Thread by @FrontlineGamer, So, do Sony need a response to Microsoft's Game Pass? This is [...]

So, do Sony need a response to Microsoft's Game Pass? This is going to be a Tweet in multiple parts, because it's actually a rather big topic, without a clear yes or no answer in my opinion, it's a sort of, but it depends. Firstly we have to understand why Game Pass exists.

1/23

Let's get this out of the way, GP exists because people weren't buying games on the X1. I'm sure I'll get some revisionist historians coming in here & complaining at me, but it's the truth. Multi-plat games sold on PS4, & even Microsoft's first party games didn't sell well.

2/23

Sony don't have that problem. Yet. Despite what people said at launch, Miles Morales is selling really, really well & has got those PS5 legs. Demon's Souls supposedly exceeded expectations & third party games comfortably sell better of PS over Xbox. So Sony sell games.

3/23

This means Sony don't have the same pressures that MS had when they created GP. For MS it was a necessity, for Sony the imperative isn't there, or at least it's not the same. The imperative for Sony might come from the fact that GP actually exists & is gaining traction.

4/23

But if they continue to sell games at the same rate, & consoles at the same rate will they feel the pressure to respond? Maybe for mind share, but their current business model & industry paradigm is massively profitable for all concerned. So if it remains strong why change?

5/23

Thing is once Sony hit the limit of their diehard fans & gamers is that still enough to support them & their business plan? I honestly don't know. It could well be, Nintendo have no problems & I feel like Sony won't either to be honest. But if that's not the case what then?

6/23

Well then they might need some form of response to GP. However, I'm really not sure GP's business plan works for the sorts of game Sony currently make. I'm just not. They make big blockbusters that are expensive to make & need sales to recoup costs & make a healthy profit.

7/23

So I don't think day & date releases like GP work for Sony, certainly not if they want to keep their output as high quality as it currently is. So what could Sony do in response to GP to mitigate it's impact as a service? What utility does GP have & how do they counter it?

8/23

First thing I looked at is how I use GP. Honestly? I've actually rarely played games to completion on it. Probably Gears 5 & FH4 two games I'd normally have bought if I'm honest, the rest I kinda used it as a demo service. Trying things out. It's possibly GP's best feature.

9/23

The ability to try things out, in many respects GP is more of a curated paid for demo service than it is a rental, or subscription service. The discounts on games inside GP are there to actively encourage you to purchase games, so it is still attempting to get those sales.

10/23

The first thing I'd do if I were Sony? Mandatory game demo's. Get publishers to give gamers limited time access to their games. After 30 minutes to an hour I know if I want a game if I'm honest. Dirt 5's demo convinced me to buy it & the RE8 demo did likewise for a friend.

11/23

Were you able to go to the store & try any game you wanted I honestly think that negates a really big part of GP's appeal, I also think it'd greatly encourage gamers to buy more games. But it absolutely doesn't address another core benefit of GP, & that's value for money.

12/23

I'm going to get people screaming at me that renting games isn't value for money. But it is. I like owning my games, I actually like revisiting them. I recently replayed Alan Wake on PC, but for many gamers they don't. What's the value in owning a game you don't revisit?

13/23

So the ability to play games for a flat monthly fee is almost certainly an appealing prospect for many gamers out there, & not just those gaming on a tight budget. So do Sony's two subscription services, PS+ & PS Now, match up to the GP offering, & do they need to?

14/23

Sony with PS+ is still fighting Games with Gold.. & to be fair destroying it. I personally don't actually have the time to even play all the great PS+ games in my library, but some of you actually seemingly have lives & free time. So PS+ isn't an answer for GP. Not really.

15/23

So what of PS Now? I honestly used to make fun of it, as a streaming service it offered me little at first. Still really doesn't, although it has quietly gotten a lot better. The back catalogue of PS2 & PS3 JRPGs is arguably worth the entry fee for some. Plus the PS4...

16/23

offerings have gotten a hell of a lot better. You stack the indie games up against those in GP & there's a lot of cross over. It also has a solid slate of AAA titles but in that area it is still lacking compared to GP. So what should Sony do? Do they change these services?

17/23

Sony should be a bit bold just merge the two services into one lower than GP price, & mirror much of what Microsoft do with GP but don't go day & date with their games. Instead they should do 2 things:

1) Offer members greatly reduced pre-order prices on their games.

18/23

2) Release their first party content onto the service 12 to 18 months after launch & coincide that with their launch on PC for sale.

That way their own platform remains the "best place to play" their games. They get the sales period, & those who want to own their games...

19/23

still get value from membership in reduced pre-order prices. Couple that with the mandatory timed demo's & I think they take much of the wind out of GPs sails without risking the ire of big third party publishers by reducing their sales, they might even view such a...

20/23

service more favourably as it's less likely than GP to cannibalise sales at launch. Sony could even offer added value via other media offerings via "add-on sales" for anime, or the recently announced Bravia Core streaming service, etc. etc. these are things Sony can offer.

21/23

Obviously I don't know the financials of Sony, but I do think this sort of approach could work for them. Focusing their curation efforts on one service instead of splitting it between the current two might also help them to achieve a better curated collection overall.

22/23

So what are your thoughts? For further clarity I think the price hike in games at this current juncture is tone deaf & market blind given the financial struggles inflicted by Covid, so an affordable option is something Sony should consider. Keep it civil please.

23/23

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