Since its launch, Xbox Game Pass has revolutionised the way that many of us play games. The subscription service has challenged many traditions in an attempt to provide gamers with an affordable way to play.
However, recent discussions on social media suggests that the service is yet to convince everyone of its value. In this article, I will share my experiences with Xbox Game Pass to explain why it is the best deal in gaming.
Success of Streaming
Many forms of media have seen their business transformed by streaming services over the past decade. The likes of Netflix and Disney+ have changed the way shows and films are consumed, whilst Spotify has made it easier than ever to listen to music.
Since its conception, the accessibility and convenience of having a variety of shows, music, and film available at all times has converted many towards these services. When compared to physical media, streaming provides benefits that CD’s and DVD’s cannot.
As a result, these platforms have received a lot of success. Because of this, the introduction of a similar service for gaming has been considered a natural progression.
In 2017, Xbox announced their Game Pass streaming service, following a similar approach to its music and film predecessors. Year by year, Xbox Game Pass has grown in popularity and received lots of praise from users.
This suggests that the success of Xbox Game Pass is owed to other streaming platforms that forged the path to a successful transition from physical to digital consumption. However, the streaming experience alone is not enough to make Xbox Game Pass successful.
Value for Money
There is nothing better than getting a good deal, especially in current times when prices continue to rise. Therefore, when something offers great value for money, it is often too good to refuse.
Xbox Game Pass is a prime example of this because the value for money is unrivalled. The service provides a few subscription options. However, Game Pass Ultimate offers the best value for money.
For £10.99 a month, or roughly £130 a year, a Game Pass Ultimate subscription grants customers access to 100’s of games on both console and PC, cloud gaming, Xbox Live, and EA’s subscription service EA Play.
Currently, buying a brand new game costs up to £70. Meaning that for a similar price to 2 new games, a customer could get access to the services included in the Game Pass Ultimate subscription for a year. Also, many games purchased would require an Xbox Live subscription to access online play, which costs £60 per year.
For that reason, the majority of gamers would be saving money as long as they play a minimum of 2 games on the service within a year. Considering the number of games available on the service, this is something that should be easy to achieve for most.
Personally, I have been a subscriber for just over a year. In that time, I have downloaded and played well over 30 titles available on the platform. This has saved me hundreds of pounds and allowed me to play games I would not have played if these games had to be bought individually.
Theoretically, the more games someone plays on Xbox Game Pass, the more money they save. For some gamers, Xbox Game Pass could be saving them thousands of pounds!
This is why Xbox Game Pass is considered one of the best value for money services in all of entertainment.
Variety of Games
In order for Game Pass to be considered a valuable service, it needs to offer a wide selection of high quality games. Providing variety encourages more customers to subscribe as certain games will appeal to a certain audience.
Covering all bases is important but providing depth in each category is just as important in order to retain current customers. In addition, it is important to provide both new and old games for players to enjoy.
Xbox Game Pass possesses both quantity and quality that the majority of competitors are unable to compete with. Xbox releases their first party games on the platform at launch whilst also acquiring some of the best games from external publishers.
This creates an enormous range of top tier games that can be accessed through Game Pass. Not only this, but backwards compatibility also allows subscribers to download games from previous consoles such as the Xbox 360 and original Xbox, further expanding the catalogue.
Many of the competitors are unable to provide such an extensive library of games due to restrictions placed on their platform as well as the inability to secure deals for games outside of their company. For example, EA play only allows access to EA published titles, making the service less valuable as a result.
The constant cycle of top quality games in every category helps place Game Pass at the top of the gaming subscription ladder, leaving many of the competitors looking less valuable in comparison and making the deal even sweeter for their customers.
Play Anytime, Anywhere
As Xbox has developed the Game Pass service, their motivations and focus for the product has shifted significantly. Originally, the focus was solely on giving Xbox players an opportunity to play as many games as possible for a fixed priced.
Although this is still a motivation, Phil Spencer and co have begun to focus on increasing the methods in which gamers can access the service. By increasing the ways people can play, it increases the accessibility and encourages a wider audience of people to subscribe.
The decision to let those who don’t own an Xbox console to access Xbox exclusive games was initially perceived as a confusing move. Offering Xbox exclusive games to PC and mobile players via Game Pass seemed to discourage buying Xbox hardware.
However, the move also encouraged more people to subscribe to Game Pass, including PC gamers and perhaps more importantly, those who own a PlayStation. Offering a service that doesn’t require a big purchase commitment of another console gives these customers the best of both worlds and could eventually convert them to the Xbox ecosystem.
The extra accessibility to the service also benefits current Xbox customers because it offers them another way to play their games aside from their console. This means that they can play games anywhere they would like and on any device they would like.
These alternative methods of playing games are unique to Game Pass, providing an edge over one of its toughest competitors, PlayStation Now. It also adds to the list of reasons why the service is a great deal for gamers.
More to Come
As things stand, there are a multitude of reasons why Xbox Game Pass is considered the best deal in gaming. This list will continue to grow in the coming years as Xbox plans to introduce more games, features, and perks to the service.
Credit: https://www.cnet.com/tech/computing/every-game-microsoft-just-said-was-coming-to-xbox-game-pass/
By the end of 2021, a number of Xbox published games such as Forza Horizon 5 and Halo Infinite will be arriving to Game Pass on the same day that they launch to the general public. These games will also be exclusive to the Xbox platforms, meaning that those without an Xbox console would need Game Pass to gain access to these highly anticipated titles.
Other news has stated that Microsoft are planning on making the service available through internet browsers. This would be a revolutionary step for the service because it could lead to customers being able to play Xbox games on PlayStation and Nintendo consoles.
These changes will upgrade the service even more, providing access to more gamers and making it even better value for customers.
Conclusion
To conclude, Xbox Game Pass is a platform that offers incredible value to its customers. The service has a huge selection of high quality games along with a range of methods to play them, giving customers more freedom than ever before.
It is important to note that the system is not perfect, or even ideal for some. The fact that none of the games are owned by the customer and the platform being all digital may be a deterrent for a select few.
However, I believe the benefits will clearly outweigh the limitations for the majority of gamers. In addition, the other alternatives offer less value, accessibility, and variety.
For those reasons, I believe Xbox Game Pass is the best deal in gaming and perhaps, the best deal in entertainment!
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