Xbox is the talk of the town after recent controversies relating to the shutdowns of multiple game studios. The gaming company has made questionable decisions that have proven Colin Moriarty was right to not trust Phil Spencer and his subscription-based gaming plans for the brand.
Moriarty was a firm believer that Game Pass was counterproductive to the industry and there were consequences for this. Many members of the gaming community have grown comfortable with the service because of the convenience, but it is a massive thorn for game developers.
Moriarty Was Right About Spencer and Xbox Game Pass
Microsoft has always had a strong focus on leaping into the future by implementing more experimental and unconventional methods of gaming like cloud gaming and subscription-based services. However, there is a significant downside, especially on the other end where video games are being made and Moriarty saw it coming.
The reality is this: Many game 'pundits' and 'analysts' believed every word Xbox executives fed them. They cheered on — and often encouraged — consolidation without a critical eye to the many downstream consequences.
I took an enormous amount of abuse, but I was totally right. pic.twitter.com/pkZRxBhaFE
— Colin Moriarty (@longislandviper) May 10, 2024
He recently posted about it, reflecting on how he was right all along. Not all ideas are great, Phil Spencer may be a good businessman but some of his decisions are questionable. The gaming company went on an acquisition spree and managed to bag major developers like Bethesda only to shut down several studios.
The company has taught the players to avoid buying video games for full price and waiting for them to go on the service which will have an impact in terms of pricing. The recently laid-off employees of the studios that were shut down also received an awkward severance package from Microsoft.
This has raised some eyebrows and made everyone question its moral compass. Many were delighted when Microsoft acquired Activision and expected a significant improvement in the output of first-party titles but it was quite the opposite.
Spencer Is Taking The Company on a Dangerous Path
Spencer’s recent comments about the gaming community can be viewed as hypocritical, especially when his actions and plans for the platform he is working on are proof. Rather than providing the needed support by game developers, the head of the gaming company opted to shut them down to reallocate the resources.
It wasn’t long ago when supporter and insider Parris Lilley commented about how Microsoft is slow regarding making deals with major third-party developers like Square Enix and securing timed exclusivity. However, the fact that Game Pass exists and its dangerous business model is enough to scare away game developers from making any arrangements with Microsoft.
The main fear is that the games are tossed directly to the service and players refuse to buy the game at full price. Having worked in companies like IGN, Moriarty saw it from a mile away that Game Pass would not be sustained in the long run.
The cost of keeping the service afloat is substantial, and putting major video games in the service for less than its value is a no-brainer move. Both indie and major developers intentionally skip the opportunity of their games being thrown into service.on
Are you in agreement with Moriarty’s thoughts about Spencer’s plan with Game Pass? Let us know in the comments section below!
