PlayStation’s boss Jim Ryan has criticised Xbox Game Pass, claiming publishers unanimously dislike the subscription service.
Xbox Game Pass was introduced all the way back in 2017, and saw a revision with Xbox Game Pass Ultimate in 2019, which combined it with Xbox Live to make one service. It’s faced its fair share of criticism over the years, like recently when Xbox raised the price of the service as well as Xbox Series X consoles, a decision that was met with a lot of backlash from fans.
Starfield is set to be a day one Game Pass release.
Now, the subscription service has come under fire from PlayStation boss Jim Ryan who claims gaming publishers don’t like it. Ryan shared this information during a disposition (via The Verge) for the ongoing Microsoft vs FTC trial - an important time for Microsoft as it’ll determine if it can successfully acquire Activision Blizzard or not.
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Ryan claims to have "talked to all publishers", adding that "they unanimously do not like Game Pass, because it's value destructive." He went on to say it’s a "very commonly held view by publishers.”
If you’re unsure how Game Pass works for developers and publishers, Xbox essentially pay to have games featured on its subscription service for a certain amount of time, whether it be a few weeks or months. A deal could involve a one time payment, or several depending on how long the game stays on the service. Many titles are also added to the service on the first day of their release.
The issue that Jim Ryan is raising is one many developers have discussed in the past, how well would certain games perform on the console if they hadn’t been made a part of the service. The co-founder of independent gaming developer Jumpship discussed Game Pass earlier this year, saying: "I also think it [Game Pass] hurts sales. Because a lot of people just go in and try it, and they don't invest. If they don't like the first 10 minutes? That's it. Also, if you don't make the first 10 minutes amazing, maybe it's also a problem.”
The Microsoft vs FTC battle wages on, amidst allegations that Xbox had plans to put PlayStation out of business by buying several game studios, as well as making more games exclusive to Xbox consoles, such as Starfield.
Featured Image Credit: XboxTopics: Xbox, Xbox Game Pass, Microsoft, PlayStation, Sony, PC