Microsoft The Games Pass Effect

[Dodger]

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Franchise pre-orders up 25%, sales up 10%, game time goes up 20%, variety in games played up 40%.

 

I'm loving Games Pass so far. Hopefully Crackdown 3 doesn't suck. I'll be happy as long as it's a good popcorn action game that's fun for a few hours. 

[Commissar SFLUFAN]

It's only inevitable that the "Effect" will impact the way games are developed.  I'm unsure "how" it will though.

[Dodger]

5 minutes ago, SFLUFAN said:

It's only inevitable that the "Effect" will impact the way games are developed.  I'm unsure "how" it will though.

Well, the hope is to sell DLC or other entries into a series. So I think you will see smaller "episodic" type games where the initial game will be free on GP, but with more frequent small expansions that will be paid DLC as the main initial game becomes your gateway into that franchise. 

[crispy4000]

16 minutes ago, SFLUFAN said:

It's only inevitable that the "Effect" will impact the way games are developed.  I'm unsure "how" it will though.

I think we already have a strong indication:

 

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For example in the past month Square Enix has added Tomb Raider Definitive Edition and Shadow of the Tomb Raider to Game Pass, meaning the entire rebooted trilogy is now available to members. This will potentially make new fans of the franchise and increase sales of paid add-on content, which is still being rolled out.

Shorter and easier base games, bigger DLC initiatives, more egregious cliffhangers, etc.  I could even see would-be-included side quests locked out as paid-only content.  'GamesPass' versions doing more of that could be a thing.

I think Microsoft/EA/etc have opened a pandora's box.  It's up to publishers' imaginations how far they'll take it.

[skillzdadirecta]

6 minutes ago, crispy4000 said:

I think we already have a strong indication:

 

Shorter and easier base games, bigger DLC initiatives, more egregious cliffhangers, etc.  I could even see some would-be-included side quests locked out as paid-only content.

I think Microsoft/EA/etc have opened a pandora's box.  It's up to publishers' imaginations how far they'll take it.

Ummm didn't this already start with games like Hitman and others that were released as episodic content and "seasons" that gamers ate up eagerly? I was reluctant to get gamepass but now that I have it I can't see how I did without it and it's been a GREAT deal so far. 

[crispy4000]

8 hours ago, skillzdadirecta said:

Ummm didn't this already start with games like Hitman and others that were released as episodic content and "seasons" that gamers ate up eagerly? I was reluctant to get gamepass but now that I have it I can't see how I did without it and it's been a GREAT deal so far. 

Tell that to Telltale.  Or to IO themselves, who decided against releasing Hitman 2 episodically.

Episodic gaming has never truly had a strong footing.  You could chalk that to the distribution method, and say that Games Pass would be more suitable for it.  But even that's only in ideal terms.  TheGames Pass pitch is to have an instant game library - not for the first parts of games, and to pay for the rest.

So I don't see an episodic trend re-emerging.  It'd be too obvious that you're only playing an 'Episode 1.'

Instead, I think we'll see more ways that publishers try to make the DLC the end goal.  Like with how people talk about Destiny 2 and the like.

[skillzdadirecta]

3 minutes ago, crispy4000 said:

Tell that to Telltale.  Or to IO themselves, who decided against releasing Hitman 2 in individual helpings.

Episodic gaming has never truly had a strong footing.  You could chalk that to the distribution method, and say that Games Pass would be more suitable for it.  But even that's only in ideal terms.  The larger Games Pass pitch is to have an instant game library - not for the first parts of games, and to pay for the rest.

So I don't see an episodic trend re-emerging.  It'd be too obvious that you're only playing an 'Episode 1.'  Publishers won't want you to feel shortchanged that soon.

 

Aren't you arguing against your own point?  I'm saying I DON'T see game pass leading to more "incomplete games" being released and was arguing that that whole "episodic" game thing had been tried before... the point I THOUGHT you were making was that Game Pass would lead to more of these types of games being released. Or maybe I misunderstood?

[crispy4000]

8 hours ago, skillzdadirecta said:

 

Aren't you arguing against your own point?  I'm saying I DON'T see game pass leading to more "incomplete games" being released and was arguing that that whole "episodic" game thing had been tried before... the point I THOUGHT you were making was that Game Pass would lead to more of these types of games being released. Or maybe I misunderstood?

I'm trying to make a distinction between episodic gaming as we know it today, and the type of shorter/easier/DLC-funneled game I think Games Pass (and similar services) could lead to over time.  Where the 'base game' is diluted.

I don't think they would look the same.