3 ms·

In some way this seems like a message from the future of the games industry (with Netflix, Apple, Microsoft, Amazon, etc pushing their game subscription service

by ido 4y ago

In some way this seems like a message from the future of the games industry (with Netflix, Apple, Microsoft, Amazon, etc pushing their game subscription services but a few years behind TV streaming)… So far I was surprised by how much Amazon and Google have blundered in this space (despite spending 100s of millions $). Netflix seem to be going in a better direction (time will tell) and Apple are focusing on the family friendly/casual niche (and I think doing ok there). MS we’re early movers in this space (with GamePass) and seem to be doing well.

flohofwoe 4y ago
This already happened, maybe even before the movie industry. There are plenty of long running and very profitable online games that fly under the radar of most AAA gamers, and even AAA games are designed for longterm 'player engagement' for quite some time now. When you look at Steam Charts, it's mostly 'evergreen' games that make up the top group: https://steamcharts.com/ https://steamcharts.com/
- ido 4y ago
  Right, but the wholesale massive move of the entire industry to subscription services (offering access to X games for a fixed monthly cost) is happening in movies a few years before games. What you're talking about are single games offering a subscription which is a step in that direction, but not quite the same (you're still paying for each individual game - and usually to the developer of that game - not to a distribution company to provide you an entire growing catalogue of games).
  - cdogl 4y ago
    There hasn’t been a “wholesale massive move of the entire” games industry to subscription services. Game Pass is big, but the market is gigantic and diverse.
    - ido 4y ago
      Right, that's what I was saying. At least not yet...
  - flohofwoe 4y ago
    True, Microsoft (and I think Sony too) already have such services, but those two have more power over game publishers on their respective platforms than Valve or Epic have on PC. But in the context of a 'hit-driven business model' a subscription service versus free-to-play versus DLC-supported games doesn't make much of a difference, both game developers and gamers have been moving towards long-term support of fewer 'evergreen' games and IPs for a long time.

by ido 4y ago

flohofwoe 4y ago

This already happened, maybe even before the movie industry. There are plenty of long running and very profitable online games that fly under the radar of most AAA gamers, and even AAA games are designed for longterm 'player engagement' for quite some time now. When you look at Steam Charts, it's mostly 'evergreen' games that make up the top group: https://steamcharts.com/ https://steamcharts.com/

ido 4y ago
Right, but the wholesale massive move of the entire industry to subscription services (offering access to X games for a fixed monthly cost) is happening in movies a few years before games. What you're talking about are single games offering a subscription which is a step in that direction, but not quite the same (you're still paying for each individual game - and usually to the developer of that game - not to a distribution company to provide you an entire growing catalogue of games).
- cdogl 4y ago
  There hasn’t been a “wholesale massive move of the entire” games industry to subscription services. Game Pass is big, but the market is gigantic and diverse.
  - ido 4y ago
    Right, that's what I was saying. At least not yet...
- flohofwoe 4y ago
  True, Microsoft (and I think Sony too) already have such services, but those two have more power over game publishers on their respective platforms than Valve or Epic have on PC. But in the context of a 'hit-driven business model' a subscription service versus free-to-play versus DLC-supported games doesn't make much of a difference, both game developers and gamers have been moving towards long-term support of fewer 'evergreen' games and IPs for a long time.