Gamepass

To say that the nature of gaming is changing, would be a massive understatement. The advent of streaming has adapted the way in which game’s are played. Subscription service has become the oppressive basis for many in the console industry, restraining player autonomy with an autocratic reliance of dedicated premium services, just to access online content that should be free. As someone that prefers to own my game’s, rather than rent them, I hate that the industry has propagated the expansion of this utility as some kind of lavish alternative to extortionate malfeasance of physical media. Perpetuating the false narrative that a subscription is the only prospective approach to affordable gaming, despite dictating the ecology and being the subsequent beneficiaries of it. And it seems Sony are doubling down on this philosophy with their new and “improved” PlayStation Plus service.

Sony has confirmed in an announcement last week, that their long rumoured amendment, that merges PS Plus – a necessary requirement to play online games – and PlayStation Now – a supplementary service with mediocre portfolio of games – will be amalgamated into one user friendly service. The transition will consist of 3 tiers, each providing access to specifics benefits to accomadate individual needs. With the lowest tier operating as an equivalent to the current PS Plus subscription. And the highest comprised of a myriad of unspecified PS1 – PS5 titles. The natural consolidation of these two services is a proposal I’ve advocated for some time – provided that price is affordable.

Though this amalgamation certainly affords more compatability, as well as an appreciable benefit than just a simple composite of these two seperate entities, the price doesn’t reflect service you’d be getting. £13.49 for the premium tier may seem respectable on its own, but becomes an obscene amount comparatively when measured against the rising cost of living that will cripple most families. Even if you purchase a 1 year subscription for £100, that’s still a sizeable amount of disposable income that many of us would be reluctant to part with. Though it is worth noting that a Sony first party title is at launch, in excess of £70! So perhaps a premium subscription isn’t as comparatively extortionate, despite my preferential desire for game ownership.

This Playsation Plus overhaul has been flaunted by some – idiots I presume- as a direct competitor to Microsoft’s Gamepass, which it isn’t. Sony simply does not possess the financial leverage wielded by Microsoft, that makes Gamepass such a dominant force. What Sony is proposing is rather more adjascent than competitive. With a strong back catalogue and regular, revolving door of selected quality titles, PlayStation Plus could generate a dedicated, very loyal audience. But at it’s current pricing and the thriving competition, even the most ardent of PlayStation fans will struggle to justify such a steep cost.

What do you think of Sony’s revamped Plus subscription? Let me know in the comments below. Cheers.

At my age, sustained domesticity and work commitments, I have to be discerning with my gaming predilection’s. Gone are the day’s of concerted reticence and imposed isolation afforded by adolescents. To indulge in the exploration of some expansive, doom threatened Fantasy world, as an arbiter for moral virtue. With the unyielding resolve to vanquish every living creature that crosses my path, to further propagate my own power. Before inevitably collapsing into a cholesterol induced coma on a detritus of discarded crisp packets. Now I’m lucky if I can engage in a modest bowel movement, without being interrupted by the precipitous needs of my 5 year old that just so happens to need the toilet at the precise moment that I do. As such any reserved chance to game is restricted by the complete lack of time available to me. Being discerning becomes a recreational hazard. Investing your meagre time into a game that just isn’t for you, can be a demoralising thing. But in an age of disposable entertainment, where content is conveniently accessible – but also easily forgotten, finding the right game for yourself should be simple?

Streaming has revolutionised the way in which we engage with entertainment. With Netflix being the genesis that has spawned so many imitators to adopt similar formats. And in the interest of convenience, have completely diluted the experience of watching movies, television and now thanks to the likes of Gamepass and – to a lesser extent PlayStation Now – gaming.

Though I appreciate the convenience, affordability and variety offered by a subscription services. To have an accessible variety of games that satisfy almost any urge, whenever said itch needs scratching is very enticing. But I believe that you can have too much variety. It might well be considered the spice of life, but too much of that spice is going to leave your rectum as irritated as Joss Whedon’s publicist. Sure, you have all of this variety at your immediate disposal, but none of it is special anymore. Just another image in a virtual catalogue. You don’t own these games, merely rent them. The provisional nature of such services means that at any time, your favourite game could be subject to removal. This revolving door policy doesn’t sound particularly liberating to me.

There is of course a certain ambiguity to the concept of game ownership and what that actually implies. You could argue the traditional means of purchasing games, is more of an extended lease than acquisition. But I’d take a physical, tangible item that I can use whenever, rather than an ethereal product that can vanish simply because a contract has expired. I had access to PlayStation Now for a year, and only utilised its service once to play the last of Us 2. Everything I wanted to play was either something I purchased new or already owned.

I realise that this entire article is just me exposing myself as the out of touch, Victor Meldrew that I am. I also understand the irony of that analogy, as most of you probably don’t understand that reference. But services like Gamepass and whatever PlayStation’s belated equivalent ends up being, its not an environment I’m comfortable navigating. With Microsoft again flexing it’s rather sizeable financial muscles, as they continue to monopolise the industry, with the acquisition of Activision only further consolidating their ambition for proprietary dominance. Baiting Sony into acquiring another studio, for the explicit purpose of exclusivity. Thereby fortifying the war of attrition between two companies vying for market share. Once again fostering division between their respective fandoms and their competing corporate preferences. It just leaves you jaded.

The last thing I want to see is cartels using their substantial properties like collateral. With developers becoming commodities for larger, commerce driven conglomerates. And publisher’s like Square, Konami and Capcom used as bargaining chips, in the world’s most lucrative game of poker, solely to promote content to gamers. This isn’t an enviroment that nurtures expression, but gatekeeping. The future of gaming it seems, is limitation.

But what do you think? Are you happy with the direction of the game industry? Let me know in the comments below. Cheers.