So Microsoft recently made cloud game time limits of only up to 15 hours a month for the highest paying subscription. Xbox Gamepass ultimate.
Apparently this is to save costs on infrastructure for cloud gaming. But what they should do instead to save money is to remove all Gamepass games being rented out.
Every game they rent out they have to pay the companies. That also includes any from EA Play Ubisoft etc.
So they should instead just make a $10 a month membership. Allow unlimited cloud gaming for owned games. And multiplayer. And remove any reward point benefits. And remove any of the rented games.
(Extra idea they could even allow 5 hours of Demo/Trial gaming a month on any video game in their store once per game per account.) The company whoā owns the game can decide if they want to enroll in that program and how many minutes a player can freely play their game. And it is completely optional and at no cost to Microsoft merely a self promotion that the company can opt into or out of at any time but only while connected to the internet.)
I think in this case they would save way more money and make games more enjoyable for players... I would rather purchase a game and own it rather then buy a subscription to play limited or have a virtual Blockbuster/Red Box renting me the games instead.
Because I can tell you I will not get a membership for cloud gaming. (Multiplayer yeah but timed cloud gaming heck no) And I definitely would not pay extra game hours a month like a cell phone plan charging you for every second you're talking to somebody else on the phone. Because you didn't buy the unlimited data plan.
To sum up what I'm trying to say is $10 a month subscription with multiplayer and cloud gaming for games that you ownā and bought on your account. And no renting games, no reward point bonuses, and no other "free" memberships from other companies.
What do you guys and gals think? Any ideas on how Microsoft can improve Gamepass while allowing multiplayer and unlimited cloud gaming. But keeping the cost low for customers and Microsoft themselves. Cutting the rented games would probably save them the most money. (This would also help games from getting reviewed bombed on their store.)
(And to be honest I'm perfectly okay with just a 5$ or $10 a month subscription for multiplayer access. And nothing else. All the stuff they're trying to add is like an unnecessary decoration. Like an architect adding 90% pure gold mixed into paint to the walls of a cathedral despite it already recently painted yellow but then charging more for entering it every Sunday and charging the commissioner more as well despite not asking for it..) In other words Gamepass honestly has a ton of unnecessary expenses but little real benefit to players unless you are exceptionally hardcore and possibly a shut-in.)
(The reason I made this post was this morning I wasā thinking of going to purchase Gamepass for a month to play some Age of Mythology. Or Starfield just because. But 15 hours a month I can use that up in 2 days on a weekend. Not including the two or three hours I play a day on my work days... It is completely not worth it.) One of my side goals for Starfield was to New Game Plus it 10 times and get all the superpowers. I was going to work on that slowly for like a decade or until I got bored. Despite the recent patches changing it so you don't need to do that anymore I was still going to try. But ain't no way am I completing 10 campaigns of Starfield's slow as heck gameplay even in 10 years with only 15 hours a month especially as a completionist and a one of a kind unique item collector in games.)
It takes me 20 hours of gameplay in Starfield to get motivated to keep playing. Lol.
