Gaming Is UNRECOGNISABLE In 2024
3. The Monthly Subscription Model Is Failing
Subscription models are all the rage across all types of media nowadays, and gaming is certainly no exception, with the likes of Xbox Game Pass, PlayStation Plus, Nintendo Switch Online, Ubisoft+, EA Play, and so on.
But just as it's often said that Netflix can't sustainably produce theatrical-caliber blockbuster films at a steady rate, there's mounting evidence that gaming subscriptions aren't in fact the future.
Xbox Game Pass is surely the consensus favourite gaming subscription service, offering a huge platter of games - including Microsoft's first-party titles day-and-date - for a reasonable monthly fee.
But Game Pass' growth stagnated considerably throughout 2023, suggesting that they're beginning to hit a subscriber ceiling.
Though recent reports indicate some tectonic shifts on the horizon for Microsoft this year, it's tough to make sense of how, at present, Game Pass can possibly be sustainable given the value it offers players.
And honestly, if Game Pass can't turn a steady profit, it's tough to parse how the other inferior, less-popular services possibly have a hope of doing so.
Just as streaming services are currently going through a period of major consolidation, it's reasonable to expect the same for the gaming industry in the future, with only a few flagship ones left standing, albeit with serious price-hikes to reflect the inevitable acquisitions.
And above all else, there's a reason that Sony doesn't give AAA games away day-and-date on PS+ - it was a desperation move Microsoft made in an attempt to be competitive. It's a wonderful service for sure, but also one that feels held together by hope and dreams at this point.