What is your opinion on gaming subscription services?

[SvennoJ]

Shiken said:

Runa216 said:

I find it disheartening that the entire crux of this argument and the divide between being on one side or the other is whether or not a person cares about monetary value or literally everything else.

Like, the ONLY argument that's pro-subscription is that it's 'cheaper' or 'a better value' or 'gives you more bang for your buck', without considering any other factors. Like, don't get me wrong, I GET it, I understand why this is such a good value, and I do see why you might like it for kids or people who don't really care all that much about ownership, but there are so many other factors to think about for true gamers, collectors, trophy hunters, etc. It's kinda sad that so many are arguing for the services as though the value proposition is all that matters, devaluing the arguments of those who don't find that a factor at all.

Like, money isn't a factor to me at all. I mean, I don't have much money (I'm certifiably poor as fuck), but video Games and my pets are basically all I spend money on outside of bills so I don't care much about the value. What I DO care about is the freedom of ownership, the physical collection, the filled shelves, the ever-expanding need for external hard drives to hold it all, and not having to stream or redownload stuff (I know GamePass doesn't do streaming, but PSNow does and I have 0 interest in it).

My point is, it really is or should be a 50/50 debate based on what matters to you, but reading this thread gives me some weird impression there's more malice and aggression just below the surface than there really should be. like it's a fight just waiting to break out, not a discussion.

@Bold

How the hell does using a service like gamepass make you "not a true gamer" like this implies?  This is not a matter of value or if the person would get the full value because they only play a few games a year, I just want to know exactly what the implication is here.  Because I play 90% of my games to main content completion be it from gamepass or retail, and this makes no sense to me.

Also for Trophy/Achievement hunters, one could argue that gamepass is a godsend for them.  I know a few people that has had their Achievement Score skyrocket because of gamepass, just because there is that many more games to get Achievements from.  So this is counter to your example.

Again, I agree that it should be a 50/50 split.  Services are not for everyone, and not everyone is going to see the full value if they do not play games as much as others.  I just don't see why you would use those two examples as factors that would deter someone from gamepass in any way, shape, or form.

I guess true gamer is a trigger term nowadays. In the ancient times, true supporters are those that support their passion by collecting stuff and visiting matches/performances/concerts. Using a service like gamepass is like watching soccer/concerts/movies on tv. That doesn't make you a true supporter.

What are the consequences of subscription services for collectors (leaving true gamer term out of it). Prices will go up (already to $70) for actually owning a game while collecting complete games becomes more difficult due to the shift to gaas. The shift to digital already eroded the extras, as well as achievements/trophies replacing meaningful things to unlock. Like artwork and making of videos.

The nickel and diming in the games industry is only further accelerated by streaming services. Digital downloads need to be small and the same as physical editions, prices needed to be low, just the bare bones game.

The arguments pro subscription services seem to be these

- Access to more content to try out
I have no issue with that but it's a small minority that will actually convert that try out into a purchase.

- MTX and DLC sales compensate for the loss of initial salve revenue
I have a big issue with that as MTX and DLC are already a big negative on current games.

- Steady income for developers, can take more risk
Erm no, steady income does not stimulate innovation

- Smaller games have more chance to get noticed
Some, maybe, those that conform to / are let on the service. The rest get an even smaller chance?