game pass sucks because it devalues games psychologically the same way streaming services have devalued what we now call 'content'. Encourages an 'add to queue' mentality where you are essentially paying to maintain a persistent backlog to be glazed over, occasionally indulged but rarely savored. The key is when you commit to purchasing a game you also commit to playing it, at least in most cases. Even then, maintaining a personal archive has its own small joys that will always beat glancing over a netflix queue.

Game pass day 1 releases going away except for the most expensive tier was absolutely inevitable and it's the clearest possible sign - now that microsoft has finished their consolidation and has activision on board, it's time to stop giving big releases away and focus on profit margins.

I'd say expect a reality-setting-in period as game pass slowly morphs into a service focused on cheap first-party backlog access and fewer external games. The time of belt-tightening has arrived

Thanks in part to a regional pricing scheme that sees my monthly charges down to a little under $2/month (though for a noticeably smaller selection compared to what's on the North American PC game pass lineup).

Weirdly enough I think the only local guy I know who's got an Xbox series console says he pays the same price in pesos as dollars for ultimate, so I dunno, it could just be an introductory price that was never withdrawn.

Game pass day 1 releases going away except for the most expensive tier was absolutely inevitable and it's the clearest possible sign - now that microsoft has finished their consolidation and has activision on board, it's time to stop giving big releases away and focus on profit margins.

I'd say expect a reality-setting-in period as game pass slowly morphs into a service focused on cheap first-party backlog access and fewer external games. The time of belt-tightening has arrived

Seemed inevitable after the Activision sale and COD coming to Game Pass, but here we are. Full article below the break.