- Xbox Game Pass has become controversial due to a recent price hike.
- Analysts have predicted that another price hike is inevitable.
- They also believe that Xbox is likely to add commercials to the subscription.
Recently, Xbox Game Pass underwent massive changes, and fans do not like it. The service is more confusing than ever, and many believe it has lost its biggest edge. With Call of Duty coming to the service, Xbox wants to maximize its revenue.
That seems to be a huge reason behind the new prices and removal of day-one releases from the base tier. With day-one games now limited to the Ultimate tier, analysts believe even more price hikes are inbound.
They also believe the gaming giant will incorporate ads in the service in the future.
Why it matters: Publishers like EA have previously shown interest in using ads to maximize gaming revenue. Therefore, this is certainly something Microsoft would also want to do.
IGN has discussed analyst opinions on the price hike and what Xbox can do to improve its revenue further. First and foremost, analysts agree that this price hike was inevitable and that more are coming.
Therefore, fans should be ready for another price hike. However, another reliable analyst has claimed that there is more to it. He thinks that commercials will soon be added to the subscription service, which fans may not like too much.
According to Joost Van Dreunen, these ads will gradually settle into the service and eventually become the norm. The analyst believes these commercials will then start appearing in the games themselves.
If this approach succeeds, they could be implemented in the loading screens, with Microsoft pursuing even more advanced advertisements. Imagine dying to a boss repeatedly and coming back to the same ad again and again.
We can already see fans disliking a future where this trend is the norm.
Previously, Capcom experimented with ads in Street Fighter 5. While they could be turned off, the implementation highlighted a future where publishers could benefit from in-game commercials.
Whatever Microsoft does next, another price hike seems inevitable, so fans should not be surprised if Xbox Game Pass is more expensive by 2025. Due to the recent price hike, many fans have stacked 13 months’ worth of Game Pass from CDKeys at a discount.
This seems to be a great decision for the time being.
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[News Editor]
Obaid is pursuing a Law degree while working as a content writer. He has worked as a gaming writer for over three years because of his passion for the medium and reporting the latest updates in the industry. Having played hundreds of games, Obaid finds himself coming back to Elden Ring, Cyberpunk 2077, and Red Dead Redemption 2, with these games being among his favorites. He has also been mentioned on highly regarded websites, such as Wccftech, Metro UK, PS Lifestyle, GamePressure, VGC, and Gamespot.
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