What has been lost in the age of Game Pass? (Picture: Microsoft)
A reader worries that Game Pass has reduced the excitement around new releases, with no more queues at midnight to buy new games.
I just want to start and say that, like many other people, I thoroughly enjoy Game Pass and all it has to offer. It’s a great place to explore indie titles (and simultaneously support them), whilst having a plethora of triple-As, all for a relatively cheap monthly premium. My only problem with it so far has been its ability to invertedly ruin day one releases.
A strange case to argue, especially with its current line-up on the way: Starfield, Payday 3, Hollow Knight: Silksong, and Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2, to name just a few of the big hitters, are all releasing day one on Game Pass, which would cost your Game Pass subscription for the entire year to buy individually.
Of course, you don’t own them, but for most people now ,digital content is commonplace; relatively speaking it’s cheaper, it’s instant, and it’s easily accessible. No longer does a decision have to be made based on someone’s budget; simply pop a month of Game Pass on and you have access to all these day one releases and a back catalogue of 300+ games.
So, with that being said, why the hell am I complaining?
My problem lies in the fact that the day one hype has essentially vanished entirely. By not committing to a day one purchase there’s no value that is associated with the game itself. Don’t get me wrong, I’m still incredibly excited to play Starfield, but due to the lack of commitment tied to it I almost feel like I can just try it and see what happens, which reduces my own, and many others’, engagement with the game itself, due to how casual the act of playing it is in the first place.
No longer is it framed as this big event, but more just another title peppered amongst hundreds of others that I can just pick up for no extra charge. I’m certainly not saying this is bad, as the convenience is great for many who wouldn’t necessarily play these games, due to the initial cost. It allows them to enjoy some incredible experiences, it just feels like it’s lost part of what makes a day one release inherently special.
Gone are the days where queues of people would line up to get their copy of Halo 2 in Times Square – masses of fans all excited and eager to get their hands on a copy day one, all sharing that passion and energy; it’s incredible to look back and see. The buzz of Starfield on places like Reddit is certainly contagious, but it nowhere near catches the same magic and anticipation that old school game hype managed to do.
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Perhaps some fault lies in the fact that we are going towards a fully digital future, where we don’t rely on physical media like we used to. With platforms like Game Pass emphasising this further, similar to what a Reader’s Feature argued a couple weeks ago, just the sheer lack of need for physical media could perhaps be a culprit for reduced game hype.
Regardless of the cause, Game Pass has certainly played its part in ruining day one releases. So as weird as it is to say, paying full price for a day one release like Starfield personally feels like the right thing to do.
Am I crazy?!
By reader V
The reader’s feature does not necessarily represent the views of GameCentral or Metro.
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A reader worries that Game Pass has reduced the excitement around new releases, with no more queues at midnight to buy new games.