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Sony has been offering many of its PlayStation 3 games to PS4 and PC owners on a monthly subscription basis for a while now, streaming RPGs, FPS, and even Survival titles over the internet. Now, Microsoft is doing something similar, although, the service is only available for the Xbox One console. After the company unveiled the service, GameStop’s share dipped.
Called the Xbox Game Pass, Microsoft announced the service’s existence on Tuesday, sending shockwaves throughout the gaming industry. Through this service, gamers will have access to over 100 titles for both the Xbox One and the Xbox 360, all for the monthly subscription fee of $9.99.
“With great games from top industry publishers such as 2K, 505 Games, BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment, Capcom, Codemasters, Deep Silver, Focus Home Interactive, SEGA, SNK CORPORATION, THQ Nordic GmbH, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and Microsoft Studios, there’s something for everyone to enjoy and you will always find something exciting to play across a variety of genres,” the post reads.
Aside from the frankly extensive number of titles and genres available, users will also be able to download all of these games directly into their consoles. This removes the anxiety of playing over the internet, which can cause the game to slow down or glitch out due to slow connections. What’s more, buying the games on the catalog will net gamers a 20 percent discount on the main title and a further 10 percent discount on DLCs.
The launch of this service is basically Microsoft striking at pretty much every sector in the industry. It’s a dig at its rival console maker, Sony with the removal of the necessity for streaming. At the same time, it sends a message to retailers like Steam, GOG, and even game publishers that Microsoft is serious about becoming a merchant juggernaut.
In seems the market is taking Microsoft’s position seriously as well since hours after the announcement, GameStop’s shared dropped like a rock by 8 percent on Tuesday, Business Insider reports. This is an indication that investors are worried about the prospect of the retailer to keep on selling games, especially the used ones.
