Could Xbox Game Pass Be The Death Of Slow Burn Games?

If Avowed hadn’t been an Xbox Game Pass day one release, would it look any different?

[RaiderNation]

No. Game Pass isn't popular enough to have that kind influence. It might be the death of slow burn games ON Game Pass, but plenty will still get made and sold outside of Game Pass.

[VenomUK]

TheGamer: 'If Avowed hadn’t been an Xbox Game Pass day one release, would it look any different?'

Yes. It would've been a better game.

It was likely released to fulfil a promise of a triple-A first party title released on Game Pass in the early 2025 window. A criticism of Avowed shared in many reviews is that the RPG mechanics are shallow, and there is a lack of interactivity with the world and the NPCs. Many of those same reviewers have said there is a solid if uninspired game in there. More time in the oven and these issues could've been improved drastically. It seems that the publisher's awareness for the quality bar of the player experience is lower if people are not paying for the game but getting it as part of a subscription to Game Pass.

[Profchaos]

Anything going to be a day 1 gampass game always feels like it was never strong enough to stand on its own merits and was farmed off for a quick buck especially third parties launching on gp
Payday 3, back 4 blood and more as examples

[Knushwood Butt]

To drive a bit of discussion, I'd say that game subscriptions in general swamp you, and you can only play one game at a time. There's always that feeling that you're missing out or not getting your money's worth if you don't play more of them.

I recently started playing Death Stranding DC from a certain sub, but I knew what I was getting into as I beat the OG game at launch and sunk over 200 hours into it. I'm now about 70 hours into DS:DC. It's a slow burn but one that I like, even though it has flaws. There are plenty of people playing it too, as you can tell from the interactions with other players.

Not long ago I did three runs through LoU Part One, which was also from a sub.

So, may be an exception, but there is a place for slow-burn games on subs.

[Christopher]

Quite a different discussion when talking about day 1 release subscription service and having to keep people moving to those versus one that has a subscription as an option but definitely wants people to keep buying full priced games in the first year.

Trying to act like old games being on a subscription versus the discussion of profitability and expectations for a day 1 release subscription are the same isn't a discussion starter. It's a topic avoider.

[Profchaos]

There's absolutely a place for slow burn games on subs I recently played like a dragon Yakuza and spent around 70 hours on it via PS plus.

In saying that I have played most of the games I wanted to play on the sub and it would have been far more economical for me to pay $20 for a copy at CeX but I played it and got hooked almost immediately.

Within the first 20 minutes I wet from I'll just try it to I like this then after maybe 2 hours I was at the I need to see this through I can't put it down.

Something like starfield however on a sub I gave it longer than I should have I put it down at 4 hours I only gave it that long as a long-term fan of fallout I thought there might be more to love here but i was checked out twenty mins in.

[Knushwood Butt]

'Trying to act like old games being on a subscription versus the discussion of profitability and expectations for a day 1 release subscription are the same isn't a discussion starter. It's a topic avoider.'.

Er, I wasn't trying to act like anything.

Could Xbox Game Pass Be The Death Of DAY ONE Slow Burn Games?

I don't subscribe to it, but unless they are releasing day one games at a very frequent rate, I don't see what difference 'slow burn' would make. Surely the slower the better seen as MAUs are the measure of success.
Have a nice day.

[Christopher]

***I don't subscribe to it, but unless they are releasing day one games at a very frequent rate, I don't see what difference 'slow burn' would make. Surely the slower the better seen as MAUs are the measure of success.
Have a nice day. ***

People unsubscribing is the issue, so they have to keep a consistent flow of new games to keep people subbed. Slow burn games take more to develop and can't be output at the pace of the games being discussed.

Just look at Netflix. How much filler BS is put out consistently versus quality content? You need filler content to fill in the gaps.

[Futureshark]

Similar to the Spotify effect, where users typically switch to the next song if not hooked in the first 5 seconds or so.
Therefore there are very few songs these days with long intros.
Shame

[RaiderNation]

First rule of songwriting: "Dont bore us, get to the chorus". :)

[Knushwood Butt]

If you're gonna have a hit
You gotta make it fit
So they cut it down to 3:05