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Would is be sensible business for Sony to have their own gamepass?

Portugeezer

Member
Gamepass seems like a great deal, so much so that I wonder how this business model makes money, especially with the cheap promotions MS has done.

Could someone explain?

I am thinking TLOU2 would probably sell 10 million or more next year, how would a hypothetical Sony gamepass make business sense? (I ask because I would like to see a gamepass like service on PS).

(edit if a mod could fix title pls)
 
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I don't know that it's sensible business for Microsoft to do it. I've no idea how it makes money. It's a win for the consumer, anyway.
 

Zato

Banned
It is obviously something done from a loss at MS.

Sony have first party games that sell and well. They have no need of a gamepads to make their games more attractive.

Expect the B tier first party releases from MS to continue, like Netflix and Prime the majority of their own product will be shit.
 

Fbh

Member
The thing with Sony exclusives is that IMO they don't fit well with a subscription service like gamepass.
What you want for a subscription service is games designed to keep the player engaged for longer, hopefully with some strong multiplayer component. Things like Gears 5, Sea of Thieves, Halo... and then add some lower scale/budget single player stuff for variety (like Ori).
I don't think MS will completely abandon single player and we'll definitely continue to see fun single player modes in games like gears, but what big AAA single player-only game have they announced since launching Gamepass? Even Ninja theory is working on a multiplayer game now and I'll be honestly surprised if their Fable revival isn't some online games as a service thing

Big, expensive, AAA single player-only games that your players can finish and be done with within a month just don't seem like a great fit for a subscription service. And I'd rather Sony keeps making those than changing their focus for the sake of some subscription service.
 
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nikolino840

Member
The thing with Sony exclusives is that IMO they don't fit well with a subscription service like gamepass.
What you want for a subscription service is games designed to keep the player engaged for longer, hopefully with some strong multiplayer component. Things like Gears 5, Sea of Thieves, Halo... and then add some lower scale/budget single player stuff for variety (like Ori).
I don't think MS will completely abandon single player and we'll definitely continue to see fun single player modes in games like gears, but what big AAA single player-only game have they announced since launching Gamepass? Even Ninja theory is working on a multiplayer game now and I'll be honestly surprised if their Fable revival isn't some online games as a service thing

Big, expensive, AAA single player-only games that your players can finish and be done with within a month just don't seem like a great fit for a subscription service. And I'd rather Sony keeps making those than changing their focus for the sake of some subscription service.
For me no
I use gamepass for single player games,instead of buy a game and not play It for a long time i prefer the "rental" model

Today i have finished shadow of the tomb Raider (uninstalled After the ending) and started rage 2 and vambrace
 
We don't know if it's a sensible idea for Microsoft yet.

Without knowing the long term consequences on eirher games or the platforms offering such services, I'd much rather have diversification amongst the systems than everyone just blindly doing the same things.
 

pr0cs

Member
I'd be a lot more inclined to sub to ps+ if they did.
They've already came out saying their games are too valuable to even consider that.
 

Vawn

Banned
Please, no. I don't want gaming to be turned into an absurd number of different monthly subscription programs.

Their quality of games would take a major hit too. Probably not quite as low as Xbox, but not as high as we've been accustom to over the last four generations.
 
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StreetsofBeige

Gold Member
Gamepass seems like a great deal, so much so that I wonder how this business model makes money, especially with the cheap promotions MS has done.

Could someone explain?

I am thinking TLOU2 would probably sell 10 million or more next year, how would a hypothetical Sony gamepass make business sense? (I ask because I would like to see a gamepass like service on PS).

(edit if a mod could fix title pls)
10 million copies of a game is $600 million in revenue. BUT it's not that much as:

- Some of those copies are sold on deal, so even if someone buys digital, it's not all at a $60 price
- Some of those copies are sold by stores, so Sony's cut is more like $40 (at full price). A game sold at $30 might be $20 for Sony. A greatest hits sold at $10 might be $7-8.

For sake of argument, let's say a game selling 10 million copies gets Sony $400 million in net revenue. So for every copy sold, let's say on average Sny gets $40 per unit.

In April 2019, it was 700,000 subs. By now, let's say it's 1 million. The new price is $60/yr.

There are 100 million PS4s sold.

If Sony sold an additional:

1 million subs = $60 million sub sales
5 million subs = $300 million sub sales
10 million subs = $600 million sub sales

And this would even exclude gamers who will still buy the game and not bother with PS Now no matter what.

Even the best selling PS4 first party games at 10 million copies is only 10% of the user base which is at 100 million. That's a lot of gamers who don't want to buy the game even when it hits the bargain bin at $9.99.
 
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Three

Member
Gamepass seems like a great deal, so much so that I wonder how this business model makes money, especially with the cheap promotions MS has done.

Could someone explain?

I am thinking TLOU2 would probably sell 10 million or more next year, how would a hypothetical Sony gamepass make business sense? (I ask because I would like to see a gamepass like service on PS).

(edit if a mod could fix title pls)
They have gamepass in the form of PSNow where you can download games as well as stream. As for their top games being released on PSNow on release day it only makes financial sense if they start concentrating on multiplier type games with added microtransactions to their high budget games, or do single player low budget games inbetween those.

Edit: I see that Fbh has pretty much said the exact same thing already.
 
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I honestly think Gamepass is something that'll end in a couple years, because it can't be profitable. It's Microsoft's way to attract users and, hopefully, bind them for the ling term.

Imo we should be happy it exists at this moment in time, because it's the best deal in gaming ever - but it's not a thing that's here to stay.

It is obviously something done from a loss at MS.

Sony have first party games that sell and well. They have no need of a gamepads to make their games more attractive.

Expect the B tier first party releases from MS to continue, like Netflix and Prime the majority of their own product will be shit.

Halo and Gears would sell well on their own, too. Sony's 1st party aren't special.
 

Three

Member
I honestly think Gamepass is something that'll end in a couple years, because it can't be profitable. It's Microsoft's way to attract users and, hopefully, bind them for the ling term.

Imo we should be happy it exists at this moment in time, because it's the best deal in gaming ever - but it's not a thing that's here to stay.



Halo and Gears would sell well on their own, too. Sony's 1st party aren't special.
It will not end just as PS+ free games didn't end after the PS3 era but it's not that great in terms of games now. It will just get gradually shitter once a bunch of people have subscribed like EA Access before it too.
 
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Fbh

Member
For me no
I use gamepass for single player games,instead of buy a game and not play It for a long time i prefer the "rental" model

Today i have finished shadow of the tomb Raider (uninstalled After the ending) and started rage 2 and vambrace

Well yeah but those are third party games. For those it seems fine though I image even they would suffer if the industry as a whole moves towards a gamepass type subscription model.

I'm talking more from a first party perspective. Bethesda and Square enix don't have to design their games with the focus of keeping people subscribed to Gamepass, but MS does and, as I said, from that point of view the games Sony makes wouldn't be ideal.
 

Zato

Banned
I honestly think Gamepass is something that'll end in a couple years, because it can't be profitable. It's Microsoft's way to attract users and, hopefully, bind them for the ling term.

Imo we should be happy it exists at this moment in time, because it's the best deal in gaming ever - but it's not a thing that's here to stay.



Halo and Gears would sell well on their own, too. Sony's 1st party aren't special.

Halo hasn't sold anywhere near Sony first party in years, it's a shadow of what it used to be.

Gears is even less of a tent pole franchise.

MS first party is weak, bordering on irrelevant.
 

vkbest

Member
I don't know that it's sensible business for Microsoft to do it. I've no idea how it makes money. It's a win for the consumer, anyway.

A win now can be a lose on the future. If the service is not profitable will have a effect on future games, more expensive service or even AA games instead AAA games.
 

Inviusx

Member
This is going to sound really fucking stupid but am I insane for thinking that Gamepass is starting to feel like the equivalent of video game junk food? I just feel that while it's a great deal there is no prestige around it, you just pay sub every month and can download whatever game is new. It's weird.

I hope Sony don't go down that path but then again I'm boomer as fuck so just disregard this post.
 

Saruhashi

Banned
This is going to sound really fucking stupid but am I insane for thinking that Gamepass is starting to feel like the equivalent of video game junk food? I just feel that while it's a great deal there is no prestige around it, you just pay sub every month and can download whatever game is new. It's weird.

I hope Sony don't go down that path but then again I'm boomer as fuck so just disregard this post.

Maybe.

To be honest though most AAA games are heavily discounted within months of release and a year after release you can pick up most things for a really good price.

I think gamepass could be good for indies if Microsoft are paying then a flat fee and then the game gets to go on the service.

Really it depends on how much money Microsoft is making from all this.

You could look at a big AAA release on launch day as like going to watch a new movie at IMAX on opening weekend.
Then a 33% off in 6 months is like getting the movie on DVD.
Then Gamepass is like waiting for the movie to hit Netflix.

Obviously prices are way higher for games but that's the way I see it.

Sony are kind of doing it to some extent with PS Plus.

I agree on the lack of prestige. It just feels like you aren't going to get the top games until much further down the line so it really does feel like the cheap option.

If they copy Netflix and have a lot of "straight to Gamepass" games coming out then I'd expect them to be of poor quality.
 
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