Microsoft seems to be going all-out on this generation, as it continues acquiring more studios in an effort to keep Xbox's first-party library on par with the competition. There's still time until Microsoft's purchases yield results, but the giant's aggressive push for Xbox Game Pass seems to be doing a great job for now.
Despite earning a great deal of goodwill from subscribers, Xbox seems fixated on making its service better by the day, eyeing out for potential partnerships and deals for high-profile AAA releases. While this might seem great on the surface, there is potentially a growing dark side to the popularity of Xbox Game Pass.
Xbox Game Pass' Relationship With Developers
Ever since Microsoft ushered in the era of subscription-based service with its Xbox Game Pass, many fans have been curious to know more about the inner workings for making such a service profitable to the company and the developers. While the exact workings aren't publicly available, Phil Spencer has provided some valuable insight into how the service is making profits for the company and the developers.
In the earliest days, Xbox Game Pass adopted a model based on usage. After receiving less favorable results, Xbox has now branched out into many different kinds of partnerships. Xbox might fund a developer in exchange for making its game available on the service, it might pay an upfront fee, or strike a deal based on usage and even in-game microtransactions.
Xbox does state that the plethora of dealing structures has yielded great results to many developers, but the usage model, if it becomes more of a mainstay as it grows, may hint at a negative trend for the future. Fans might see a rise in the availability of live-service games on Xbog Game Pass in the future, as more and more developers and publishers pursue to rake in the most sales continuously over long periods of time. This might be speculation for now, but with the industry seemingly ever-moving into the games-as-a-service model, Xbox Game Pass' ever-growing subscriber base might just be a catalyst for such trends.
Future DLC Models and Game Pass
In addition to incentivizing developers to make live-service games for the platform, Xbox Game Pass might just unintentionally encourage publishers to tap into continous DLC practices. While the days of paying for all of a game's content upfront is a reality that's long gone, Xbox Game Pass could have a huge impact on where that goes from here. Xbox Game Pass subscribers get access to the included games for a lowly monthly fee, but DLC for included games warrants a separate purchase. Xbox also gives a 10% discount to its members, which certainly is generous for fans wanting to invest in the game. Microsoft's officials have reported several times that Game Pass subscribers spend more on games, which might hint at more DLC purchases.
Fans are more likely to purchase a piece of DLC for included games, especially when they are getting a base game for basically free. More and more publishers have the opportunity to tap into such loopholes without receiving too much fan backlash. This also ties into the transitional nature of live-service games, where more developers are fixated on making money over long periods of time.
Xbox Might Not Be At Fault Here
Such speculation might make Xbox, and by extension, Microsoft seem like it's hurt the game industry in some regard, but that cannot be further from the truth. Xbox Game Pass is a great stepping stone towards revolutionizing the way gamers consume games, and others have certainly taken note. Many reports indicate Sony might be developing a potential competitor to the service, and Ubisoft and EA already have their services and models set up.
However, it seems that there are some potential loopholes within the service which, when combined with recent industry trends, makes it seem like it could encourage even more of a specific type of game. Of course, Spencer has also seemingly indicated that the usage model is not the most popular, but that doesn't mean it won't be some day. Game Pass has a great future ahead of itself, and while a lot of this is kept close to the company's chest for obvious reasons, it is likely aware and will take note of what sort of games dominate Game Pass. After all, variety is the spice of life and video games, and that's where Game Pass' greatest strength currently lies.