Microsoft can keep the games on gamepass and not make them exclusive...

They could, but then it won’t grow. Not at the speed they want anyway. If PS gamers know the big guns will come eventually, 6 months, a year...many will wait it out. Many will make the move out of necessity to play the game day 1 for fear of missing out but that won’t spark the exodus MS wants. They want millions of people buying Xbox and subbing Game Pass for each big game. 

Like I said, at least Xbox isn’t a walled garden like Sony. Very accessible. 

I think you're kind of making the point. Maybe Sony hasn't gotten sloppy exactly. But, they don't seem to be trying anything new.  Cranking out good games is very important. Generally speaking, it's probably the most important thing for a publisher, especially the console marketer, to do.  But, that's something that can easily be copied. Microsoft is definitely trying to do that same thing. We don't know for sure if they're going to succeed, but they're definitely trying.  

On the other hand, Microsoft has come up with a new distribution model and is trying a tiered console strategy.  Either or both of these things may not work out for microsoft. But, they're trying. That's innovation that moves the industry forward.  Whether Microsoft succeeds in launching a bunch of good exclusive games over the next couple years or not, somebody will eventually get on a hot streak with games, and Sony will at some point hit a cold streak. When that happens, if Sony doesn't have any other feathers in their cap they're going to take a beating in the marketplace.  

As gamers, we all want good games. Sony has definitely been delivering that.  That's great.  I buy most of the Sony first party AAA games.  I want them to keep doing that. But, Microsoft is getting money from me every month for a Gamepass subscription.  I appreciate this new distribution model, as it encourages me to play games that I otherwise might not have.  If Sony will respond to the Gamepass threat, or otherwise do something new and different, that may result in another awesome thing for me to benefit from.  

As for the tiered console strategy, I'm not sure that it's going to benefit me directly, at least in the short term. But, opening up the ecosystem to people that are unwilling or unable to spend for the top tier systems strikes me as beneficial all around.  I think gaming is a great hobby.  I want every human that is interested in doing so to be able to play great games.  This is the first time that I've seen a console manufacturer start the generation with an option that puts the system in reach of more people.  So I think that's just a generally good development in gaming.  But, let's say it results in an additional 10 million or 20 million people owning consoles over the next several years.  That's a direct benefit to all of us that play games.  That just makes the industry pie that much bigger, leaving room for more developers and publishers, more resources for more innovation, and just otherwise helps propel the industry forward.  

Anyway, I don't want to cheerlead for Microsoft too much. I just appreciate what they're doing.  I want to see Sony do cool stuff too.  

To tie it all back in to the OP, I'll just say that buying Bethesda is a huge competitive move by Microsoft. Maybe it will help to wake Sony up. Microsoft this week is in a much better position to compete with Sony's strategy of cranking out hits.  The sooner that Sony realizes that they have to do other things, in addition to cranking out hits, the better for all of us.  This move can only help in that regard.

Ok, but regardless your first post still makes no sense. Exclusivity is not necessary for gamepass. Most games on gamepass are not exclusive. Minecraft Dungeons being a 1st party multiplat that is on it.

Of course Game Pass has mostly multiplats but you need exclusives to have that motivation to sub. 1st party gives that motivation. 

Minecraft is the exception, it’s multiplat status was decided years ago before Phil Spencer became head of Xbox.

Then it's not adding value. The games would've gone to the GamePass even if they weren't bought by MS anyway, it only hurts those who play in other ecosystems.

They said they believe in generations and have games (at launch as well) that are exclusive to PS5. Sure they could've been clearer but we do have exclusive next gen experiences day 1 like promised.

Spiderman is backwards compatible so you do not need to buy Spiderman again, according to them a lot of work went into the remaster which is why they are charging for it. We'll see if it's worth it, I doubt it is but we won't know until it comes out.

Day 1 exclusives to PS now is never something you would've expected from them, and to say it's anti consumer to not do so is really weird. Microsoft can afford to lose money on Gamepass basically forever until it spreads enough and they slowly price up the subscription enough for it to make money. Sony can't, why would they leave a tried and true business model to then lose money every year on a service they clearly don't need to have?

Pot and kettle on that spiderman exclusive deal. 

Not day 1 though. Buying Bethesda gets it day 1. I stay in the loop with all the early adopters instead of having to wait a year for it to come to Game Pass like most 3rd party games. 

So I save time in no waiting, money, and I have something the competition doesn’t. Value. 

Like I said they aren’t 2006 Sony. But by comparison they certainly asking for more money when compared to what Xbox is doing. And they are far from as transparent. 

Imo they ask for more money because they can.

They are asking for more money, 100%. It would be anti consumer if Microsoft's model was Sony's model last gen and now they decide they want to charge money for each game. But that's not what happened here. MS is doing their own very expensive thing, and to call Sony anti-consumer for not copying them is illogical at best. 

It's like if Samsung started including 2 spare batteries, and chucked in a smaller version of the phone in for free. You couldn't call Oneplus anti consumer cause they can't afford to do that ahaha.