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Is a PlayStation Game Pass Viable?

Could Sony realistically mirror Microsoft's popular endeavour?

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CaptainCook1478d ago

No. Xbox Game Pass Ultimate includes Xbox Live Gold and PC Game Pass for only $14,99 per month, it can be about $60 for 12 months when on sale.

lxeasy1478d ago (Edited 1478d ago )

I don't know how Sony could replicate this because I doubt they want to put their games on PC. At the end of the day you get the choice to play your games on two platform with the Gamepass. and on top of that that It all goes down to if Sony wants to continue to charge gamer's $60 to play their games.

NarutoFox1478d ago

Didn't Sony just start publishing games on PC? Not to mention you can already play some of Playstation games on PC with PSNOW

AngelicIceDiamond1478d ago

@Ieasy I can easily see Sony doing this if MS is successful at it. Unfortunately PSNOW needs a major re-haul in which I think they will re-haul it. Calling it now PS event in Feb. They'll talk about PS5 details and a new PSNOW service. Sony announced that games will be on PC. So far it seems Sony will publish certain games that will be made on PC and possible release on PS as well.

rainslacker1478d ago

I wouldn't care so long as they retain the equity of their premier 1st party heavy hitters.

Question is, would sony feel they need to do it to compete, and would they possibly make less in the bigger picture if people weren't buying as many games.

Having more robust numbers from MS game pass would make it easier to consider if itd be good for Sony, but even then, it's up to sony to decide

S2Killinit1478d ago (Edited 1478d ago )

I dont think losing their quality first party in order to put them ona streaming service would be a smart move, but if they wanted to, it would be just as easy to achieve as it is for MS.

Forn1478d ago

I honestly don't see how Game Pass is viable for Microsoft honestly. It's basically Netflix, and Netflix is hundreds of millions (if not billions) of dollars in debt. It feels like something that will eventually implode on itself.

1478d ago
The Wood1478d ago

Judging by the gears numbers I'm not sure how sustainable game pass is. You need a high number of subscribers for the game providers to get proper payback.

agnosticgamer1478d ago

They don't need to put their games on PC. It could simply be an option for the console.

ABizzel11478d ago

Sony and Nintendo can make a direct competitor to GamePass, but neither company wants to because Sony's exclusives help define their console, and Nintendo's exclusives completely define their console.

Xbox as of late has been 1 AAA game (Halo, Forza, Gears), a few AA games, and a few indies per year. Gamepass provides 3rd party games gamers would play, but wouldn't spend money on, plus Xbox first-party which outside of the AAA most of their gamers wouldn't spend money on. So GamePass for Xbox is an easy sale for MS and their gamers. Especially having the lower install base.

Sony and Nintendo know their exclusives will do well because Sony's exclusives generally break 1 million in sales, which means most of their games break even and then go on to make a profit and Nintendo budgets are way less for their games so they generally only need to sell a few hundred thousand to break even. And considering both platforms are selling extremely well and both platforms are doing well in software, there is no reason for either company to cut into the millions their exclusives make to hand them out for free.

However, if Sony really wanted to compete they could simple update PS+, to add more games and include a PSNow option. Have PS+ cost $60 / $4.99/mo on PS5 and offer 2 PS4 games, 2 PSVR games, and 1 - 2 PS5 games, but also have a $100 / $9.99/mo offer that gives PS+ and PSNow and fill the PSNow library with PS4 / PSVR / PS3 / PS2 / PS1 / PSP / PSV games and the occasional PS5 games with PS5 early access and other features. That would be Sony's competitor.

Nintendo is behind on the feature / online aspects of gaming, but if they can expand on their current SNES offering to include best of Wii U, Wii, GameCube, N64, SNES, NES, 3DS, DS, GBA, GB then they could have something as well by giving new life to those games and adding multiplayer features to games that didn't have them before.

Obscure_Observer1477d ago

@rainslacker

"I wouldn't care so long as they retain the equity of their premier 1st party heavy hitters."

But you said it wouldn´t be possible for Microsoft due Gamepass service model. How it would be possible for Sony?

+ Show (7) more repliesLast reply 1477d ago
1478d ago Replies(7)
isarai1478d ago

What's the difference? You pay a sub fee, you get access to games

lxeasy1478d ago

Psnow is not as good as Gamepass, Stop pretending like it is

isarai1478d ago (Edited 1478d ago )

Didn't say it was or wasn't, don't put words in my mouth.

Kran1478d ago

No it's not.

But it's the same thing except with streaming (though some you can download). You pay a subscription and have a huge choice of games. LITERALLY LIKE XBOX GAME PASS.

Silly gameAr1478d ago

Stop pretending that Gamepass is some innovative feature. MS pretty much had to implement something like gamepass, or they would have been left in the dust this gen.

King_Noctis1478d ago

“Didn't say it was or wasn't, don't put words in my mouth.”

That is why people request for Gamepass-like service on PS4.

“Stop pretending that Gamepass is some innovative feature. ”

Umm who say it is? And who say it need to be innovative?

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DaDrunkenJester1478d ago

No, as in GamePass where 1st party games launch day and date on the service.

isarai1478d ago (Edited 1478d ago )

Why would they do that when their games sell amazingly well on their own? Not saying it wouldn't be cool, but it doesn't make sense when they've never had issues getting their games out there.

DaDrunkenJester1478d ago

Because it means they could get subscription money on games that people wouldn't have bought at full price or even $30.

xX-oldboy-Xx1478d ago

Thats doesn't sound very genuine for a company to do that. Make people pay for a subscription for sub par games they wouldn't normally buy under the guise of - Day 1 1st party games.

And don't forget most of the 1st party stuff has been shovelware.

I do hope people wake up to ms's tactics, take the blinkers off you lot.

DaDrunkenJester1478d ago

@Oldboy

Shovelware? lol I shouldn't even bother responding to this comment. Just because a game doesn't hit the precious 8+ or it's a game you don't like.. doesn't make it shovelware.

Knushwood Butt1478d ago

What's the GamePass lineup for the next 12 months?

ThankYouSir1478d ago

@Knushwood

Start with Gears 5? Then there is The Outer Worlds, Wasteland 3, Ori 2, Battletoads, Halo Infinite, Bleeding Edge, Minecraft Dungeons, Microsoft Flight simulator... and then I'm sure a bunch of 3rd party ranging from indies to games like DMCV and Metro Exodus...

CoinOrc1478d ago

Completely missed isarai’s point. People have no problem paying $60 for Sony’s numerous stellar exclusives. If they offer their exclusives day one on psnow, they would have to increase the price of psnow to make up the difference. MS have to offer Xbox game pass at such a low price because their exclusives line up has been mediocre.

xX-oldboy-Xx1478d ago

DaDrunken - Thank you for lowering your standards and replying. Fact is CD3 is shovelware, SoD2 is shovelware, SoT is shovelware - these are facts. Seems ms has given their subscribers less value than one would believe.

Knushwood Butt1477d ago

@ ThankYouSir

Thank you Sir.

I wonder how this will work with the Scarlett launch? The first party launch titles on gamepass with a couple of third party efforts on there too for some big cash in advance?

+ Show (6) more repliesLast reply 1477d ago
Magic_Spatula1478d ago

Both are similar in that you pay a service fee to play games but PSNow is mainly streaming the game with several titles being downloadable (not sure if all of them are) but Game Pass I believe does not have a streaming feature and all titles are downloadable to the hard drive. Not sure if Microsoft will be adding streaming games at a later date. Also, Games cycle in and out of Game Pass but I'm not sure if that's the case with PSNow since I haven't used it since the first few months it was released.