Xbox Live Gold not needed for Free-To-Play MP, No Price Changes [2021-01-22]

This is my biggest issue with game pass (outside the future concerns of costs vs quality), you have no idea when a game is going to leave

Actually you do. In the Game Pass mobile app they do show the games "Leaving Soon" & send you notifications when new titles are leaving. These are titles leaving in the next week or two. I just wished there was more info about this built-into the OS/library and the Store. Maybe even notifications after launching the game that it's leaving the service in X days. There definitely needs to be more exposure to titles leaving the service. Hopefully that's something that will get improved. Right now that's the only knock I have against the service.

P.S. Play the weird & wonderfully short Donut County just released on Game Pass. I kept wondering if I was actually playing it right, then before you know it I was done with it after about 3 hours. LOL Still only got 8 achievements & 230/1000 Gamescore. Guess I'm going back to finish up the rest.

Tommy McClain
 
Most of the games that rotate in and out are on the service for a full entire year. I think some titles may have been on it for only 6 months before they rotated out. So if you're concerned about a game possibly leaving soon, check how long its been on the service before hand.

Yeah, but the problem is people are coming in & out of the service all the time. You might be coming in 1 week before it leaves. Or you're like me & have had the service the whole time but didn't find that jewel until late because you were playing other games or just got wind of it from friends. The service really needs to be more forthcoming of titles leaving.

I presume the idea is that you might want to purchase the game

Can't purchase it if you didn't know it was leaving. ;)

Tommy McClain
 
Yes, I agree they need more information available on when a game is set to leave the service. There's been some titles that I hadn't noticed until I saw the leaving soon notice. That's why I wish the notice was at least 3 months, even if the game contract is extended and it remains on for another year or perpetually.

But until they do, the best one can do is if they're interested in playing a game is check out when it first entered the service. If it was just a month ago then you should have at least 4 more months with it, but if it was 10 months ago you may only have 2 months left. Now some games have been on the service for longer than a year, but those are rare, but have happened where they left the service and returned a month or so later.
 
The contracts are signed up front, but they work in the background to extend them if desired, and sometimes the renewal doesn't happen in time for whatever reason, so that's when we see them return after leaving or see the game never actually leaves.
 
Yeah, but the problem is people are coming in & out of the service all the time. You might be coming in 1 week before it leaves. Or you're like me & have had the service the whole time but didn't find that jewel until late because you were playing other games or just got wind of it from friends. The service really needs to be more forthcoming of titles leaving.



Can't purchase it if you didn't know it was leaving. ;)

Tommy McClain

Sorry that’s not good enough, it’s like working as a temp with a rolling weekly contract - and don’t forget that some of these games are endless and all that progress is lost or you’re held to ransom.

I guess it just doesn’t suit me...I only have it because it’s free.
 
How is the progress lost? Find it odd you consider it being held for ransom. It's a game man. Maybe you need a break?

Tommy McClain
 
that came out first and stinks so no one remembers it.
It definitely sucks that people like to forget who offered services first. *cough* PSNow *cough*. I'm not a fan of that for the exact same reasons.

Both services are only appealing to a small segment of their respective console customer bases.
 
Actually you do. In the Game Pass mobile app they do show the games "Leaving Soon" & send you notifications when new titles are leaving. These are titles leaving in the next week or two. I just wished there was more info about this built-into the OS/library and the Store.

This sounds like a problem that could be easily solved with a UI enhancement. If you have games in your library that are only accessible in GamePass, and the game is schedule to leave GamePass, have a little clock with the number of days left to departure in the game icon in the library and other places that game is visible in the UI.

If MS want to go the extra mile, give owners the option to prompt users when a game is leaving in the next x days.

This is definitely an issue for lots of services where content is ephemeral.
 
How is the progress lost? Find it odd you consider it being held for ransom. It's a game man. Maybe you need a break?

Tommy McClain
the progress is lost if you don’t pay the ransom and buy the game - it’s not rocket science.

It's simple: Sony fans hate GamePass, until SonyPass comes out and then it will be amazing. :)
Erm yeah

This sounds like a problem that could be easily solved with a UI enhancement. If you have games in your library that are only accessible in GamePass, and the game is schedule to leave GamePass, have a little clock with the number of days left to departure in the game icon in the library and other places that game is visible in the UI.

If MS want to go the extra mile, give owners the option to prompt users when a game is leaving in the next x days.

This is definitely an issue for lots of services where content is ephemeral.
Don’t let facts or simple to implement solutions get in the way, gamepass is flawless and the best money you ever spend
 
the progress is lost if you don’t pay the ransom and buy the game - it’s not rocket science.

It's not lost. It may be unfulfilled, but it's not lost. Somebody gifts you the game, you can pick up where you left off.

Got any games you need codes for? I'm sure some of us could donate you some if you're that bad off.

Tommy McClain
 
It's not lost. It may be unfulfilled, but it's not lost. Somebody gifts you the game, you can pick up where you left off.

Got any games you need codes for? I'm sure some of us could donate you some if you're that bad off.

Tommy McClain
Assuming either you don't uninstall the game after you lose Game Pass access or it has cloud saves. Even some MS games don't have cloud saves on PC.
 
It's not lost. It may be unfulfilled, but it's not lost. Somebody gifts you the game, you can pick up where you left off.

Got any games you need codes for? I'm sure some of us could donate you some if you're that bad off.

Tommy McClain
Ignoring an issue with a service doesn't mean that issue doesn't exist. What you're suggesting is no different to my complaint against Netflix, essentially if I'm halfway through a season and it's removed I can buy the box set? Great - thanks for the advice...I could have bought the box set in the first place and not wasted my money on a half-baked rental system.

It's nothing to do with being 'bad off' either, it's the point that game pass is not the magic bullet of goodness everyone (who supports it) paints it as. Don't get me wrong (and I said it recently, and will again now) I can see why people like GP and think it's the best thing since sliced bread, it's just not for me...I guess I'm still too old school, I don't really like digital - I wish I'd bought a disk PS5 but there you go, we live and learn.
 
You didn't waste your time or money on the rental system. You got more bang for your buck. For example, let's say you were watching Gotham series & we're in the middle of season 3 of 5 & Netflix turned it off then you would have to pay $55+ for Blu-ray box set on Amazon(regular $120). Netflix monthly subscription is now $14 for HD quality? No contest. Yes, you could buy the box set & watch it right away or you could watch something else & finish it off when it comes back. Same thing with Game Pass except all your progress will still be there when you do. If you don't want to wait for it to return or don't think it will return, then you can buy it outright & finish it off. But only with Game Pass can you buy the content at a 20% discount while it's on the service. There's even a 10% discount for DLC. Netflix, Disney, etc don't do this.

It might not be the perfect service, but give me one that is. They just hit 18 million subscribers before 4 years. About on par with Netflix 20 million subscribers from 2007 to 2010(not great data to pick from officially). My point is there a lot of room for growth & it will get better once all their studios start shipping games. Plus, Microsoft will not be the only service in town. They will get some heavy competition & us subscribers will benefit from it.

Out with old & in with new I say. I thought I would be driving a flying car & playing holographic games by now. :LOL:

Tommy McClain
 
You didn't waste your time or money on the rental system. You got more bang for your buck. For example, let's say you were watching Gotham series & we're in the middle of season 3 of 5 & Netflix turned it off then you would have to pay $55+ for Blu-ray box set on Amazon(regular $120). Netflix monthly subscription is now $14 for HD quality? No contest. Yes, you could buy the box set & watch it right away or you could watch something else & finish it off when it comes back. Same thing with Game Pass except all your progress will still be there when you do. If you don't want to wait for it to return or don't think it will return, then you can buy it outright & finish it off. But only with Game Pass can you buy the content at a 20% discount while it's on the service. There's even a 10% discount for DLC. Netflix, Disney, etc don't do this.

It might not be the perfect service, but give me one that is. They just hit 18 million subscribers before 4 years. About on par with Netflix 20 million subscribers from 2007 to 2010(not great data to pick from officially). My point is there a lot of room for growth & it will get better once all their studios start shipping games. Plus, Microsoft will not be the only service in town. They will get some heavy competition & us subscribers will benefit from it.

Out with old & in with new I say. I thought I would be driving a flying car & playing holographic games by now. :LOL:

Tommy McClain
Problem is I'm quite old school and prefer something that I own physically. What you're describing is what i said ages ago - essentially people are now paying for glorified demos. You can pay to try the game and then pay again if you want to buy it. If we had demos I wouldn't need to pay for GP, I'd try the demo and then buy what I like.

I know no system is perfect, and even I would say this system is 7/10 (better transparency on dates for titles would make it an 8) - it's pretty good but I just simply wouldn't want to tie myself into (what is it?) £10pm, I still prefer to buy the games I want like I do with my PS5. That might change with the new content, but then I have concerns over the price/quality of content - I feel something has to give...and then if GP prices start rising but you're locked in as if you unsubscribe you have no games because you spent all your cash on the rental system.
 
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