How would the gaming world react if MS dumped their ABK content onto Game Pass on the eve of FF7 Rebirth's release?

Sony fans will cry bloody murder as they play FF Rebirth, the multiplatform 3rd party game.

Other: It'll be a "big deal" on forums, but that's it. All these games are games people have already played. FF7 is a brand new game first releasing. I don't think it would hurt it much at all.

@kvallyx: "Sony fans will cry bloody murder"

As hyperbolic as that seems it's probably not far off from the objective truth if such a scenario played out.

@Chutebox: "Other: It'll be a "big deal" on forums, but that's it. All these games are games people have already played. FF7 is a brand new game first releasing. I don't think it would hurt it much at all."

I was probably of the idea the benefit of the ABK buyout would have been for the advantage of bringing the future content to the service. But ever since that story of them fixing Black Ops matchmaking on Xbox caused a signicant spike in consoles and game sales for it make me curious how big an impact dumping the COD catalog on Game Pass will have.

They should probably do this ASAP anyway, I don't understand the point of holding back.

I'm not sure about the reaction, list some games...

...and all have played FF7, it is not brand new game

Except it is...Did you play the first?

Kinda wish Microsoft bought Embracer over ABK.

Is the ABK deal finalised or not?

@girlusocrazy: "List some games..."

Just COD...

Call of Duty

Call of Duty 2

Call of Duty 3

Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare

Call of Duty: World At War

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2

Call of Duty: Black Ops

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3

Call of Duty: Black Ops II

Call of Duty: Ghosts

Call of Duty: Advance Warfare

Call of Duty: Black Ops III

Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare

Call of Duty: WW2

Call of Duty: Black Ops IV

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare (2019)

Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War

Call of Duty: Vanguard

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (2022)

Call of Dury: Modern Warfare 3 (2023)

Great "content" for System Wars. I honestly couldn't care less about anything ABK (i hate myself for wasting $108cad on Diablo 4 holy shit was a miserable purchase) or Rebirth.

Good point. Here is a walkthrough:

And btw, if they do this, and they should, i think it'll be this summer during the not-e3-show they'll have, or maybe during summer's game fest. Randomly announcing it during February isn't impactful enough.

@lamprey263: I'm not sure how to gauge the reaction to that...

I feel like a lot of people already own or have access to those, and I wonder if people who don't have them would be attracted.

Anyway maybe I'm not the right person to ask.

I would probably be more interested in their retro games but I don't know what licenses they retain the rights to. Plus there are already a lot of compilations with those.

I'd be interested in some Digital Eclipse style catalog.

They should go ahead and do it though and then we can just see the reaction. No point keeping them in "the vault."

ABK is finalized. But as Phil Spencer stated, there are legal hoops to go through before they can dump all the games onto Game Pass.

I suspect that MS won't dump them all at once either. They will probably pad their monthly game pass announcements for the next year or two, trickling them out.

@girlusocrazy: "They should probably do this ASAP anyway, I don't understand the point of holding back."

I think the same contractual obligations ABK had with Sony are keeping this from happening, and if they're still running their course MS and ABK can't specifically say when until they do expire (as part of that marketing deal). ABK did say ambiguously 2024, not specifically when.

There's been past murmerings Sony's marketing deals can encompass more than a specific game but also the publisher's catalog. It depends on what restricted games this exclusionary terms are applied to. If it ends with MW2 as far as hindering other games from going to Game Pass, then I think if that game is going to set the timeline, that'll be one year plus + 4 months of it's original release. 4 months is window Sony has to negotiate content coming to PS Plus before a rival subscription service, where they can match to have game on both services or make a better offer to exclude it from the other, but another 4 month delay to keep content off of Game Pass by design. The clause was leaked in the RE8 marketing contract and explains why MS had to add Deathloop and Ghostwire Tokyo to PS Plus at same time they released it on Game Pass the moment the game was made available on Xbox. I'm certain they won't make the same consideration to bring COD to PS Plus to expedite COD going to Game Pass by 4 months.

If it doesn't happen then, frankly I'm at a loss of when it could happen, aside from sometime 2024.

Yeah I can see the same thing happening as you do. Padding out the months that perhaps don't have a big release, it's the smart thing to do.

I'm mainly interested in 'renting' modern warfare 2&3.

I can't predict this one. I mean they wouldn't do it, because it's not worth pissing off SE just to get at Sony. It's not a good move.

But while I think this is inevitable, I can't guess the outcome of this.

Why haven't they done it? Perhaps it's a legal or timing thing they're trying to get right. Some of Activisions games were licensed I think, like Tony Hawks.

Some games like World of Warcraft and Star Craft may need work to put them on the console. I think they will come at some point.

Whatever the reason, I think Xbox is right. Dumping a metric ton of content on Gamepass may not be the answer. It might be better to consider each game a bit more carefully and stagger releases.

There's also the decision of which version of each game will come to Gamepass. For example, N64 or PlayStation for Tony Hawks. Each will have strengths and weaknesses.

Maybe there's also the consideration of the quality of each game as a product. For example, they could rush each release or one by one have a studio clean them up and port them properly with some improvements which will bring longer term benefits and they'll be able to make it a longer term project. And if games trickle out, it won't just saturate the service. Could take years, but it'll definitely be worth it.

But personally I think that dumping a ton of content is both lazy and short sighted, with possibly only short term gains, like a large spike in popularity that could dip back down again. Patience and attention to detail could really pay off on this.

what is abk?

@lamprey263: Oh so this is kind of an alternate reality exercise of "what if"

Anyway they should release all the other stuff.

@hardwenzen: "And btw, if they do this, and they should, i think it'll be this summer during the not-e3-show they'll have, or maybe during summer's game fest. Randomly announcing it during February isn't impactful enough."

It wouldn't be done by strategic choice in such a scenario, mainly when whatever contractual obligations Sony made with ABK that is keeping the content off Game Pass expire. We will never know when that is because as part of that arrangement is to not say. The first opportunity to release it will be right about the time they'll be allowed to say it is coming, like what happened with Deathloop and Tokyo Ghostwire, games people knew would be coming to Xbox and when they would just by how gamers understand exclusivity windows, but we never got an official statement from Microsoft or the developer that would happen for like a week before it actually released.

Not gonna happen. Sony still had a 3 years with the CoD marketing deal at the time of MS/ABK merger announcement so that means at least one more year.

Even if it did happen, nothing will change. Xbox no longer has the brand power to pull that sort of thing.

Lems live off hype

I don't know, I think anyone that is interested in the ABK content likely already has it all.

• They're not going to put WoW on there, it will remain a sub
• Diablo 4 would probably see a spike, but it doesn't scratch the same itch that Final Fantasy does.
• CoD is free already.

What else is there really? Some mobile games ported to PC and console, maybe?

People oversell the ABK thing; what have they really put out into the world outside of their core brands? Yes, they generate revenue, but they generate very little content.

Talk about a concise example of modern capitalism: all profit, little substance. And to think of the stable of IP ABK has, and how little they do with it.

Honestly the only remotely good thing about the ABK-MS merger is that maybe we might see MS force ABK to generate more content. Would love to see some Spyro, some Legacy of Kain, maybe some more Prototype games.

The CoD deal should bring more new people to Gamepass, more than what a remake will bring to PS5.

I don't care for either though.

I would love it! Wouldn't play the COD's but sure I can find some other things! Do it MS!

@mrbojangles25: "They're not going to put WoW on there, it will remain a sub"

I wonder if they a Game Pass tier that covers the multiple subscription games at one cost, be it WoW or TES Online or anything else that comes. Or perhaps a substantial discount for Game Pass subscribers.

I suppose they could link accounts? Though tbh I don't trust MS to let that happen without issues. I've had what is pretty much a flawless experience with Blizzard as far as customer support and my account, I'd hate to link it to my Microsoft account or something (which has been the opposite experience).

Also a WoW sub is as expensive as a Game Pass sub, there'd be a huge loss in revenue I reckon is suddenly all the people with WoW subs and Game Pass subs could just get by with a Game Pass sub. Then again that's assuming there is a lot of overlap.

Doesn't really do jack shit to be honest. The game is exclusive to PS5 and buyers like me already preordered or others just waiting for physical release. It probably will dissuade PC/Xbox users from getting PS5 due to new contents of subscription but generally I don't think its a big amount of user.

What other platform is this game releasing on when it launched on the ps5?

I HIGHLY doubt it, but to each it’s own.

Please don't tell me you think FF is a bigger franchise than CoD?

So you are using terms like launch? What does that have to do with being multiplatform?

True exclusive

Console exclusive

Timed exclusive

Launch exclusive

😂

Judging how badly the xbox sold this year and stagnant of GP sub-accounts, Sony will just continue outdoing MS as usual

It's a remake.

And, the "part 1" remake sold 7 million. Not bad, but it's not Harry Potter, Elden Ring, Starfield, or Cyberpunk numbers.

"How long to beat Final Fantasy VII Rebirth

According to the developers of Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, the main story of this outing of Cloud and friends should take an average of 40 hours for most players to complete"

-----

Then it's back to the cows 30th play through of SM2. Poo cows, BS Jive has no New games. lol :P

@dabear: This again. Did you play the first?

Just had a look at the list of AKB games 2010-19 on Wiki and I think I own one of them Diablo 3 - which I didn't finish as I got bored with it.

Put me in the couldn't give a rats arse because they never make games I am interested in group.

It will not affect FF7R as people would already have played the games they cared about.

Amderfurgerh Blizzard King.

Insert *I can go lower meme*.

Sense when does old games have any affect on a new games?

So nothing would happen.

Umm go look up the word “exclusive“. If this game is launching on the ps5 ONLY then guess what?

IT’S AN EXCLUSIVE! Now later on it may or will become a multi platform title but that only happens when it officially becomes playable on other platforms outside the ps5. Stop diluting the word exclusive because your beloved MS doesn’t believe in the word anymore.

🤣🤣🤣🤣

Still exclusive by definition.

It was actually announced by Square Enix as multiplatform 🤣🤣🤣🤣. So now Square is lying? W T F

"when it officially becomes playable on other platforms outside the ps5." - Ermacness' definition

Uncle Phil do a Thanos snap - end Play Station put poo cow in the pasture 😂🤣😂🤣

RIP Cerny 😎

When it happen then all the game land scape is changed for best outcome - this is a mercy kill - face the reality poo cows 😎

@kvallyx: FF7 on the Xbox PC 😎

No body care about old JRPG for remake station do not listen to troll cows 😂🤣😂🤣

@lamprey263: I voted other. Alot of people talk about ff7 like it's a big game. To me, I'd have more excitement about any of the bottom of the barrel gamepass no name indie games that release any given month. Actually that's not fair...if ff7 was releasing on gamepass, I'd be as excited for it as I am about persona 3 reload. That's a game I plan to play at some point, if I ever get around to installing it.

Why would MS give square or Sony any relevance?? Nobody gives a shit about ff7 dude, or frankly any of the ff games. I'd say 90% of Xbox gamers including myself could care less about these rpgs. We're a simple minded type of folk, we ain't that sophisticated type that plays rpg games.

There isn't a Sony game I care enough about that I'd think dumping AB on gamepass would make sense to steal their thunder. But if I had to pick one, then maybe spiderman or tlou3.

@kvallyx: right...I forgot that this game is releasing on Microsoft windows Xbox pc, cows are rekkd 🤣

I guess by not replying to my post while replying to others in this thread says that you agree FF is not as a big of a franchise as CoD, and therefor CoD would bring more new people to Gamepass than FF7R part 2 will to Playstation.

@blaznwiipspman1: Persona 3 Reload versus FF7 Rebirth would make a worthy match-up by themselves. The battle of the JRPG remakes.