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[Victor Omega]

This is in the realm of Psychology and semantics

This is the second time a person has presented me with this statement about Gamepass. And when the person says it, I freeze up, not because of the statement itself, but the belief the person has about this statement.

"[insert game] is free on Gamepass."
​

Cheekily, I reply, "Oh? How much is GamePass?" And in both instances, they each gave me its $1 trial month then whatever cost it is monthly afterwards.

This is not a Ya'see! Microsoft..Xbox..Gamepass ..BAD! thread, What I am solely focusing on is that no other streaming service, even in their infancy, had this effect on consumers to where this statement holds. (e.i: Dude, you didn't need to go to the movie to see Avenger, you could of seen it for free on Disney+")

There is still a value to movie and music, regardless of how it is distributed.

or am I crazy or did I forget we change the word free with convenience? or for gaming, convenience blurs the value [of the service] of games?

 

[Zones]

Most people on these forums have been using the Gold to GPU conversion, which really makes Game Pass somewhat feel like 'free'.

I guess that may explain your dilemma.

 

[theStartupSound]

From the perspective of an existing Game Pass subscriber it feels “free”.

Like the orange juice in my fridge. As a user of my appartement, the orange juice feels free, even if I bought it before .

It’s like “don’t order an (expensive) orange juice here, we have some at home”.

Don’t order an expensive 70 EUR game, we can have it cheaper for the 12 EUR per month, we already payed.

 

[Banjo64]

Included in Game Pass, PS Plus, Netflix is the correct terminology.

 

[Jimmyisback]

It's not really free. IT'S A STEAL.

 

[spons]

It's amazing that Microsoft managed to make Game Pass feel free to their users.
That's actually a massive accomplishment from a marketing perspective.

 

[Goalus]

It's not really free. IT'S A STEAL.

It's BARELY LEGAL.

 

[feynoob]

If you have gamepass for $15 a month, and you play 2-3 games that month, you are playing them for cheap. As that is 5$ a game, compared to the actual cost of those 3 games.

To the eyes of the consumer, that is buy 1 get 2 free.

Same with your avengers example.

You are wasting time+gas+popcorn+drinks. Compared to actually watching it at your house, and eating your food.

It's all about convenient.

 

[vaibhavpisal]

It feels free compared to paying $70 for it.

 

[Ozriel]

This is in the realm of Psychology and semantics

This is the second time a person has presented me with this statement about Gamepass. And when the person says it, I freeze up, not because of the statement itself, but the belief the person has about this statement.

"[insert game] is free on Gamepass."
​

Cheekily, I reply, "Oh? How much is GamePass?" And in both instances, they each gave me its $1 trial month then whatever cost it is monthly afterwards.

This is not a Ya'see! Microsoft..Xbox..Gamepass ..BAD! thread, What I am solely focusing on is that no other streaming service, even in their infancy, had this effect on consumers to where this statement holds. (e.i: Dude, you didn't need to go to the movie to see Avenger, you could of seen it for free on Disney+")

There is still a value to movie and music, regardless of how it is distributed.

or am I crazy or did I forget we change the word free with convenience? or for gaming, convenience blurs the value [of the service] of games?

…because it makes no sense to compare this to streaming services. The content on Netflix isn’t also available at retail.
If Avengers Endgame released on Netflix simultaneously with cinemas, you’d have conversations like these.

Go tell your friends you bought a disc of Taylor Swift’s new album and you’ll probably hear about it being available to stream on Spotify.

 

[Lukaku's First Touch]

Most people on these forums have been using the Gold to GPU conversion, which really makes Game Pass somewhat feel like 'free'.

I guess that may explain your dilemma.

explain plz!

 

[TonyK]

I think it's because money proportion. For example, I will not go to the cinema to watch Wakanda Forever because I will watch it for "free" in Disney+. Obviously Disney+ has a cost, subscription is not free, but if I divide all the content I can watch in a year for the cost of the yearly subscription, in my mind that equals to free o almost free.

At some point, when you pay a subscription for years it becomes like the water, internet or electricity bill: a cost that is part of your life. You don't take it in consideration when taking a shower in your home or cook something.

 

[Captain Toad]

It's about $200 per year. If it actually included all the games I wanted, that'd be great, but it doesn't.

Once I realized I was still spending $60/$70 on the games I wanted, while I continued to pay for not using GamePass, I ultimately stopped subscribing.

 

[Danknugz]

i wouldn't exactly call this psychology and semantics lol

 

[Markio128]

It's about $200 per year. If it actually included all the games I wanted, that'd be great, but it doesn't.

Once I realized I was still spending $60/$70 on the games I wanted, while I continued to pay for not using GamePass, I ultimately stopped subscribing.

If it was ‘free’ I would subscribe every month.

 

[Fbh]

I remember some people around here used to get mental breakdowns whenever someone said something was "free" on Ps+ / Games with Gold.
But since gamepass and now Ps+ extra/premium became a thing it's weirdly no longer an issue even though the monthly cost is higher.

 

[ReBurn]

I'm betting that there is considerable overlap on the Venn diagram of gamer opinions of people who don't like it when people talk about something being free on game pass and people who say game pass only costs a dollar.

 

[Bumblebeetuna]

This isn’t exclusive to GamePass. People say the same thing about PS+, the Nintendo classic games, “free on Hulu/Netflix”, etc.

People would say that about Games with Gold, but the games suck and no one downloads them.

 

[Markio128]

Tbh, the only reason I sub to PS+ is because I play a few games online, like GT7, otherwise I wouldn’t bother with that either.

 

[feynoob]

It's about $200 per year. If it actually included all the games I wanted, that'd be great, but it doesn't.

Once I realized I was still spending $60/$70 on the games I wanted, while I continued to pay for not using GamePass, I ultimately stopped subscribing.

It's worth 3 day1 games, or 9 games at $20.

That is still cheap, if you are someone who plays alot of games.

You have 365 days with the service. That is 10-15 games average, which is the amount of the money you pay for the service.

It's depends on what "You" really want.

If you are not playing those games, then don't bother with a subscription service at all. It's not worth to you.

 

[Fredrik]

It’s a subscription, it’s not free but it’s difficult to state what an individual game is going to cost unless you break it down and divide the monthly cost with the total number of games on the service.
It’ll be a couple cents per month per game.

Or if you want to do it the right way, divide the monthly fee with the number of games you plan to play that month times how many months you plan to play them. That’s the real cost. If you only play one game and if the monthly fee is $20 then that game will cost you $20. If you play 2 games they’ll cost you $10. 4@$5. 10@$2. Etc
Minus the online gaming cost if you’re using that.

 

[feynoob]

Tbh, the only reason I sub to PS+ is because I play a few games online, like GT7, otherwise I wouldn’t bother with that either.

I got my ps+ worth already in the first months. The rest were side dishes.
Same with premium service.
I have returnal, and skyrim(didnt buy it on PS. Might also get demons souls. That is the price of 1 year.

 

[Belthazar]

I usually use the term "included" when talking about both Gamepass and PS+ games.

 

[Chukhopops]

There’s nothing complicated about it. It’s like when you go to a hotel, facilities or services will often be listed as free but it’s only free if you are a guest and therefore paid something.

It simply means you don’t have to pay extra to access it, same as subscription services with their games.

 

[Markio128]

I got my ps+ worth already in the first months. The rest were side dishes.
Same with premium service.
I have returnal, and skyrim(didnt buy it on PS. Might also get demons souls. That is the price of 1 year.

I see the value, but I bought those games day 1, so it doesn’t hold the same value to me. I have enjoyed a few games on it though, so I don’t feel like it is worthless or anything.

Maybe if I played a few Series X games online I’d see better value in Gamepass, but I won’t just play a game because it is deemed as ‘free’ as I have limited time. The financial side of it isn’t the issue for me.

 

[M1chl]

I mean everyone understand what people mean, so not sure why would anyone do fuss about it.

 

[Topher]

I mean everyone understand what people mean, so not sure why would anyone do fuss about it.

Pretty much. I used to argue with folks about it, but eventually decided "don't be a jerk. you know what they meant".

 

[M1chl]

Pretty much. I used to argue with folks about it, but eventually decided "don't be a jerk. you know what they meant".

It's just unnecessary drama, as if people would form their sentences to be accurate in any other topic in here. It's just tiring, for people to argue over same shit as in 2018...

 

[TLZ]

I understand what you're saying, but I guess all they mean is "I pay for this service, and I can play this game on the service without having to pay extra for it". Hence the "free" feeling.

 

[Puscifer]

Like any subscription service, you get the value if there's anything you're interested in consuming. And that being said, there isn't lol. I legitimately don't have a single subscription service at this point.

 

[ChorizoPicozo]

I don't underestand you. The only thing I how is that Game Pass is the best deal in gaming

 

[cireza]

There is still a value to movie and music, regardless of how it is distributed.

And people using Gamepass get to appreciate even more this value, since they have access to so much more.

 

[ChorizoPicozo]

Like any subscription service, you get the value if there's anything you're interested in consuming. And that being said, there isn't lol. I legitimately don't have a single subscription service at this point.

Internet?

 

[ShadyAcshuns]

It certainly can be considered "free" when you purchase a sub using MS rewards points, something Sony sure as hell doesn't have as of yet.

 

[SteadyEvo]

You’re overthinking it OP. Of course they paid their monthly dues to access to game. Maybe in their mind it feels free having so many options at just $15 a month. Just speaks to the value of the service imo.

And the whole $1 trial doesn’t exist for me. That’s a new subscriber perk as far as I know. I’m usually paying $10 a month.

 

[Magic Carpet]

It’s freely ‘available’ as you don’t have to do anything.
contrast that to Gold, PS+, Epic game store that require the user claim the games before getting them.

 

[Puscifer]

Internet?

It's free from work lol.

 

[Jennings]

And when the person says it, I freeze up

Is this higher or lower than "I'm literally shaking right now" on the scale of traumatic physiological responses?

 

[Ozriel]

It's amazing that Microsoft managed to make Game Pass feel free to their users.
That's actually a massive accomplishment from a marketing perspective.

Not a single xbox owner considers Gamepass ‘free’. I think you’re misunderstanding.

When people have already paid for 2-3 years of GP and already consider that payment sunk cost, surprise additions will look like ‘free’ stuff. That’s the context, really.

 

[sainraja]

People are paying for access to the rotating Game Pass library. The sooner people realize that, the better. Otherwise, you are falling for their marketing. For me personally, one of the big things any of the sub services currently lack is choice. So, in the future, I will most likely only sub for online access and only re-sub occasionally.

For someone who has the time and games constantly no matter "what" it is and always prefer to discover "new" things to try, sub services are great. But if you want any matter of choice, then it's not as good. I give props to those who are willing to wait to see if a game they like will be added. Right now, most games I end up trying are "bonuses", since I will just buy the ones I want and those usually don't come to any of the sub services, so far anyway!

 

[CatLady]

It certainly can be considered "free" when you purchase a sub using MS rewards points, something Sony sure as hell doesn't have as of yet.

Exactly. Anything on Game Pass is free for me since I pay for it with MS/Xbox Rewards. I got another year FREE with Rewards since the beginning of 2022.

It seems like a certain group of fans are always looking for new and creative ways to bitch about Game Pass.

P.S. Sony has reward system now playstation Stars or something. You can get digital trophies and if you do really good you can get a premium award of Sony customer service

 

[cormack12]

This is in the realm of Psychology and semantics

This is the second time a person has presented me with this statement about Gamepass. And when the person says it, I freeze up, not because of the statement itself, but the belief the person has about this statement.

"[insert game] is free on Gamepass."
​

Cheekily, I reply, "Oh? How much is GamePass?" And in both instances, they each gave me its $1 trial month then whatever cost it is monthly afterwards.

This is not a Ya'see! Microsoft..Xbox..Gamepass ..BAD! thread, What I am solely focusing on is that no other streaming service, even in their infancy, had this effect on consumers to where this statement holds. (e.i: Dude, you didn't need to go to the movie to see Avenger, you could of seen it for free on Disney+")

There is still a value to movie and music, regardless of how it is distributed.

or am I crazy or did I forget we change the word free with convenience? or for gaming, convenience blurs the value [of the service] of games?

This first started on the PS+ monthly titles. They have always been called 'free' despite being a value addition to your subscription.

I call both cases free. They are free in that they are a free benefit added in each drop cycle.

 

[ShadyAcshuns]

Exactly. Anything on Game Pass is free for me since I pay for it with MS/Xbox Rewards. I got another year FREE with Rewards since the beginning of 2022.

It seems like a certain group of fans are always looking for new and creative ways to bitch about Game Pass.

P.S. Sony has reward system now playstation Stars or something. You can get digital trophies and if you do really good you can get a premium award of Sony customer service

It amazes me how many gamers are still unaware of the brilliant ecosystem MS has implemented over the last few years and are stuck with Sony's lacking version.

 

[Mr Moose]

Exactly. Anything on Game Pass is free for me since I pay for it with MS/Xbox Rewards. I got another year FREE with Rewards since the beginning of 2022.

It seems like a certain group of fans are always looking for new and creative ways to bitch about Game Pass.

P.S. Sony has reward system now playstation Stars or something. You can get digital trophies and if you do really good you can get a premium award of Sony customer service

PlayStation Plus members who also join PlayStation Stars will earn points with every eligible purchase made on PlayStation Store. The points you earn can be exchanged for PSN wallet funds to save or use for your next PS Store purchase, exclusive collectibles for your PlayStation App display case, and more. Items available will vary.

5k points £20 wallet fund, 1.25k £5.
They seem to have games for points as well, but that looks a bit expensive.

 

[Topher]

It certainly can be considered "free" when you purchase a sub using MS rewards points, something Sony sure as hell doesn't have as of yet.

Yep. It is a small daily investment of time, but I've paid $0.00 for Game Pass since I've had XSX (over a year) and I'm "paid" up until July 2023.

Sony doesn't have a platform like Microsoft with Bing and Windows to build a Rewards program on so nearly impossible for them to replicate it. I do think it would be cool if we got points for each achievement like Sony gives for trophies though. Outside of that, there is really no comparison though.

 

[SLB1904]

It feels free compared to paying $70 for it.

Most of the time you have to of you want to play the latest releases

 

[Hendrick's]

I send Phil 15 dollars a month to reward him for his hard work. He gives me free games to play because he is just a generous man.

 

[Mr Reasonable]

I don't know why so many people around here are so triggered by Gamepass.

If you're driven to make a thread because someone hasn't fully acknowledged to you that they pay any amount of money for Gamepass, it's probably time to step back.

I just loaded up Pentiment. Didn't pay a penny to play it. Didn't subscribe to Gamepass to play it. Feels free to me. Why does it upset you?

 

[Topher]

It feels free compared to paying $70 for it.

What $70 game did you play on Game Pass?

 

[alabtrosMyster]

.