Per IGN:

Maybe they would've done it in 2022 if they'd released anything. But at least there's Game Pass.

I don't even notice anymore. I always just assume they're all $70 and when I see one for $60 or even better $50, it's a bonus.

Does anyone buy Xbox exclusives? I guess some must, but it’s kind of foolish to do since you get them all for free on launch with Game Pass.

Nearly all of my friends and family that game do so on Xbox, and literally none of them but me subscribe to Game Pass. The ones less interested in online play don’t even subscribe to Gold.

Speaking about my extended family in particular, it’s fair to say most of them on average buy only a few games a year (if that), and maybe one of them will be from Xbox Game Studios.

If you’re only interested in Halo, or if you’re only interested in Forza, why spend $180-$225 a year on Game Pass Ultimate when you could just spend $60 (or, well, now $70) on the game and maybe a year of Gold (another $60)?

And when it gets into a “but look at all the other games you get with Game Pass too!” situation, I think you’ll find that a lot of people don’t care. They only have the time/inclination for a very small number of games a year. Figuring out what’s available on Game Pass and when, running the risk of starting a game but not being able to finish before it’s delisted, learning more about games on the service, yadda yadda: it’s more hassle than they want to deal with.

I bought my then-in-her-late-teens sister a Game Pass subscription a few years ago, and she barely touched it. She’s too busy to want to futz with reading up on games and schedules. She just wants to pick up a controller and play Call of Duty or Fortnite. Breadth of the library doesn’t appeal to her. Paralysis of choice is a thing; give someone 800 games to sift through, and they might choose to play nothing.

Even one of the most avid gamers I know — someone a little younger than me whose console of choice has been Xbox for decades — finds it’s easier to just buy what he wants. Collector mentality plays a role in that to an extent as well, which I get, because I’m a Game Pass subscriber but still buy physical copies of some of these games.

Yeah it is!

There haven't been many the past few years (which as OP stated is why they probably waited right before all their delayed games came out). And Game Pass for sure is going up (if not now, at least when Activision is fully onboard). Heck, if not for the Gold to Gamepass upgrade path, which I am certain they are closing soon, I'm not sure I'd have Game Pass even with the insane value, at least with the amount I use it currently.

Yeah. The complete lack of Game Pass deals during Black Friday/Cyber Monday -- unless you count using a VPN and buying codes from Turkey or whatever -- doesn't bode well. I'm going to have to start paying retail for a subscription!

I think there were a couple of deals on the 3 month cards, but everything pales in comparison to the let it expire -> buy Xbox Live Gold --> upgrade to Gamepass by buying a month path.

Paging OldBoy

The only one I bought was the latest Halo.

But to be fair, I think Xbox games on Game Pass have a higher rate of leaving GP as opposed to PS exclusives through PS Plus.

And hasn’t MS already been doing it? Callisto Protocol, Dead Space remake, RE4, all $70, I believe.

Hey Video games used to be $60 to 90 bucks in the 1990s

Twitter

They did. Most of the ones that were more expensive were due to more expensive carts/memory, though (or gouging).

Again, the main reason they're doing this is because sony/2k did it first and it's not going to tick off customers. Otherwise videogames are raking in record profits even with skyrocketing development costs.

Why did you do this to the thread? What has it ever done to you?

Theres just so much piss and shit OldBoy can take.

This is talking about Microsoft first party titles. I can't recall any first party MS title leaving the service, and that will soon include Activision/Blizzard.

Those aren't MS first party titles.

Ok.

Every time this comes up I'm always surprised that others are surprised. I'm also surprised that they're not even higher, considering the improvements in game tech over the decades.

But they should also make sure the smaller indie titles are priced appropriately, and things like Gamepass will help keep them available for others.


(grain of salt, the last game I bought was an Xbox 360 game for $9, so my view on game pricing is a bit biased)

I bought my share of $70 games back then. Still wonder what the hell I was thinking paying $70 for Clayfighter 63 1/3.

Meh, I can't wait for price drops...

Price drops on games happen absurdly fast these days (other than Nintendo titles). On the flipside I was nostalgically looking through old Christmas catalogs from the late 80s and 90s and was shocked to see the prices so high, essentially 80-90 a game accounting for inflation. I do remember paying $95 at Kaybe toys for WCW/NWO World Tour on the 64. I figure games do have some sponsorships and product placement these days that help them offset the cost, and DLC probably doesn't hurt. I do wonder though if they had kept the prices of games in line would we have as much DLC and shovelware as we do nowadays.

Once someone bought that horse armor, DLC was going to come no matter what.

I'm not opposed to DLC in the form of expansions. Witcher 3 was a great game but man that Heart of Stone DLC might have been one of the best stories I've played in video games period. Nintendo does a good job too of providing earnable DLC for alot of their first party sports titles. But I'm playing the new COD right now and while I have enjoyed it, I checked out the store the other day and it is filled with little knickknacks you can buy. Coming from the NES generation it's easy for me to ignore and not buy these but I imagine it hooks the hell out of the 20-30 year old crowd.

I don't mind DLC so much, even if it feel sometimes like they hold stuff back for it, but the (non cosmetic) microtransactions like in NBA2k just kill me.