Imagine having your Xbox One hard drive full of games you haven’t had to pay a premium price to download or physically own. How wonderful a possibility would that be? Microsoft seems to think it’s an excellent idea, and today has revealed to the world its Xbox Game Pass subscription service. It’s a service which could change the companies console gaming proposition forever!
The Xbox Game Pass
So what has this service got to offer the Xbox One owner? Well, to start with when launched it will offer access to over 100 titles. These games will come from a varied array of developers, such as:
- 2K
- 505 Games
- BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment
- Capcom
- Codemasters
- Deep Silver
- Focus Home Interactive
- SEGA
- SNK CORPORATION
- THQ
- Nordic GmbH
- Warner Bros Interactive Entertainment
- Microsoft Studios
As for what games will be available, of course, titles for the current console will predominantly be on offer. However, games for the Xbox 360 will also be available much like the Xbox Gold subscription provides. Now, if you think this is somewhat similar to the paid for Electronic Arts subscription you’re correct. But, with more games on offer from the developers mentioned above, it takes the idea to a whole new level.
No Streaming of Games
While others are looking to streaming services for gaming experiences, Microsoft has decided not to do the same. Why? Apparently, it talked to gamers during the development of Xbox Game Pass, and their primary concern was with bandwidth. If you don’t already know, streaming services of any kind require a robust server side setup with redundancy. Additionally, a reliable minimum 40mb per second internet connection at the consumer end is needed. Together, these give provider and service the best chance of a happy relationship.
However, seeing as not all is equal, the concerns of gamers proved to Microsoft that providing a download service. Which would avoid for the most part the headaches of streaming was the most viable route to market.
Downoading and the Cost
As you know, Microsoft will make games available for download, but early information points to these being available on a device for 30-days. Why that length of time, and what happens next? We don’t know. However, we will endeavor to discover an answer!
Moving on to cost the company said $9.99 would give users access to the library of titles. Whether this is just a starting package with limitations, that has yet to be seen, but again we will keep you appraised of the details.
During today’s announcement Microsoft said:
One of the best things about Xbox Game Pass is that you can discover and download the full titles directly on your Xbox One. That means continuous, full-fidelity gameplay without having to worry about streaming, bandwidth or connectivity issues.
Will the role out and subsequent use of such a service be seamless? We doubt it, no such service comes error free!
Extra’s
Along with the game downloads and possible uninterrupted gameplay Xbox Game Pass will come with perks. These perks consist of savings on season passes and in-game content, something which is already available on Xbox Live. However, Microsoft hopes that its developer partners will also include offers for subscribers, which expands on an already tested idea.
Microsoft expects the service to go live in the Spring, but it has not elaborated on what territories. That could mean that a worldwide roll out could be on the cards!
Will you take advantage of this new service? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.
