Recently Microsoft acquired ZeniMax, which is the parent company of Bethesda, the company that has made many of my favorite games, most notably the new Doom games, the new Wolfenstein games, the first person Fallout games, and the entire Elder Scrolls Series. Almost immediately, there were reactions ranging from "this is the end of good games" to "This is the best thing ever." Now, I'm not an extremist on almost any concept, but I do think this has some really good potential and will actually be pretty good, but let me explain why.
First, let me admit that I thought this was a horrible idea when I first saw it. I'm not fond of acquisitions for acquisitions' sake, and that's what I thought this was, just a way for Microsoft to get more of the pie. Oh was I wrong. There was an amazing amount of thought put into this acquisition, and I am legitimately excited for what Microsoft is bringing to the table. However, to understand all of that, we're doing to need to explore the other things Microsoft has done in recent years.
Around a year ago, I got a free trial of "Xbox Game Pass" from Taco Bell. I found out that it works on PC, which is my only mode of gaming for the time being, so I was glad and gave it a shot. It was, by far, the best free trial I'd ever had. Let me explain how this works: for a monthly fee, you get access to pretty much the entire Microsoft Game Studios library, which includes a lot of great games like the Master Chief Collection of Halo games, Obsidian's "The Outer Worlds," and around 100 other titles, all that you can download onto your PC, or Xbox, depending on what you have and what subscription you went for. If you just want the PC-only or Xbox-only versions, it's $10 per month. Back then, they also had the "ultimate" version in its infancy, which allowed for you to have the same games on both PC and Xbox for $15 per month. Like I said, I got to try it for free, and I personally consider it well worth $10-$15 per month if you have time and interest in gaming. That's piece number one, the existence of the subscription-based "Netflix of gaming" Xbox Game Pass.
As we all know, a new generation of gaming-focused consoles is just on the horizon, literally a few months away. Sony is bringing out their PlayStation 5 in both disc-ready and digital only versions, while Microsoft originally just announced the Xbox Series X, a digital-only console that will have the capability to play next-gen games at 4k resolution with 120fps. If you're not familiar with that terminology, it means they'll run really, really well and look really, really good. It was priced at $500, which makes it a good competitor for the PS5 in regards to price. But a few weeks ago, they switched up their offering. Yes, the $500 Series X will still be available in November, but so will a $300 version called the Xbox Series S, which maxes out just above 1080p at 120fps, and is overall just a bit weaker than the Series X. Clearly, this is meant to compete with the equally priced Nintendo Switch for more casual gamers. I like the idea personally, though I haven't owned a current-gen console in years, and don't exactly think I'd be buying one outright anytime soon.
Then a couple weeks ago, they released information on what they're calling "Xbox All Access." This is a subscription service, which includes game pass ultimate, which is normally $15. However, for a total of $25 per month, you also get to rent a Series S, or for a total of $35 per month, you get to rent a Series X. No start up costs, just the subscription, though you do need to sign a 24 month contract. So doing the math, if you get the $25 per month series S, you're paying for the Game Pass Ultimate, plus $10 per month, for 24 months. That's $240 for a $300 console, and all you sacrifice is the trade in value of the console, which after two years I would expect to be less than $60 anyway. Mixed with the fact that Microsoft is basically building specialized PCs with a proprietary operating system, rather than extremely specialized hardware like older consoles, and there's a distinct possibility that by the time your 24 months is up, you'll be able to start a new, similarly-priced contract for an updated console. Essentially, it's planned obsolescence without the bulk.
Why does this affect me? Like I said, I don't see myself justifying a $300 or $500 purchase all at once, but I could see myself getting Game Pass Ultimate, and if I could afford that, I could probably afford the $10 per month extra for the Series S. Now, my laptop is getting older, and because I'm disabled, I'm not going to be able to replace it to keep up with next-gen games, so it's not likely that I'll be able to play some of the newer games coming out, which makes me a little sad. But the Series S is made for those games. I don't need 4k resolution, I've been playing on 1080p for years, and 120fps is literally four times as fast as my current monitor. That, and the last few Xboxes have all been compatible with keyboard and mouse, so I expect the Series S and Series X to work similarly, so I get a very similar experience with it. So I could get next-gen gaming without breaking the bank or having a box that's useless to me after two years anyway because a new console comes out and the new games don't work on the old one.
But, as Billy Mays would say, there's more! Microsoft will be including the vast majority of games in their library in the Game Pass, as we know, but they've also made a deal with EA to get Game Pass Ultimate members a free EA play membership so they can play the 60 game EA library, including the Sims and Titanfall, as an example. But wait, there's still more. Microsoft owns Obsidian, which means that The Outer Wilds and any other Obsidian games come with on their launch day, which is awesome. But wait, there's still more. With the purchase of ZeniMax, Microsoft has pledged that, outside of PS5 exclusives already negotiated with Bethesda, all future Bethesda games, including The Elder Scrolls 6 and Starfield, will be available in Game Pass Ultimate on their launch day, so you get those great games at no extra cost.
That's why I'm excited, I may actually have access to next-gen gaming, and new games, without breaking the bank. There are some caveats, but there are always caveats. It seems like this is going to be a good deal for the consumers, and it's a good deal for Microsoft because they get the Bethesda library in Game Pass Ultimate without having to pay licensing fees. On Bethesda's side, they get steady funding even when they haven't had a game come out in a year or two, and a ready market for their games.
Finally, I want to cover some fringe benefits for us gamers that may come with this. The first is that the Windows Store is still leagues better than the Bethesda launcher, so I would *love* to see Microsoft just migrate our accounts over and stop making me use that stupid launcher. Still not as good as Steam, but Steam's a juggernaut there. The second is that Bethesda games will be largely cross-platform compatible, which should allow for saves from PC to be transferred to Xbox, and vice versa. And the third, which I am most excited about but also know is the least sure, is the fact that now that Microsoft owns both Obsidian and inXile Studios as well as the Fallout IP, we can get some really great Fallout games that have more of a feel of the originals. Obsidian made Fallout New Vegas, which was a great game because unlike the Bethesda Fallout games, you could literally be anything you wanted to be in New Vegas, at least as far as ethics was concerned. That's not really possible in Fallout 3 or 4. InXile Studios made Wasteland 2, which is essentially what would have happened if the original isometric Fallout games had continued, rather than being turned into first person games. I'd love to see both of these studios get to play with the Fallout IP.
That's it. That's why I think it's a cool idea. Sure there will be downsides, but for now, it's looking good.
No comments:
Post a Comment