Former PS boss Shuhei Yoshida believes the rise and potential dominance of subscription services like Xbox Game Pass could be dangerous for devs.

[Fatboi1]

Former PlayStation boss and indie advocate Shuhei Yoshida believes the rise and potential dominance of subscription services like Xbox Game Pass could become "dangerous" for developers eager to push the envelope.

Speaking to Game Developer at Gamescom LATAM, the industry veteran explained subscription services are "great" if you're allowed inside the walled garden. The concern, he suggests, is that as they inevitably expand on a bedrock of first-party titles it will become harder for third-party studios and indies to cross that divide.

"If the only way for people to play games is through subscriptions that's really dangerous, because what [type] of games can be created will be dictated by the owner of the subscription services," he says.

"That's really, really risky because there always must always be fresh new ideas tried by small developers that create the next wave of development. But if the big companies dictate what games can be created, I don't think that will advance the industry."

Yoshida believes Sony delivered a "healthier" subscription model​

Discussing Xbox Game Pass and how Microsoft has evolved the platform by adding more first-party titles while also regaining on its initial pledge to bring every single Xbox Game Studio project to the service on day one, Yoshida said the company might have bitten off more than it could chew.

While acknowledging his own bias as a former PlayStation exec, Yoshida suggested Sony's take on the subscription model through PlayStation Plus—which has seen the company make major first-party titles available to subscribers, but only after a traditional premium release—was perhaps "healthier."

"I believe the way Sony approached [subscriptions] is healthier. You know, not to overpromise and to allow people to spend money to buy the new games," he added. "After a couple of years there won't be many people willing to buy those games at that initial price, so they'll be added to the subscription service and there'll be more people to try [those products] in time for the next game in the franchise to come out."

Although he feels Microsoft might have made an initial misstep with that 'day one' pledge, Yoshida said the company has excelled in other areas. He described Microsoft's approach to backwards compatibility—which saw the company make it possible for Xbox Series X | S owners to play thousands of original Xbox, Xbox 360, and Xbox One titles—as "smart and very well planned."

"They must have put a lot of engineering effort in to achieve what they have done," he continued.

Microsoft wasn't the only company to receive plaudits during our chat. Yoshida also took time to praise Nintendo for slapping two controllers on the Switch and Switch 2 to enable multiplayer functionality straight out of the box. "[That's] so smart," he said. "It's in their DNA to cater to the needs of family and friends."

You can hear more from Yoshida, such as how he believes "stupid money" crippled the industry during the COVID-19 pandemic, by clicking here.

Shuhei Yoshida warns subscription services could become 'dangerous' for developers

'If the big companies dictate what games can be created, I don't think that will advance the industry.'

gamedeveloper.com

 

[CoolinInTheCut]

Probably not gonna get another Doom for a while cause of how launching on Game Pass ate into its sales

DOOM: The Dark Ages Has Reportedly Sold Less Than 1 Million Copies

Out of the 3 million players Bethesda bragged about last week, 2.2 million are said to be playing through Xbox Game Pass.

80.lv

 

[Gizmo_Duck]

Ps plus is also value destructive, its why games don’t get “Greatest hits” collections anymore

Nintendo is the only one being semi-smart about it by only offering retro titles

 

[GambinoMakeItWork]

subscription service stans

 

[MeachTheMonster]

listen to unemployed people brehs

 

[gurf]

Not mad at this take. It’s a great value now, but in the future when these devs get Pennies per interaction (like these music streaming services do) it might get ugly.

 

[PS5 Pro]

Not mad at this take. It’s a great value now, but in the future when these devs get Pennies per interaction (like these music streaming services do) it might get ugly.

Yeah because that's how this works
And look at your daps
Yall nikkaZ collectively sucked your teeth in unison after seeing Gamepass shine like it is.
Now Sony nikkaZ all seem to think it wont work. Didn't y'all say that since its inception tho

If its BAD then why do more and more devs keep launching in the service? Its a bad deal right?
Nobody is FORCED to drop into Gamepass. So until that is no longer an option? you buggin

 

[RennisDeynolds]

Ps plus is also value destructive, its why games don’t get “Greatest hits” collections anymore

Nintendo is the only one being semi-smart about it by only offering retro titles

Greatest Hits and Players Choice was a staple of gaming

 

[The Mad Titan]

I like how on one Sony stans will say gamepass is just full of 3rd party and indie game stuff, and then turn around and agree with this take on how gamepass is dangerous to devs because it be harder for indie and 3rd party devs to cross the divide.

Meanwhile we have multiple potential GOTY indie/AA games sitting in gamepass at this moment.



I've played and tried so many indie games I would have never given a shot and some even known existed if not for gamepass. Great games that I now keep a look out for stuff from the developer.


Shu with the rare L, I know it's his love for indie games that's blinding him. He clearly has only been keeping up with gamepass and what the 1st party offers, otherwise he'd know that gamepass is doing the exact opposite of what he fears. Devs aren't making games with hopes to get in game shaping how the develop a game, or if they do, by the time it happens it's because the deal is already sealed so now they can do or take more time.

Gamepass actually encourage the bigger 1st party teams to take more risk, and I think we'll start seeing more as we close out this generation.

Games like towerborne, pentiment, grounded and sea of thieves are examples of gamepass and game preview allowing devs to have more freedom

 

[winb83]

Let the market decide what it wants. Some former executive at a company saying the company they used to work for got it right certainty isn't the market deciding anything.