With the rise and success of internet subscription services like Netflix, more and more industries are beginning to see the model as a profitable option to expand their business. Microsoft has already been testing the waters of the subscription model with their Xbox Game Pass service, but a new rumor suggests that they may be looking to explore subscriptions even further.
If the rumors are true, then Microsoft should be revealing a new service, coined "Xbox All Access", in the coming months. The service would bundle both Xbox Live and Game Pass together with either an Xbox One S or Xbox One X in a 2-year contract, meaning that everything, including actual hardware, would be included. The One S bundle would reportedly cost $22 a month with the One X bundle costing $35 a month.
The service would be a US exclusive, which explains why Microsoft chose not to announce anything about it at Germany's Gamescom conference. Users would be able to signup for the service through the Microsoft Store with the possibility of the bundles appearing at other retailers as well.
These bundles certainly don't seem to be a bad deal, Game Pass and Xbox Live alone add up to $20 a month for users that subscribe to the month-to-month option, so they would be able to add the hardware in for an extra $2 a month. The service would grant access to the Game Pass' impressive line up of games, which includes all Microsoft exclusive games the day they launch and the ability to play online through Live.
Breaking down the cost of a console over 2 years would be an amazing way to remove the barrier of entry games face for their high cost, expanding the general gaming audience. This increased audience could expand the market and lead to more development. With such a large audience, it's incredibly likely that more developers would be willing to add their games to the Games Pass library, pushing the service even further.
The move towards a subscription-based game industry has been evident for some time, but this service would push the landscape there even faster. While many gamers take issue with not actually owning the games they play, the low monthly cost is enough to incentivize many different players to use these types of services. Time will tell if the All Access takes off, but its probably a safe bet that it will.
Source:Window's Central