Musings on Microsoft's Digital future

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Buttermancan
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Joined: March 26th, 2019, 6:05 am

Musings on Microsoft's Digital future

Postby Buttermancan » November 5th, 2020, 3:56 am

Many individuals enjoy videogames from a casual perspective and have a somewhat throwaway stance to the media they've paid for. Like Netflix a gaming subscription would see new titles arrive on a consistent basis and is a model that some find very appealing. If you invest purely in the subscription model it's possible that beloved games one wishes to re-play in the future may be out of rotation or unavailable due to licensing issues. Many don't care however and just want the latest version of something. After a month they're done with it.

With free online multiplayer via pc the console offerings, by comparison, are a rip off. Having said this i mostly prefer single player games or local multiplayer games these days.
Having a Netflix style subscription (game pass) isn't required and you can purchase titles digitally on Xbox Series S and also via disc if you opt for the Series X. Online Multiplayer can also be accessed without GamePass via the cheaper traditional Xbox Live Gold.

Time will tell but I'd be surprised if the Series S is outdated in 2 years (requiring an upgrade) and incredibly shocked if that was the case with the Series X.
The PC I purchased at the start of this generation was quite a bit more powerful than the consoles but the last couple of years has seen it struggle with some games. Though PC's offer more control over settings and have potential to deliver better experiences the Xbox One and PS4 releases have generally been well optimised for their respective hardware.
This new generation is targeting higher frame rates and many titles offer a performance or graphics mode to choose from which can only be a good thing.
For £250 I think that the Series S is great value for money. I have opted for the more powerful Series X. Even though its £200 more it's very capable and can play physical media allowing one to take advantage of the second hand market.
It will be interesting to see how many opt for the contract route. Though it has it's caveats, it offers great value.

Microsoft is covering all their bases, throwing stuff at the wall and seeing what sticks. I think they're on board with the future being 'all' digital and I imagine it won't be long before they're offering the 'X-box' as an app you can download on your TV. But before cloud gaming becomes a thing they need to grow their 'Game Pass' brand and not alienate those wary or unsure of such things. If that is the future, hopefully they'll still offer purchasing of digital titles. Whether or not I'll be a part of such an ecosystem will depend on how things unfold over the next decade, but for now the Xbox offers superb value for money!

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