Xbox Series S/X: Thread 04

[wakka]

This month for me sums up the difference between Sony and Microsoft's approaches to subscriptions. I know we don't have the PS Plus Extra and Premium games for this month yet, but just compare Microsoft's curation to Sony's - Vampire Survivors, Return to Monkey Island, Pentiment and Somerville are all very much games that are much talked about and hyped and that, crucially, are NEW.

The fact that they've leapt straight on Vampire Survivors, a game that emerged from nowhere, and gotten it out on their service as quickly as they have speaks volumes.

Sony's October games were a massive stack of old AssCreeds that could probably all be had in CeX with change out of a £20 note, a big stack of Dragon Quest spinoffs about which the same could be said, and some other old bits and pieces that have all been in more ports than the QE2.

Game Pass gets Somerville, PS Plus gets Inside. That says it all.

Sony really need to pull their fingers out.

[fishbowlhead]

This month for me sums up the difference between Sony and Microsoft's approaches to subscriptions. I know we don't have the PS Plus Extra and Premium games for this month yet, but just compare Microsoft's curation to Sony's - Vampire Survivors, Return to Monkey Island, Pentiment and Somerville are all very much games that are much talked about and hyped and that, crucially, are NEW.

The fact that they've leapt straight on Vampire Survivors, a game that emerged from nowhere, and gotten it out on their service as quickly as they have speaks volumes.

Sony's October games were a massive stack of old AssCreeds that could probably all be had in CeX with change out of a £20 note, a big stack of Dragon Quest spinoffs about which the same could be said, and some other old bits and pieces that have all been in more ports than the QE2.

Game Pass gets Somerville, PS Plus gets Inside. That says it all.

Sony really need to pull their fingers out.

Looks at my shelf with all the actual new games Sony have released, yeaaaarrrrrrrr, I'm good with Sony's approach thanks.

[nonny]

Sony is far too busy hyping the crap out of Ragnarok to care about losing 2m PS+ subscribers. I've just watched the new advert for Ragnarok with Ben Stiller, Le Bron James and John Travolta...

You've got the give them credit, Sony knows how to promote their first party titles.

Outside of their release schedule I'd say their approach to their subscription services is still more of an after thought. Where Xbox is now all about growing game pass through smart deals (and hopefully more day one first party releases), Sony is still clearly all about the old school title launch first... and subscription service later.

I think even after the recent tier refresh to PS+ is still very much the same, besides some extras in the top tiers.

[nonny]

I'll also say this... you look at the monthly additions to game pass, versus the poor selection now going into games with gold and it's clear Xbox are letting that service offering die a slow death.

I guess the only reason they haven't canned it yet is due to this year being pretty slow in overall subscription growth for game pass.

[Cassius_Smoke]

Can anyone remember what the first 6 months of GP games were like? I just wondered how it compares to Sonys first 6 months.
Its a little unfair to compare a new service with something that years old and well baked.

[Cassius_Smoke]

In fact here's the launch list.
Ill be honest, Sonys launch list was better.

https://www.onmsft.com/news/heres-the-complete-list-a-xbox-game-pass-launch-titles

[wakka]

The game done changed since 2017 though my dude. Just bringing fourteen knackered old AssCreed entries to the service in a single month - which feels like it's convenient to the deal-signing team at PS+ HQ, rather than something designed to delight the customer - isn't going to cut it now.

I hear what people are saying about PlayStation having better first party games. Microsoft have literally dropped the ball on first party for a decade straight at this point. But Sony's sell-1-game-for-£70-each approach is old news. The future is subscriptions, and right now Microsoft's approach to executing on that is looking a lot stronger.

I guess the question is, can Sony spin up an aggressively improved PS+ quicker than Microsoft can bolster GPU with strong first parties?

[Cassius_Smoke]

£70 for a game is criminal.
GP pisses all over Sony right now. But is that because its now well established and MS can command more interest from publishers? I dunno.
I know that if I had an Xbox I'd have game pass and not PS+Extra, I don't give a flying **** about Assassins Creed.

Have I found some titles to play on ps+Extra? Sure, quite a few.
Would I have found even more on GP? Absolutely.

[wakka]

Yeah, I only own a PS5, and I only have the most basic PS+. No interest in the upper tiers. I'd pay for them if they were good (if I had an Xbox, I'd deffo have GP). But PS+ Extra and Premium are just a random grab bag of old stuff right now.

[Cassius_Smoke]

Also the 360 back compat stuff on GP is excellent. Loads I want to play again.
Sonys 'Premium' line up is a bag of balls.

[teddymeow]

I have both consoles. I have both Game Pass and the mid-tier PS offering.

I play the PS5 more by a mile - playing those big first party games - they are what I enjoy.

The thought of what is coming to Game Pass in a year or 18 months is really exciting but, bloody hell, Microsoft have taken their sweet time getting the big AAA first party titles to market.

[Neon Ignition]

This will tie in to why Sony is bricking it about Call of Duty. It's not the exclusivity that will shake them, it's having entries appear on Game Pass that will be causing the panic

[wakka]

Yeah, it's exclusivity to the subscription service. Which is going to be the important type of exclusivity in the future. You can absolutely guarantee that it won't be on any tier of PS+.

[hudson]

isnt the true bread n butter of CoD in the here and now, latest MP modes? Personally, I've played Campaign mode once.

[Neon Ignition]

Yep, and I imagine due to all the furore MS will slowly introduce new CODs to the service until they're day and date on GP. Personally, I very much want them to add them one by one starting with the old ones, titles like World at War, Black Ops etc would be given one last chance to have an influx of active MP modes to bask in