these are timed exclusives, so it'll be fascinating to see what is said when they turn up at full price on PS5.

I'm sure that there will be relief that Sony fans get to pay full price and avoid the total calamity of good value.

Even though it's $180 per year (which seems like a lot when you put it that way), you're getting online features and all of those games and also Xcloud. If you consider XBL is what, $70 per year or something then you're only really paying $100 per year for unlimited games.

If you go the Playstation route you'll still have to pay for PS Plus ($50 to $60 per year) to get online multiplayer and THEN fork out $70 per game (or less depending on whether you wait for sales).

For anyone not already wedded to the Playstation brand and its first party exclusives, I can only come to the conclusion that Game Pass is a steal. Whether it ends up killing good game development? It's hard to tell. GaaS garbage (imo) like Destiny will keep coming regardless of whether Game Pass exists or not.

As I mentioned in OP I'm still on track for Playstation as it stands, but I would certainly consider a Lockhart with an on-off GP Ultimate subscription.

 

[drganon]

No. While alot of the games on gamepass I like, I already bought them years before. If money was more of an issue, I'd be more interested, but I can afford to buy games new when I want.

 

[nikolino840]

As I’ve gotten older, my scope for gaming interests has narrowed quite a bit and GamePass doesn’t excite me nearly as much as it should. I currently have a sub to it through the $1 deal a while back and I just look at row after row of games thinking “don’t care, don’t care, nope, don’t care.” So based on that alone, I’ve next time no excitement for a Series X. I’m not really bored or displeased with my Xbox One X, either, and the few things I can see myself playing, which are coming to GamePass, are also coming to Xbone One.

What's your gaming interests?

 

[TalentedMrJ]

It’s like paying for a meal at Golden Corral. You get a lot of stuff, but all that stuff is empty calories and no nutrition.

McDonalds would be a better fit

Avowed is an empty calorie meal given the studios previous work???
The Medium as well? Guess you're against innovation in psychological horror
State of Decay remains to be seen
I dislike sim racers but calling Forza Motorsport Gamepass filler is just disrespectful
No one knows a thing about Everwild so I'll give you those
Fable is up in the air. Who knows
Gunk looks solid

And get Halo off the list

Everything is filler. Enjoyable filler worth $10-15 a month. Along with all the indie and 3rd party games I'd never try without the service.
I'd say it's the best value in gaming hands down

And I have a healthy respect for PS and Nintendo
Gladly dropped $60 on Animal Crossing New Horizons
Love Death Stranding

But can't argue with the value of Gamepass

 

[The Shepard]

Not atm, Microsoft are coming off a terrible gen imo and they've yet to prove themselves with some consistent quality output.

With the gamepass games you actually end up owning none of them and they can get taken away with a month's notice.

You could actually rent games from places such as boomerang (UK) and choose whatever game you wanted for as much as gamepass costs a year.

Microsofts first party games are no where near the quality of sonys either, only forza really shines and I'm a halo, gears fan.

I own all current gen consoles and have gamepass ultimate.

 

[captainraincoat]

The studios they do have on hand will probably strike gold with one of their games so either that or the vast amount of third party titles available will mean paying for ultimate beats paying $60 a pop for exclusive titles

 

[Kagey K]

You can't. GP means games are either a) very small or b) GaaS, to be financially sustainable.

From a business POV, there's also the matter that GP is likely a money sink, and MS has done nothing to justify a complete reworking of their business model.

The thing is that Gamepass itself can fund those those games if subscriber numbers get big enough. That’s the idea behind it. Instead of taking in a ton of money in a game launch month, you can have a reliable source of income over the year to fund everything else.

Right now MS says it’s at 10 million subscribers, if they can get it up to 25 mil, that’s 25 million per month () they have as income to fund other stuff.

If you can use your monthly income to pay your studios the risk of making those big games is gone. Your customers are investing the money into the studio instead of you as the publisher.

 

[RoadHazard]

I care more about quality of games than quantity. I don't buy that many games in a year, so I don't really need an "all you can play" thing.

 

[SirTerry-T]

Yeah, there's too many of these AAA big blockbuster style "One and Done" games around that don't justify the £50 or more price you pay for them. Once you have played them through and seen all there is to see, a lot of those games don't stand up to repeat plays, in my opinion, so GamePass can scratch that itch for me.

At the same time, GP also gives me a chance to play stuff I may have not given a second glance at before.
I understand it's not for everyone but it suits my needs.

 

[GenericUser]

Games drop so fast in price these days, that I don't really see the value in gamepads tbh.

 

[OutRun88]

I certainly think there is value in GamePass, but since my time allotted to play games is limited and sporadic, I would rather buy a handful of games each year that I really want.

 

[Tulipanzo]

The thing is that Gamepass itself can fund those those games if subscriber numbers get big enough. That’s the idea behind it. Instead of taking in a ton of money in a game launch month, you can have a reliable source of income over the year to fund everything else.

Right now MS says it’s at 10 million subscribers, if they can get it up to 25 mil, that’s 25 million per month () they have as income to fund other stuff.

If you can use your monthly income to pay your studios the risk of making those big games is gone. Your customers are investing the money into the studio instead of you as the publisher.

The problem is that subscription services lose money. Netflix, which is available on every single internet-capable device on the planet is 12 billion dollars in debt and seldom profitable at all.
Games are only more expensive to develop and get on the service, so the problem is magnified.

The argument of reliability is also very flawed.
Your average user buys two full priced games a year. That's $120. How much is 12 months full-priced GP? 120$. Same revenue, much higher expenses, due to discount deals and paying all your partners.

There's also the issue of high-spenders. If you go to the movies less, that's no problem to Netflix's bottom line.
What if I buy fewer games in the same ecosystem though? By my count, a similar Sony service would have meant I bought 6 fewer first-party games this year (though this was a busy year). That's 240$ dollars lost revenue from me.
What if I converted my GwG time to GP for a dollar? Average 3 games a year, that's $539 lower revenue you get from me over the three years maximum.


The costs of GP are obvious, and MS is still heavily reliant on the 30% they get off every game sold. If GP is to keep being pushed, MS will probably have to increase monetization.

 

[ZywyPL]

EA access is already a really great value, and GP stomps on it, so yeah, it is totally worth it.

 

[Goalus]

I didn't enjoy Stranger Things on Netflix because I was able to access it via a $10 sub. If they had charged me $100 to keep it forever instead, I would have felt like I earned it. Consequently watching Stranger Things was a horrible experience for me, I don't even know why I am still subbed.

 

[Redlight]

It’s like paying for a meal at Golden Corral. You get a lot of stuff, but all that stuff is empty calories and no nutrition.

Say it is like Golden Corral. That would make PS5 a competing restaurant that serves the same food and then charges ten times as much.

 

[Freeman]

I didn't enjoy Stranger Things on Netflix because I was able to access it via a $10 sub. If they had charged me $100 to keep it forever instead, I would have felt like I earned it. Consequently watching Stranger Things was a horrible experience for me, I don't even know why I am still subbed.

What is the Xbox equivalent of "Stranger Things"?

Did you just sub to watch Stranger Things then got out?

 

[Goalus]

What is the Xbox equivalent of "Stranger Things"?

Did you just sub to watch Stranger Things then got out?

For me it's a tie between Gears and Forza Horizon.

Probably Gears due to the rich lore and vivid characters spanning across three generations of human life. I love that universe so much that I even got all the books even though I am really not a passionate reader.

Forza Horizon gives me the feeling of spending a holiday in the country that the particular game is about. If the series is ever complete, I will have virtually traveled the whole world. This is absolutely unprecedented for a racing game, but I still think I would prefer Gears if I had to decide.

I don't sub to Netflix just for Stranger Things. Altered Carbon for example is another show that I love.

 

[Guilty_AI]

This poll says a lot

 

[FunkMiller]

In a world where some publishers are toying with $70 per title, the below games will be available to Xbox and PC gamers, day and date (and possibly for streaming), for one low monthly fee...

•Halo Infinite
•Grounded
•Destiny 2: Beyond Light
•Everwild
•Tell Me Why
•As Dusk Falls
•Psychonauts 2
•STALKER 2
•The Gunk
•State of Decay 3
•Forza Motorsport
•The Medium
•Avowed
•Fable
•Tetris Effect: Connected
•Dragon Quest XI S

Plus many others.

GAF decides this is a bad thing because? Well, I don't know, I'm reading the above comments and most 'concerns' seem, let's say, flimsy.

Quite a few of these are timed exclusives, so it'll be fascinating to see what is said when they turn up at full price on PS5.

I'm sure that there will be relief that Sony fans get to pay full price and avoid the total calamity of good value.

But you're also asking people to pay hundreds of dollars up front for a new console, so?

 

[JerryinSoCal]

I have a Pro and a One X and I won't be buying a Series X until Fable launches at least and that's if that turns out to be good. I loved the older games in the series and I hope playground doesn't lose the humor and charm.

 

[JerryinSoCal]

In a world where some publishers are toying with $70 per title, the below games will be available to Xbox and PC gamers, day and date (and possibly for streaming), for one low monthly fee...

•Halo Infinite
•Grounded
•Destiny 2: Beyond Light
•Everwild
•Tell Me Why
•As Dusk Falls
•Psychonauts 2
•STALKER 2
•The Gunk
•State of Decay 3
•Forza Motorsport
•The Medium
•Avowed
•Fable
•Tetris Effect: Connected
•Dragon Quest XI S

Plus many others.

GAF decides this is a bad thing because? Well, I don't know, I'm reading the above comments and most 'concerns' seem, let's say, flimsy.

Quite a few of these are timed exclusives, so it'll be fascinating to see what is said when they turn up at full price on PS5.

I'm sure that there will be relief that Sony fans get to pay full price and avoid the total calamity of good value.

Ever heard of quality not quantity? Most people won't play 90% of those games and when it comes to the older titles like Destiny I think most people who are interested in that already own it.

 

[Goalus]

But you're also asking people to pay hundreds of dollars up front for a new console, so?

No, you don't need to buy a console. You can also use your PC or, from September onwards, your mobile phone.

 

[FunkMiller]

No, you don't need to buy a console. You can also use your PC or, from September onwards, your mobile phone.

The title of this thread is
Is Xbox Game Pass a sufficient sweetener to buy into Series X?

 

[Redlight]

Ever heard of quality not quantity? Most people won't play 90% of those games and when it comes to the older titles like Destiny I think most people who are interested in that already own it.

Even if you only play 10% of them, you're still ahead. How many of those other games have you played to determine that they're not quality?

BTW. I haven't played Destiny 2 with Beyond Light, not sure you have either given that it doesn't release till November. I'll enjoy playing it for free.

 

[DonkeyKong]

Gamepass is such a fantastic service, I have discovered some great games I probably wouldn't have known about, it's such great value, couldn't imagine not having it now

 

[Goalus]

The title of this thread is
Is Xbox Game Pass a sufficient sweetener to buy into Series X?

Ok, touché.

 

[Redlight]

But you're also asking people to pay hundreds of dollars up front for a new console, so?

Both Sony and Xbox will expect you to pay for new hardware, yes. One comes packed with around 100 games for a small subscription. The other has 'Astro's Playroom'.

 

[DonkeyKong]

This poll says a lot

Basically, most PS owners won't buy Xbox which is not a big surprise really

 

[Hudo]

Isn't Game Pass THE thing that Microsoft want to sell you? I thought the XSX is just one platform so you can utilize Game Pass. Game Pass seems to be Microsoft's main thing here, not the device. Sony's main thing is the device. Microsoft are selling you a service, with hardware you can use that service on. Sony are selling you a device.

Different approaches to the same problem.

 

[FunkMiller]

Both Sony and Xbox will expect you to pay for new hardware, yes. One comes packed with around 100 games for a small subscription. The other has 'Astro's Playroom'.

Again, the title of this thread is

Is Xbox Game Pass a sufficient sweetener to buy into Series X?