370°

Square Enix: GaaS for Us Means More Than Microtransactions; People Are Too Focused on the Problems

Square Enix CEO Yosuke Matsuda clarified that the company looks at the Game as a Service or GaaS business model in a much broader sense than just microtransactions, which is the problem people usually focus on when thinking of GaaS.

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wccftech.com
Nyxus2690d ago

Of course people are focused on the problems. The whole idea of GAAS is to have 'recurring revenue streams'. If they couldn't use it to make more money after the sale, they wouldn't bother with it.

KaiPow2690d ago

And the things that aren't microtransactions, like season pass addons, often feel like they're content cut from the main game. There just isn't a great way to sell GaaS yet.

ziggurcat2690d ago

Having worked in QA for many years, sometimes on project that involved extra DLC content, I can say that every time I have been on one of those projects where there was DLC that it was started much later, separately, and well into the development cycle of the game.

Seraphim2689d ago

there's a great way to sell GaaS. Actually make a robust world and game that is sustainable until you can release a DLC, Season Pass or Expansion. Unfortunately us gamers are constantly left with not enough content in this model. Enough compelling content in itself is a good start for any GaaS title.

starchild2689d ago

That isn't true. Expansions for most games I've played--including games like Horizon, AC Origins, Far Cry 4 and The Witcher 3--have felt like legitimate extra content. Those games had more than enough content to justify their asking price.

Letthewookiewin2690d ago

Isn’t FInal Fantasy 14 a GaaS. I’d pay 15$ a month for a multiplayer game that’s constantly changing and adding stuff.
But that shouldn’t be in any single player game. I feel a good DLC like in the Witcher or Horizon for example, that’s cohesive and isn’t necessary to get the fullest out of the main game is acceptable.

WelkinCole2689d ago

Witcher and Horizon has DLC done right. I can say with certain for example that Heart of stone and especially blood and wine would not make any sense playing them during the events of the main game.

OB1Biker2689d ago (Edited 2689d ago )

$15 a month for a mp game just being supported post launch by the studio?

2690d ago
RommyReigns2690d ago Show
-Foxtrot2689d ago

And this is why people should be worried about the Marvel games

+ Show (2) more repliesLast reply 2689d ago
TheColbertinator2690d ago

And what do we get in return for allowing GaaS?

Better gameplay? No. The publishers use the same generic gameplay to slap on every yearly release.

Better story? No. The good writers are all on the indie scene since many of them would not cave in to the pressure from publishers who know nothing about plot or script.

Mod support? No. The only way you buy a different color for your armor is through them and them alone.

Better online features? No. Pay 2 Win is now the name of the game. While once the loot boxes were cosmetic,now they will alter gameplay altogether as you can be given huge advantages by paying more and breaking the balance.

Revival of classic IPs? Never. While publishers rake in millions from microtransactions,they will refuse to revive classic IPs which may actually do well but they dont see the franchise supporting loot boxes so they are left ignored once more.

Gemmol2690d ago

Send this response to him its good

2689d ago
chiefJohn1172690d ago

You get to play the games at cheaper prices. Dumb question.
(Unless it's a monthly charge/mission charge on 1 game alone. )

TheColbertinator2690d ago

That certainly wont happen. Battlefront 2 was 60USD at launch digital or retail.

If they want to do loot boxes,make it free 2 play. The suckers can get Battlefront 2 lootboxes and pay for its servers while I play the Mp With six or seven maps free because other gamers will pay for me.

chiefJohn1172689d ago

Seems we are talking about two different things

TheColbertinator2689d ago

Yeah my mistake. I got confused.

Silly gameAr2689d ago

Dude. I don't know why you act like a troll most of the time, when you're one of the best commenters on here when you want to be serious.

ILostMyMind2689d ago

That's the cool part of being a troll, you play with the fanaticism of others. The difference between a troll and a fanboy is that the fanboy only sees the side of the company he wants to defend and becomes a victim frequently. He knows what he is doing.

+ Show (1) more replyLast reply 2689d ago
crazychris41242690d ago

Blah blah blah everybody is doing it and makin a ton of money so we want a piece of the action

ccgr2690d ago

Vote with your wallet, don't support microtransactions, loot boxes, etc

ILostMyMind2689d ago

I'm very fan of Dragon Age Inquisition. I finished the games several years ago and always wanted to play the DLCs. But I never paid the price EA asked. Until one day they sold the complete game very cheaply. My wallet is more important.

Cobra9512689d ago (Edited 2689d ago )

The wallet votes of everyone in this thread are offset by the wallet vote of one sucker.

CP_Company2690d ago

pathetic excuses. immoral as$holes.

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220°

John Marston Voice Actor Teases "Exciting" Red Dead Redemption News

During a livestream on his personal Twitch channel, Rob Wiethoff (who voices John Marston in the Red Dead Redemption series) hinted at "exciting news" to be revealed next week. According to Wiethoff, the news will be announced "before Friday".

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powerupgaming.co.uk
jznrpg23h ago(Edited 23h ago)

PS5/Pro/Switch 2 version of RDR2 seems most likely. I’d love a RDR3 but that seems years away

Cacabunga21h ago

Id be happy for just a 60fps patch

OmegaSoldati20h ago(Edited 20h ago)

Agreed, but at the same time RD2 came out in 2018. Could it be a remake of Red Dead 1?

Spoiler:

Marston died in the end of Red Dead and Red Dead 2 is set before that. Im curious now. What news could it be?

mkis00713h ago

I'm pretty sure the next game will be another prequel as the story really has no where to go as far as being a western after red dead redemption. The next game will end with the ferry boat incident.

Profchaos23h ago(Edited 23h ago)

Their contracts are iron clas if they leak anything legit they are threatened with immense legal action.

My hopes for what this is are minimal its probably a meet and greet with the cast

I dont see why they would be involved in a upgraded version of rdr2 when the dialogue hasn't changed

thorstein19h ago

He seems to have been cleared to do this as he purposely picked up the game, streamed it, and made the announcement.

70°

Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun 2 devs praise games like Space Marine 2 for "lowering the barrier"

Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun 2 developers discuss the huge success of Space Marine 2 and its effect on the series as a whole.

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videogamer.com
Jingsing3d ago

How about an official level editor for Boltgun?

jznrpg23h ago

I’ll get Space Marine 2 when it’s cheaper. I don’t pay more than half price for short games.

220°

Phil Spencer Teases 2026 As A "Really Special Year" For Xbox

2026 will mark the 25th anniversary of Xbox, and Phil Spencer has teased it as a "really special year" for the games division.

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twistedvoxel.com
TheEroica4d ago (Edited 4d ago )

You got downvotes by pathetic gamers for feeling hopeful about good games coming out next year. Imagine how small your brain must be to downvote someone excited for future gaming joy? It is pretty neat to see people's world view blow up in front of them as they realize Microsoft has put themselves in a driver's seat that Sony hasn't been able to touch all generation.... What's even more pathetic is the same people downvoting you are the same people wishlisting Microsoft games on their ps5s 😂

P_Bomb4d ago

“Imagine how small your brain must be to downvote someone excited for future gaming joy?”

My dude your post history shits on EVERYTHING. You never have a good thing to say about anything lol! 🤣

PanicMechanic3d ago (Edited 3d ago )

“Getting ready for those GaaS reveals! Sony is a shadow of themselves this gen.”

You literally said this a couple of days ago. Start applying the clown make up, you hypocritical jester

derek4d ago

Yep we'll see, they have alot releasing next year.

RaidenBlack3d ago

NGL, next year might be one of the best years in gaming ... starting off with RE9 and GTA VI ...
and then all the good games that's been cooking
Pragmata, Sands of Time, Saros, Gears E-Day, 007 First Light, Blood of Dawnwalker,
Mortal Shell II, Onimusha, Marvel1943: Rise of Hydra
current-gen only Infinity Ward's CoD, Duskbloods
+ My guess: Wolverine, Exodus, Mudang, Crimson Desert, Clockwork etc ...
~ seems like it might get too stacked

1Victor3d ago

@rokos:”Hopefully “
I downvoted you not for been hopeful but because I have seen the same “NEXT YEAR WILL BE SPECIAL “ comment for the last 10+ and hasn’t seen anything special from Microsoft.
I hope next year will be the one that everyone been waiting for since the last 3 years of the Xbox 360, it have to be after over $80 billions spent on acquisitions.

Lightning773d ago

So the new excuse is they don't count because it's from the ABK now huh. I guess all those 3rd party games count even less because they don't own them. According to your always crappy logic.

InUrFoxHole3d ago

Lol. You haven't seen anything special? Do you even game?

OtterX4d ago

Always with the "next year..."! 😂

neutralgamer19924d ago

I don't know they have delivered this year and even last year. And they have a lot more content in the pipeline right now than anyone else. We can't just keep hating on MS

Indiana Jones
South of midnight
Avowed
Flight simulator
Hell Blade 2
Minecraft update
Gears of war reloaded
Indian Jones:expansion
Gears E day
Clockwork revolution
Fable
Doom the dark ages
The outer worlds 2
Grounded 2
Call of duty

OtterX4d ago

How many of those titles were just buyouts of companies that were going about making their games anyways? *Throws cash - "Oh look what we made!"

dveio4d ago (Edited 4d ago )

This list, that's been posted again, and again, and again in every single topic like this, contains almost nothing, literally almost nothing from Microsoft's own creational thoughtprocess.

It's a bunch of former 3rd party IPs.

Now even slowly returning to Playstation in some cases like Indiana, Hellblade, probably Starfield soon too, after they were made exclusively to Xbox on purpose.

Due to Microsoft's lack for own IP material except Halo & Forza. Which, the lack of, was the sole reason for all of it to happen in the first place anyway. Please don't pretend it wasn't.

And just look at all the games that come from Obsidian alone.

You really think Obsidian wasn't already working on Avowed and South of Midnight even without Microsoft buying Zenimax?

Microsoft delivered nothing but cheques.

OtterX4d ago (Edited 4d ago )

@dveio THIS. Lol, this dude thinks Call of Duty wouldn't exist without Microsoft! smh 😂

neutralgamer19924d ago (Edited 4d ago )

Common narrative I see often — that Microsoft shouldn’t get credit for the games its studios release because they “just bought them.” But this viewpoint ignores key context and sets a double standard that other platform holders aren’t held to

No one is saying these games wouldn't exist at all without Microsoft. But let’s not pretend that having a trillion-dollar company backing a studio doesn’t make a massive difference. Obsidian never had AAA funding before the Xbox acquisition. Pillars of Eternity was crowdfunded, and their resources were always stretched thin. Now they’re working on Avowed, with proper support behind it.

Ninja Theory’s Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice was made by around 20 people, using borrowed equipment and doing mocap in a boardroom. It was a passion project held together by tape and willpower. Today, Hellblade II exists because they were given resources, time, and freedom — something many developers don’t get unless they’re owned by a company that believes in their vision.

ZeniMax (Bethesda’s parent company) was in real financial trouble before the Microsoft acquisition. Reports and insider accounts have pointed out how much they needed a cash infusion. And while some people want to write off Xbox’s ownership of Bethesda titles, they forget the alternative could have meant layoffs or even closures.

The same goes for Activision Blizzard. Would you really prefer the company to stay under Bobby Kotick, after all the documented workplace misconduct and toxic leadership issues? Say what you want about Microsoft, but their acquisition brought accountability and change to a company that desperately needed it.

At the same time, Xbox gets hated on for doing what every major company does. Sony bought Housemarque, Bluepoint, Insomniac — but no one says Spider-Man 2 “doesn’t count” because of that. Why does Xbox get treated differently for acquiring struggling or undervalued developers and giving them a chance to thrive?

And the idea that Xbox locks games away is outdated. They're pushing cross-platform releases, cloud gaming, Game Pass, and backward compatibility more than any other platform holder. They're not forcing all studios into live service. If anything, their upcoming lineup is less GAAS-heavy and more focused on narrative and creativity — Avowed, South of Midnight, Clockwork Revolution, Fable, Perfect Dark, Towerborne, and others show real variety.

Whether people like it or not, Xbox is now the biggest publisher in the industry and owns the most gaming IPs. But what matters more is how they treat their studios. Most of these teams were previously stuck making AA games with limited scope — now they’re getting the tools and support to aim higher.

So when people say “Microsoft didn’t make those games,” they’re missing the point. It’s not about who started the studio — it’s about who enabled them to do their best work. You don’t have to love Xbox to admit they’ve helped a lot of developers and are taking a player-first approach.

Instead of writing off everything they do, maybe try recognizing the good they’re doing for both devs and gamers. At the end of the day, we should want more studios to succeed — no matter who owns them

BeHunted4d ago

I'm surprised Clockwork Revolution (BioShock meets Dishonored) isn't getting more media attention. The game looks interesting and reminds me of the old RPG games.

anast4d ago

The only good game on that list is Flight sim. The rest are either average or will be average. It's not a good look for MS.

TheEroica4d ago

My god.... Look how many comments are upset about microsoft's successes... 😂 This may be my new favorite thread. Not one gamer saying thanks for all the goodness coming their way, just bitter anger and downvoting the very games they themselves will purchase throughout 2026.... Sony really worked you guys over this generation.... Condolences.

DivineHand1254d ago

@neutralgamer1992 You said what needed to be said.

I have heard for years from older gamers that fanboys are the biggest issue with any fanbase. They will defend or gloss over negative news as long as the correct logo is on the box and they bash the competing platform no matter how much good they are trying to bring.

Right now their advocacy for PlayStation is elevating that platform so high that Sony no longer believes they need to do anything to satisfy their loyal fanbase like they did in the PS4 days.

I just hope most of them will eventually start advocating for themselves and encourage others to do the same. No one should blindly support one platform because these companies do not care about anything other than profit.

neutralgamer19924d ago

Hunted

And first proper game done by the studio with proper AAA budget and saying it will be released when ready

Anast

I believe we went through this before that you are objectively wrong. Meta critic, user reviews, game sales. In Playstation top 10 best selling games were 5 from Microsoft studios

Otter

No this dude is saying so many other studios wouldn't be thriving without MS money and people would be getting abused physically and mentally with Bobby kotick and his side kicks

Also maybe look up how the original founder of Bethesda and zenimax was kicked out of his own company by his best friend lawyer. So that was always a shady place and had been struggling financially before MS paid a premium of almost 7 billion

Eroica

I use to be a die hard Playstation fan and now I only have a Pc. I see how these fans are so toxic. They just can't handle any positive news regarding Xbox. When the best selling games on playstation are Xbox titles. Look at Forza horizon being best seller and that's years old game by MS. I guess ms don't deserve credit for that success too since they are the only company in gaming making acquisitions

Forget the fact Sony paid 3.6 billion for bungie and MS 6.9 for zenimax. Which investment has turned out better

Destiny and marathon with a lot of controversy

While zenimax output is nothing short of amazing compared to what bungie has released

crazyCoconuts4d ago

Yeah it's tricky. "Xbox" has morphed to mean different things to different people.
Console, now Windows, GamePass, and the cross platform games. There's a mix of attitudes towards all those things individually, and maybe an overarching attitude towards MS. But can't argue that the game companies MS recently bought continue to flourish, and GamePass PC has been a great value over the last year.

InUrFoxHole3d ago

@OtterX
You're the dude mad at your exes new guy. She's with someone else... get over it.

+ Show (8) more repliesLast reply 3d ago
Lightning774d ago (Edited 4d ago )

They've had good output so far. So waiting for those games shouldn't be a problem.

Who cares if they're buy outs of companies or whatever excuse you want to make. They're games that are being distributed to other console. Play the games and enjoy it instead of fanboying or complaining.

ocelot074d ago

They going to be a he best and biggest publisher on Xbox, Playstation and PC next year. They not really said anything about Switch 2 though spite claiming to be big supporters.

quenomamen4d ago

If you call making one last Xbox before going full Sega, as Great. Then yea.

TheEroica4d ago

Doesn't feel like you're paying attention to what's happening.

RhinoGamer884d ago

It will be, his net work will hit 50 million and he plans to buy a new mansion in Cape Cod. Thanks everyone! #failup

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