Xbox All Access is Now the Best Deal in Gaming
For the last decade, the video game industry has touted the “games-as-a-service” model as the future of gaming. While a number of studios, such as Blizzard and Bungie, have discovered success using this model, single-player experiences continue to dominate the industry. Regardless of the gaming category, a constant truth remains: costly hardware is the largest paywall to gaming software. With the next generation of consoles on the horizon, Xbox is attempting to tear down the paywall structure with its All Access pass. The result could just be the best deal in gaming history. Let’s dive in.
Taking a Page Out of Apple’s Book
Costly hardware is inevitable for the cellular phone industry. While network providers historically subsidized the cost of iPhone and Galaxy devices, the paradigm recently shifted to a financing model. The change forced consumers to bear the entire cost of the hardware; however, the market accepted this reform because providers spread the expense over the course of several months.
The history of video game consoles is the antithesis of the cellular phone market. Instead of subsidizing the cost of expensive hardware, platform owners repeatedly ask consumers to invest large sums of money with each new console generation. Although the video game community has accepted this strategy as common practice, the model remains a steep paywall for a large number of players. Until now.
With the summer reveal of Xbox Series X, Microsoft also announced the merger of the Game Pass and Live Gold programs. However, the price of the new console remained a mystery. But on Wednesday, Xbox revealed the most impressive deal in video game history: a monthly “subscription” plan that packages its next-generation hardware with Game Pass Ultimate. For $24.99 per month, players can buy an Xbox Series S and immediate access to over 100 games. In addition, Xbox owners can access new releases with no additional cost and play several games on multiple devices via Project xCloud. Finally, Microsoft also revealed that EA Play comes free to Game Pass Ultimate owners. Overall, the service includes hardware and access to the most impressive lineup of games.
By removing the up-front costs associated with next-generation hardware, Xbox is making video games more accessible to a wider audience of players. Although Sony is the clear winner of the last console generation, Microsoft’s new approach could launch the platform to new heights. Only time will tell.
Conclusion
But we want to know what you think. Are you excited about the Xbox Series X? Will you buy the console and the Xbox All Access pass? Let us know in the comments below and the social media links on the right. Also, be sure to check out our other news items on Pokemon, Modern Warfare, Capcom, Blizzard and more.
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