Game Pass & Gold (Xbox & PC)

[DANGERMAN]

I (still, hopefully) get Game Pass Ultimate with my phone contract, so this doesn't affect me in the slightest really. I'm still planning to get Doom on Steam, and if Bethesda ever do anything else interesting at any point. 

 

However, the 'free' way to play day 1 stuff is the draw. I played Senua and (not them admittedly) Still Wakes The Deep as my last 2 games. I suspect Indianna Jones will be a GP game. Truth is, it isn't something I look at often, I certainly wouldn't pay for it, but then I don't have an Xbox, it's all pc 

[Maf]

The other thing is if more 1st party games go to PS5, then the last remaining draw for Xbox is the value of Gamepass. Tanking that seems suicidal, especially when they keep talking about the next Xbox. Why will any body want it?

 

I think what Microsoft and the guy who runs it doesn’t understand is the pride people take in games, both people who buy them and people who make them. 
 

One of the reasons Sony blasted Xbox this gen is the exclusivity of high quality games and they wear it as identity, and people buy in to that. It all goes in to the experience of games.
 

As much as people want to downplay it and call it fanboy shit there is such a thing called good will which despite being immaterial is an asset and adds material value to your company. And I think the goodwill for Xbox has been so low for so long Microsoft doesn’t get why it’s important anymore, which is why the move to 3rd party and doubling the cost of the service, which to me makes the next Xbox doomed and DoA (not the fighting game)

 

This Gamepass stuff is the same. It’s one of the last things you can point too at Xbox and go look, that, good thing.

 

I guess Microsoft think Call of Duty will rake it in and solve all the problems. Which who knows in 5 years time maybe it will have. But right now it’s another flush down the toilet for Xbox. And it could be the final one. 
 

EDIT: Sort of swinging wildly from point to point here. Overall what I’m trying to say is Xbox are still at a point where they need to build a core audience, part of which is presenting your console and library as something to care about. Gamepass has done a lot of heavy lifting in the absence of that

[Nag]

I can kind've see their reasoning behind this... it brings it very close in terms of features with how Sony's offering works. I think it's the price increases at the same time as nerfing a certain tier that really makes it sound bad.

 

Like I said, come May next year I'll have a better view of how much value this'll be offering in terms of first party releases.

[Cyberpunk]

I've got Gamepass Ultimate. I currently own an Xbox Series S, so I kinda need it really. Yes, I've got an Xbox game library of owned stuff from the 360 and XB One days, and I can download and play that anytime, but Gamepass goes hand-in-hand with a digital only console. 

 

A couple things I'll add. With Ultimate, you also get access to EA Play, which adds quite a lot of games you can download and play, both console and PC. And also there's Cloud Gaming, which I use quite a bit to be honest. Usually if I want to try a game before downloading it to PC/Xbox. On my setup with my Virgin Media fibre broadband, it works surprisingly well most of the time. 

 

I'm not generally fussed about Day One titles, as it's been quite some time since I got really excited for a video game release. COD isn't really my thing anymore. Yes. I might play the single player campaigns and I'll probably enjoy them, but my hearing is too bad to play them online. I play mostly racing games online, and I'm currently enthralled by Forza Motorsport, despite it's many faults.

 

THe main appeal for me with Gamepass is trying the games I know I'd probably would never buy. Superliminal was a recent game I tried, and I really enjoyed the hell out of it. It would have passed me otherwise, unless a mate recommended it.  

[Maryokutai]

11 hours ago, Nag said:

I can kind've see their reasoning behind this... it brings it very close in terms of features with how Sony's offering works

 

I thought the reception of Sony's multiple tiers was rather negative, not only but mostly due how little value the higher one offers. Arguably with Microsoft it's the middle one that looks pointless on paper, but it seems like an odd example to follow when the current system was decent enough. A price increase was probably inevitable (and even with it I doubt the sustainability), but they could have just bumped up the existing tiers. The fact that they reshuffled so much plays into the narrative that it's not working out as expected and that they're trying to make the most out of the current userbase because they can't figure out how to increase subscription numbers.

 

12 hours ago, Maf said:

One of the reasons Sony blasted Xbox this gen is the exclusivity of high quality games and they wear it as identity, and people buy in to that. It all goes in to the experience of games.

 

I wonder if that's really such a big factor in the overall landscape. Those high quality games on PS5 sell 10-15 million a pop, but the PS5 has sold around 50 (?) million units so far. I think 'our' impact on the success of a console is mostly overrated. Having exclusive marketing rights to CoD up to this point probably helped Sony more than their actual exclusives.

[Nag]

I wasn't saying it's a great idea... just that it does actually work more like the Sony offering when you put them side to side.

 

It needed something doing either way... at one point the cheapest option gave you online, the middle didn't and the most expensive gave you everything... at least there's a proper gaining curve now.

[Manicm]

Saw this earlier, I think it will make gamers decide one or the other, physical games are going and will be gone next gen with the exception of nintendo.

 

For me will probably ditch psplus and keep gamepass as more day 1 games that I want to play maybe if it changes will swap between the two.

[Nag]

 

Slim line up for the second half of the month (although I'm gonna try two of those)... people are thinking there could be an Activision drop announced later.

[Maryokutai]

Very subjective but that's an excellent lineup because all three of those are on my buy list for the rest of the year.

 

I've also heard rumblings that Atlas Fallen might appear on the service next month when it gets its big overhaul update.

[Maf]

I dunno if these games will be good but it’s a good line up purely for the diversity and choice 

[Nag]

2 hours ago, Maryokutai said:

I've also heard rumblings that Atlas Fallen might appear on the service next month when it gets its big overhaul update.

 

Yeah, seen those too... and that's another one I'd give a go to.

[Maryokutai]

Doesn't seem to have its own topic but as it launches today on Gamepass and is, for the time being, console exclusive, here goes: 

 

 

Maybe it's just me because I've been looking forward to it, but I think that's a genuinely good trailer. 

[shinymcshine]

It picked up a 7/10 review here:

https://metro.co.uk/2024/07/18/dungeons-hinterberg-review-dungeon-crawling-alps-21247109/?ico=mosaic_gaming

[Maryokutai]

Funny how they actually named their summary box tl;dr.

 

But sounds decent, a good portion of charm and unique ideas mixed with the usual jank you'd expect from a small but ambitious game.

[Maf]

I played it for 3 hours earlier and liked it a lot. It would be easy to be reductive and name all the games it’s like, but ultimately I think it’s really good video game fun so far

[Maf]

They’ve done a trailer for Modern Warfare 3 coming to Gamepass, but clearly showing other games to really try show the value of the service

 

 

It’s very impressive when you look at it. But no where did it clearly state the price is going up

 

Also MW3 was mocked for having a really bad campaign. 

[Nag]

[Maf]

Playing Crash Bandicoot on Xbox is satanic behaviour 

[Maryokutai]

I think I'm the only one but I'm really looking forward to trying out Creatures of Ava. 

[Nag]

 

The rumours were right then.