PS Plus Is a Better Model Than Game Pass, Devs Agree

Reply Agree 14 Disagree 61

Reaper22_193d ago (Edited 193d ago )

Just look at all the down votes. Thats just shows how much disdain people here have for Microsoft and xbox. You liking gamepass just cancels out the fact you like psplus also. And people claim there aren't any double standards here.🤔

S2Killinit192d ago (Edited 192d ago )

Or maybe its because he takes a consolatory tone to get people’s sympathies so they dont go
Too hard on MS.

Peoples’ reputations do follow them you know.

Agree 34 Disagree 5

Chevalier192d ago

Show

Kornholic192d ago (Edited 192d ago )

Nah. People who love and value video games just don't want to see others destroying the thing they are passionate about.

Agree 19 Disagree 0

Terry_B192d ago

yup. You must be O. Observer.

Agree 8 Disagree 2

GamerRN192d ago

You were able to determine TONE of a post?! That's impressive. It's almost like that's just how you read it, and you inserted your own tone to suit your narrative.

Agree 1 Disagree 2

redrum06192d ago

The PS fanboyism is childish and a stain on this website, but then again N4G is known for it

Agree 1 Disagree 3

Reply Agree 9 Disagree 26

+ Show (3) more repliesLast reply 192d ago

lelo2play192d ago

Game Pass might not be viable for developers, but for the consumer it's a much better deal than PS+. It's not even close.
A consumer that claims otherwise can only a blind fanboy.

anast192d ago

It's actually worse because it lowers the quality. I'd rather have one nice thing than a bunch sh%& things.

Agree 16 Disagree 7

Kornholic192d ago (Edited 192d ago )

You talk about blind fanboys but show severe myopia yourself. How ironic.

Imagine being so out of touch, that in a single sentence you acknowledge Game Pass being harmful for developers yet you fail to see how that business model will also impact consumers negatively in the long run. Unbelievable.

PS. Consumers are experiencing those negative impacts as we speak.

Agree 4 Disagree 1

crazyCoconuts192d ago

Just like being unemployed is great for you because you have a lot of free time and don't have to go to work.
There's that nagging "sustainability" thing....

Agree 1 Disagree 0

MontyeKristo188d ago

@Anast - it actually doesn't. It's up to the developer have much quality they want their game to be. But, let's look at for example.. Concord. Sony's PS5 game that shuttered after, what, a few weeks? What's the exuse/reason there?

It's a cop out to say it lowers the quality - just to push your narrative. Not to mention that 'quality' is subjective to each person.

+ Show (1) more replyLast reply 188d ago

GamerRN192d ago

Darth, you aren't allowed to like both here, you know that.

Reply Agree 0 Disagree 4

Reply Agree 19 Disagree 5

pwnmaster3000193d ago (Edited 193d ago )

So for me.
As a consumer.
If I started off fresh, like first console was series X and PS5, gamepass would be better because of the library it has.

But my PSplus has over 200+ games from the monthly free plus the premium catalog.
So I’ll chose PSplus.
But that’s just me

I have both and enjoy them both.
I often switch between the two.

JBlaze226191d ago

yeah I seen the list of those 200+ games that 90% locked behind the premium model which you random games from random sony catalog in which they might remove and sell back to you. I remember Sony gave me Days gone for free off ps+ to be later removed from my library and put into premium, yeah real pro consumer. Sorry but Xbox has better quality titles on gamepass over ps+ and offer better perks but that is just me. Sony ruined it by increasing the essentials from 60 to 80 while adding nothing for the increase

Reply Agree 0 Disagree 3

pwnmaster3000191d ago (Edited 191d ago )

I’m taking the monthly games you get for having plus.
Those don’t go away once you claimed them, plus the premium catalog.
I have so much games from them it’s crazy.
That’s why If I can only keep 1 I would go ps plus because I have more games then game pass.

But like I said if I was fresh and didn’t have any of that, game pass for sure.

And I don’t know what better perks you are talking about.

Reply Agree 15 Disagree 4

jznrpg193d ago (Edited 193d ago )

It’s the better model but in a perfect world we would all buy our games so we can vote with our wallets and ensure better quality. I sub to PS plus, not for the games, for the cloud saves and if I want to play Souls games with friends. For me the digital games are a small bonus that I rarely use.

anast192d ago

You got it.

franwex193d ago

Gamepass would be fine if it’s Microsoft’s 1st party games day one like, Forza, Halo, Gears. It started to be bad when they started buying up studios and publishers to pad it up due to not getting their own teams managed correctly. Now what they bought is getting miss managed like the rest of their first party games originally did.

Ultimately it has come down to just some outright horrid management and irrelevance of Xbox to Microsoft’s business executives. Which can stem from Xbox management not being able to articulate their own relevance and importance to Microsoft. Bill Gates and Steve Balmer were gamers. Satya Nadella doesn’t show that enthusiasm for gaming and based on the horrible management from Xbox, why would he?

Reply Agree 4 Disagree 6

PhillyDonJawn192d ago

What did they buy that got mismanaged? The games that got the came were from studios before the recent buys

Reply Agree 24 Disagree 6

neutralgamer1992193d ago

The reason it’s a better model is because it gives developers a chance to first sell their games at full MSRP, letting them recoup costs and earn revenue from early sales. Then, once that wave is over, they can choose to bring the game to PlayStation Plus and get a payout from Sony. But when a brand-new AAA blockbuster launches directly on Game Pass, it might not sell a million copies—even if 15 million people play it—so developers miss out on royalties, bonuses, and actual sales

Reply Agree 16 Disagree 4

lodossrage193d ago

@neutralgamer1992,

what you just explained is the crux of why the day1 initiative of Gamepass was doomed to be unsustainable. The fact that people couldn't see that getting brand new games that cost 90 million and up to make got pennies on the dollar wouldn't work is outrageous.

Even Microsoft realized how untenable it was, that's why day 1 is only in the ultimate version of Gamepass now

Reaper22_193d ago (Edited 193d ago )

If its so unsustainable why is it still here and subscriptions are going up not down. You people have been saying that since gamepass started but yet have no evidence to back up that claim. The only reason sony won't put in day one releases is because they can't. Their shareholders won't allow it and they know it. Sony is not as cash rich as microsoft so they simply can't afford yo do what a trillion dollar company can which is why Microsoft doesn't see them as competition like before.

Agree 6 Disagree 33

neutralgamer1992193d ago (Edited 193d ago )

Most AAA games today cost $150–200 million. $90 million is considered low-end, and publishers like Sony, Microsoft, Bethesda, EA, Ubisoft, and Take-Two usually spend more

So after spending that kind of money your game is played by 15 million players yet the actual sales are less than 1 million that's a problem. Expedition 33 is a clear example of this. It sold 90% of its copies on PS5 and PC. If there was on GP it would have sold 1-2 million that's 100 million dollars minus the 30% cut for Xbox. We aren't talking about small pocket change

In a November 2022 earnings call, Zelnick stated:

> "I don't think that ever made sense. I still don't think it makes sense. And I believe that it's now becoming obvious that it doesn't make sense. It's just a lost opportunity for the publisher."
He argues that while subscription models may work for catalog titles, they are not suitable for new releases. Zelnick emphasized that Take-Two's decisions are based on rational economic considerations, noting:

> "Our skepticism has been around making frontline console products available day and date with subscription. That doesn’t make any sense to us because, economically speaking, we don’t think consumers are prepared to pay for that – why would they? – and we can’t afford to turn our business upside down in a way that doesn’t make sense economically."

While Take-Two has occasionally added older titles to subscription services—such as Grand Theft Auto V and Red Dead Redemption—Zelnick maintains that day-one releases on these platforms are unlikely. He believes that subscription services are better suited for catalog titles and avid consumers who play a variety of games each month

Agree 14 Disagree 5

neutralgamer1992193d ago (Edited 193d ago )

MS has laid off 20k plus and they are worth 3 trillion even they are saying they can't sustain this. The only way Game Pass is profitable is when Microsoft does not account for its first party games development cost. And those are the games that cost the most those are AAA Blockbuster Games

But you keep believing what you want reality is much different and the way we see it is the days of gamepass or numbered Microsoft will not keep putting money into it just like Nokia and just like Skype once they're done they will simply move on they are not the kind of company who keeps making bad investments just because the initial investment was bad

Agree 14 Disagree 5

lodossrage193d ago (Edited 193d ago )

@Reaper22_

Just because it's still around is not the same thing as sustainable.

Why do you think that day 1 games, something ALL GAMEPASS subscribers enjoyed suddenly turned into something ONLY ultimate subscribers can enjoy? The answer, it's because they need more of you to PAY to try to cover the cost.

Not sure why you brought them up (/s) but this has nothing to do with Sony. But the fact of the matter is the PS Plus model works because:

1 - it doesn't deprive sales from new games during their prime sales window
2- the devs can still get a check from Sony after the sale window has passed, making it a win for everyone involved.

And yes, Microsoft can afford plenty. XBOX can't. Which is why the hammer has been coming down on Xbox in the first place.

Come on, do you REALLY think getting games for pennies on the dollar on a service that not only has to cover the cost of day 1 games, but ALL the games on the service is sustainable? Get Real

Agree 16 Disagree 4

derek192d ago

Microsoft always knew it was unsustainable they have number crunchers to. They are a 3 trillion dollar company that can afford to take big gambles like drive down the value of games in exchange for the hope of growing a large subscription base. Gamble didn't work.

Agree 8 Disagree 0

PhillyDonJawn192d ago

If it was unsustainable ms wouldve been shut day one games down. They're still offering it so it must be making enough for them

Agree 1 Disagree 4

+ Show (3) more repliesLast reply 192d ago

anast192d ago

It's only good for games that would have been otherwise buried on Steam.

Reply Agree 0 Disagree 3

lodossrage192d ago (Edited 192d ago )

@PhillyDonJawn

Wrong.

Disney Plus has been losing money since day 1. That's why just like most over services, they have ad tiers with the no ad tiers making you pay more. The reason those kind of changes happen is because their current models aren't sustainable.

Same with Microsoft. The reason now ONLY Ulimate Gamepass members have access to day 1 while it was taken away from everyone else is because the model isn't sustainable.

No company makes those kinds of changes if their model was sustainable

Reply Agree 3 Disagree 0

Reply Agree 7 Disagree 25

GhostScholar193d ago

That is ridiculous lol it’s not even close. Sony doesn’t even put games in day one. Say what you want about Microsoft and there is plenty to say, but subscription service wise it isn’t even close. Devs can say what they want but like I’ve said I played 9000 bucks worth of games for roughly 1000 bucks. It’s incredible value whether you like it or not.

Reply Agree 15 Disagree 3

Profchaos193d ago (Edited 193d ago )

I seriously doubt you have played $9000 dollars worth of games.

Last time you wrote this you said you played at least 150 games i mentioned the only way that would be possible is if they were full rrp games

The reality is 95 percent of games that end up on gp are older games or cheaper Indies so the average leoce can come down to 20 per game so if we were generous you've played around 2k worth of games for 1k and there's a lot.of factors in here we can't calculate likenhow long you've been subbed over its near 10 years price fluctuations etc

Its not bad but let's not overstate its value 9000 dollars is a gross overstatement

GhostScholar193d ago (Edited 193d ago )

I have absolutely played 150 games in the time I’ve had game pass. I didn’t say I 100 percented every game.

It’s basic math if you multiply 150 x 70 you get 10,500. not every game was 70 so subtracted that to bring it down to 9000. I didn’t say one untruth. You are the dishonest one if you think it’s only 2000 worth of games. That’s not even close to true.

It’s totally fine you don’t like Xbox. I don’t like some of their practices myself, but nothing about gamepass is not a great deal.

Agree 2 Disagree 19

Reply Agree 3 Disagree 23

Reaper22_193d ago

They seem to not understand what they word value means.

Profchaos192d ago

The amount of 70 dollar games on gamepass is probably under 10 i said 2k because most third party titles appear on the service when they can be gotten on deep sale for a few dollars.

The reality is if you shopped right you can get your games cheaper with more variety than gp offers

Reply Agree 5 Disagree 1

GhostScholar192d ago

The only thing I don’t get that I want with game pass are Sony exclusives which have been few and far between in the last couple years, and I have a ps5 for that. People can say whatever they want, but i think game pass is amazing for my personal needs and tastes. I’m not claiming it’s for everyone, but the value to the consumer is in debatable and I’m a consumer so I’m good with it. Whether it’s the best thing for profit margin or devs are different arguments.

Agree 1 Disagree 8

Reply Agree 3 Disagree 25

193d ago

Reaper22_193d ago

Fake news. It all depends on what you prefer. Gamepass has the better value. It has a more diverse library of games. With day one releases. A wider range of platforms with PC and cloud streaming. Both services offer cloud streaming but PS plus premium requires the premium tier while Gamepass Ultimate includes cloud streaming.
To sum it up. If you want day one releases and a vast library of games that include xbox exclusives gamepass is the better choice. If you want playstation exclusives then go with psplus , but keep in mind you may have to wait a substantial amount of time to get them because their releases are limited. Imo gamepass has the better value for the money. Hands down.

Reply Agree 12 Disagree 2

TheDreamCorridor193d ago

Game Pass is obviously great for the consumer.

Of course.

But it's not sustainable for Xbox as business.

How many more Xbox exclusives have to come to PlayStation and how many more studios does Microsoft have to shut down and developers let go before people realize this?

Not to mention the price increase to $80.

No legitimate subscriber growth and no pricing increases for Game Pass.

Something's gotta give eventually.

Reply Agree 2 Disagree 24

Reaper22_193d ago

Shutting down studios has nothing to do with gamepass. Just like shutting down studios had nothing to do with psplus. Xbox games coming to Playstation doesn't hurt gamepass. If anything it helps because they are making money and that money can go back into the gamepass service. Even if gamepass goes away Microsoft still have other ways to get games to its customers. PC gamers overwhelmingly choose gamepass over PSplus.

Profchaos192d ago

The reasons those studios shut down was a dirdct result of gamepass. Microsoft did not account for first party expenditure in the gamepass profit reports

Agree 9 Disagree 1

TheDreamCorridor192d ago

This comment is so obnoxious wrong, it's not even funny.

Reply Agree 2 Disagree 12

GamingSinceForever193d ago

That’s big cap right there.

I have PS Plus and never use it, yet I’ve recently purchased both Doom and Indiana Jones.

I’m no XBOX fan but for consumers there is no comparing the two services. Don’t care what the devs think.

danglyparts193d ago

Mmmmmmmmmmmnah

Deathdeliverer193d ago

People. It’s asking which is better for the INDUSTRY. PS Plus is undoubtedly better than Gamespass for the industry. 1-2 year old games that have already been through sales and markdowns to finally show up on PSP Extra which gives MORE potential revenue to games that have essentially finished their sales cycle. It does not teach consumers to NOT buy games and therefore has no real negatives outside of the die hard hold outs. Day one games are a treat. Not the norm.

Gamespass, I know because I do it myself, teaches you to NOT buy the big titles BECAUSE of day one games. They bought Call of duty for example, something they were already getting, for Gamespass. To cause people to subscribe. They bought several big companies just to bolster Gamespass. It is NOT causing a massive influx of subs and that money has to be made up from somewhere… (Job cuts anyone? And before anyone says Sony cut jobs too… in the past 5 years Microsoft’s gaming division alone has cut about 15,000 jobs. Sonys PlayStation division has cut about 1,500. Look it up.) They are literally hemorrhaging money trying to get Gamespass to take off, and at the same time driving companies they’ve bought into the ground. Displacing a record setting amount of workers all so you can play day one games.
To the short sighted consumer, Gamespass is awesome. Don’t make much money? Pay the sub and don’t buy games!
To the gamers out there that have been gaming for years… we have seen a LOT of changes. This not buying games mindset threatens gaming as a whole.

Reply Agree 9 Disagree 2

Reaper22_192d ago

Bullshit. Game pass doesn't teach you not to buy titles. Thats all on the individual. There is nothing saying you can't buy any title you want. You can play the game through the subscription if you want or just buy it. Or use your subscription to get it at a cheaper price. Thats called giving you a choice. Psplus doesn't give you any options for new releases. Either you buy it now or wait until they add it to psplus. Don't blame the service for the choice that you made. You got gamepass for the same reason millions of others have. It a good deal and it offers good value. The next time Netflix has a new release make sure you tell them no thanks, I'd rather buy the movie instead. Please don't teach us not to buy movies.

Reply Agree 2 Disagree 6

Deathdeliverer192d ago

Reaper22…. Game DEVELOPERS disagree with you. It’s not even an opinion at this point. It’s a fact. It’s a fact that Netflix and streaming in general DID cause people to buy less movies. The thing is the theater experience (Like seeing Captain America pick up Thors hammer— crowd went ape 💩) cannot be replicated at home. The feeling of a whole room laughing at the same things, feeling uneasy at the same time, and a collective joy is awesome. That’s the buffer. That’s unique. PSP extra is like that. Buying the game day one would be the equivalent of going to the theater to see a movie. The movie then goes on sale and you can see it at home for $5.99 for example. Still getting money back to the studios and people that make it happen. Once all that has happened NOW you hit PSP Extra. Notice that bigger movies with longer legs take longer to come to streaming.
This is not to be confused with straight to Netflix movies. Those are usually lower budget things to cause people to subscribe that you can only see there. They are hoping to catch cheap fire. Liken that to live services and lower budget indie titles made in house. Series and what not.
In this example, Microsoft bought Disney and put all its big budget marvel movies on streaming day one and people are confused why there are lost jobs in the thousands. All that lost revenue. Hope I used your analogy to make it clear to you.

Agree 1 Disagree 2

crazyCoconuts192d ago

How many consumers would buy a 2025 car if they knew it would be 50% off in a year?
Or how many people would pay $40K for a new car if you could lease it for $50/month.
Consumers are smart and will change their behavior to maximize value. Sub services try to hook you into changing your behavior and then slowly ramp that fee up until it's sustainable. This is just common knowledge at this point

Agree 1 Disagree 0

193d ago

derek192d ago (Edited 192d ago )

We grade Nintendo on a curve. "Great machine, if it released a decade ago", lol. Don't get offended Nintendo fans at least they're fully focused on their paying customers, can't say that about Sony these days.

Fonsecap192d ago

Ok, it's better for Devs, but which is better for consumers? I know which one is best for me, and at the end of the day that's what matters for us consumers, which one is best for the consumer.

Reply Agree 2 Disagree 4

Petebloodyonion192d ago

How is this news? Do we have any proof? All we’re seeing is a debate among developers—some believe Game Pass is bad, while others believe it’s good.

The title should reflect that nuance, something like: 'Some developers split on whether Game Pass is beneficial or harmful.

Reply Agree 2 Disagree 4

anast192d ago

It's the best value in gaming without cheapening the experience.

Reply Agree 0 Disagree 3

shinXseijuro192d ago (Edited 192d ago )

I mean they’re the same . Only difference is that one is less focused on day 1 releases which should be the way to go if you want everybody to make money and eat at the end of the day . When a game is older sure you can drop it for free on the service to make it more accessible to a wider audience like Sony is doing . But why would any gamer that’s been accustomed to getting everything for free on gamepass and Xbox start paying for games when you’ve been telling them everything is free day one ? It’s only “ good “ for your brand because you’re trying to keep everybody in your ecosystem but the reality is that no money is being made . Everybody else loses .

Reply Agree 0 Disagree 1

MrBaskerville192d ago (Edited 192d ago )

I like both, but I don't think Gamepass is sustainable in the long run, and I do think MS will make changes as they slowly scale down on spending.

Reply Agree 1 Disagree 1

lodossrage192d ago

they've already been doing that.

That's why day 1 games are only in ultimate now.

Reply Agree 1 Disagree 0

MrBaskerville191d ago

Yeah, but they will make even more. And probably cut even more projects and stuff to minimize spending.

gameforall192d ago

The Gamepass model, is similar to the drug dealer, "the first one is free". Make it so cheap in the first run, then once they have a domination/corner the market, up goes the pricing. In the end you will be screaming at how much the cost is.

Reply Agree 1 Disagree 0

DivineHand125192d ago (Edited 192d ago )

Why are we, as gamers, taking articles like this seriously?

There is no one size fits all in any aspect of life. The developers that choose to put their games on a subscription service do so because they see a benefit. No one is forcing them to do so, and not all games will benefit from being placed on a subscription service.

This finger pointing is a waste of energy. The negative press we are seeing against Game Pass is a consequence of the layoffs, studio shutdowns, and project cancellations that Xbox had recently, but this has nothing to do with Game Pass. It is profitable.

Put the blame where it needs to be, and that is Microsoft's culture of not making an effort to provide long term and safe employment for their employees, despite their gaming division bringing in $5.7B in the first 3 months of this year. Attacking something else is just a distraction and will not solve the problem.

Reply Agree 1 Disagree 1

Reaper22_192d ago (Edited 192d ago )

@Deathdeliverer

Your entire post is mostly just gibberish. First off Netflix didn't cause more people to not buy movies. It made more people say no to cable TV because Netflix offers value. So your fact that it caused people to not buy movies is not backed up by any evidence. People stopped buying movies long before Netflix came.

But Netflix does saves you money. Just like gamepass saves you money if you choose to go that route. I only used netflix as an example of giving people value for their money. Most people will go for the best value.

The reason you gave for psplus being better for the industry is total BS. If this was in the 80s or 90s I would agree. The game industry has changed. Games dont 2 or 3 million to make anymore. Selling a few million or even 10 million doesnt cut it the way it was befire. And its not Ijust about the games. Its about reaching your fans and supplying them with steady content. That is mocrosofts strategy. See the problem here is that you guys thinks what right and good for Sony then everyone else should follow along. Sure their are developers that don't like the gamespass model but there are also those that do like it or else they wouldn't put their games on the service. Or is it you people think Microsoft is petting a gun to their head and making them do the deal.

And stop with all this caring so much about the studios. All this concern about studios is mostly fake. Sony shut down studios but you guys are acting like you care about microsoft studios more than the playstation ones. Sony shut down studios and canceled games microsoft does it and other publishers do too. We don't like it but it's a harsh reality of the industry. Its going to happen again and again. Gamers bitch about it but guess what. Do they stop playing Playstation and Xbox? No. They move on. So stop all this baffonery about why ms is bad for the industry but Sony does similar things and they get a pass. Its like you people get amnesia as soon as there is negative xbox news. Guess what the bottom line is what they care about the most. They don't need anyone's permission to do what they want. Did sony send out personal emails to gamers before they closed studios and cancelled games? No. They did it because they have a business to run. So people should stop worrying about shit they cannot change or control. Microsoft is gonna do what they want with their Xbox business. They sure as he'll don't care about what playstation gamers think they should do. And as a playstion fan why would would you care if you dont even invest in the Xbox ecosystem anyway. And if gamepass is so bad why is their a psplus? Its both the same shit with a little different strategies. If gamepass is bad for the industry then psplus is bad for the industry.

Reply Agree 0 Disagree 4