SEGA Is Reportedly Considering Its Own Gaming Subscription Service

Not gonna lie, I like suscription services. For someone on a third-world country where buying AAA games on release is very difficult and abdsurdly expensive, suscription services are an amazing way to wait for a sale.

“Xbox paved the way for subscription gaming with Xbox Live, which led to Game Pass and companies like Sony, Nintendo and even EA and Ubisoft following with their own services - offering access to games and much more”

PS plus (2010) came before Xbox live gold (2013) offering monthly games and PS Now (2014) came before Gamepass (2017) offering a sub access to a rotating selection. Gamepass is great and all but let’s not pretend Xbox is an industry leading innovator here in anything other than charging console gamers to play online. They were literally years behind the competition in bringing their game sub services to the market.

@GeeEssEff PS Plus was nothing like game pass in 2010. PS Now managed to be unavailable in most countries until shutdown, and didn't support installs from the beginning, it was a later feature.

So Yes, game pass was the one bringing it to the real market, worldwide, and was actually used by people.

By the way, sony killed PS Now in favor of the new PS plus, that now, mimics Game Pass model, without Day One tho. Also, continuing tradition, sony streaming service is not available in the majority of countries were PS Plus is at, contrary to Xbox Cloud Gaming.

As for a Sega subscription service, if there is Yakuza Day One I'm in.

@GeeEssEff

Gamepass is great and all but let’s not pretend Xbox is an industry leading innovator here

As matter of fact they are!
Until such time as Sony and Nintendo release their first-party output on their subscription services on day one (or day 4,5,6, etc as the case may be).

@eduscxbox

As for a Sega subscription service, if there is Yakuza Day One I'm in

Same here, especially if Atlus's output it's also day one.

It's a great way to try games. I think gamepass was one of the best things to happen to gaming. Hopefully sega does day 1 drops into theirs.

I have lost count of how many games I never would have tried if not for gamepass ( I usually end up purchasing the games as well).

This is fantastic news. Now I can throw more money away in new and exciting ways, to not own anything. I think Sega should subdivide their subscription into multiple breakaway subscriptions (subsubscriptions?) to even further clog distribution channels.

Let Atlus and RGG splinter off and form their own subscription services offering all Persona/Metaphor games and all Yakuza games in separate services. Sega proper can follow suit with a strictly old school IP subscription filled with Sonic games, Virtua Fighter games, crazy taxi games etc.

Yes, this is great news. I wish the movie/tv industry would take notice and divvy up Netflix and Disney+ into sub divisions, each with an additional subscription fee. Locking away content behind as many ventures as possible is exactly what’s best for consumers. Now we can own nothing while having to pay even more to get access to what we once had all in one place.

@Balaam_ haha yes yes and effing yes. Sega, get effed, you're doing fine as is.

@GeeEssEff Xbox Live Gold launched with Xbox 360 in 2005.

@eduscxbox I know Ps plus 2010 was nothing like gamepass. But that service gave monthly games for a subscription fee while Xbox live still gave you nothing except online play until they introduced games with gold to compete.

@Sol4ris I guess innovating on other people’s ideas is still innovating. I mainly just found the line in the article about Xbox paving the way with Xbox live funny…all Xbox live was doing until Games with gold was charging Xbox players to be able to do what PC and PS (at the time) players could do for free….play with their friends online.

@markatron84 *I meant games with gold

Anyway I’m about to drive to family for Christmas so anyone else want to argue with me about history I refer you to Wikipedia. MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE

@Sol4ris
Yep it’s the GPU day one releases that keep me on GPU and to some point series x.
Without day one all Xbox studio games I would not have game pass at all and probably not an Xbox console because some release on PS5.
If Xbox went all Xbox studio games day one PS5 then I would have to think especially as PS5 Pro would probably give the best visual experience.
My point.
Xbox are treading a very fine line, they need to keep some big AAA Xbox world exclusives and not on PS5 Pro or a very bare minimum 6 months to one year release delay on PS5 Pro.

At the moment it’s a good mix and match but if they go full on day one on PS5 Pro then that line is crossed. And being honest would probably see the final nail in the coffin and maybe the end of Xbox consoles.
It’s cool at the minute Xbox but I really hope they don’t go full throttle.

All these subscription services fighting for the same diminishing returns, I wonder how much longer it’ll be before these services start falling apart on themselves.

Well this sure as hell ain’t the outcome I wanted after they took down all their old stuff… In fact it’s the worst possible outcome and the one that best fits our darkest timeline. Yuck.

As much I love SEGA, I ain’t subscribing to them just to play their old games I don’t already own, for a month at a time. If that stuff is locked away behind their service then F that.

Subscriptions are getting outta hand.

It is like everyone and their mom launching a streaming service after Netflix proved it successful.

No thanks.

Hate all subscriptions so will still just buy their games.

@OldGamer999

I see your points comrade, but for me day one releases on PS5 Pro do nothing to entice me away from the Xbox ecosystem (since I'll never pay what Sony sre asking).
Series X and GP Ultimate are more than enough for me to stay put, that, and I just prefer to stay positive 😊 😉. Happy Holidays.

@GeeEssEff

*I meant games with gold

Ah ok 🙂
Enjoy your time with your family. Merry Christmas.

@GeeEssEff Sega started subscription service with the Sega Channel.

@Sol4ris
Totally get your point as well
I’m GPU until March 2027 fully paid up so it’s Series x all the way for me.
Then hopefully next gen Xbox home console.

This is along the lines of putting out a new game console and Sega should know better.

Unless this subscription has all their back catalog, including games from the Saturn, Dreamcast, and Arcades then pass.

To be honest I wouldn't mind them having a subscription service. I would do the same i do with ubisoft games and just subscribe for a month and play what I want for a fraction of the price of the game. I tend to play a game and move on, except for fromsoftware games, so not bothered about owning them

Finally I can resub to Sega Channel, it's been almost 30 years.

Microsoft not only gives day one games on Ultimate Gamepass , but also 'Play Anywhere' which is an amazing deal if you own Xbox and any other windows OS systems like PC and handhelds.

Sega pioneered this concept in its early days with the Sega Channel. For those who remember, it offered a monthly selection of games, showcasing Sega's forward-thinking approach. It has often been the consumers who lagged behind, not Sega itself.

We’ll now u kno why Sega delisted all those Genesis games recently lol…they want to bundle them all into there own sub service

@Markatron84 @eduscxbox @GeeEssEff Games with Gold launched in late 2013 to compete with Sony's Instant game collection which launched as an upgraded playstation plus in 2012. If we are talking about subscription services with games included.

Xbox live was launched in 2002 for £50 a year. In the box you got a headset and launched with voice chat and friends lists.
Playstation Network launched in November 2006 and was free. The first iteration of playstation plus which was a paid upgrade in 2010, included access to Beta testing and demos and was again £50 per year. But rarely offered full games.

Xbox had the overwhelming upper hand with the online architecture, Sony's Instant game collection initially at least, had significantly better games as a bonus.

PS Now (arguably the precursor to Gamepass and similar sub services) was ok. But the streaming of PS3 games was weak, unplayable at times. The library was full of bargain bin and failed retail games. It's why it didn't work out imo.

Gamepass works due to the focus on quality games.

Also due to the article. Sega launched one of the very first online networks. Called the Sega Channel for the Megadrive / Genesis. Mindbogglingly forward thinking for the time. It came too soon.

Happy Christmas 🎄

@OldGamer999 the line crossed already. In just couple of weeks Satya, Phil and bunch of insiders kinda confirmed the shift in strategy.

If next xbox is a traditional home console, its coming with 0 exclusivity.
It still could worth it tho with GP depending how often you use it.

I am at the point where 70-80% I will go with Sony. Will defo be open minded about next xbox but sounds like its either gonna be boring PRO-like series X (basically just hardware bump), or these new pc/xbox hybrids (i still see too many caveats to make it work, sounds more like a cool idea on paper than reality). Actually maybe they do both? Like MS will release xbox for old fans but also partner with MSI/Asus and such to produce those hybrid machines at a more expensive price point.

Fully exiting console will mean big blow to GP. No GP core and big hit to GPU as people will downgrade to PC GP.

@themcnoisy while I appreciate the history lesson, I lived it already 😉

@GeeEssEff True ps+ was available first but it didn't initially offer anything and only after xbox gold was offering free games did Sony offer the same thing. Sony did offer something not bad with ps now, but after they changed things recently the value of the current ps+ is minimal. And over the past year tons of games have left ps+ only to be replaced with mediocre games. I would never get ps+ to play Lego games. Sony offer the PS home which was a virtual place to interact then they just killed it off, it was dead before the ps4 even launched. Sony has had lots of good ideas, but they often kill off good ideas rather then do anything with them.

Sorry sega isn’t Ubisoft or capcom i don’t see them having much subs

@Rodimusprime13 'True ps+ was available first but it didn't initially offer anything and only after xbox gold was offering free games did Sony offer the same thing.'

That statement is false. Sony launched the Instant game collection, an upgrade for ps plus in 2012. Games with Gold launched in 2013. I actually wrote that before you posted in comment number 28.

Xbox paved the way??? Let us stop acting like Sega Channel didn't exist...

@themcnoisy Actually it not false. Sony launched the ps3 a year or two before the x360 was launched. Sony only later offered the upgrade of a instant library, but this was later dropped in favour of monthly games which can only be claimed in that particular month. Sony did offer limited trials of select games on the ps3, I remember on of the AC game being available as a trial. The trial game eventually disappeared and have only recently made a comeback but only with ps+ premium. The games with gold was introduced after the x360 launched and MS kind of hacked it in. On the x360 to claim any game with gold you needed a cc on file and you could claim your monthly games. But the thing was that all the claimed games were considered owned on the x360, so even after you didn't have a active gold membership any games claimed with gold could still be played. Unfortunately this was fix with the launch of the X1.

@Balaam_ I don’t remember subscription being the only way to play a game if you want to own a game buy it if others want a cheaper way of playing the option is there

@Rodimusprime13 other way round mate. PS Plus launched in 2010
(https://ign.com/articles/2010/06/24/first-playstation-plus-details) as an optional sub service with games, demos and discounts. Eventually Sony decided to start charging for playstwtion network so to soften the blow to players they rolled it into PS Plus and said “look at least you get some free games each month”. At that point Xbox realised if Sony charge the same for online play AND offer monthly games they are going to be at a disadvantage which is why games with gold was born in 2013.

@themcnoisy You summed it up the best really. Sony haven’t particularly set the world alight with any of their sub models but they were doing them before Xbox, hell even EA play came before gamepass! But this is pure Xbox so I guess we have to pretend Xbox paved the way to keep everyone happy. Merry Christmas bud!

@Rodimusprime13 sorry bro. You aren't even fact checking what you are writing. The Xbox 360 launched a year before the PS3.

The instant game collection (igc for short) was rotated games on a monthly basis. They are one and the same.

However you did get this right;

'the thing was that all the claimed games were considered owned on the x360, so even after you didn't have a active gold membership any games claimed with gold could still be played.'

Which was fantastic!

This president is totally out of touch with reality. Sega is doing well because of Atlus, and because of like a dragon, but he doesn’t seem to notice. He’s going to spend that money on awful reboots and other awful ideas.

That said, I hope I’m wrong and the reboots are great.

@Millionski The next Xbox could be fantastic and offer the best of PC, Xbox and Sony on the one console if it has Steam or Epic Store integration.

@Balaam_ hopefully they get rid of owning cars and homes too! I'd really enjoy the added benefits of businesses finding innovative and creative ways to add more value to the quality of my life. Can't wait until they start charging for the bathroom and kitchen. Like flights, now you can pay to reserve an overhead bin! Groundbreaking!

@Balaam_ lol. The only thing worse than 100 different subscriptions is when they lock the subscription you want behind bundles that include the other 99.

Started with YouTube TV in 2018. It was $40 a month. Since then they've added Oprah network and HGTV and a thousand other things I don't want, need, or tolerate and to pay for it all they upped the price to $72 last year. And now this month $82. All I want is 6 channels. By next year I'll have to pay $100 to get 150 channels and all I want is 6. And the competitors are basically the same price because it's the publishers pushing the package pricing. Imagine the future of gaming where if you want cod, uncharted, assassin's creed, dragon age, persona, monhun, and GTA, you can choose between 7 different subscription providers that all have different ways of bundling a $200/MO subscription because content consolidation means that getting assassin's creed means having to accept Gollum and Suicide Squad, and getting GTA means taking Avengers and Concord Directors Cut. And Redfall.

If they launched it with a console of some kind I would be interested but right now I have ps5, switch and I'm looking into getting a new pc and then I would get game pass to essentially have an Xbox again because I haven't since the 360. But there are way to many streaming services I don't think people realise how much they drain your savings when they all stack up monthly. Unless they can offer these things for less than 10 dollars a month someone in my income bracket is better off just getting the games I want at this point it's less expensive than having 5-10 different streaming services. I only have 4 and it already seems like a lot