Xbox Exec: Diversity Of Content Is What Makes Game Pass So Valuable

What big new AAA, got to love the PR ❤️

I actually completely agree with this. I like discovering new indies and AA games on GamePass. It’s a big part of why I have been more than happy with my sub.

And we’ve been doing pretty well with AAA games as well with the likes of MLB 23, Atomic Heart and Wo Long Fallen Dynasty in recent months. I’d even argue that Hi-Fi Rush was a AAA game. But people have to find something to complain about.

In our view, Xbox Game Pass undoubtedly has a fantastic mix of bigger and smaller titles

Yes and thank you, please keep the Indies/AA as an indispensable part of GamePass.

Certainly true, I've tried far more smaller/indie games than I ever would have without game pass. Some are hit, some are miss, some are just interesting. But I wouldn't shell out 20-30 for them only to find out I don't like them but love trying them on GP where it's interesting. Or same with even AAA games. Didn't have an interest in Ghostwire on PS at full price, but gave a try on GP and so far am liking it. I thought it was horror, but so far it's more like SMT 2 Nocturne but as an FPS (or as some publishers might call it: SMTVI because times change ) I wouldn't have tried it otherwise and found that out.

The gaming business model really does need to change overall, as, there are so MANY games the industry wants us to play, but at $70 a game, or $20-30 for indies, there's not the time or money to deciate to all of it, only the biggest most hype-driven games really survive at that pricing model where every purches needs to be an absolutely guaranteed love affair of a game. It narrows what people buy at all to only the biggest titles, and keeps the biggest titles focused on being the most broad-appeal copy and past games possible. I'm hoping even more business model diversity emerges beyond GP, because the future of the industry is ever less games variety and less room for studios (more consolidation!) if only the safest surest bets sell well.

@Dezzy70 We mock it, but it did get Deathloop and Ghostwire, it's getting Redfall in it's 30fps glory soon, and then Starfield, got Persona, etc. The whole Yakuza lineup....maybe it's AA, but it's AAA-ish. (Better than certain OTHER alleged "JRPG" series... ) yeah it's slow, because 1st party is slow, but I don't think GP itself can be chided for it, it's still got more big recent games than competing services have.

TBH though what I'm still waiting for is those "select owned games' to be added to streaming, and for ALL streamed game to have a save state, the idea of pick up anywhere in cloud on mobile is the best idea ever, but without a save state it generally means playing, losing your save, and starting again over and over until you lose interest, so I mostly only do remote play except for games that have true save anywhere.

@Dezzy70

What big new AAA, got to love the PR

Is Sony not keeping your insatiable hunger for AAA games covered, then?? The Burning Shores (Ubisoft open-world like) DLC is to release imminently, no?😅

What AAA? You mean triple mediocre.

To this date, the biggest highlight (for me) from Game Pass has been discovering Cross Code, maybe seconded by Power Wash Simulator. So yea, getting Triple A games in there once in a while is nice, but its the obscure and the indie titles that I'm here for (aside from the, so far disappointing, lineup of first party titles... 30fps... grumble grumble...)

@Snake_V5 Wo Long Fallen Dynasty and The Show 23, just to name a few recent titles, are mediocre? News to me.

And as I said before, I’d consider Hi-Fi Rush to be AAA. Certainly feels and plays like a AAA title and better than most of them. Guess A Plague’s Tale: Requiem is surely a mediocre piece of trash too.

There’s been plenty of good AAA games.

Hopefully one day their diversity will stretch to adding critically acclaimed first party AAA exclusives to it day one…

Seriously, gamepass’s value won’t hold long in quantity over quality. ‘The gamepass effect’ has already become just as much of a meme now as ‘best value in gaming’ has. One will soon over take the mindshare of the other if they’re not careful - releasing games in unfinished states really won’t help that.

@Sol4ris
No, but switch will come TOTK for many hours
Then Pikmin 4.

@Snake_V5
Good point on the mediocre 😆

I like the diversity. Scorn, Chained Echoes and others I’ve enjoyed very much. I don’t feel there’s anything lacking with AA and Indie titles with Gamepass. It’s a lack of triple A exclusives from Microsoft themselves that’s been an issue to either sell consoles or Gamepass subs.

@Dezzy70 ah TOTK, it’ll be a 600p 15fps masterpiece in 2023.

Sleeper fun game: Ben10 - enjoyed even though it is a “Cartoon Network” game. It is open world and has some nice design…

@Fenbops I mean, at least TOTK is a game and not the glorified story/spectacle over substance garbage Sony repeatedly promotes with all of their 'AAA' games.

@Dezzy70 You seen the latest TOTK trailer? Game looks incredible, definitely will be battling FF16 for game of the year no matter what the haters say.

@Moonglow PS Plus is losing those games yes but there still games that are on PlayStation still and can be purchased.

@Fenbops
And probably game on year 2023 😂

@UltimateOtaku91
Yes the official trailer and the advert that sneaked out. Not watching anymore until release day.
Not sure about FF just yet still not made my mind up.

The diversity of offerings is what keeps me on gp. Ive been as vocal as any about the lack of AAA on the service, but thats fixed this year and when the indies and AA games are as good and diverse as they havee been, the service is still well worth having.

I cheat anyway as im also subbed to 'the other side' as well as GP, so even if one has a bad month, theres usually something for me on the other. Not bothered too much about where I play, im into games not supporting corps.

If Sarah Bond has helped keep the line up on GP, then she can be proud of a decent job..

I like gamepass and rewards there are loads of AAA games on there just that Microsoft havent made many recently.

there are plenty of 3rd party AAA games on there

Amazingly the comment section devolved into Sony and PS+ bashing. 😂

GamePass has been a snooze fest for me since Plague Tale. I played HiFi and it was mediocre, the hype for that game confuses me. I get what she is saying and glad there are people who are into it but it hasn’t done it for me.

Wo Long was a truly awesome GP release, more like this please!

@FatalBubbles
Amazingly the comment section devolved into Sony and PS+ bashing

Sure it did and it cannot be helped by comments like this:

What AAA? You mean triple mediocre
and
GamePass has been a snooze fest for me since Plague Tale. I played HiFi and it was mediocre

I'm aware opinions are subjective and all that but why be purposely dismissive for the sake of it 🤔.

@Sol4ris I’m not following what you mean about my comment? How does it relate to Sony and what is dismissive about it?

Me not being happy with GamePass since PT is dismissive of?

@Sol4ris I'm a big fan of the indies cuz of gamepass. I wouldn't have played the vast majority of the games I've completed if it wasn't for gamepass...and i would have missed out.

I’m loving gamepass. Pentiment for example is a game I would have even looked at years ago. Tried it on gamepass now it’s my go to game on my backbone when I’m in bed .

Not exactly diversity when 99% of content is on quality level of game boy titles. If want to play side scrolling jump over lava pits, would just bring out my game boy.

@Sebatrox
Yeah Forspoken was a bit of a miss fire really.

Well she's right. A lack of diversity is why I am generally so disinterested in what Sony has been doing, like over 90% of their games are the same style of game and it's a style that I am not particularly fond of.

Man trolls are out in force today. Quality of level of Game Boy titles, lol. What has that guy been smoking.

@GuyinPA75 GamePass is full of AAA titles from a wide variety of major publishers, what are you talking about?

@awp69 Probably he even doesn't have a Xbox. Game boy titles are on Nintendo Online.

@Sakisa it’s definitely a game.

@Dezzy70 Wouldn’t surprise me 😄 BOTW won it when it never should have. Yes I went there 😜

@Sebatrox I’ll always 👍🏻 someone who bashes Forspoken 🤣

@Fenbops
That’s your opinion and fair enough.
Must admit it took me three attempts to get into breath of the wild, then on the third attempt when the dlc came out added items and made the whole exploration part better it finally clicked.

Then it became amazing to me, more than HFW, any Assassin creed etc etc open world games.
Once it did I completed all shrines the whole game and dlc, not 100% though.

I got two game pass ultimate gift cards for Xmas and I refuse to use them until game pass gets its crap together. Gets real exclusives or good aaa games. I’m almost 40, I’m tired of 8 and 16 bit games, I’ve been there and done that bought the tshirt.

Well, this escalated quickly.

I'm really loving GPs diversity. Lots of different stuff on the service. Went from hi fi rush to gears of war. I'm playing ghostwire Tokyo now and will move onto The Last Case Of Benedict Fox next week.

I just checked the current selection of Game Pass and it's great but of course you'd expect Otaku and the resident Xbox haters/fake neutrals to dismiss it without seeing it.

As others have said, there are very good games that we wouldn't have played otherwise because we don't have to buy them and if we don't like them because of subjective reasons we can uninstall them and try another.

Microsoft's games are more fun and gamey than Sony's copy-paste cinematic experiences and there's more variety on Xbox. Nintendo games used to be amazing. Used to. Breath of the Wild is the hollowest Zelda game. It got superficial DLC and now it's getting a sequel based on the same world that will get automatic 10s because it's Nintendo. Tears of the Kingdom is already The Game of the Year for the critics that haven't played it.

Couldn't care less what others say about Game Pass. I absolutely love the service. In fact, it has reinvigorated my love for gaming. I was losing interest in gaming more and more the last few years before subbing to Game Pass. I am gaming more now than I have in a long time. Love trying out a bunch of new titles a couple times a month.

As for the AAA vs AA/Indie debate...people can keep the AAA's. I still play a few here and there but AAA winds up leading to disappointment more times than not these days. I have had FAR FAR more enjoyment the last 2 years with AA and indies. I will be booting up Starfield day 1 tho...

@Dezzy70 I liked BOTW I just don’t think it’s the masterpiece it’s made out to be, I finished it and did every shrine. Didn’t play the DLC as I was burnt out on the main game. Fenyx Rising took the formula and made a gorgeous looking, better game imo.

@Banjo- agree on BOTW’s world, lifeless and empty.

@Fenbops
That Zelda DLC was a waste of time and money.

@Fenbops Yes, Immortals Fenyx Rising is much better. Read below about the great Breath of the Wild DLC you missed.

@Spider-Kev The motorbike breaks the game and by the time the Breath of the Wild DLC was released, I didn't feel like driving in such an awkward way because the game is not designed for it. Not even horses are good in this game. Epona in Ocarina of Time (1998) is more reliable and fun to ride than any of them, new Epona included. The Korok Mask well, not feeling like looking for more Koroks (I had over half of them) at that point. The added story bits are as pointless as the original ones. The only thing I liked was the weird and unexpected boss but it's not enough to justify the price of the DLC. Breath of the Wild is the most overrated game in history. Not because it's so bad but because it's so praised.