Looks like Microsoft is getting rid of being able to redeem Game Pass with Microsoft Rewards so I won't even be able to do that anymore.
So I guess that's it for me and Game Pass. $425 might be fine if you can find 5 new releases but I find there's really only 2 or 3 a year that I want to play. And most of the other games were games I bought years ago.
It's situational but at that yearly price, yeah, it's less than five brand new games. Microsoft probably need some original IPs, but even Sony seem to be struggling to bring out top quality original games.
But if you buy games you actually have them to keep...I play games I bought 5,10 years ago. (heck I play games I got for my 10th bday lol)
For me Gamepass was always something I'd get for a month or two every few years. Play the one or two games on there that interest me then cancel for a while
I bought gamepass to try games out, and I bought the ones I liked. My subscription lapsed this spring and I didn't renew because I've been focusing more on my backlog, with some indie games mixed in. With the price increase I doubt I'll resubscribe.
Microsoft also increased the price of Office 365 by an astronomical amount. I actually use it so I'll pay for another year, but I'm going to look for an alternative. How is Office Libre these days?
I bought 3 years at like $8 a month a while back using some conversion trick and am still good until July...no chance after that
I cancelled PS+ when they upped their price...honestly its almost better for focus on a couple games and games get really cheap quickly these days anyway.
Also, public library FTW...any game for free! (you just might have to wait for a new realease)
Not to mention the elephant in the room GTA6 that will be keeping a lot of gamers busy
When I did it was like $180 for 3 years. I bought 3 years of Gold and then used a free month of Ultimate and it converted. So I was paying about $60 a year.
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It's situational but at that yearly price, yeah, it's less than five brand new games. Microsoft probably need some original IPs, but even Sony seem to be struggling to bring out top quality original games.
Yep if you do the math it's still a good deal over 12 months unless you are a very casual gamer. Between my boys and I it's well worth it as the only time I buy games now is when it's a 1st party PS5 game and those are few and far between these days.
a 1st party PS5 game and those are few and far between these days.
I'm a glutton for punishment so I picked up EA 26, as I do every year. My next game purchase will likely be GTA 6 as Sony just aren't pumping out compelling, exclusive, story-focused games like they used to. It's a shame.
I'm a glutton for punishment so I picked up EA 26, as I do every year. My next game purchase will likely be GTA 6 as Sony just aren't pumping out compelling, exclusive, story-focused games like they used to. It's a shame.
I just purchased the Ghost of Yoeti which I have no doubt is going to be unreal.
Yep if you do the math it's still a good deal over 12 months unless you are a very casual gamer.
I think it's more than just being a very casual gamer. I'm far from that. I game pretty much every day.
If you're a console only gamer it would have more value but I mostly play on PC and I have a huge Steam backlog. I really only use Game Pass when a new release comes out that I really want to play like Indiana Jones or a game I never did buy but want to play.
I'm also not one to play multiple games at a time. I saw a tweet from a guy who said he plays 20 games a month on Game Pass and find that crazy. I play pretty much a game a month depending on how long it is. When I play it's for an hour or two so a game that's 30-40 hours long can last me a whole month.
I'm also selective with the types of games I play and when I was subscribed I found I could go a whole a month without finding something I wanted to play. I know games like Hades might be good games but they're just not the type of game I want to play.
"Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision has been followed by significant price hikes and layoffs, harming both gamers and developers," Khan wrote on X. "As we’ve seen across sectors, increasing market consolidation and increasing prices often go hand-in-hand.
The deal was closed in October 2023, even though the FTC's legal action against it was still pending, and it's been one ####ty thing after another since then. Just a few months after the deal was sealed, Microsoft laid off 1,900 workers at Activision Blizzard and Xbox, and cancelled the studio's long-awaited survival game; then in September 2024, another 650 people were shown the door. That was followed by the layoff of 9,000 more employees across Microsoft in July 2025, a spot of unpleasantness that also saw multiple game cancellations, the closure of The Initiative, and knock-on impacts on other studios, even as Xbox boss Phil Spencer said the company's gaming business "never looked stronger."
The video game industry is looking pretty bleak these days. I can’t remember a time I’ve felt less engaged.
With so many long awaited games coming out this year in the Indie/AA space, I think it's a pretty good reminder that if you ignore the AAA space there's still lots of good things out there.
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Your tone is quasi facetious, but you do not realize Grand Theft Auto was the only game to survive the console wars. So now all games are Grand Theft Auto.
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