All Xbox One Exclusive Games are coming to Xbox Game Pass the day of release

https://majornelson.com/2018/01/23/xbox-game-pass-expands-to-include-new-releases-from-microsoft-studios/

"Moving forward, we plan to release all new Xbox One exclusive games from Microsoft Studios into Xbox Game Pass on the same date as their global release. This means that when Sea of Thieves launches on March 20, it will be included in Xbox Game Pass to all members.

This plan to bring new games timed with their global release into Xbox Game Pass not only includes announced titles like Sea of Thieves, State of Decay 2, and Crackdown 3 but future unannounced games from Microsoft Studios including new iterations of our biggest Xbox One exclusive franchises such as Halo, Forza and Gears of War, on the same day they launch."

Interesting move. Seems like more and more this is what gaming is moving towards- another subscription.

Also not going to comment on the "Xbox One Exclusives" term lol

Holy shit that is great news. Looks like I am getting game pass now. That will be an incredible value added to game pass. Thanks for the information!

Super sweet deal.

Thank you MS, truly for the gamerzzz.... Jazz. :P

Seriously Spencer has done nothing but good things for the Xbox. I really like what he has done so far in his short tenure at Microsoft.

Games as service has be gone.

Wow, that's actually amazing news. I'm already a subscriber but this just offers insane value for the service. Regardless the stupid mistakes MS have done they are really way ahead of the competition when it comes to services. But please keep in mind game pass is temporary, if you want to keep the game forever you still have to buy it. Still, pretty sweet!

This is huge. I’ll be getting game pass this week as there were a couple of older games I wanted to get anyway, mainly Halo5 as my son wants to play it and the disk got scratched up.

Most finish a game in a month. But if MS is focusing on online gaming then this direction may aid in selling not only their online games but gold and game pass. They are going to milk that green cow.

Well it's decent considering they have promotions on the service... i.e. First month for a dollar, pretty much every new Xbox comes with a 14 day trial now a days.

You essentially could just "try" some of these games for cheap or free.

Seems too good to be true. Why would anyone ever spend $60 on a new game then? And this also works on PC right? So Play Anywhere is pointless if you have the subscription? Good deal for consumers... Just don't understand how it's profitable. It's like Netflix showing new(theater releases) on their subscription.

Well I don't think it's that good. Game pass is $10 a month to essentially alot of games you may not give a shit about, factor in the few you do play... that's like paying $120 a year to access to those few games. In which case it may be easier to pay $60 up front for a game you might play for multiple years.

That is most likely how they factoring the profitability of this move in the same way they factoring in Play Anywhere titles. MS seems to be focus on the profitability end while maintaining overall customer satisfaction or improving. Take the XPA games. People bitch about it removing all Xbox exclusives from the Xbox but if the numbers indicates that the sale of an Xbox exclusive has little to no effect on the Xbox system when sold on PC then it simply make sense to make the game available for the PC. This feature from MS is the most underrated for it is the most consumer friendly purchase of game. The fact that anyone would bitch about XPA is a clear indicator that they are a lackey for one of the big three.

MS is really going to push Game Pass as the gaming equal to Netflix. They are the first to have such a feature and it may lead to permanent shift in gaming.

Wow. That’s a really awesome deal for anyone interested in it. Personally I still prefer to get my games on a physical format so I’ll still buy any game that I’m interested in anyway but Game Pass sure is proving to be a really sweet alternative.

Thank you MS. Will rent games for 10$. Your games aren't worth 60$ anyway.

Thats how felt when I played UC4 and QB so I feel you man.

@mowgly1: exactly.

Awesome, no doubt this will help raise revenues of the service and help their ability to bargain for more and better games from third parties for it.

I’m not sure what data MS sees to suggest this is a good move, but I’m not brushed up on the ToS of game pass. Do you keep your game licenses if you do not keep your sub active ala PS+?

It appears MS wants to cap participation on the high end in exchange for limiting risk on the low side. I suppose their philosophy is to lower the barrier to entry while increasing and emphasizing post-retail purchases (DLC and lootboxes, in other words). Perhaps it’s suggestive of what their 1st party mantra will be moving forward.

EDIT: Based on their FAQ, titles are only available if they remain in the Game Pass catalog. MS could remove games whenever and perhaps might after they allow players the metaphorical “first taste.” But I would anticipate first party titles would remain to enhance the value of the game pass and to lower their risk of releasing experimental titles from smaller studios and thereby increase MS’ willingness to expand publishing efforts without overcommitting capital.

That's a great deal, for sure. Would be a better deal once they start releasing more 1st party stuff.

I did some simple math and I think this makes financial sense after all. Look at Xbox's Exclusive lineup from 2017- Halo Wars 2, Cuphead, Forza 7 were the big names. Halo Wars 2 might not have even reached half a million sales, and Forza 7 is probably nearing 1 million (don't have any great sources on those sales figures though). Cuphead is selling great but you have to factor Steam sales into the grand total.

Let's say a new game comes out and sells 1 million copies. $60 x 1million= 60million dollars. Now of course they don't get all that money as profit but still keep that 60 million figure.

Let's say Microsoft is targeting 5 million Xbox owners are subscribed to Games Pass each month with this new announcement. 5million x $10 = 50 million dollars a month x 12 months = $600million dollars a year.

Of course I'm making up some figures, but I think it's the right choice for them business wise, unless multiple games releasing in the same year all have the potential to sell multiple millions of copies.

Superb budget option, this allows more people to access the games at release. The Forza Horizon 4 launch will be something to behold.

Another consumer friendly option thanks to Xbox. Gold/GwG is and been better than PSN/PS+ and now GamePass is and been better than PSNever. Plus Xbox offers other options like EA Access and those monthly free Free Play Days games. Sure Xbox might be slacking on "exclusives" but heres the thing, these gaming systems are filled with multiplats the most and these multiplats comes more often too. So Xbox getting more consumer friendly options to get these games the most is a good thing. Anyone trying to tell you that having more consumer friendly options like GamePass that's getting new games at launch is a bad thing is nothing more than a fanboy and not a real gamer or a cow.

Well looks like Xbox exclusives will never show up on NPDs ever again.

I would totally be down for this. But the fact that the last two Forzas are not on there makes me ask the question.

How long will the new games be on Game Pass? Will it be like EA access and only a few days? or will it be longer like a couple weeks, months?

If it is a month or longer I will sign up for 6 months on next launch day. But am going to hold off til we hear more about it. Microsoft still has to make money, wonder what the angle is. Get everyone on GP too, or give everyone a taste to make them want to buy the game?

Perfect fanboy responses and if Sony did something like this you would be praising it like a god.

@Xabiss: not necessarily. Sony games are worth the price tag, unfortunately the only MS games that are worth it are the forza games.

Microsoft needs to get rid of Xbox Live Gold. Make online gaming free and transition all Xbox Live Gold to Game Pass or exchange it for store credit. Gold and Game Pass shouldn't exist at the same time.

@Sam3231: I guess... If this was PS4, I'd have it paid for with 2 exclusives for the year. I guess I don't play games years later usually. This probably won't affect physical sales any, but I can see it affecting digital. If I did want to play a game again in a few years, I could probably pick it up really cheap. Games also don't stay on Game Pass, so you really only have them until they take it down for a different game. Pros and cons I guess.

Not surprising coming from the most innovative company on the planet.

Always for the gamers.

Let me get this right, you get Sea of Thieves, the full game, if you are a member of Game Pass?

@freedomfreak: For a month or so. Cool to me, I was going to pass on the game but now I'll definitely give it a try

Yes sir. This is correct.

@UnnDunn: @phbz:What the ****? Aren't these full priced retail games? So, the next Halo, Forza whatever are gonna be available to those who have Game Pass?

I wonder if this will apply retroactively to the XB1 exclusive catalog.

Yes. This is also correct, according to Microsoft. All Microsoft Game Studios games will be on Game Pass from day one, including the next Halo, Gears, Forza and Fable games.

@UnnDunn: What the ****? That's nuts.

Microsoft are nothing but a bunch of parsimonious capitalists who care for nothing but profit. So be wary it might seem to be a good deal at first but at the end it turns out to be a rip-off.

In addition, many Microsoft Game Studios titles will also be Xbox Play Anywhere enabled, so Game Pass members will be able to download and play them on both Xbox and Windows 10 for no additional charge on day one.

@UnnDunn: jesus

Wow... that's pretty damn awesome. I might have to subscribe after all.

I agree, but it's the direction all media is going. I don't own many books, CD's, and movies anymore, it's all just stored electronically or streamed.

At the same time as I'm getting older I desire to have less and less stuff- I hate the clutter, I hate that I rarely use it, and I hate having to try and keep it all organized. My parents are getting old and they have all this stuff that neither I or my sisters want. But we're going to be the ones that have to throw 90% of it away in the next 10-20 years because my parents won't. I don't want to put that on my future children when I get too old.

At first I was like **** yeah, but then it only concerns the 1st party games and it's not like MS is drowning us in those... Welp, at least I get to try out SoT without actually buying it. Will buy it if it's awesome.

Its only Microsoft published titles. So just like Netflix original content.

I am different then you. I can care less if I own a game or not. I just want to be able to play it, beat it, and then move on. I am not in the collecting part of gaming, but I understand the people who do enjoy it. So the service is not for you, but perfect for me.

Naaaah! MS's games doesn't worth 60$ because they are crap.

So they're a business? Gotcha