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The Verge: Xbox Game Pass Family and Friends ends in August
- Thread starter DryvBy
- Start date
reinking
Gold Member
I didn't say it was a bad thing. I questioned that it was a good thing. There is a difference you know?
THE DUCK
voted poster of the decade by bots
Semantics at best, disingenuous at worst.
THE DUCK
voted poster of the decade by bots
Literally just the pause between loading up 10 new chests full of gold.
reinking
Gold Member
I literally asked you a question. I was confused as to why you think it is a good thing. And you want to talk about being disingenous?
Slicker than your average
Banned
Is this a joke post? Xbox gamers are already conditioned not to buy games thinking every game will come to the service.
Once Xbox owns most large publishers, the expectation will be higher. Studios and publishers will have no choice to go on gamepass. If everything goes according to plan for Xbox, it will be them who dictate the price to go on their service.
UltimaKilo
Gold Member
This seems to be the long-term play, and Microsoft has the cash to burn to make it happen, and the days where scrutiny over the gaming division posting losses every quarter seems to have passed.
Kenneth Haight
Gold Member
93xfan
Banned
Some of you so desperate for bad news for Xbox that you don’t even research the tiniest bit.
The #XboxGamePass Friends & Family Preview Program is ending on August 15th, 2023. "We look to take the learnings from the past several months and investigate building an offer which we can launch worldwide in the future"
Then enjoy it now and cancel later. It’ll never be that expensive, btw.
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Bernkastel
Ask me about my fanboy energy!
Even you doubt your own words.
I love how people try so hard to be vague when trying to explain this nonsense. Its not just one or two publishers that controls the entire gaming market.
What about the 90% of games in Xbox that are not in Game Pass?
Since Microsoft will just "dictate the price", why would a publisher or an independent studio make games for Xbox if they can't even make money out of it apart from the initial upfront price that Microsoft pays? And since you think they will "dictate the price", so they won't even pay them anything more than they do currently.
Why would Microsoft abandon their largest revenue generator, that is the Xbox store? How many subscriptions do you think they need to replace that revenue with Game Pass?
If they will just raise the price to whatever projections you make, why do you expect them to get so many subscribers. How would Microsoft pay for thousands of games to be in Game Pass forever?
It just does not make any sense in the long run for their to be more Game Pass subscribers than Netflix, with whatever projections for the price that people have. Or that every studios and publishers will agree to make games for Xbox without a recurring revenue for an upfront price that Microsoft pays. People don't account for the fact Game Pass has to replace their existing revenue stream.
And apparently you also beleive it will have enough subscriptions to maintain a gaming division.
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THE DUCK
voted poster of the decade by bots
I literally asked you a question. I was confused as to why you think it is a good thing. And you want to talk about being disingenous?
It seemed unlikely you were being genuine since it's very obvious and even stated in my reply why I thought it had no negative context.
Panajev2001a
GAF's Pleasant Genius
See mobile phone stores where nobody buys games anymore (perceived value of games crushed)… F2P/GaaS economy banking on MTX and/or mini subscriptions.
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Kataploom
Gold Member
It seems like Microsoft will be giving away an amount of Ultimate time to those that participated in the Family program, but I have only seen it in a Spanish news site called 3DJuegos: Source
This is the table they shared:
I don't think they're being very clear or my reading comprenhension went on vacations but as I understand if you spent the amount of months in the left side, you'll get the amount of months in the right side as a reward. This is how it reads:
This is amazing actually, the "Best gaming deal" meme may not be so "meme" after all lol.
This is the table they shared:
I don't think they're being very clear or my reading comprenhension went on vacations but as I understand if you spent the amount of months in the left side, you'll get the amount of months in the right side as a reward. This is how it reads:
| Remaining friends and Family time | Ultimate time that members will receive |
| Less than 1 month | 3 months |
| From 1 to 2 months | 6 months |
| From 2 to 5 months | 12 months |
| From 5 to 10 months | 24 months |
| More than 10 months | 36 months |
This is amazing actually, the "Best gaming deal" meme may not be so "meme" after all lol.
Game Pass is by far more popular on PC than on console, are you saying that PC users are conditioned to not buy games anymore? I get what you say, some may be conditioned to that but they are not the norm, people are happier with Steam sales like tha one that just closed recently and Game Pass is like a side thing to try or play new games. I know because all of my gamer friends are PC gamers mainly.
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GHG
Member
Put gamepass on steam and then people will see what's up.
The only reason why gamepass on PC is not having the same impact that it has done on console is the fact that the windows store has been (and remains) a POS that most PC gamers have a difficult time recommending to one another.
TheThreadsThatBindUs
Member
After all the blatant lies from MS over "not increasing GP prices" and all the other shit in the ABK deal FTC trial, you still believe a word MS's PR mouthpieces say???
Oh, my sweet summer child.
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mrmustard
Banned
No one should believe a word from any of those companies.
Slicker than your average
Banned
I want to see receipts that game pass is more popular on pc than Xbox because that sounds like bullshit.It seems like Microsoft will be giving away an amount of Ultimate time to those that participated in the Family program, but I have only seen it in a Spanish news site called 3DJuegos: Source
This is the table they shared:
I don't think they're being very clear or my reading comprenhension went on vacations but as I understand if you spent the amount of months in the left side, you'll get the amount of months in the right side as a reward. This is how it reads:
Remaining friends and Family time Ultimate time that members will receive Less than 1 month 3 months From 1 to 2 months 6 months From 2 to 5 months 12 months From 5 to 10 months 24 months More than 10 months 36 months
This is amazing actually, the "Best gaming deal" meme may not be so "meme" after all lol.
Game Pass is by far more popular on PC than on console, are you saying that PC users are conditioned to not buy games anymore? I get what you say, some may be conditioned to that but they are not the norm, people are happier with Steam sales like tha one that just closed recently and Game Pass is like a side thing to try or play new games. I know because all of my gamer friends are PC gamers mainly.
I'm primary pc gamer and I just cancelled my 12 month sub after barely using it. No pc gamers I know use it.
Most of gamers know they can't really mod the games or hate the windows store. And yes after the last 12 months of garbage including redfall it is a meme.
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Bernkastel
Ask me about my fanboy energy!
And how would Game Pass get as huge as mobile gaming?
Why would say FromSoftware or CDPR make a game for Xbox with just an upfront payment from Microsoft funded by 20 million Gama Pass subscribers(which are now supossed to fund an entire store worth of games)?
Starbuck2907
Member
I thought the plan was to use small markets as a beta test before deciding about offering it to big markets.
Isn’t this exactly what they planned?
Isn’t this exactly what they planned?
Panajev2001a
GAF's Pleasant Genius
You could buy most of independent third party publishers and slowly but steadily make the value proposition on competitors’ platform worse / removing content (part of the acquisition’s actual investment).
It is a thought experiment you could do too, they call it “Let’s outspend them out of business and build a moat around our platform”… I heard it is a pretty popular thought experiment
.Also, just by offering more and more of this content day and date on GamePass (people forget the monthly fee and perceive the games as being free)… as you change the expectations you poison the well for those competitors that cannot afford to do the same. If you have enough money to build critical mass / weaken competitors enough over time (outlasting them) you can then progressively raise prices.
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systemr123
Member
The deal was so good even that MS introduced a way overpriced family plan, and now that the deal has reached such stellar value it’s just too good. Gotta make the deal a little bit worse. Humanity is not deserving of the great and amazing deal that Indiepass is.
You're shilling so hard for a trillion dollar company.
OmegaSupreme
advanced basic bitch
2.6 trillion
Kdad
Member
What effort?
drganon
Member
Your first mistake was going on twitter.
THE DUCK
voted poster of the decade by bots
So having an opinion on something that would be a positive for MS be considered "shilling". Absolutely rediculous metal gymnastics.
You must really want MS to scrap this program badly.
DaGwaphics
Member
Yeah, I think they just tested with way too big of a discount. Maybe if they had done $50 a month for the 5 account plan it could have worked. There would still be a $5/mo. discount per account there when using all the accounts and would only be $5 more if you only used three (which some would likely still consider for the streamlining like you said).
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ShadyAcshuns
Member
Thats rough.. cant wait to see the spin those twitter xbox bros put on this one
Y'all kill me with this "my side of the fence" nonsense. Stop being casual and buy consoles from both companies already. Leave the console wars to the silly children.
sainraja
Member
Usually, when they plan on re-launching a program that is doing well, they also announce when it will return so people aren't put off by the cut off date. They could certainly still bring it back, but they haven't made any such indications.
So this news isn't really good, at least not for the time being. If and when they announce the program's return, then you will get people saying it is good, and you won't feel like your ego was hurt.
demigod
Member
Yeah. Man wanted to use it in his promo world tour but now anyone that’s laughing at this is overreacting
What an embarrassment, shills have no shame.
THE DUCK
voted poster of the decade by bots
This isn't true at all, large copies do tests like this frequently with fixed end dates. So this "news" likely means nothing.
THE DUCK
voted poster of the decade by bots
Interesting you keep calling me a shill while all your are doing is trolling ms in any way possible, even when nothing negative has been announced.
TEST Program ended. The press release even hints at future programs. I guess on your case, when you have it out for one company, any news is bad news.
I for one like consumer choice, so I look forward to a family program on gamepass and ps plus. It's likely coming sooner than later for both. It's more a matter of price than "will it happen".
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93xfan
Banned
A good breakdown of where demigod completely failed to understand or even read on what he was commenting on. He seems to be having a hard time over a certain merger, so it’s understandable. Hope he gets the help he needs.
The thing wasn't advertised as a test program. They launched it officially in those countries and said to markets elsewhere that it was being 'piloted' there before launching elsewhere. Them saying the family and friends program has ended isn't indication that it's good news or that a test program is now launching, otherwise they would have marketed its official launch instead for that date, not that they're shutting it down. You're hanging on to some PR fluff words at the end of a press release saying the program has been shut down but I guess you're used to that gaslighting.
At best, in the future it launches more expensive than the limited launch they already had and shut down, otherwise there is no need to state it would be shutting down in the first place.
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DaGwaphics
Member
T
Three
here is a link that provides a definition for a "Pilot Program", in case there was some confusion about that. This was clearly a case study, hence the markets they started with.
www.techtarget.com
No question it would have been a great deal with no conversions or discount codes required.
What is a pilot program (pilot study)? | Definition from TechTarget
Learn how a pilot program is a small-scale, short-term experiment that helps an organization learn how a large-scale project might work in practice.
No question it would have been a great deal with no conversions or discount codes required.
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There is no confusion about what a pilot means but read the articleT Three here is a link that provides a definition for a "Pilot Program", in case there was some confusion about that. This was clearly a case study, hence the markets they started with.
What is a pilot program (pilot study)? | Definition from TechTarget
Learn how a pilot program is a small-scale, short-term experiment that helps an organization learn how a large-scale project might work in practice.
No question it would have been a great deal with no conversions or discount codes required.
"Microsoft originally launched the plan without calling it a preview, instead mentioning in a FAQ at that time that it was piloting it in certain countries first. The pilot eventually launched in more markets, but Microsoft is now suggesting this was a “preview program” all along."
I don't even have an issue with whether it was a test program or not it's the idea that it being cancelled is good or that it means an actual" non-test" program is coming. That's not what is meant by piloting it in other countries first.
DaGwaphics
Member
That's typically what pilot programs are though, regardless of whether or not it was directly stated. If the numbers had been good (the growth outweighed the losses from the discounts), they would have kept doing it.
I'm assuming that the cancellation was probably the result of too many $15 subscribers grouping up to pay $5 without creating the growth they needed to justify a program with such aggressive discounts. But, there could have been other problems, like increased account sharing or something like that.
Again, I don't really have a problem with it being called a pilot program or not. I'm saying it isn't like software coming out of beta testing for it to be "good news" that's being turned into bad by demigod. It's bad news. The program has either been fully scrapped (most likely since they would be marketing its release instead) or will, at best, in the future come out more expensive. None of which is good news.
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Bernkastel
Ask me about my fanboy energy!
That does not explain how say 25 million subscribers will fund the entire store through a monthly subscription. How they will generate as much revenue as the mobile gaming market?
Most? which? How many publishers and independent studios do you think publish on Xbox? How would Microsoft just fund all of them through Game Pass money? Buying some publishers is not "most" or anything even close to it, neither can they be run and funded entirely through Game Pass money when you remove all the other sources of revenue.
yet you guys propose the monthly fee will be same as an actual game purchase. how many people do you expect to pay for that?
Why are you talking like a courtroom? Game Pass is "perceived as being free" but you guys keep saying it would cost same as a full priced game per month. Poison which well? How does one "weaken competitors enough over time" that the entire gaming crowd will only have the choice of a subscription in the Xbox console?
Once again how do say CDPR and FromSoftware, get compelled to make games for Xbox for only an upfront price. Since you propose Microsoft will "dictate the price" for Game Pass, you assume the upfront price will almost same as now. Where does Microsoft get the funds to have the 90% of games not in Game Pass, to appear in the service day one and remain permanently?
For most publishers or studios, financially it makes more sense to avoid Xbox, if they only get the same upfront payment from Microsoft and no recurring revenue from people buying there game.
You are using so many roundbout vocabulary, but still gave me a single reason as to why they would just remove there primary source of revenue without explaining how they would gain enough subscribers for it be profitable?
200 million Game Pass subscribers? Its impossible to fund the entire gamung market through Game Pass. The worst part is, you guys don't even beleive Game Pass will gain that many subscribers to generate revenue to fund most games. You beleive they will just raise the price of existing Game Pass subscription to "full game price", and through some vodoo magic force everyone to release games in Xbox without any way to generate revenue.
THE DUCK
voted poster of the decade by bots
Right that's why all of these small and insignificant websites like had titled thier articles in 2022 that it was a test........because it wasn't? The fact that they expanded the test from 2 countries 8 doesn't change that fact. Stop trying to write your own narrative vs what actually happened.
Microsoft is testing a family plan for Xbox Game Pass
Folks in Ireland and Colombia can try it out now.
www.engadget.com
Xbox begins testing Game Pass family plan
This is in line with prior Windows Central reporting.
www.windowscentral.com
Microsoft begins Insider testing for Xbox Game Pass family plan
Cast your mind back to March and you might recall reports claiming Microsoft was working on a new family plan for Game …
www.eurogamer.net
What's that got to do with what you said:Right that's why all of these small and insignificant websites like had titled thier articles in 2022 that it was a test........because it wasn't? The fact that they expanded the test from 2 countries 8 doesn't change that fact. Stop trying to write your own narrative vs what actually happened.
Microsoft is testing a family plan for Xbox Game Pass
Folks in Ireland and Colombia can try it out now.
Xbox begins testing Game Pass family plan
This is in line with prior Windows Central reporting.
Microsoft begins Insider testing for Xbox Game Pass family plan
Cast your mind back to March and you might recall reports claiming Microsoft was working on a new family plan for Game …
This isn't a beta test. If they wanted to launch the program out of the pilot they would have said "good news we are launching the official product in August and in more countries" they wouldn't say "we are cancelling the family and friends program in all countries. we're sorry, we may do something in the future".
That's what you're not getting, there is no info here that means "something good" is happening. If it were, it would have been the official launch announcement and expansion into other countries.
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THE DUCK
voted poster of the decade by bots
It's like arguing with a brick wall. He says it wasn't a test. You show him how MS and news outlets say it was a test, he says it wasn't a test. Not much more I can do here if you don't get it.
You have no idea how this works. MS picked key countries, so it could basically get a feel for how it work in every region. Now they take that data and decide if and or how they want to launch in larger markets.
It's not going to look exactly the same as the test - thus the reason you don't just "continue the test" forever. This is how large companies work. I'm sorry you don't get it.
Na you're just a brick wall who would lick MS' ass whatever they do regardless of any arguments made. The link you posted was an actual test for the xbox insiders but it went official to all users in those countries later:
The Xbox Game Pass Friends & Family plan has been officially announced | VGC
The service is currently available to all players in Ireland and Colombia…
www.videogameschronicle.com
and is now officially shut down. Call it a pilot, call it a test, call it whatever you like but don't keep trying to ignore what's being said. This is in no way "good news". I gave you the benefit of the doubt and assumed you were thinking this is it coming out of a beta test to an official launch but it seems your reading comprehension is even worse than I thought.
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Venom Snake
Member
THE DUCK
voted poster of the decade by bots
Na you're just a brick wall who would lick MS' ass whatever they do regardless of any arguments made. The link you posted was an actual test for the xbox insiders but it went official to all users in those countries later:
The Xbox Game Pass Friends & Family plan has been officially announced | VGC
The service is currently available to all players in Ireland and Colombia…
and is now officially shut down. Call it a pilot, call it a test, call it whatever you like but don't keep trying to ignore what's being said. This is in no way "good news". I gave you the benefit of the doubt and assumed you were thinking this is it coming out of a beta test to an official launch but it seems your reading comprehension is even worse than I thought.
Right, so far up MS's butt that I'm on the record saying I've played more ps5 than Xbox this generation? Again very dumb that every single time on this board that someone says something that defends ms they are labeled as biased. It's straight up pathetic at this point and needs to stop.
It doesn't matter at all that they were being smart starting with Insiders and then moved on to all customers in that country, it was still just a focused test in key countries.
At no point did I ever post that it was "good news", I said it wasn't bad news, just the conclusion of what was planned. So now your just straight up making up crap.