Support NeoGAF

[splattered]

How is it pointless? I don't want to pay an extra $5 for Game Pass.

Base Gamepass and XBLG both currently cost $9.99 per month, they would be better off just merging all of the benefits into the $9.99 Gamepass and ditching what is currently known as Gold altogether.

 

[FrankWza]

You KNOW MS are expecting Starfield to sell ganbusters and be the reason consoles fly off the shelves this holiday season, they're literally just being greedy in hopes Starfield makes them a shit ton of money. And idiots with money will not care and continue to support their shitty practices.

Spoiler

 

[Torrent of Pork]

Not to stray too deep into politics, but inflation is a serious bitch. If $2 per month is what it takes to keep GamePass where it is then so be it.

Ask your congress critters getting kickbacks from weapons manufacturers and pharma why your dollar spends for less than it did 3 years ago.

 

[Andrenicks]

It is clear that by now the pool of potential subscribers is basically over. Seeing that they no longer have a chance to increase the number of subscribers they squeeze a little more out of those they already have. This is evidenced by the fact that on PC, a market that still has growth potential, the price has not increased.

 

[splattered]

Just like I said...Damn, I thought they would AT LEAST wait until Starfield to prevent sub bleedings

Yeah for sure, people are going to be unsubscribing to Gamepass in DROVES with Starfield and Forza Motorsports on the horizon this fall... just wait. They're gonna have like three people left with an active subscription by the time the Game of the Generation lands. What were they THINKING!?

 

[feynoob]

Not to stray too deep into politics, but inflation is a serious bitch. If $2 per month is what it takes to keep GamePass where it is then so be it.

Ask your congress critters getting kickbacks from weapons manufacturers and pharma why your dollar spends for less than it did 3 years ago.

We want to get mad.
We know it's due to inflation, but let us go ham little bit.

 

[DeepEnigma]

More like "splattered," amirite!

 

[Kacho]

Base Gamepass and XBLG both currently cost $9.99 per month, they would be better off just merging all of the benefits into the $9.99 Gamepass and ditching what is currently known as Gold altogether.

Gotcha. I didn't know there was a base version of Game Pass for the same price. That makes sense.

 

[bender]

So what if anything do we read into PC Game Pass pricing staying flat?

 

[Heisenberg007]

A 13% increase in Game Pass Ultimate!

 

[balls of snow]

This is how it starts. Its no longer about growth, now sustainability is the mantra. Squeeze every cent from your subscribers. Netflix model to the T.

 

[Bojanglez]

This is true to form, I remember saying this in the thread where people were celebrating that they didn't plan to increase prices (sept 2022)....

Phil being Phil, you always have to take his words literally and not in good faith, so “No plans today” to increase console prices, doesn't mean they will not.

Also his definition of competition is interesting
“Competition is about driving competitors to innovate, competition is to do new things like cloud, like subscriptions and building new intellectual property”
His actions
- Jump on the cloud gaming bandwagon, whilst leveraging their parent company's position in a very uncompetitive market to gain an advantage
- Built no new IP of significance for 2 generations of consoles
- Buy out whole publishers in an attempt to (most likely using the parent company's profits from dominance in other markets to make these acquisitions)

All of the above are not really innovating, they are calculated corporate moves that will reshape the industry, for better or for worse. The outrage that people had when MS were making their games all online only and single license, now people are all in on GamePass (which is effectively the same except games can be taken away), as soon as they get in a dominant position, I wouldn't be surprised if they remove game 'sales' completely or at least physical.

 

[StealthGoblin]

Given the value that is about to enter the service (Forza, Starfield etc) then I’m not surprised and I actually expected a greater price rise.

Any price increase does make competitors services even more value for money though.

 

[Banjo64]

Still more. Those UK's enjoying cheap shit, while we Americans have to pay more.

I’m not sure if this is satire but the UK has been locked in a cost of living crisis for 18 months.

Mortgage rates have shot up from 1% to 6%, adding £200-£300 per month in interest to people’s mortgages. Energy prices shot up by over 100%. Supermarket costs for everything have increased over the current sky high rate of inflation.

To say we are getting anything for cheap is a joke. This country had to pay the equivalent of $800 for a PS3 when the Pound was twice as strong as the Dollar. We always have been raped.

 

[splattered]

I stand by both statements... Sony chose to do it when the economy was even WORSE. Microsoft is doing it now before their next big thing arrives. Sucks in both cases but i'm not gonna cry about it.

 

[Dr. Suchong]

Obviously a creative choice this one

Lol, came here to say this. Beaten.

 

[Liamario]

Surely XBOX need to look at reducing prices?!

 

[DeepEnigma]

Not to stray too deep into politics, but inflation is a serious bitch. If $2 per month is what it takes to keep GamePass where it is then so be it.

Ask your congress critters getting kickbacks from weapons manufacturers and pharma why your dollar spends for less than it did 3 years ago.

And shutting down the mom and pop economies driving small businesses, out of business, while allowing mega corp to stay open creating a wealth vacuum and increase to their already bloated footprints.

 

[Alebrije]

Starfield Effect....

" do you see that moon , you can go there too" ....just for a small increase price on our service..

 

[Bumblebeetuna]

Base Gamepass and XBLG both currently cost $9.99 per month, they would be better off just merging all of the benefits into the $9.99 Gamepass and ditching what is currently known as Gold altogether.

But then what is the perk of Ultimate? I do GPU because it combines GP and Gold. The PC use is nice but not super important to me. If base GP also had Gold, there’d be much less reason for Ultimate.

 

[MikeM]

Consoles increasing in price 3 years into the generation? So wild.

Kiss the pro consoles goodbye.

 

[octiny]

I'm safe, still $9.99 for PC GP.

Although to be fair, I haven't paid the last 3 months because of MS Rewards

 

[Torrent of Pork]

And shutting down the pop and pop economies driving small businesses, out of business, while allowing mega corp to stay open creating a wealth vacuum and increase to their already bloated footprints.

It's almost like we're all equal, but some people are more equal than others.

 

[feynoob]

I’m not sure if this is satire but the UK has been locked in a cost of living crisis for 18 months.

Mortgage rates have shot up from 1% to 6%, adding £200-£300 per month in interest to people’s mortgages. Energy prices shot up by over 100%. Supermarket costs for everything have increased over the current sky high rate of inflation.

To say we are getting anything for cheap is a joke. This country had to pay the equivalent of $800 for a PS3 when the Pound was twice as strong as the Dollar. We always have been raped.

Same here. Food and everything is above the roof.
We got extra $300 on our house rent. Electricity, car insurance and everything else went up.

It's why I can't buy a lot of games like I used to. I am rationing my money.

 

[Topher]

I'm safe, still $9.99 for PC GP.

Although to be fair, I haven't paid the last 3 months because of MS Rewards

That's why I ain't stressed about this at all. MS Rewards still has me covered.

 

[FrankWza]

I'm safe, still $9.99 for PC GP.

Although to be fair, I haven't paid the last 3 months because of MS Rewards

 

[Heisenberg007]

 

[GHG]

Cost of living was higher then especially fuel cost in my country. Sony also introduced these price increases before the holiday season which IMO was not the best for us the consumers. While interest rates continue to rise food costs are starting to fall now. Ultimately things are starting to look better now for the average household than it did then.

Here's the situation with the Euro against the Dollar:

The euro is now stronger against the dollar than it was last year when Sony raised their prices and it has maintained it's strength since it started it's recovery last September, but yet they are still raising prices in across the Eurozone.

US inflation (which is what will concern them), peaked in June of last year and has been gradually coming down since. This impacts how much it costs them to conduct business.

So yes, you are right when you said the market is "completely different", according to all measurable economic metrics it's better now than it was when Sony raised their prices. In fact, as a business they stand to gain more from doing these price increases now compared to when Sony did theirs. Funny that.

 

[Kvally]

In context:

"Here, the acquisition would benefit consumers by making COD available on Microsoft’s Game Pass on the day it is released on console (with no price increase for the service based on the acquisition)"

Which means they are not going to increase the price of Game Pass based on the acquisition. I take that to mean that after they acquire Activision, they are not going to start charging $19.99 a month instead of $9.99 (example) a month to offset the cost of the merger and to stick it to the consumer.

Phil said last year that he wasn't going to raise any prices before the holiday.

Xbox may have to raise prices, says Phil Spencer, but not before the holidays

Xbox Game Pass is also finally turning a profit for the company

www.polygon.com

“We’ve held price on our console; we’ve held price on games and our subscription,” said Spencer. “I don’t think we’ll be able to do that forever. I do think at some point we’ll have to raise some prices on certain things, but going into this holiday we thought it was really important that we maintain the prices we have.”

 

[MarkMe2525]

what did I say?

Lying Phil is working hard again, wonder what his excuses are this time

Was your prediction that at some indefinite time in the future the price would rise? A regular Nostradamus.

 

[Stuart360]

And shutting down the pop and pop economies driving small businesses, out of business, while allowing mega corp to stay open creating a wealth vacuum and increase to their already bloated footprints.

For all the shit and scorn Alex Jones gets (rightly so often lol), he was saying this 15 years ago.

 

[splattered]

But then what is the perk of Ultimate? I do GPU because it combines GP and Gold. The PC use is nice but not super important to me. If base GP also had Gold, there’d be much less reason for Ultimate.

Honestly if it were me i would create the base/general Gamepass tier, and then offer the family plan. Adjust prices accordingly and sit on it for a while. I don't like when these companies put out several different tiers of service.

 

[solidus12]

Somebody please check on this Xbox journalist.

 

[DeepEnigma]

It's almost like we're all equal, but some people are more equal than others.

You be the piggie and I will be the doggie on this farm!

But, you can't get your hair done, only I can.

 

[Negotiator101]

Here's the situation with the Euro against the Dollar:

The euro is now stronger against the dollar than it was last year when Sony raised their prices and it has maintained it's strength since it started it's recovery last September, but yet they are still raising prices in across the Eurozone.

US inflation (which is what will concern them), peaked in June of last year and has been gradually coming down since. This impacts how much it costs them to conduct business.

So yes, you are right when you said the market is "completely different", according to all measurable economic metrics it's better now than it was when Sony raised their prices. In fact, as a business they stand to gain more from doing these price increases now compared to when Sony did theirs. Funny that.

I don't live in the US, cost of living for the average households is less now, that's as simple as it gets.

 

[StereoVsn]

Well, technically they increased it before the merger closed.

 

[AtomicStarving]

 

[Stuart360]

Wait so is the Activision thing actually happening now?, i havent been following but i thought it was close to dead.

 

[feynoob]

I think you need a bigger list.
Should include everyone here, since we are crying about it, including you. don't forget it.

 

[Banjo64]

Same here. Food and everything is above the roof.
We got extra $300 on our house rent. Electricity, car insurance and everything else went up.

It's why I can't buy a lot of games like I used to. I am rationing my money.

Yeah but we have to pay a license for the TV and for using pedestrian crossings.

 

[DeepEnigma]

Here's the situation with the Euro against the Dollar:

The euro is now stronger against the dollar than it was last year when Sony raised their prices and it has maintained it's strength since it started it's recovery last September, but yet they are still raising prices in across the Eurozone.

US inflation (which is what will concern them), peaked in June of last year and has been gradually coming down since. This impacts how much it costs them to conduct business.

So yes, you are right when you said the market is "completely different", according to all measurable economic metrics it's better now than it was when Sony raised their prices. In fact, as a business they stand to gain more from doing these price increases now compared to when Sony did theirs. Funny that.

Yeah, don't fuck with GHG if you want to mental gymnastics around this with "cost of living," "inflation," "dollar value," etc..

He always has them receipts. The inflation was hardest felt last year because that's when it spiked 10%-20% on most consumer goods, it has normalized and flatlined since. Still expensive, yes, but the initial impact felt, well, the most impactful.

 

[Heisenberg007]

By the way, if anybody thinks "well, it's just $1 to $2", this is exactly how subscription services are increased.

• Netflix is raising prices again by $1 to $2 for every plan
• Disney raises streaming prices by $3 per month
• Hulu raises its subscription prices from $6.99 to $7.99 per month
• HBO Max’s first price hike raises the monthly rate by $1
• Amazon is increasing the price of its Prime subscription service from $6.99 per month to $9.99 per month

And before we know it, Netflix went from $8 p/m to $20 p/m.

 

[splattered]

Wait so is the Activision thing actually happening now?, i havent been following but i thought it was close to dead.

No probably not.

Would be the biggest shock of the gaming century, but in all seriousness it's most likely never gonna happen.

 

[Topher]

Sony chose to do it when the economy was even WORSE.

Fuck Sony. How did they expect people to eat AND buy a PS5?

 

[bender]

Now I'm going to hear that laugh in my head all day long.

 

[Helghan]

Normal price increase

 

[feynoob]

Yeah but we have to pay a license for the TV and for using pedestrian crossings.

We pay something called city taxes on top of state and federal taxes. Shit takes too much money from us.
I don't if you guys pay that.

 

[DeepEnigma]

Somebody please check on this Xbox journalist.

 

[Heisenberg007]

Wait so is the Activision thing actually happening now?, i havent been following but i thought it was close to dead.

No, still in limbo with more chances of falling apart than being approved. This price increase has more to do with Zenimax's acquisition.

 

[Gambit2483]

Yeah for sure, people are going to be unsubscribing to Gamepass in DROVES with Starfield and Forza Motorsports on the horizon this fall... just wait. They're gonna have like three people left with an active subscription by the time the Game of the Generation lands. What were they THINKING!?

There were already people dropping Gamepass since their weaker showings earlier this year and Redfall.

I can see more dropping it now that it's increasing and resubbing just for Starfield in November.