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Microsoft Announces Xbox Game Pass Subscription Service
Microsoft has announced the Xbox Game Pass – a $9.99 a month service for Xbox One and PC that allows subscribers to play a rotating catalog of downloadable (not streaming) Xbox One and backwards-compatible Xbox 360 games.
The service starts up in the spring, and features Microsoft first-party titles as well as partnerships with publishers such as 2K, Capcom, Sega, Bandai Namco, THQ, Deep Silver, 505 Games, Codemasters, Focus Home Interactive, and Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment. Out of the gate, Halo 5: Guardians, Payday 2, NBA 2K16, and SoulCalibur II are available.
Microsoft has already started testing the program via select Xbox Insider Program members (in the Alpha Preview ring), and Xbox Live Gold members get exclusive access sometime before launch.
New games will cycle in each month, with some of the titles dropping out. Pass members can purchase titles and any DLC for the game at a discount before they're rotated out of the service.
[Source: Microsoft]
Our Take
I like that the service isn't streaming like PS Now and the price is good, but given that the titles highlighted currently are more than two years old, I wonder how motivated many gamers will be to play them while they are offered instead of the newer titles they may already have in their backlog.
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