As Crystal Dynamics continues to add more content and more heroes to Marvel's Avengers, it still has a bit of a problem. Even after being added to PS Now this month, the game doesn't have the kind of player base that makes these sorts of titles successful. On the flip side, the developer and publisher Square Enix had the right idea. The best way to get more people to pick up the game is to offer it at no additional charge. It's possible the companies simply didn't pick the right method the first time around.
Getting Marvel's Avengers into more hands should only show off what getting more players into the game can do. While it works as a single-player game with CPU allies, it works even better if four users can team up as their favorite heroes to fight off the forces of A.I.M. Part of the problem with adding it to PS Now is that it simply doesn't have the same kind of attach rate that Xbox Game Pass or PS Plus has. Getting the game on one of those services could go a long way towards solving Avengers' biggest problem.
Getting It On Even More Devices
While there are some obvious positives to adding Marvel's Avengers to PS Now, the game could go a step further if it were added to PS Plus or Game Pass. It's not just about having a bigger subscriber base either. Being added to Game Pass in particular would mean that there are more devices where the game would be playable.
Microsoft's subscription service obviously allows players to play on PC and consoles, but with xCloud Gaming expanding its reach and catalog, there's nothing that says Marvel's Avengers couldn't jump on there as well. That would mean that users could also play the game on their portable devices. Right now, they could play them on Android phones and tablets, and eventually, the service is going to land on iOS devices as well. While Google Stadia also offers this ability, it doesn't have anywhere near the reach that Game Pass does.
The Biggest Reach
When talking about getting the game into as many hands as possible, Xbox Game Pass is a good first step. Putting Marvel's Avengers on the fastest-selling console in the US is an even better next step. That was likely one of the reasons Square and Sony worked out a deal for PS Now in the first place. The problem is that the deal didn't go far enough. There's still an argument to be made that it was testing the waters, and now the game needs to really get wet.
With the PS5 being as popular as it is, adding Marvel's Avengers to its monthly subscription service seems like a no-brainer from a player base perspective. Sony also seems to have set a standard when it comes to PS Plus since the PlayStation 5 launched. While Microsoft's Games With Gold version has offered less than stellar titles, Sony has stocked its service with games like Control and Days Gone. There simply aren't that many PS5 games out there. While the gaming world is entering a period where more titles are going to be arriving by the week, it's unlikely Sony will continue putting brand new titles on its service, so adding Avengers makes sense here.
Bigger Games Making The Move
It wasn't that long ago that titles like Marvel's Avengers wouldn't be thought of being a Game Pass or PS Plus title simply because it was too new and too big. Things are changing in that regard, at least to some degree. There's also the fact that when it comes to AAA titles, most of the newer games landing on Game Pass were first-party Microsoft games. That too is changing for the better.
One of the most notable new titles on Game Pass this month is MLB The Show 21. Granted, MLB The Show has been on PS Plus before, but that was months after that installment's release. The arrival of the newest game in the long-running series is a big change. From the outside looking in, it appears to be signaling that Game Pass is gunning for bigger titles now and into the future.
Before there was MLB The Show 21, there was Outriders landing on Game Pass on launch day. Not only was that a demonstration of a AAA title landing on the subscription service on day one, but it also showed how Microsoft is starting to branch out from first-party titles. Granted, there's no way to know just how far the company is going to take it or what might come next. Both PS Plus and Xbox Game Pass seems to be aiming at bigger and better games as a way to lure more people to the new consoles.
Timing Is Everything
As the calendar moves deeper into 2021, there is also an argument to be made that the time is right to take advantage of the updates being made to the superhero looter. A recent update to the Marvel's Avengers road map shows the development team hasn't given up on the game, despite its thinning player base right now. There are still new characters set to arrive in-game this year as well.
It makes sense to take advantage of what could be a second push for the game to offer it up on Game Pass and PS Plus. With the updates and additional players, it could even feel like offering a new game for free on both. There's also the fact that a move that actually grows the player base could go a long way towards offering things like even more updates and the ability to play with users on other platforms.
Pairing the game with its arrival on the services, as well as other tie-ins, could be a big win. When Marvel's Avengers launches its' MCU skins later this year, having a bigger player base from subscriptions could therefore encourage buying additional in-game content. Otherwise, more players means a healthier live service game.
Marvel's Avengers is out now for PC, PS4, PS5, Stadia, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.
