In the past, a lot of game companies have been about locking players into certain hardware and erecting barriers between players."Īs of April 2021, 23 million people have subscribed to Game Pass. "That's a big change from how this industry has traditionally worked. To achieve that, our aspiration is to empower everyone to play the games you want, with the people you want, anywhere you want," Spencer said in a statement. "We are here to bring the joy and community of gaming to everyone on the planet. Instead, Microsoft wants Game Pass subscribers paying it monthly for access to a growing library of games playable on whatever hardware the player chooses. Microsoft isn't as interested anymore in competing to get as many Xbox devices in living rooms as possible. Microsoft's approach is much more radical and would represent a massive shift in how the company operates in the games business, altering fundamentally how it makes money and how it plans to grow in the future. Yet the PlayStation business still does revolve around ensuring consumers buy Sony hardware, remain within Sony's ecosystem and spend a bulk of their money on Sony's digital store. Sony, too, has signaled a major shift in recent years toward software and services, admitting in an investor presentation last month that it's less reliant now than ever before on the traditional console business model. Sony in particular is following the blueprint it perfected during the PlayStation 4 years with its successor, the PlayStation 5, and has sold nearly 8 million new consoles as a result. This represents Microsoft's rather bold vision for the future of gaming, and it stands in stark contrast to the model competitors Nintendo and Sony have stuck with for years now, which has focused on selling hardware complemented by games only playable on said hardware. That means Xbox games could conceivably be accessible from almost any screen, anywhere, at any time. But as those technical limitations have begun to disappear, Microsoft is now interested in expanding Game Pass to include smart TVs and streaming devices, as well as mobile phones and web browsers. That's largely due to video game file sizes and network requirements. Until now, Xbox Game Pass has not worked entirely like Netflix or other video-streaming platforms, instead requiring you download games locally to hardware capable of running it, like a console or PC. Xbox Game Pass is available on phones as part of an ongoing beta of Microsoft's cloud gaming platform. Microsoft hopes that its position in the cloud computing, gaming and desktop operating system sectors means it's uniquely capable of delivering a streaming subscription platform and product experience of this scale where others, like Google Stadia, have struggled. The approach, if successful, could also reduce Microsoft's need to compete directly against Sony's PlayStation. These plans mark a substantial step forward for Microsoft's subscription ambitions and could enable the company to reach additional tens of millions of customers, some of whom may not be interested in a game console but are still enticed by the appeal of a true "Netflix for gaming" platform. The company is also "building its own streaming devices for cloud gaming to reach gamers on any TV or monitor without the need for a console at all." Microsoft says it's in the process of "working with global TV manufacturers to embed the Xbox experience directly into internet-connected televisions," adding that no extra hardware will be required, save a controller. And third, our overall focus on empowering creators." Second, the resources we have to build our subscription service, Xbox Game Pass. "There are really three key areas where we believe we have an incredible competitive advantage: First, our leadership in cloud computing. "We believe that Microsoft can play a leading role in democratizing gaming and defining the future of interactive entertainment," said Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella in a prerecorded interview with Xbox chief Phil Spencer. Microsoft intends to deliver its subscription platform on less powerful hardware via the cloud, as it does now with Android and iOS smartphones using a beta version of its Xbox Cloud Gaming service. Microsoft on Thursday announced plans to expand its Xbox Game Pass subscription service to many more screens, including third-party smart TVs and also streaming devices the company is currently building itself.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |