You’ve Enjoyed Game Pass’ Day-One Releases; Now It’s Time To Pay The Piper

Among the many gaming subscription services out there, Microsoft’s Game Pass has a special existence thanks to its Day-One releases. Every major AAA and eagerly awaited game arrives on the service simultaneously on release.

For us consumers, this is the best thing ever. Every $70 game you wanted was available for a little over $10 dollars, what else could you ask for? However, from a logical point of view, this choice is pretty hard to justify. Giving away games that could make a lot more profit seems pretty foolish. But Microsoft was bold enough to do so and earned worldwide praise.

However, logic can’t be beaten with boldness, and the drawbacks of this model have now started to surface for the “overjoyed” consumer.

Behold, The “New And Improved” Game Pass

Ever since Microsoft came up with the Day-One releases concept and crushed all competition, I put aside the “excited consumer” persona and wondered how it would all be sustainable in the long run. I mean, as killer a deal as it is for us, the fact remains that Microsoft could’ve probably earned more otherwise. The company was betting on the Game Pass subscriber count surpassing that.

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When Call of Duty was added to it, that was the turning point, a true test. It was a prelude to what was to come, the inevitable. And now, it’s here.

Microsoft is drastically changing how Game Pass operates. Keeping it simple, a new “Standard” tier will be added, which is essentially a Game Pass without Day-One releases. This will be the tier you’ll get with the price you’ve been paying, while the original Game Pass will now cost substantially more, standing at $20 a month. 

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Is Game Pass still the most “bang for the buck” subscription after this change? I’ll let you be the judge of that.

A Game Pass Without Day-One Releases Is Hollow

Let’s take a look at the implications of both of these changes, starting with the former. If you do not want to go beyond the price point you’re currently comfortable with, then Microsoft has decided that unfortunately some of your benefits ought to be cut. And by some, I mean the biggest reason you got it in the first place.

Releasing every major game of the year simultaneously on the service is indeed not sustainable, but now that Microsoft has introduced us to this bliss, it’s hard to live without it. Day-One releases have become a necessary evil at this point. Thus, a Game Pass that is without its greatest selling point is hardly a worthwhile choice.

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In light of this, I genuinely believe this new tier is not going to be too much of a popular choice among gamers. First Microsoft decided to treat us to this delicious meal, and now is taking that off the table (or pay extra to keep it), it seems the time has come for this inevitable problem to rear its head.

Despite Reassurances, Here Comes The Price Hike

Next, let’s discuss the original Game Pass, now costing a lot more to keep. Honestly, this price hike was bound to happen, sooner or later. Microsoft’s entire business strategy is now starting to revolve around Game Pass, so it’s only natural that it costs more.

By adopting the strategy of making its exclusives multi-platform, Microsoft risked people losing interest in the Xbox. Then, by launching every major game on its subscription service, the tech giant chose Game Pass subscribers over natural sales. Hell, it even used the new Call of Duty as a gambling chip. After all this, you’re telling me a price hike isn’t happening, there’s no way I’m going to buy that.

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And Microsoft did exactly that. When Black Ops 6 was added to Game Pass, the company reassured its consumers that a price hike wasn’t coming. Game Pass will continue to cost the same, and you’ll get to enjoy all of its benefits and a brand-new Call of Duty without any hidden charges. But the absence of these hidden costs was nigh impossible, and it seems I was indeed right.

Pick Your Poison

I’m sure you were jumping with joy when Microsoft responded to its competitors with a “You have a big catalog? Well guess what, we’re giving away all major releases Day-One,” but now it is time to pay the price for that excitement.

If you thought “All these people complaining about Day-One releases and finding logical flaws are haters, Microsoft’s a great company that values its players,” you stand at a crossroads now. Either accept losing these Day-One releases, or swallow the bitter pill of paying extra for them.

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And if Microsoft’s strategy of staking everything on Game Pass continues at the pace it’s going, this is but the first of many price hikes to come. To keep things afloat and sustainable, this is bound to happen. These delicious Day-One releases will become more and more harder on the pocket from here on.