Why everyone wants to be the Netflix of games
video description
Subscription services have been around for a long time, but if we already have massive backlogs, are we really going to shell out another $100+/year for a library of games we cant _keep_ in our backlog, that we arent going to play much of anyway? If game creators cant survive this model, theyll sell their games for one lump sum instead, like they do now, and people who disagree with rental subscription models or who play mostly their games will continue to buy their games, like they do now.
Thats the beauty of games not needing physical release anymore. If we somehow _did_ end up in some dystopia of all games being locked to subscription services, the devs that cant or dont want to hack it out that way for a few cents a play will just. release their own games for download, for money. If youre a serial single-player gamer however, this new model could be great for you. No need to shell out $60/game every time your newest anticipated release comes out, just to never touch it again one youre done with it.
Thats assuming these companies actually succeed with this business model. Look at Discord, who just announced theyre discontinuing their subscription model, because while plenty of people paid for their service, virtually zero of those people played any of the games they got out of it.
Exclusives are just about the only things that can compel people to support this model if they dont agree with it, but there are so many awesome games out now that theres always something else thats super similar and awesome that _isnt_ part of that model that you hate. Im not worried about it. Many developers have consciences, and organizations like GOG will always exist, because people like us, who get anxious listening to videos like this, will always exist.
Just dont be sheep and let the companies learn that a little quicker.\r\n
Date: 2023-12-10
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Comments and reviews: 29
-EhurtAfy
Why everyone (read: Greedy Corporations) wants to be the Netflix of games
Short answer is it gives publishers complete control over the licensing and monetization of games. Subscription models are just a way to extract more money for less cost and to create dependent customers.
I never buy games new. In fact, most games are at least 75% off before I buy them. I've gotten game bundles where the average game price is as low as $0. 10. I have over 600 Steam games and would rather stop purchasing new content altogether than get a subscription. Something I don't think people talk about is that gaming on a smartphone, even with a gamepad, isn't ideal. It's very hard to get the screen to a comfortable viewing angle and distance in my opinion.
Sure, I've spent about $6, 000 on Steam games in the past 8 years, however, Steam is very good about their policies and licensing with customers. Streaming services are just money down the drain; I'm the same way with film and music. I would rather save my money for a month and purchase a nice blu-ray dvd set that I will cherish for a long time. If we have enough time to sit around a play or watch things for dozens of hours a month, that's a problem! It sometimes takes me years to beat a long roleplaying game; the returns would be terrible if I were paying for a subscription.
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Why everyone (read: Greedy Corporations) wants to be the Netflix of games
Short answer is it gives publishers complete control over the licensing and monetization of games. Subscription models are just a way to extract more money for less cost and to create dependent customers.
I never buy games new. In fact, most games are at least 75% off before I buy them. I've gotten game bundles where the average game price is as low as $0. 10. I have over 600 Steam games and would rather stop purchasing new content altogether than get a subscription. Something I don't think people talk about is that gaming on a smartphone, even with a gamepad, isn't ideal. It's very hard to get the screen to a comfortable viewing angle and distance in my opinion.
Sure, I've spent about $6, 000 on Steam games in the past 8 years, however, Steam is very good about their policies and licensing with customers. Streaming services are just money down the drain; I'm the same way with film and music. I would rather save my money for a month and purchase a nice blu-ray dvd set that I will cherish for a long time. If we have enough time to sit around a play or watch things for dozens of hours a month, that's a problem! It sometimes takes me years to beat a long roleplaying game; the returns would be terrible if I were paying for a subscription.
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polygon
I think it might be good for indies in a way that people will give them a try more often, because they already -own- them. I have been disappointed by the game so often that I am very careful when buying new stuff, cause most of the games bore me in first hour or even faster and I feel I've wasted money. And on subscription model I can try all the games. That's my gamer view. As for my developer's view (and I already have been in the talks with certain platform holder about our game, although it was going too slow and we got picked up by a publisher) - it can be both amazing and terrible, depending on what kind o deals will be the norm. Agreed money upfront can be beneficial for everyone. Amount depending on the time the game is played, will be not, cause it will mean even more grindy crappy looty games and less single player experiences. But I think the biggest problem will be too many services. All big publishers want to have their own service and people won't really get all of them. And that means not many people will subscripe to even quarter of those services, which also means most of the peeps will still buy games on top of services, just as they are going to the cinema on top of watching netflix
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I think it might be good for indies in a way that people will give them a try more often, because they already -own- them. I have been disappointed by the game so often that I am very careful when buying new stuff, cause most of the games bore me in first hour or even faster and I feel I've wasted money. And on subscription model I can try all the games. That's my gamer view. As for my developer's view (and I already have been in the talks with certain platform holder about our game, although it was going too slow and we got picked up by a publisher) - it can be both amazing and terrible, depending on what kind o deals will be the norm. Agreed money upfront can be beneficial for everyone. Amount depending on the time the game is played, will be not, cause it will mean even more grindy crappy looty games and less single player experiences. But I think the biggest problem will be too many services. All big publishers want to have their own service and people won't really get all of them. And that means not many people will subscripe to even quarter of those services, which also means most of the peeps will still buy games on top of services, just as they are going to the cinema on top of watching netflix
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polygon
Alright don't get me wrong I like getting my games digitally, hence PC gaming, but if I have a console like say. The nintendo switch or a PS4, more often than not, I like having the physical media. It's something tangible. Something I can touch, I can feel, something I can say, -alright, I can justify spending sixty dollars (depending on the game) on this. - Because not only is it a game, it's a display piece. Something you can put up on your shelf, something you can look at and show off. It's the game case's artwork, the little user manual inside. Hell, some games like GTA V and Borderlands 1 came with a Map included for you to look at or even hang on your wall. It's the little things. Sure I can buy it on the online store but it's not the same as owning a physical copy and calling it your own.
I really hope physical games don't become obsolete because it would be a shame to lose all your beloved games all because you cant pay your subscription or lose your account. I'm already sorta regretting buying Mario Odyssey digitally.
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Alright don't get me wrong I like getting my games digitally, hence PC gaming, but if I have a console like say. The nintendo switch or a PS4, more often than not, I like having the physical media. It's something tangible. Something I can touch, I can feel, something I can say, -alright, I can justify spending sixty dollars (depending on the game) on this. - Because not only is it a game, it's a display piece. Something you can put up on your shelf, something you can look at and show off. It's the game case's artwork, the little user manual inside. Hell, some games like GTA V and Borderlands 1 came with a Map included for you to look at or even hang on your wall. It's the little things. Sure I can buy it on the online store but it's not the same as owning a physical copy and calling it your own.
I really hope physical games don't become obsolete because it would be a shame to lose all your beloved games all because you cant pay your subscription or lose your account. I'm already sorta regretting buying Mario Odyssey digitally.
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-shiusa3202
On one hand I wouldn-t like it because I don-t always have the time to be playing games. I usually go through weeks or months of playing all the time and then not being able to play. So having a subscription I would have to keep doing would stress me out. Just like with adobe and photoshop. Yeah it was expensive, but after buying photoshop I could-ve kept it forever, used it whenever I wanted, and not felt bad about not using. Now with photoshop I periodically cancel my subscription because I just can-t justify the cost based on how little time I have to use it. Also I-m really not a fan of having digital games. It feels risky to me and I also just like having the physical object in my hands.
On the other hand, I think this is great for indie games and being able to try new games that I maybe wouldn-t have taken the leap for before, but with a flat subscription i-ll be able to play them without a -risk- per se.
As long as they continue to offer buying games outright in ADDITION to subscriptions, I-ll be happy.
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On one hand I wouldn-t like it because I don-t always have the time to be playing games. I usually go through weeks or months of playing all the time and then not being able to play. So having a subscription I would have to keep doing would stress me out. Just like with adobe and photoshop. Yeah it was expensive, but after buying photoshop I could-ve kept it forever, used it whenever I wanted, and not felt bad about not using. Now with photoshop I periodically cancel my subscription because I just can-t justify the cost based on how little time I have to use it. Also I-m really not a fan of having digital games. It feels risky to me and I also just like having the physical object in my hands.
On the other hand, I think this is great for indie games and being able to try new games that I maybe wouldn-t have taken the leap for before, but with a flat subscription i-ll be able to play them without a -risk- per se.
As long as they continue to offer buying games outright in ADDITION to subscriptions, I-ll be happy.
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-Unf0rget
Mmos have already shown the subscription based game design.
Weekly milestones. Progress being tied to a limited amount of daily activities. Cant let players pace themselves or they'll be content within the one month payment.
Really hits hardcores and semicasuals a like. I don't want to log in and do exactly the same shit every day. Its not a tangible goal to do a daily cache and pray for your legendary drop or do that one mythic+ and pray for your titanforged super item each week. Its not fun to have no choice but to do one specific set of dailies to make any in game currency or wait for the next event to have any upgrade materials to progress your character.
Far too often mmos forget to give a selection of at your own pace activities and players will either burn out or get bored waiting for the right to progress.
Subscription games are gonna be hell for the first few years, layered upon layers of stop gaps and measured activities to secure your future payments.
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Mmos have already shown the subscription based game design.
Weekly milestones. Progress being tied to a limited amount of daily activities. Cant let players pace themselves or they'll be content within the one month payment.
Really hits hardcores and semicasuals a like. I don't want to log in and do exactly the same shit every day. Its not a tangible goal to do a daily cache and pray for your legendary drop or do that one mythic+ and pray for your titanforged super item each week. Its not fun to have no choice but to do one specific set of dailies to make any in game currency or wait for the next event to have any upgrade materials to progress your character.
Far too often mmos forget to give a selection of at your own pace activities and players will either burn out or get bored waiting for the right to progress.
Subscription games are gonna be hell for the first few years, layered upon layers of stop gaps and measured activities to secure your future payments.
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-zynthio
Honestly as one who plays a ton of games, I see a lot of benefit in the subscription based game service. I can see how it can be nice to pay $15 a month to play any game i want on said service and try anything out that I want to, so that if a game isn't for me I can move on to the next game without having lost money. BUT, should always be a system in place for when I decide -Hey i love this game a lot, so I think I'll buy it-. Kind of like back in the Blockbuster and Family Video days where you could just buy the copy of whatever game/movie you were renting instead of continuing to pay for the rental fee every week. Then in the case where I decide that I don't want to continue paying for my Subscription for whatever reason, I still have those couple of games that I loved afterwards.
This is me being optimistic for the future. I get the reasons for the hatred of the Sub model, but it's healthy to look for the bright side my friends
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Honestly as one who plays a ton of games, I see a lot of benefit in the subscription based game service. I can see how it can be nice to pay $15 a month to play any game i want on said service and try anything out that I want to, so that if a game isn't for me I can move on to the next game without having lost money. BUT, should always be a system in place for when I decide -Hey i love this game a lot, so I think I'll buy it-. Kind of like back in the Blockbuster and Family Video days where you could just buy the copy of whatever game/movie you were renting instead of continuing to pay for the rental fee every week. Then in the case where I decide that I don't want to continue paying for my Subscription for whatever reason, I still have those couple of games that I loved afterwards.
This is me being optimistic for the future. I get the reasons for the hatred of the Sub model, but it's healthy to look for the bright side my friends
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-notpointed
I think subscription services would be another version of the preorder problem, where developers don't have to put out good content, because they're getting the money no matter how buggy the game is on release day.
Personally, I'll always be in favour of demos. Where you can figure out whether you like the game before purchasing it. It's why I like Path of Exile: You can get the first four acts, if not all ten, before you decide you want more stash tabs. It's a game where the money you spend corresponds to how much you like the game and play it, which is rather fair, I'd say. (Unless you have OCD, in that case the developers deviously created perfect OCD stash tabs that force you to buy them)
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I think subscription services would be another version of the preorder problem, where developers don't have to put out good content, because they're getting the money no matter how buggy the game is on release day.
Personally, I'll always be in favour of demos. Where you can figure out whether you like the game before purchasing it. It's why I like Path of Exile: You can get the first four acts, if not all ten, before you decide you want more stash tabs. It's a game where the money you spend corresponds to how much you like the game and play it, which is rather fair, I'd say. (Unless you have OCD, in that case the developers deviously created perfect OCD stash tabs that force you to buy them)
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-AzizidarkReborn
When video games stop being something I can own, I will stop buying them. I've seen the disasters that come with things like PSN and the Rockband Network where you can lose access to things you've bought over time. It's the worst feeling in the world when you pay a lot money for something you don't get to keep. It's especially shitty when you tack on a subscription fee for no reason like Nintendo did with the Switch which adds nothing of value and makes you pay for something you need that you never had to pay for before. We're treading on dangerous ground now.
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When video games stop being something I can own, I will stop buying them. I've seen the disasters that come with things like PSN and the Rockband Network where you can lose access to things you've bought over time. It's the worst feeling in the world when you pay a lot money for something you don't get to keep. It's especially shitty when you tack on a subscription fee for no reason like Nintendo did with the Switch which adds nothing of value and makes you pay for something you need that you never had to pay for before. We're treading on dangerous ground now.
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polygon
Game developers already get info from their users through analytics. they either build it into their engines, or they come as a package with the engines they use (like unity analytics.
A subscription based service will most likely serve only the larger production companies, and put a stranglehold on indie studios.
I have netflix, and I dont watch the crappy shows. Im basically paying a 10 buck subscription to have been able to watch about 10-14 shows.
Maybe I'm wrong, but I cant see how this limit to indie studios would be good for the consumer.
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Game developers already get info from their users through analytics. they either build it into their engines, or they come as a package with the engines they use (like unity analytics.
A subscription based service will most likely serve only the larger production companies, and put a stranglehold on indie studios.
I have netflix, and I dont watch the crappy shows. Im basically paying a 10 buck subscription to have been able to watch about 10-14 shows.
Maybe I'm wrong, but I cant see how this limit to indie studios would be good for the consumer.
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-ajculum723
A big issue with these services that I haven't seen addressed is that it won't break the need for an entire TV or CD player like Netflix and Spotify did. The controller will still be necessary and likely not always on you like a phone is. So if these services don't increase the ease of when and where you play that will not be a draw and consumers will not have that other factor to consider
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A big issue with these services that I haven't seen addressed is that it won't break the need for an entire TV or CD player like Netflix and Spotify did. The controller will still be necessary and likely not always on you like a phone is. So if these services don't increase the ease of when and where you play that will not be a draw and consumers will not have that other factor to consider
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-wublez
kinda torn on how i feel about this and it largely depends on how it's structured i think. if this means i could pay $10 a month for access to any number of aaa games that would normally be $80+ on release then i'm thrilled but if something happpened like steam started charging money for access to the games i already paid for, i'd pe pissed
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kinda torn on how i feel about this and it largely depends on how it's structured i think. if this means i could pay $10 a month for access to any number of aaa games that would normally be $80+ on release then i'm thrilled but if something happpened like steam started charging money for access to the games i already paid for, i'd pe pissed
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polygon
Id be interested in seeing someone who knows what theyre talking about make a video about the the parallels between now with how microtransactions/dlcs are affecting the industry And the build up to the video game crash of the 80s. Cuz i feel like its gonna happen again but i am not as knowledgeable on the intricacies of this all.
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Id be interested in seeing someone who knows what theyre talking about make a video about the the parallels between now with how microtransactions/dlcs are affecting the industry And the build up to the video game crash of the 80s. Cuz i feel like its gonna happen again but i am not as knowledgeable on the intricacies of this all.
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-catherine141
I don't like this, I like buying something once and knowing I can play it at my own pace, if I get busy I don't need to stress about canceling my stuff for 2 months then continuing. I also like to only buy physical copies of games. I don't trust accounts enough to not get locked out or etc. Plus I can resell them.
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I don't like this, I like buying something once and knowing I can play it at my own pace, if I get busy I don't need to stress about canceling my stuff for 2 months then continuing. I also like to only buy physical copies of games. I don't trust accounts enough to not get locked out or etc. Plus I can resell them.
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-user-ux4gu2lh8c
Xbox game pass is godamn value. But it does make me worried for the future of games. People are gonna want to squeeze as much time from gamers as possible. Longer subscriptions and people thinking -well i spend so much time on this may as well throw 20 bucks in for that cool outfit-
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Xbox game pass is godamn value. But it does make me worried for the future of games. People are gonna want to squeeze as much time from gamers as possible. Longer subscriptions and people thinking -well i spend so much time on this may as well throw 20 bucks in for that cool outfit-
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-DVRKSTXR
It-s going to be an icy day in hell once we hear Sony and Microsoft start reporting game streaming revenue in place of console sales entirely, and quantify them by saying that gamers are simply --playing more games-. -
Yeah, Opposite Day is about to become an everyday thing.
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It-s going to be an icy day in hell once we hear Sony and Microsoft start reporting game streaming revenue in place of console sales entirely, and quantify them by saying that gamers are simply --playing more games-. -
Yeah, Opposite Day is about to become an everyday thing.
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-DondeVirgoBussy
So what about that one service that shipped games to your door like OG Netflix? I mean they were completely ahead of the curve and I figured they'd move over to game streaming the same way Netflix did with TV. It's too bad I guess they died out.
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So what about that one service that shipped games to your door like OG Netflix? I mean they were completely ahead of the curve and I figured they'd move over to game streaming the same way Netflix did with TV. It's too bad I guess they died out.
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-andrewgeier567
I hate not owning the games that I play, if a subscription service shuts down what guarantee is there that I can keep playing my favorite games. Which tbh is a problem with games today even now that most things are connected to the internet
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I hate not owning the games that I play, if a subscription service shuts down what guarantee is there that I can keep playing my favorite games. Which tbh is a problem with games today even now that most things are connected to the internet
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-timbomb374
I don't think the exsistance of game subscription systems will be an issue, if a game compant stopped releasing games to be baught regularly they would miss out on a bunch of money from the people who prefer to buy games then pay for a service.
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I don't think the exsistance of game subscription systems will be an issue, if a game compant stopped releasing games to be baught regularly they would miss out on a bunch of money from the people who prefer to buy games then pay for a service.
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-snakeyman5560
I was half expecting you to call us every accusation under the sun from racist to jengoist but instead I find a comment section filled with people who have only ever thrived under capitalism saying that they hate it.
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I was half expecting you to call us every accusation under the sun from racist to jengoist but instead I find a comment section filled with people who have only ever thrived under capitalism saying that they hate it.
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-hardcorewhoopass
I wouldn't have expected you to say -The one thing we know is that the prices are only going to go up- with such a cheery tone to close out the video. I had to go back and make sure I heard it right.
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I wouldn't have expected you to say -The one thing we know is that the prices are only going to go up- with such a cheery tone to close out the video. I had to go back and make sure I heard it right.
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-griffonsarcade
When the industry announces as a collective that physical copies of games are a thing of the past, I'm just going to get a flash cart for every retro console and stop telling people I play games
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When the industry announces as a collective that physical copies of games are a thing of the past, I'm just going to get a flash cart for every retro console and stop telling people I play games
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-Madderthanjoker
So what can a small indie dev hope for this new trend, make a game with a lot of replay ability I guess. Story driven games that are short and sweet will be difficult to make now.
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So what can a small indie dev hope for this new trend, make a game with a lot of replay ability I guess. Story driven games that are short and sweet will be difficult to make now.
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-RedGreekWolf
I cannot take you guys seriously or respect you anymore, not since you defended loot boxes and other predatory practices. Shame on you all for supporting that kind of thing, shame.
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I cannot take you guys seriously or respect you anymore, not since you defended loot boxes and other predatory practices. Shame on you all for supporting that kind of thing, shame.
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-LS-jj4sy
Yeah only if people fall for it and pay for your nonsense. (Like how the current move toward each network having its own streaming service is going to cause a new big spike in piracy)
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Yeah only if people fall for it and pay for your nonsense. (Like how the current move toward each network having its own streaming service is going to cause a new big spike in piracy)
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-beybladerocks7
4: 55 Have to disagree with you there. walking dead/half life were ridiculously successful, it was the game companies making it that were the problem
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4: 55 Have to disagree with you there. walking dead/half life were ridiculously successful, it was the game companies making it that were the problem
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-Kevinkapon
This would be great in a socialist society, where the bottom dollar doesn't matter tbh
And the subscription fees would likely be static and cheap.
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This would be great in a socialist society, where the bottom dollar doesn't matter tbh
And the subscription fees would likely be static and cheap.
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-T1Oracle
Get ready to open up your wallets and get stuck with a limited selection of crappy games while everything about you is sold off to advertisers.
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Get ready to open up your wallets and get stuck with a limited selection of crappy games while everything about you is sold off to advertisers.
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-Shinigami1016
Streaming remote gameplay would really hinder pirates. In the future, archivers may have no way to preserve and share game files.
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Streaming remote gameplay would really hinder pirates. In the future, archivers may have no way to preserve and share game files.
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-fanboy426
This was a really interesting, and slightly dread inducing, but I really loved the combination of super cheesy and very good editing
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This was a really interesting, and slightly dread inducing, but I really loved the combination of super cheesy and very good editing
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