Is Xbox Game Pass worth it? It’s something we hear people asking all the time, and it’s a hot topic for different kinds of gamers worldwide. Launching five years ago this year on June 1, 2017, Xbox Game Pass give users access to first-party titles at launch alongside a plethora of third party titles on a rotating basis for the price of a Netflix subscription.
Find out what’s in Xbox Game Pass right now by clicking here.
For those who also game on PC or want to carry on that Halo: Infinite session whilst out and about, Cloud gaming is now a reality on various devices via the Xbox game pass app or in-browser. Game Pass Ultimate costs a little bit more, but it’s worth it if users play on console, PC, and the Cloud.
The Anti Don Mattrick Subscription Service – Is Xbox Game Pass Worth It?
When Phil Spencer took the reins of Xbox in 2013, the brand was a mess thanks to Don Mattick positioning the console as a font of entertainment. The Xbox One was going to be a digital-only advanced set-top box that also played games. The E3 announcement, reversion of digital-only and slow clawback of the seventh generation was difficult to watch.
However, this would teach Xbox some key lessons in how to handle a consumer base and their own corporate decisions. In a two-pronged attack on the gaming industry, Spencer focused Rare back onto traditional games, which eventually led the team to develop and release ‘Sea of Thieves’. This would also serve as Xbox’s first day one release on Game Pass, a tradition that would include all first-party titles moving forward.
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The rest is history, with heavy hitters such as Forza Horizon 5 and Halo: Infinite now on the service amongst many other titles in the back catalogue and even more to come. Let’s not forget about Xbox’s acquisition of Bethesda and Activision to add to that catalogue of older titles and new releases to boot.
What Do Players Get? – Is Xbox Game Pass Worth It?
Access to over 300 games across Xbox, Bethesda, and multiple third-party developers and publishers is nothing to be sniffed at for £7.99 a month for either console or PC. For £10.99 a month players can upgrade to Game Pass Ultimate which gives players Game Pass on console and PC alongside Cloud gaming, Xbox Live services and the base level EA Play access. Again, it’s not a bad deal considering players can have a go of the games for as long as they are on Game Pass, or they can purchase with a discount as thanks for being a member.
When it comes to the back catalogue, Xbox Game Pass covers titles from the original Xbox, Xbox 360, Xbox One, and the current Series X/S consoles. Classic titles such as Morrowind and Mass Effect are all here waiting for players, and it’s a step in the right direction for games preservation altogether. Although the digital licence thing is a bit of a bugbear, that’s a tale for another time.
Again, first-party and a bunch of third-party titles will be available on day one too, with some surprise early launches happening from time to time such as Tunic. Want to play Starfield on release day without buying it? No worries, it’ll be available on Game Pass. This should also be the case for Activision titles once the buyout is complete in 2023.
The Bottom Line
There’s a case to be made for Xbox Game Pass hurting the sales and future releases of smaller developer franchises, albeit it’s not much of an argument. According to statistics dropped by Microsoft themselves at GDC 2022, Game Pass involvement is actually better for developers:
- Members play 40% more titles after joining.
- Members play games across 30% more genres after joining.
- Average 8.3x player lift after a back catalogue game joins Gamepass.
- For new games from large publishers, there’s a 3.5x player lift compared to similar games not on Gamepass.
- A 15x player lift on new indie games.
- 3.5x lift for games launching on Gamepass compared to Steam.
- Social conversation increased by 3x for a game when it is announced for Gamepass.
- Members are 4x more likely to stream on Twitch.
- Members spend 50% more than similar users.
- Post-sale monetization increases by 2.8x after joining Gamepass, 50% of this comes from new players to the game.
This doesn’t include Xbox and Microsoft covering the cost of development for some titles in some cases when agreeing to release the title on Game Pass either. Microsoft and Xbox need Game Pass to work for gamers and developers, it’s their ticket to market domination.
Granted, they seem to be waving said ticket around whilst throwing money at some of the world’s biggest publishing houses, but it’s because they want the best IP and games on Game Pass. Should Sony be doing the same? That’s another heated discussion in the community right now, but without some healthy competition, big companies can become very anti-consumer fast.
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