Microsoft is continuing the trend of “early access” which lets you pay full price for a deluxe version of a game or additional cost through gamepas to gain access to it a week early. They are doing it with Starfield and they are doing it with Forza Motorsport this fall. It essentially allows them recoup cost by selling games to their most loyal fans outside of gamepass. Considering a good amount of profit is made from games within the first week, they are simply still abiding by the old code of selling games like playstation and nintendo. Essentially having their cake and eating it too.
There are a huge subset of players that will wait for gamepass, but as we all know FOMO is a bitch. Before it was just a weekend early, now its an entire week. Can you imagine sitting on your hands while people are playing stuff like Spider-Man, God of War, FFXVI a week early? If its competitive multiplayer they are getting a head start at playing the game better than everyone else, if its a single player game theres an entire week of open spoilers to avoid. They are pretty much selling FOMO to their audience.
Some may say this is the price of getting full priced games “free” with gamepass but there’s also the weird logic behind actual gamepass members paying for early access to games and content they don’t actually own. For example, if you buy the Starfield deluxe which includes the early access you also get the first DLC expansion, whats weird is you’re buying DLC for game that could be taken off the service whenever they want. They’ve promised to keep first party games on it in perpetuity but its impossible to make that promise. Forza Motorsport also has additional content in early access, the problem is the previous forza Motorsport games have been removed from the service. You cannot buy or play any Forza Motorsport game currently if you don’t already own it, its easy to assume the same thing will happen with the new one due to licensing.
Its sounds cute to call it an “early access” and make people feel special but the game is done. It’s not “early” you’re just delaying the gamepass release, essentially treating them as lesser valued customers. They’re undermining their entire “everyone plays” mantra and to a far greater extent the benefits of being a part of gamepass.
I remember there being significant pushback to sony offering demo’s (timed trials) to premium subscribers only, but i feel like something like this is far more egregious. You’re pretty much creating a hierarchy of fans through who’s willing to pay more and sooner, to play games. That doesn’t sound very egalitarian of them.
There are a huge subset of players that will wait for gamepass, but as we all know FOMO is a bitch. Before it was just a weekend early, now its an entire week. Can you imagine sitting on your hands while people are playing stuff like Spider-Man, God of War, FFXVI a week early? If its competitive multiplayer they are getting a head start at playing the game better than everyone else, if its a single player game theres an entire week of open spoilers to avoid. They are pretty much selling FOMO to their audience.
Some may say this is the price of getting full priced games “free” with gamepass but there’s also the weird logic behind actual gamepass members paying for early access to games and content they don’t actually own. For example, if you buy the Starfield deluxe which includes the early access you also get the first DLC expansion, whats weird is you’re buying DLC for game that could be taken off the service whenever they want. They’ve promised to keep first party games on it in perpetuity but its impossible to make that promise. Forza Motorsport also has additional content in early access, the problem is the previous forza Motorsport games have been removed from the service. You cannot buy or play any Forza Motorsport game currently if you don’t already own it, its easy to assume the same thing will happen with the new one due to licensing.
Its sounds cute to call it an “early access” and make people feel special but the game is done. It’s not “early” you’re just delaying the gamepass release, essentially treating them as lesser valued customers. They’re undermining their entire “everyone plays” mantra and to a far greater extent the benefits of being a part of gamepass.
I remember there being significant pushback to sony offering demo’s (timed trials) to premium subscribers only, but i feel like something like this is far more egregious. You’re pretty much creating a hierarchy of fans through who’s willing to pay more and sooner, to play games. That doesn’t sound very egalitarian of them.
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