Microsoft is experimenting with ad views for access to hundreds of Xbox games

Free games? In THIS economy? Well, in exchange for your eyeballs at least. (Figuratively, not literally... although don't give them ideas.)

What you need to know

• Microsoft Gaming CFO Tim Stuart recently described how in the future, you may be able to view ads to gain access to Xbox Game Pass.

•Recent Xbox Series X|S code strings we've seen seem to corroborate this, with the ability to earn 15 minute blocks of Xbox Game Pass access in exchange for watching ads.

•Game Pass across PC, Xbox, and Cloud features hundreds of games in exchange for a low monthly fee.

[darthv72]

Hmm..... I used to earn GP by way of searching with Bing but I hear the rewards program is being revamped. I still earn points but it seems they did change the amount you get per search. I dont know how i feel about this. It sounds like they are going the Youtube route where right in the middle of something you are enjoying, an ad pops up and you have to sit through it (if it does not have a skip option after 5 seconds).

I pay for my GP access, so this wouldnt really bother me but I can see it affecting plenty of others. It reminds me of the rumor about how some game companies (EA, Ubisoft) were toying with the idea of running ads before you ever get into the game. Like the old days of renting movies from Blockbuster and not being able to skip the previews (yes, some DVD had a non skip option for previews). I pay for stuff so i wouldnt have to deal with ads, but even now they are encroaching the very things i pay a premium for.

This whole thing is just..... a bad idea.

[purple101]

I remember those dvds with non-skippable adds! Wow that takes me back.

[babadivad]

That was a thing?

[Plague-Doctor27]

@babadivad

Yup. You'd have to pop in the DVD before going to the bathroom, grabbing a snack, etc

[shinoff2183]

Such a shame cause even if you don't think this is a big deal what's next they put ads on ultimate gamepass and the free one gets more. This is disgusting. Yes even if Sony goes this route I'll feel the same. We got enough ads in this world ffs

[purple101]

Some recent studies show the average person sees 4000 adverts a day

[shinoff2183]

That's wild. 4k.

[ChasterMies]

The average person should start using ad blockers.

[ChasterMies]

“even if Sony goes this route I'll feel the same”

This isn’t a “both sides” issue. Sony has never had ads on the PlayStation Home Screen but Microsoft has laden Xbox’s Home Screen with ads since the Xbox 360. Microsoft has put ads on Windows 11 OS! Microsoft is basically the bad guy from “Ready Player One”.

[shinoff2183]

I know that hence the key word If. Sonys never given an indication of this where as ms definitely has.

[Christopher]

I mean, it's not never, but it's not like Xbox. Sony has promoted things with icons on the XMB, it's just really rare.

[EvertonFC]

They could do GP free with ads, GP £20 per month without ads, which one would the casual/hardcore choose ?

[Christopher]

"Hi, we've received your comment submission. Please watch this 30s ad to finalize and publish your comment to N4G.com. Thank you."

We're just having our eyelids forced open more and more every day it feels like.

[Lightning77]

The clown CFO strikes again.

[ApocalypseShadow]

You don't say?/S

You mean the company that puts ads on the dashboard, tried to force a camera on Xbox One to push ads is experimenting with ads for game pass access? No. You must be joshing. Lol

Wouldn't put it past them.

[crazyCoconuts]

Getting people locked into subs and advertising to them is what passes as innovation at Microsoft.
At least they're keeping Sony on their toes with the threat of competition

[Einhander1972]

Xbox is going to destroy gaming, they just don't even care.

This just comes across as desperate, they couldn't sell games so they gave them away on a sub, then they couldn't sell the subscription so now they are going to try to give that away 15 minute at a time..

Microsoft can't get out of gaming soon enough.

[Lightning77]

The CFO is a clown but a single company "destroying" the entire game industry is funny and woefully exaggerated.

They're in 3rd place remember how can they destroy anything?

[Einhander1972]

So, you don't think that if this is successful and they start making money shoving ads in CoD and everything else that all the other companies aren't going to follow suit? I mean Ubisoft "accidently" blasted people with ads a week after Microsoft MWIII ad they blasted people with.

Ya know Microsoft gave us DLC on consoles now practically every game has that crap.

And it's not just this ads thing it's the whole way they are trying to shift the industry away from what it is to something cheaper, like their push for digital only or the move from selling games to subscriptions, everything they do cheapens and makes the industry worse.

The only saving grace is the fact they are in last place, because if they ever are in first place they are going to have free reign to do what ever they want, and over the years they have shown that what they want is anything but making great games.

[Bathyj]

You can make something worse without being the top dog. They're buying publishers and developers hand over fist and worse, they're in charge of hundred of IP they had no hand in creating and can't manage

You trust 3rd place with all the valuable material?

Would you let the village idiot manage the tribes provisions?

[Sephiroushin]

that single company is buying mayor players soooo yeah….

[Lightning77]

"Ya know Microsoft gave us DLC on consoles now practically every game has that crap."

MS didn't invent DLC but they definitely popularized yes. I guess you hate the new FF16 DLC, Gow DLC and remastered TLOUS 2 Added hoard mode then? Since you hate expansions and dlc I guess Cyber Punk 2077 was such a travesty then. Nobody will have anything like gamepass like subscription anytime soon I've heard this many times before you really think pubs want to spend or sacrifice 1b$ a year like MS does a year? Hell naw MS has the cash to such ventures.

Sounds like to me you need to keep your fanboyism under control stressin, Sweatin bullets over a trillion dollar company isn't healthy, buy what you like, and don't concern with things you don't like. It's literally not hard, at all. I hope you know that.

[Einhander1972]

Don't deflect, this isn't directly about DLC that was just an example of how Microsoft brings bad ideas into gaming that pollute the industry.

This is about them adding ads to games to boost subscription numbers.

[BehindTheRows]

"Sweatin bullets over a trillion dollar company isn't healthy"

Yes, we've been telling you this for quite a while now.

[Plague-Doctor27]

I think there's a big difference between Horse Armor (which I assume the other person was referring to) and actual DLC "content" like Phantom Liberty or a rogue-like mode etc

[shinoff2183]

Yes I've stated multiple times I'd rather dlc went away. Take those resources and start a new or next game series. Regardless of the game. It ruins completed games I've bought which is why some games I just wait for a complete edition to drop.

[Lightning77]

What deflection? You just said they intrduced crap dlc. Again with you logic you're not looking forward to those games I mentioned that have DLC. You're the one who went on a tangent and brought up DLC very reactionary.

@Rows where have I sweated and lost sleep over a trillion dollar company? Where have I trolled and sweated over your favorite piece of plastic? You all should know by now I'll call you out on these things.

[Einhander1972]

You're deflecting and gaslighting me trying to get me to say something by trying to claim I was saying something I wasn't.

Let me tell you flat out, I would trade every DLC and microtransaction if it meant there would be no more DLC and MTX in games.

I hate that crap, I always spoke against it from the very beginning back on 360 and PS3.

I don't play any games like CoD or FIFA or any other games that are filled with that crap.

You picked the wrong person to try to railroad on the topic of DLC.

[Lightning77]

No gas lighting again you're the one who said it. I don't know what else to tell you except own up to it. If I was using your own logic then you hate the fact that DLC exist for all your games. Since you said you don't like DLC.

"I don't play any games like CoD or FIFA or any other games that are filled with that crap."

Not COD or Sports games but you'll pay for it if it's a game's you like right? Or no?

[Einhander1972]

No, I am done with your gaslighting and deflecting.

[Lightning77]

Again you said it, think carefully next time. You hate DLC now but in the next article you'll be saying how fun the Ragnarok DLC is.

[XiNatsuDragnel]

Ads in games is my nightmare fuel fr

[Hofstaderman]

So consumer friendly....S

[DarXyde]

Sound like they're planning to "monetize" Game Pass trials. If you get 15-minutes of access to game pass per ad cluster (or however it is formatted), it seems like they want to get people to try it and eventually buy it while also getting advertiser money for it.

Yeah... It sounds like they're really trying to recuperate costs.

With that in mind, I'm leaning more towards Blade and OD being multiplatform. Here's a hot take: throw Hell Blade in there too. I expect some kind of staggering between releases, but I don't think I'm wrong.

[Plague-Doctor27]

I'd bet a years salary that Blade and OD are Xbox/PC only. Throw in mobile for OD

[DarXyde]

I don't think I'm wrong, but I wouldn't accept that bet on the simple fact that I'm not very financially motivated.

But I will bookmark this page and give you your flowers if you're right, mate.

[Juiceid]

Watching ads to access content that you would otherwise pay for is a viable option.

[Stanjara]

Good luck anyone on Xbox platform with this garbage.

[DarXyde]

Let's not get ahead of ourselves.

I think every company has their share of frustrating practices, some of which get adopted a bit too enthusiastically if it's got good uptake. Good example is paying for online gameplay.

If this crashes and burns on Xbox, maybe we won't see it on other platforms.

Never say never though.

[shinoff2183]

I don't think it crashes. I think the Xbox only guys eat this up. Can already see it from some of the comments.

[YourMommySpoils]

Get ready for ad breaks within a game, during gameplay, in the future. All courtesy Microsoft lol

[gold_drake]

this is bad.
really bad.

[Redgrave]

No Obscure to spin this into a positive and extremely beneficial aspect of gaming?

Come on buddy, help translate it for us.

[Plague-Doctor27]

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[shinoff2183]

Yo that's hilarious. For real I thought you were serious at first. Lol

[anast]

Their platform is all ads, the second you fire up one of their machines you see ads. They are not experimenting, they are doing.

[PhillyDonJawn]

Where was this sht when I was a kid and broke lol. But I'll pass now. I can't stand phone games now cause it's filled with ads

[Einhander1972]

Kids now can play their choice of thousands of free to play games.

Microsoft would have you watch ads to play free to play then still have MTX and other BS.

There is no way that adding ads to gaming makes it better than it is today.

[PhillyDonJawn]

Right

[Psychonaut85]

Yaaaay more mobile crap infecting normal gaming. “Watch this video and I’ll give you some fake currency!”

[BrainSyphoned]

Straight from the cloud to your TV for nothing. All the people who subscribe to Game Pass will get a blue checkmark next to their name to let everyone know they are the coolest on X. Gaming is dead with M$'s money leading the way, go eat your mobile ftp slop from the monopolized gaming structure of the future.

[Eonjay]

The worst possible outcome for gaming.

[Redgrave]

Especially when you consider that bot farms for watching ads would be made, or some similar equivalent thus ensuring that this idiotic venture is a success.

[KwietStorm_BLM]

Blatant field test. Every so often someone tries some new shit with ads in gaming Please don't fall for it, people. You'll be opening Pandora's box in the future.

[S2Killinit]

Lol horrible horrible idea. MS wants to make gaming into cable tv…

[HyperMoused]

Ah so to monetise it more they are selling add space to people who dont really want it but maybe they will try it and then go all in and get gamepass...slippery slope

[Crows90]

What's this??? Another potentially horrible gaming trend? Of course it's from Microsoft.