Gaming Industry

One of the things you are probably wondering is what are these premium editions about and how they affect me. The good news is that their an extension of some of your favorite videogames and a revenue maker in regards to the sustainability of Game Pass. It really is an optional avenue for players who want to support developers and you know what it’s not hurting anyone and here is why.

You might say well, premium editions are getting early access to Game Pass titles five days earlier. There seems to be some sort of weird focus on that as of late and I am not entirely understanding the angle. Game Pass is still day one for all titles that you get as part of your subscription. The premium upgrade is an incentive for those who want to spend more to access more content and have the ability to access the game a little earlier. But the relevancy is entirely separate. I will not entertain these thoughts where people say it’s bad for gaming or that it’s not right.

Microtransactions are having more of an effect on everyday modern gaming than these premium editions ever will. That’s a fact and a reality. People complain, why are there remakes? Where is the innovation? The consumer holds all the keys to how the gaming industry moves forward. If there’s something you don’t like about something don’t buy into it. It’s that simple.

I also think in regards to the premium editions as well. They’re an extension to Game Pass. An entirely optional one at that. I personally don’t have a problem with them myself, my concerns are more about microtransactions but rather than complain about it I’ll just highlight it and move on. But hey, if you are going to spend your money on that all power to you.

I just don’t understand how people think they’re smarter because they choose not to buy the Premium editions or whatever. At the end of the day, people will spend their money in whatever way they want to and you are certainly not going to persuade them otherwise so why the waffle? Being smart doesn’t come into it. In fact, making a decision based on your enjoyment of a hobby that’s going to entertain you for hours is a commendable one at that. I don’t like how some people have this high-horse attitude about them. They need to sit down and give their head a wobble.

But getting back to the point, premium editions are entirely optional and don’t have any effect on the game. You could argue about microtransactions and the way they’re harming modern gaming. Now that deserves your every attention. But yeah, it is what it is. We play games, we have fun, we move on. Enjoy.

Well, who would’ve seen this coming? The UK has blocked the Activision purchase. So where does that leave Xbox? Well, on the ropes for the moment that is for sure. But one of the things that Xbox has done absolutely no favors to themselves. Is the fact that they cannot seem to ship their in-house self-published titles.

Sure, we have Redfall coming in May. That’s all well and good but Xbox has not made it easy for primary Xbox players to trust that the games are coming. Does that have an effect on the overall reputation of the Xbox brand? I think it does, especially for regulators. Not only is Xbox not relentless enough, but they’re also pretty much letting Sony have it all their own way. Call it mismanagement, call it incompetence. Call it whatever you like. As a fan of all consoles. I’ve never seen a gaming company as large as the Xbox be this bad frankly.

Something has to give, Xbox fans are demanding better and more timely releases of what has been a generation that has been all promises but no fulfillment. You may say I am being harsh, you’re allowed to have that opinion. But when it comes to it, Xbox just seems to be all over the place. Gears of War is in disarray, Halo Infinite was not good enough for the money that went into it. Fable is years off. It’s just a flipping nightmare on Xbox right now.

Then you have Sony, which has absolutely played a blinder. They’ve continued to organically grow while also managing to purchase Bungie. The biggest thing about that and what stood them in good stead was keeping it multi-platform. Sure, it was a clause for Bungie to ever join forces with Sony in the first place. But with all the little other acquisitions that Sony has made without jeopardizing their reputation. It’s pretty easy to understand and know which company has been in this business longer.

Xbox now has to come away from this feeling a bit roughed up. Be under no illusions though, I still think Microsoft will find a way. They simply have to. This is the biggest deal and a seismic acquisition and they have everything hinging on it, as does Activision. If it doesn’t happen, my god, can you imagine the response Microsoft will have to make to rectify the absolute embarrassment of this?

Everyone is saying, well, it’s just Call of Duty. No, it’s not just about one game. There is a bigger picture to this. One that we all cannot fathom completely ourselves because we don’t have all the information. But without a doubt, this could go two ways now. We could see a more aggressive Xbox, or we could see support wane from Microsoft. I hope it’s the former.

My belief is they will back Xbox because they’ve simply invested so much money into it. In any business, you don’t just give up based on one obstacle or if you’ve come to an impasse. I believe Xbox will respond to this, they will fight it, and it’s going to continue to be quite the slugfest.

I am anticipating a response from Microsoft and Xbox that will set things in motion for things to come. No more time for niceties, it’s time to compete again with Sony and set up a clear direction for where the Xbox brand in the future intends to go. If that means, competing on all fronts for exclusives and the like. Then, that might be where it needs to go.