Xbox Game Pass, Game Pass Ultimate now Includes EA Play! [XGP, GamePass]

[Deleted member 11852]

There's a large group of people who will sign up and continue paying forever just because.

There are but, following a UK Competition and market Authority investigation and recommendation, Microsoft have committed to stop charging people if they are not using their subscription.

Whilst this originated in the UK, a Microsoft spokesman said "changes to inactive subscriptions will initially roll out in the UK and will be available globally soon." which is a consumer friendly approach.

Every day, the number of people with crap internet will reduce in terms of options. Whether or not those people can afford those options is a different matter.

 

[eastmen]

For those with 'crap internet' installing and de-installing might be an option, or moving to external drive solutions. Internet is probably the least things to consider for a service like Gamepass going forward, everythings going to be connected most likely. Even AAA games on PS are started to require an internet connection. I doubt this is going to change going forward.

If you have crap internet you are most likely used to waiting for downloads anyway. Majority will just download and do something else while they wait.

There are but, following a UK Competition and market Authority investigation and recommendation, Microsoft have committed to stop charging people if they are not using their subscription.

Whilst this originated in the UK, a Microsoft spokesman said "changes to inactive subscriptions will initially roll out in the UK and will be available globally soon." which is a consumer friendly approach.

Every day, the number of people with crap internet will reduce in terms of options. Whether or not those people can afford those options is a different matter.

I believe MS will send an email letting people know that they are still subscribed and for that person to go and cancel it. I don't think it will automatically cancel a sub if someone isn't using it. That would be a headache for some.

For example. I listen to audio books a lot. I listen to them when I walk/run or drive. I was really sick from covid and post covid and didn't use my audible subscription for 4 months. It would have been a pain in the but for me if audible canceled it cause I wasn't using it in the moment. The books I preordered all purchased and downloaded for me.

 

[Deleted member 11852]

If you have crap internet you are most likely used to waiting for downloads anyway. Majority will just download and do something else while they wait.

For sure, but not being able to download games quickly and without issue removes the spontaneity of services like GamePass. The whole dip-in-and-out. If dipping in means doing something else whilst you wait hours and hours for a game to download to just it, this introduces friction. Netflix massively took off when they removed the friction of ordering-and-waiting for media to arrive.

I believe MS will send an email letting people know that they are still subscribed and for that person to go and cancel it. I don't think it will automatically cancel a sub if someone isn't using it.

It's a bit of both, which is detailed in the article I linked. According to Microsoft:

• Refunds: Microsoft will contact existing customers on recurring 12-month contracts and give them the option to end their contract and claim a pro-rata refund.
• Inactive memberships: Microsoft will also contact existing customers who haven’t used their memberships for a long time but are still paying. These customers will be reminded how to stop payments, and if they continue not to use their memberships, Microsoft will ultimately stop taking further payments.

That would be a headache for some.

Only if Microsoft make getting refunds and cancelling a headache. This is fully within their control.

I think many of us has experienced the ease in which some services allow you subscribe but only let you unsubscribe by dialling a number that is staffed by three people who speak Cantonese who answer the phone between 07.00 and 07.20 local time in Malaysia on every other Thursday when it's a full moon.

It's unclear what Microsoft will do globally but in the UK they will need to comply with the CMA ruling, which includes making refunds "easily accessible".

 

[AlphaWolf]

There are but, following a UK Competition and market Authority investigation and recommendation, Microsoft have committed to stop charging people if they are not using their subscription.

Whilst this originated in the UK, a Microsoft spokesman said "changes to inactive subscriptions will initially roll out in the UK and will be available globally soon." which is a consumer friendly approach.

Interesting.

Every day, the number of people with crap internet will reduce in terms of options. Whether or not those people can afford those options is a different matter.

I actually pay less now for my 1Gb fibre than I did for 50Mb cable 20 years ago. YMMV.

 

[PSman1700]

I actually pay less now for my 1Gb fibre than I did for 50Mb cable 20 years ago. YMMV.

I'd have to look it up, i think we pay less for the current 1000/1000mb/s connection than we did for the DSL line in the early 2000's which capped out at 24mb/s on a good day. Also much more stable and better ping times. The days of data-rate limits are over too (here). Quite nice.

 

[see colon]

Only if Microsoft make getting refunds and cancelling a headache. This is fully within their control.

About a year ago my kids spent a few hundred dollars on Minecraft DLC and, somehow, extra copies of the game. I have to say, I was surprised how easy it was to get a refund. I went online, filled out a form, and I think had my money returned in a day. Maybe it was 2. I also put a pin on my Xbox to prevent any future headaches. But I've definitely had worse experiences trying to get a refund. Hell, I used to work in a call center and the amount of times I was getting screamed at by customers because they wanted to cancel and I was REQUIRED to go through an list of "solutions" or risk being fired or disciplined before passing them off to a person who specializes in retention is insane. If you ever want to hear people create new curse words that's a job I would recommend.

 

[Deleted member 11852]

About a year ago my kids spent a few hundred dollars on Minecraft DLC and, somehow, extra copies of the game. I have to say, I was surprised how easy it was to get a refund. I went online, filled out a form, and I think had my money returned in a day. Maybe it was 2. I also put a pin on my Xbox to prevent any future headaches.

I would hope any automated process to be even easier, without needing to complete a form. If Microsoft email you and state that you have recurring billing and are not using using your account, then there shouldn't be a need to provide any further details at all. They know the deal because they have got in touch with you. It really should be, click this link in the email - taking you to your account page, cancel/refund and probably a click here to confirm you wish to unsubscribe and receive your pro-rata refund. You can resubscribe at any time, so you're losing nothing.

 

[Deleted member 11852]

I actually pay less now for my 1Gb fibre than I did for 50Mb cable 20 years ago. YMMV.

20 years ago you'd pay a lot more for a computer that was also far less capable than now; getting more for your money (or less money) can be a side-effect of technological progress. There are two important parts to the equation though, the first is obviously the availability of good internet and lots of people still don't have the option to go faster. The next is the actual cost if is it available. The biggest driver for companies to keep charges down is competition but if there isn't competition in providers where you live then there is less incentive for companies you keep prices affordable for everybody.

eastmen predicted "I think the Xss will come into its own as it gets closer to $200" and the people who waiting for Series S to drop in price before are probably budget-constrained to begin with. This is where I'm coming from. More storage in Series S would men you can download a bunch of games and try them at your leisure - making the most of GamePass. Local storage is a one off cost, internet is a recurring cost.

 

[AlphaWolf]

20 years ago you'd pay a lot more for a computer that was also far less capable than now; getting more for your money (or less money) can be a side-effect of technological progress. There are two important parts to the equation though, the first is obviously the availability of good internet and lots of people still don't have the option to go faster. The next is the actual cost if is it available. The biggest driver for companies to keep charges down is competition but if there isn't competition in providers where you live then there is less incentive for companies you keep prices affordable for everybody.

eastmen predicted "I think the Xss will come into its own as it gets closer to $200" and the people who waiting for Series S to drop in price before are probably budget-constrained to begin with. This is where I'm coming from. More storage in Series S would men you can download a bunch of games and try them at your leisure - making the most of GamePass. Local storage is a one off cost, internet is a recurring cost.

I don't know where you were buying your pc 20 years ago but a current top of the line video card costs more than my pc with 9700 did in 2002.

For most internet is already a sunk cost. I doubt MS is targetting game pass at people who can't use or afford Netflix.

 

[Silent_Buddha]

I don't know where you were buying your pc 20 years ago but a current top of the line video card costs more than my pc with 9700 did in 2002.

For most internet is already a sunk cost. I doubt MS is targetting game pass at people who can't use or afford Netflix.

While I agree with your point about internet, I just want to clarify that I don't think DSoup was referring to PC capabilities relative to what was available at any given time, but rather PC capabilities in absolute terms (IE - a Radeon 6800 XT is far more capable in absolute terms than the Radeon 9700 Pro even though the Radeon 9700 Pro was more capable relative to other graphics cards of that era).

Of course, throwing that whole comparison for a loop is the current unfortunate situation where global supply of electronics components is so short combined with the lingering effects of crypto-mining that graphics cards are vastly inflated in price. Although consider how incredibly inflated the price of everything is now, perhaps he is referring to relative cost/performance and not absolute cost/performance.

Regards,
SB

 

[Deleted member 11852]

While I agree with your point about internet, I just want to clarify that I don't think DSoup was referring to PC capabilities relative to what was available at any given time, but rather PC capabilities in absolute terms (IE - a Radeon 6800 XT is far more capable in absolute terms than the Radeon 9700 Pro even though the Radeon 9700 Pro was more capable relative to other graphics cards of that era).

I was, and internet isn't a sunk cost it's very much a recurring cost for almost everybody and a lot of people scrape by with shit internet in favour of food, energy, transport and education. It must be incredibly to get by with no internet but you can get by with some even if it's very limited. That probably wouldn't work really for Game Pass though.

Whilst I don't know who Microsoft are targeting with Series S, if the goal (again.. back to eastman's post) is to drive the cost down that low then it's clearly this is about intending to reach more and more people who are very budget-bound. A Series S might hit $200 but add on a monthly GamePass subscription and an internet package that really lets you make the most of that subscription and that can be quite a chunk of your monthly outings.

Not everybody has disposal income.

 

[AlphaWolf]

I was, and internet isn't a sunk cost it's very much a recurring cost for almost everybody and a lot of people scrape by with shit internet in favour of food, energy, transport and education. It must be incredibly to get by with no internet but you can get by with some even if it's very limited. That probably wouldn't work really for Game Pass though.

Whilst I don't know who Microsoft are targeting with Series S, if the goal (again.. back to eastman's post) is to drive the cost down that low then it's clearly this is about intending to reach more and more people who are very budget-bound. A Series S might hit $200 but add on a monthly GamePass subscription and an internet package that really lets you make the most of that subscription and that can be quite a chunk of your monthly outings.

Not everybody has disposal income.

Yes MS is not likely to capture the hacked PS3 market with game pass.

 

[Deleted member 11852]

Yes MS is not likely to capture the hacked PS3 market with game pass.

I didn't understand this comment.

 

[Silent_Buddha]

I was, and internet isn't a sunk cost it's very much a recurring cost for almost everybody and a lot of people scrape by with shit internet in favour of food, energy, transport and education. It must be incredibly to get by with no internet but you can get by with some even if it's very limited. That probably wouldn't work really for Game Pass though.

Whilst I don't know who Microsoft are targeting with Series S, if the goal (again.. back to eastman's post) is to drive the cost down that low then it's clearly this is about intending to reach more and more people who are very budget-bound. A Series S might hit $200 but add on a monthly GamePass subscription and an internet package that really lets you make the most of that subscription and that can be quite a chunk of your monthly outings.

Not everybody has disposal income.

Do keep in mind however, that there is government subsidized internet in the US. This obviously may not apply other countries. One such service, Internet Essentials in my area has 50 Mbps service for 9.95 USD or 100 Mbps service for 29.95 USD. However, low income households can qualify for up to 30 USD government assistance making those services free.

Either of those services would be just fine for low income Game Pass members who get an XBS-S because that's all they can afford. I, myself, only have 50 Mbps service (I don't really need more) and I haven't had any issues.

Regards,
SB

 

[eastmen]

Do keep in mind however, that there is government subsidized internet in the US. This obviously may not apply other countries. One such service, Internet Essentials in my area has 50 Mbps service for 9.95 USD or 100 Mbps service for 29.95 USD. However, low income households can qualify for up to 30 USD government assistance making those services free.

Either of those services would be just fine for low income Game Pass members who get an XBS-S because that's all they can afford. I, myself, only have 50 Mbps service (I don't really need more) and I haven't had any issues.

Regards,
SB

We actually pay an internet tax that was supposed to go towards ultra highspeed internet but that doesn't seem the case. The USA also has some places where there is only 1 high speed provider. In my area that is cablevision (one crappy thing about this town , the next town over also has fios)

 

[Deleted member 11852]

Do keep in mind however, that there is government subsidized internet in the US. This obviously may not apply other countries.

This is definitely a thing elsewhere. I live in a part of London called Bermondsey, which has a number of bad spots where fibre cannot be deployed economically and I have been provided a completed free 5G router through a Government subsidy programme which is predicated on addressing failings in infrastructure.

Somebody 400 yards away may have the option for fibre but not be able to afford it. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

 

[Silent_Buddha]

This is definitely a thing elsewhere. I live in a part of London called Bermondsey, which has a number of bad spots where fibre cannot be deployed economically and I have been provided a completed free 5G router through a Government subsidy programme which is predicated on addressing failings in infrastructure.

Somebody 400 yards away may have the option for fibre but not be able to afford it. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Well the government program in the US (ACP which replaces and supercedes the EBS program) is applicable to any internet service. So, I guess if someone had enough to cover the rest of that FIOS service here in the US, they could use ACP to help afford FIOS. Although at that point I'd question the priorities of a low income family requiring government assistance going for such an extravagance versus a cheaper lower speed internet tier and then using the money that would have gone to FIOS for more important things like food, clothing and shelter.

Regards,
SB

 

[Deleted member 11852]

Although at that point I'd question the priorities of a low income family requiring government assistance going for such an extravagance versus a cheaper lower speed internet tier and then using the money that would have gone to FIOS for more important things like food, clothing and shelter.

This is where I am. If people cannot afford to buy a Series S now and having to wait until it hits $200, this does not seem like a household that - in all probability - is going to have the kind of internet to get the most out of GamePass. Cheap consoles are great when cheap games are an option, like trading discs, borrowing discs or buying them second hand, but this isn't an option for Series S because there are no discs.

Having to delete games in order to download - slowly - new games, that you may not like, only to repeat the process, isn't the smorgesborg of gaming that Game Pass is for people with good internet or more storage. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯. This why I suggested that instead of lowering the price, more storage might be a better option.

 

[Silent_Buddha]

This is where I am. If people cannot afford to buy a Series S now and having to wait until it hits $200, this does not seem like a household that - in all probability - is going to have the kind of internet to get the most out of GamePass. Cheap consoles are great when cheap games are an option, like trading discs, borrowing discs or buying them second hand, but this isn't an option for Series S because there are no discs.

Having to delete games in order to download - slowly - new games, that you may not like, only to repeat the process, isn't the smorgesborg of gaming that Game Pass is for people with good internet or more storage. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯. This why I suggested that instead of lowering the price, more storage might be a better option.

While I disagree that 50 or 100 Mbps results in slow downloads, I do have to admit that I might be less concerned about a game installing in minutes versus hours. Then again, I grew up poor so having to be patient was just a part of life.

That said, it also has to be acknowledged that smaller communities (my area is just barely in the 100 most populous cities in the US) may not have access to those speeds. Although looking about 90 miles south of me, a community of 34,019 has internet speeds ranging anywhere from 6-24 Mbps for DSL to 30-200 Mbps for Cable. 6 Mbps would certainly be painful, but 24 Mbps and above isn't that bad. It'd take like half a day to download some games, so just start it before you go to bed.

Even smaller communities, however, might be even slower. But I'm don't think MS are targeting those communities with the XBS-S.

Regards,
SB

 

[cheapchips]

If people cannot afford to buy a Series S now and having to wait until it hits $200, this does not seem like a household that - in all probability - is going to have the kind of internet to get the most out of GamePass.

It's not entirely about affordability, it's price thresholds. Below 200 currency makes it much more of snap purchase, snap present/grandparent gift etc.