The Xbox Game Pass is Microsoft's true endgame

Less than a month away from next-gen consoles, Microsoft’s real end goal is now the Xbox Game Pass. Their game streaming service is the true king.

[lifeisgamesok]

I've never been a big fan of subscription gaming so this will only push me further to PlayStation

[majiebeast]

Subscription services are for idiots, you always end up paying more then when you just outright buy the product.

-Video streaming services(all that content used to be part of cable)
-Adobe
-Office

Microsoft just wants to make mediocre short content filled with MTX,

[ApocalypseShadow]

Now now majibeast. You can't say that.

There are consumers out there who love to lease cars, houses, electronics, etc without ever OWNING these things. They are perfectly content in paying more in the hopes of the next big thing/S
https://media1.tenor.com/im...

Anyway, I knew Microsoft's end game from the beginning with the leaked 720 road map which became Xbox One.
https://www.windowscentral....

Look straight at the 2015 column. Anytime, anywhere, any device?Content from the cloud?It's everything they are pushing now. Microsoft has always pushed digital over physical.

It's fast and convenient. With the side effect being that your games are connected to online at all times. Even if you download game pass games to the console, it's still connected to a service that checks 24/7 on if you're subscribed. You can't lend those games, trade them in or own them physically. Sounds straight out of DRM 2013 right? Microsoft has never abandoned the dream. Only patiently waiting for the market to accept the transition with advertising, through influencers and time where gamers won't care. Or that they think won't care like paying for online or paying to play F2P games.

The end game is the same. Just in a 2.0 package sold as an option that will eventually become the requirement. Even with Kinect failing, Fortaleza(Hololens failing at E3 against VR) and the console failing against PS4, the goal is still the same.

[lifeisgamesok]

I think you're right. Big budget 100 million dollar AAA games from multiple studios on a $2-15 service is a loss leader so without a big number of subscribers they'll need to balance the numbers somehow

[BrainSyphoned]

If I could go back and not spend 5k in the 90s on anime plus the interest from the credit cards I would in a heartbeat. Pretty sure I haven’t spent 5k on Hulu/Netflix/Prime anime combined.

[Sitdown]

AMC A-list is $21 for 12 movies a month, please tell me how I end up paying more when I have to wait a couple months and purchase each movie at $15 to $20 a pop.

[Ausbo]

It’s an option. You can still buy games both digital and physical. That will never change.

[NEXUS-6]

Who would be happy buying ms 1st party games? They haven't been even competitive in that space for a long time.

ms knows this - and gamepass is the best solution for them.

[gamer7804]

OR and this is just a real far fetched idea.. but just maybe, mayyyyybe, corporations don't always put all their eggs in one basket... i dunno maybe crazy talk i know... smh.

[King_Noctis]

I don’t think MS force you to get Gamepass if you don’t want to. It is just an additional service, and if you don’t like it then just ignore it, go on with your day, and just purchase any game outright if you want to. So for the life of me don’t understand why people need to be against it.

Unless of course they are just fanboys, but that is another topic for another day.

[ApocalypseShadow]

Think about it:

Microsoft in 2013 was going for physical DRM. The road map link leads to digital DRM with services like Game Pass. The link I posted shows the 2015 slot reading exactly what they are doing now but was delayed. Things they were considering probably around 2010-2011. Game Pass is digital DRM.

It's an option now. But so was playing online. So was F2P games until Microsoft requires XBL to play F2P games.

When do you think they'll make Game Pass a requirement? Probably when digital is more accepted over physical purchases. Then, it will be mandatory. And that's what their influencers are for. To push the message that digital DRM is okay because it's a "great value."

[King_Noctis]

“ When do you think they'll make Game Pass a requirement?“

And risk losing ton of both digital and physical sale for all their game? I don’t think you know how business work. Gamepass IS an additional service, an add-on, a subscription, and it exists along side both digital and physical sale.

[agnosticgamer]

lol... So offering an optional additional choice is pushing you away? Sounds like you were never a fan.

[lifeisgamesok]

I was a big Xbox fan but the always-online and subscription focus pushed me away on top of the games situation

[strifeblade]

I tried it and I prefer owning games hard copy. Love it. Introduced me to games I never thought I'd try. I also got an amazing gamepass and Guild subscription. 50% off both services for 3 years a while back. PlayStation users missing out

[lifeisgamesok]

I tried Gamepass last year and I really don't feel like I'm missing out on anything. I'm just glad it was easy to cancel

[FallenAngel1984]

Nah really?

[Godmars290]

No! Really?!

[System_Call]

I don't see xbox taking any piece of Nintendo or Sony with gamespass. They will try, as many other initiatives have failed. They need to go with something.

[itsmebryan]

They are not going for Sony or Nintendo. They are going for PC, Xbox, iOS, and Android. They said they didn't need them to make their money back.

[System_Call]

They aren't going for Sony and Nintendo because they can't. Not because they don't want to.

[cammers1995]

I refuse to pay for streaming services but gamepass is an exception. Gamepass is definitely worth it. It basically lets me trial games before I inevitably buy it.

Had I not had gamepass, I never would have discovered how great State Of Decay was and I never would have given Fallout 76 another chance (It HAS gotten better since I originally owned it a couple years ago). I never would have replayed the outer worlds but did. On the flipside I never would have discovered how dreadfully awful The Blair Witch Project was, which I almost bought at full price till I seen it was on gamepass, and I never would have seen how much I hated Wasteland 2 and 3 despite originally being interested in them.

In the long term GamePass has saved me a ton of money. Originally when it launched it wasn't a good service, but with the amount of content you get now, and how you can now bundle Gold and Gamepass for only $15 a month, its a great price.

[Truplaya]

And when you use the rewards program it’s free

[ApocalypseShadow]

Paying for demos basically.

[MohammadAdam]

I used to pay £5 back in PlayStation days for the demo disc, £10 for full game demos with game pass, I’m ok with that.

[QUIMICOMORTAL]

I would say gamepass IS their game.

[Imortus_san]

It's my true end game, the day this closes I wont buy another console, just before the One X I had already gave up on my PS4 and Xbox One they were what? 1 or 2 years without ever beeing played, gamepass save this generation and the next one, at least for me.