Getty Images
For years, Microsoft’s Xbox Game Pass has distinguished itself by offering subscribers release-day access to new first-party titles in addition to a vast legacy library of older games. Despite Microsoft pushing for a price increase for Game Pass in general, this key “release-day” perk is set to be phased out for all but the highest-tier Game Pass console subscribers.
Let’s start with the relatively straightforward price increases to the existing Game Pass tiers.
- Game Pass Ultimate will be reduced from $16.99 to $19.99 per month.
- Game Pass for PC will increase from $9.99 to $11.99 per month.
- The annual subscription to “Game Pass Core” (formerly known as Xbox Live Gold) will be reduced from $59.99 to $74.99 (monthly subscriptions will remain at $9.99).
Things get a little more complicated Xbox Game Pass for Console: $10.99/month tier. Microsoft has announced that after today, this tier will no longer be accepting new subscriptions, but current subscribers can keep their subscriptions intact (for now) by auto-renewing them.
Instead, Microsoft will roll out a new $14.99 “Xbox Game Pass Standard” tier “in the coming months.” This new option combines access to the usual “hundreds of high-quality games on console” with the “online console multiplayer” features that previously required a separate Xbox Game Pass Core subscription (“Core” is still available separately and includes access to a smaller “25+ games” library).
Here’s a quick chart I made (subject to revision) that shows the new Xbox Game Pass structure.
Hope this helps. pic.twitter.com/Qj6CX7i4kG
— Klobrille (@klobrille) July 10, 2024
But while the current Xbox Game Pass console option promises “day-of-launch” access to Xbox Game Studios games, these “Day One releases” are Notably missing perks from alternative Xbox Game Pass Standard subscription.
“Some games available on day one with Xbox Game Pass Ultimate may not be immediately available with Xbox Game Pass Standard and may be added to the library in the future,” Microsoft said. It’s written in the FAQ We will explain the changes.
Players who want guaranteed access to all these “Day One” releases will now have to subscribe to Game Pass Ultimate for $19.99 per month, an 81 percent increase from the $10.99 per month that console players currently pay for similar “Day One” access on the fading Game Pass Console tier.
To be fair, the extra subscription fee does come with some extra perks. If you upgrade from Game Pass Console/Standard to Game Pass Ultimate, Microsoft’s cloud gaming serviceAccess downloadable PC games, EA Play Libraryand you get additional “freebies” every month. But what really sets the Ultimate tier apart right now is launch-day access to Microsoft’s system-selling first-party titles, which will likely make it a pricey upgrade for many Xbox Game Pass subscribers.
More problems mean more money
Xbox Game Pass Launched in 2017Subscribers were not promised release-day access to all of Microsoft’s new first-party games. Until early 2018Since then, loyal Game Pass subscribers have been able to play dozens of brand new first-party titles at launch from major franchises such as: Hello, Forzaand Gears of War Indie Favorites Hi-Fi Rush, Sea of Thievesand Will of Ori and the Wisps And many more.
Sure, having access to hundreds of older games is nice, but the promise of all-new major first-party titles makes Xbox Game Pass a bargain. 34 million subscribers as of FebruarySony is now offering a special bonus that rivals the “first day bonus.” Similar PlayStation Plus servicesThis just includes some older titles from PlayStation Studios.
in 2022 Interview with GamesIndustry.bizPlayStation CEO Jim Ryan said that the company will add new first-party games to its subscription service. Up to $70“We wouldn’t be able to make the level of investment necessary for the studio, and we don’t think the knock-on effects on the quality of the games we make would be something gamers would want.”
Microsoft may be reaching a similar conclusion: Including first-party titles in its cheaper, console-focused Game Pass subscription might have seemed like a good idea when Microsoft was still trying to attract subscribers to its service. Game Pass subscriber growth is starting to slow With a saturated market of potential customers, Microsoft needs to extract more value from these subscribers to justify Game Pass, which cannibalizes its own direct sales of first-party games.
Activision
And let’s not forget Activision, which Microsoft recently acquired. It spent $69 billion on acquisitions. long Legal and Regulation Battle. Recover the cost and make it available to Game Pass subscribers Access blockbuster products on launch day call of dutyperhaps Microsoft was forced to maximize the revenue generation opportunity of Game Pass.
“Look at it this way: If 7 million Xbox Game Pass subscribers were planning to buy Call of Duty at $70 but now have no reason to do so (because it’s included in their subscription fee), that’s nearly $500 million in lost revenue,” MIDia analyst Reece Elliott said. He told The Daily Upside By explaining the key figures involved.
For players who enjoy a wide variety of games and are likely to buy all or most of Microsoft’s first-party titles at launch anyway, Xbox Game Pass Ultimate is probably still a good deal even at the increased price, but players who subscribed to cheaper console Game Pass options a few years ago may need to reevaluate whether maintaining launch-day access is worth $240 a year.
