Anyone else notice Microsoft cutting back on a lot of ‘consumer friendly’ incentives this year?

[Remember_Spinal]

First they announced that they’re increasing their game prices to 70 dollars…

Microsoft to raise Xbox first-party game prices from $60 to $70 in 2023

Microsoft joins the $70 game club.

www.theverge.com

Then they cut off the one dollar gamepass conversion deal….

Xbox Game Pass $1 Deal Removed Globally

Today, the Xbox Game Pass $1 promotional deal from associated platforms on a global scale, forcing new users to pay full price.

insider-gaming.com

Then they cut off the daily rewards for non-xbox subscribers…

Daily Xbox reward is being scrapped for non-Game Pass subscribers

If you don't have Game Pass yet, Microsoft clearly wants you to

sports.yahoo.com

Now they are killing emulation…

Microsoft locks down game emulation on the Xbox Series X and Series S

Time to switch to the Steam Deck?

www.theverge.com

I wonder where they are gonna start cutting corners next? I’m assuming all those early gen incentives to get people into xbox are slowly being stripped because of the impending acquisition and they don’t want to flat out raise the price just yet.

 

[Remij]

Yeah pretty much. None of it was ever going to last.

 

[John Elden Ring]

Greed get to everyone eventually

 

[Alabtrosmyster]

Hopefully they replace all this nonsense with games being shipped by their studios.

 

[laynelane]

Isn't there some kind of Gold conversion trick? If so, I wonder if that will be the next to go.

 

[Johnic]

Isn't there some kind of Gold conversion trick? If so, I wonder if that will be the next to go.

You buy up to 3 tears of Gold. You convert that to GPU for dirt cheap and get a month of GPU for free on top of it.

Much cheaper than getting 3 years of GPU outright. Still active, supposedly.

 

[shrike0fth0rns]

First they announced that they’re increasing their game prices to 70 dollars…

Microsoft to raise Xbox first-party game prices from $60 to $70 in 2023

Microsoft joins the $70 game club.

www.theverge.com

Then they cut off the one dollar gamepass conversion deal….

Xbox Game Pass $1 Deal Removed Globally

Today, the Xbox Game Pass $1 promotional deal from associated platforms on a global scale, forcing new users to pay full price.

insider-gaming.com

Then they cut off the daily rewards for non-xbox subscribers…

Daily Xbox reward is being scrapped for non-Game Pass subscribers

If you don't have Game Pass yet, Microsoft clearly wants you to

sports.yahoo.com

Now they are killing emulation…

Microsoft locks down game emulation on the Xbox Series X and Series S

Time to switch to the Steam Deck?

www.theverge.com

I wonder where they are gonna start cutting corners next? I’m assuming all those early gen incentives to get people into xbox are slowly being stripped because of the impending acquisition and they don’t want to flat out raise the price just yet.

Symptom of the abk deal. The board probably said to Phil alright we’ve bought this sht and given everything u wanted now your ass better start making us some money. Notice how Phil is nowhere to be found when these things are announced. Xbox fanboys will swear he had nothing to do with any of these decisions

 

[Gods&Monsters]

The emulator is funny because a lot of xbots used this to play Playstation games and shit on PS+ Premium.

Like playing old games on emulators was a selling point of Series L because they have nothing else to play.

 

[thicc_girls_are_teh_best]

Hopefully they replace all this nonsense with games being shipped by their studios.

Well if they end up like RedFall, they can keep them in the oven for as long as needed. Downside is they'll have quarters with no 1P releases.

But it's really their own fault at the end of the day.

Isn't there some kind of Gold conversion trick? If so, I wonder if that will be the next to go.

Eventually. I still think that ad-based Game Pass rumor is true, and the Family Plan of course (though no way it's pricing at $25/month, that would be about $10 cheaper than Nintendo's own Family Plan for NSO).

Once those are out they'll probably end the conversion trick, after all that's leaving too much money on the table. What I can see them doing to replace that is actually offer year-long Game Pass subs at cheaper prices than paying month-to-month, though, and maybe if you stack two or three of those you can get an additional discount.
Like normally 12 months of GPU is $180 month-to-month, but maybe they introduce a 1-year plan of GPU for $153, or 153% off. But then if you get a 2-year plan, it's 25% off, so instead of $306 for 2 years it's $288.

Something along those lines. Otherwise leaving the conversion as-is leaves way too much money on the table ($181 for 3 years vs $540).

A lot of people in that ResetERA thread talking about using the loopholes for extended $1 conversion deals about to be very upset within the next 12 months.

 

[Zzero]

Some of this is nothing, sone of it is financials driven, some of it is actually good.

 

[laynelane]

A lot of people in that ResetERA thread talking about using the loopholes for extended $1 conversion deals about to be very upset within the next 12 months.

I saw a lot of panic after the announcement of the end of the $1 deal. People desperately looking for more loopholes to exploit to get Game Pass without paying its regular asking price. It's not everyone, of course, but MS has cultivated this kind of customer. Even as MS strives to close loopholes, many will be looking to find new ones. It will be interesting to see how many are willing to pay normally for the service (although I think the Friends and Family plan may be good enough for some).

 

[thicc_girls_are_teh_best]

I saw a lot of panic after the announcement of the end of the $1 deal. People desperately looking for more loopholes to exploit to get Game Pass without paying its regular asking price. It's not everyone, of course, but MS has cultivated this kind of customer. Even as MS strives to close loopholes, many will be looking to find new ones. It will be interesting to see how many are willing to pay normally for the service (although I think the Friends and Family plan may be good enough for some).

Oh there was panic alright; I'm constantly amazed that some of the people who are most among the vocal supporters for the service, do everything in their power to get it for well below the regular price as often as possible, by almost any means necessary. Their actions don't match their words, basically, and that says a lot.

That Friends & Family Plan, I can't picture it being any cheaper than $45/month. Probably for 5 people, or $9/month per person. Maybe $50/month, but that's still just $10/month for GPU for each account. That's $25/month in savings versus five separate GPU accounts (at the current pricing). I think there could be grounds for a suit on predatory pricing if they price a Friends & Family plan for less than Nintendo's own, but that's something I'd have to look more into before saying it's something for sure.

 

[Dabaus]

I wouldn’t be surprised if they spike the price of the consoles/and or gamepass shortly before starfield comes out.

 

[Zzero]

I wouldn’t be surprised if they spike the price of the consoles/and or gamepass shortly before starfield comes out.

Consoles won't spike, the component prices are stagnant/lower now.

 

[FatKaz]

I wouldn’t be surprised if they spike the price of the consoles/and or gamepass shortly before starfield comes out.

Some countries like japan the price has already increased. Other countries like the UK whilst they technically haven't done a price increase on the standalone series x, what they've done is made the forza bundle the most abundant one available in alot of retailers. No doubt to make whatever extra margin they need for the losses they are taking on the X.

 

[anonpuffs]

Remember all those threads polling people about how much they'd maximally pay for gamepass?

Yeah, it was all a lie. They don't wanna pay more than $1

 

[Bryank75]

 

[Nhomnhom]

I love that they tried score points by not raising their prices to $70 but then had pretty much nothing to release until they raised their price to $70 anyway.

I also love how the most hardcore Xbox fanboys were all into this type of stuff, exploiting 1$ tricks, bragging about how they could pirate Nintendo and Sony games on the Series S, grinding MS rewards point so they wouldn't have to pay for Gamepass and so on.

My hope is that it will only get worse for Xbox fans, they deserve what is coming for them.

 

[Alabtrosmyster]

Well if they end up like RedFall, they can keep them in the oven for as long as needed. Downside is they'll have quarters with no 1P releases.

But it's really their own fault at the end of the day.

I didn't but say I was optimistic .

 

[Lord Mittens]

Didn't notice, because I don't give a shit