Xbox Game Pass is a subscription that provides access to a vast library of games for a relatively low price. Rather than paying a lot of money for one game disc, a substantially smaller price can buy you up to months of playing hundreds of different titles. This is similar to how you can watch many movies and TV shows on streaming services such as Netflix, rather than buying the movie. The idea of a time-limited subscription is revolutionizing several industries, coming with game-changing factors.
Like Netflix, Xbox occasionally removes games off of Game Pass. This is either due to unpopularity or the fact that it is doing so well that they want people to buy the individual game. In the case of the latter, the game’s removal would be driving up the demand from consumers, therefore generating income by forcing people to purchase the game as their only way of playing it.
However, it isn’t all perfect. Xbox Game Pass also brings some negatives to the table. When your subscription is done, it is in the past. There is nothing you can get out of it since it is all intangible. However, if you purchased a game disc, you can still sell the game and get some money out of it once you are done with it. Also, Game Pass might be making us lazier than ever. You don’t need to drive to a store to pick up a physical game but forget about that. You don’t even need to get up off your couch to insert the game disc.
You may ask: If Game Pass is so popular, then are people no longer paying attention to the now old-school discs? Actually, Game Pass is promoting game discs significantly. As mentioned above, the removal of a game would force people to buy the game. However, there are many other reasons. While Game Pass has often been compared to Netflix in this article, there is one thing that puts it ahead. After watching a movie on Netflix, you would rarely purchase the DVD afterward. You have explored all possible content – there is nothing more to gain. Even if it is taken off the streaming service, you have already seen everything there is to see. On the other hand, video games have endless possibilities for new discoveries. In-app purchases and wide varieties of game modes cause players to have a thirst for more – even if they have played it several times before. When a game gets taken off Game Pass, consumers’ demand does not cease to exist. In fact, their longing for the game is amplified.
This increased demand does not only occur when games are removed because that is not very often. Every month when your subscription ends, you have lost all access to those games. This attracts people like a magnet to immediately renew their subscriptions, or even purchase multiple games so that they can own them forever. Also, Game Pass users receive discounts for purchasing Game Pass games, enticing them to buy them permanently.
You might also be thinking that you will only end up using Game Pass for a handful of games. Why should you be paying for countless others? Jonathan Bunney, the Vice President of Publishing at British Developer Codemasters, said the following.
We see it as a way of extending the life of our games and bringing in players who wouldn’t necessarily buy the game. Speaking as a consumer, I find myself discovering games that I had never heard of, or games that I’ve heard of but am just not prepared to spend $60.
By enabling the discovery of many new titles, gamers find many new enjoyable games, and games that otherwise would not be popular are getting the exposure they deserve through Game Pass.
Additionally, Xbox has partnered up with EA to provide “EA Play” as a part of Game Pass subscriptions. Now, by subscribing to Game Pass, you gain access to a variety of EA titles that you would otherwise have to individually purchase. Collaborations like this are beneficial to all three parties: Xbox, EA, and people like us – the consumers.
All in all, Game Pass enhances your experience as a gamer. As Microsoft’s Sarah Bond expressed:
Game Pass subscribers spend 20% more time playing games, play 30% more games, play 40% more genres and, crucially, spend about 20% more on gaming overall.
Think about it this way: buying a game disc versus subscribing to Game Pass is like buying a house versus renting one. The only difference is, with Game Pass you get to rent the entire neighborhood. With its many advantages, Xbox Game Pass is taking gamers to the next level.
In conclusion, the introduction of Xbox Game Pass has and will continue to revolutionize the gaming industry. By benefiting both gaming companies and gamers, this subscription that can be referred to as “The Netflix of Gaming” is creating a digital universe that otherwise would not have been discovered.