For many gamers, subscription services such as Xbox Game Pass, PlayStation Plus, and Nintendo Switch Online are essential memberships that allow them to play many games. They all differ in their offerings, but one thing is for certain: gamers now expect these services to go beyond enabling online play.
Among the three, Game Pass has the more robust library and even brings AAA games to the service right at launch. Unfortunately, this practice of Game Pass may be stifling third-party creators.
Indie Game Makers Are Wary of Putting Their Titles on Xbox
The rise of subscription gaming services has led many to wonder how they benefit the developer. First-party or established studios have little to fear. The ones who may suffer are the AA studios and indie developers, and that seems to be the case with Game Pass.
In a recent episode of the Friends Per Second podcast hosted by Ralph Panebianco, Jake Baldino, and Lucy James, this very matter was brought up. In the clip, Panebianco (Skill Up on YouTube) opens the discussion by wondering how developers feel about porting their games to Xbox.
He goes on to state that one of his team members spoke with several game makers about how they feel about publishing their games on the service. The majority of the responses from smaller game makers, and echoed by some AAA studios as well, stated, “It’s not worth putting your game on Xbox unless you have an Xbox Game Pass deal,” as consumers are now conditioned to access even newly released titles via the service. This makes porting games to Xbox and hoping for sales a fruitless endeavor.
It’s interesting to see how Xbox Game Pass and other subscription services are shaping consumer behavior. Not only is it encouraging players to demand more games be released on the service, but it is also disincentivizing developers from porting a game onto the platform without a deal in place or risking losing a fair bit of revenue.
Xbox Game Pass Could Make or Break the Console’s Future
While it’s great to have a massive library of games available at your fingertips, the fact that developers are being negatively affected by the service is a cause for concern. There are some amazing games to be enjoyed, and some, such as The Callisto Protocol, miss the mark. However, if only AAA studios would benefit from their games on the service, it must be relooked at.
The AA and indie game industries are growing exponentially, and platforms need to understand that discovery must be on par with revenue. Steam has worked this system well, allowing even smaller games to be in the spotlight for a while and helping these studios grow.
Xbox is currently in a bit of a bind, as public sentiment against the company has soured over the course of the past few months. Bringing exclusive titles to other platforms and closing down several studios has placed the company in a precarious situation that it must navigate with great care.
Do you think Xbox Game Pass can be beneficial to small game developers? Let us know in the comments below!
