We have a Steam curator now. You should be following it. https://store.steampowered.com/curator/44994899-RPGHQ/
Chat client updated, if you have issues using chat press CTRL + SHIFT + R to force a hard refresh.

Game Pass hurts developers?

No RPG elements? It probably goes here!
Ignore Topic
User avatar
DecadeRiptide
Posts: 2317
Joined: Jul 17, '25
Location: On holiday
Gender: Dinosaur

Geolocation

Game Pass hurts developers?

Post by DecadeRiptide »

People debate whether game pass is hurting developers.

Without any looking in to this, my first thoughts were "does Netflix hurt production studios?".

Game Pass is basically Netflix but for games. Plus, movies generally have a much higher budget than video games apart from some rare instances.

Is this just another case of developers feeling entitled and asking for more than their games are actually worth?

I can go to the back of the supermarket and pick up some blu-ray dvds for like a tenner each, some newer ones costing around £24.

Developers though are asking for £60-£120 these days for a game that has half the budget of some of the greatest pieces of cinema.

So do you think Game Pass hurts developers, and why?
ˎˊ˗╰┈➤ [ruby][/ruby]
logincrash wrote:
I genuinely hope you die a painful death. The sooner you are killed, the better.
ThulsaDoomer wrote:
Please visit a scenic bridge and plummet into its pristine waters. In fact, I'm not requesting, just do it.
.𖥔 ݁ ˖🪶‍ँ़── .✦.𖥔 ݁ ˖🪶‍ँ़── .✦.𖥔 ݁ ˖🪶‍ँ़── ✡︎ ݁ ˖

Tags:
User avatar
rusty_shackleford
Site Admin
Posts: 45464
Joined: Feb 2, '23
Gender: Watermelon

Geolocation

Adventurer's Guild

Post by rusty_shackleford »

DecadeRiptide wrote: September 13th, 2025, 16:06
Without any looking in to this, my first thoughts were "does Netflix hurt production studios?".
Netflix sorta killed TV shows, didn't it?
Massive majority of popular shows on streaming are old, excepting a handful of new series. Netflix was pumping out dozens of new series per year and nearly all of them were canceled in the first season.
DecadeRiptide wrote: September 13th, 2025, 16:06
So do you think Game Pass hurts developers, and why?
I think it's going to get them addicted to something they see as an endless source of money which allows developers to create pure slop. Once of the money tap is turned off, there will be no safety net.
I've seen a couple developers say gamepass hurt their numbers, but I suspect this is from developers who actually made a good game. For the average developer, game pass is likely very good right now considering game quality.
Thank you for your attention to this matter!
Steam friend code: 40552640 https://steamcommunity.com/friends/add | email: [email protected]
Having trouble running an old Windows game?
Rusty's Stuff Collection
User avatar
sheet
Posts: 610
Joined: Apr 4, '25

Geolocation

Post by sheet »

No, it helps crappy developers stay afloat by moving a portion of the pot that would normally solely go to the games people wanted to those that no one would even consider, regardless of whether subscribers even play those bad games after gaining access.
User avatar
logincrash
The Music Man
Posts: 6040
Joined: Sep 3, '23
Location: Niger

Geolocation

Adventurer's Guild

Post by logincrash »

Game? Nah, I'll Pass.
"Oh, it all makes sense now, brother."
User avatar
nullSector
Posts: 188
Joined: May 30, '25

Geolocation

Adventurer's Guild

Post by nullSector »

sheet wrote: September 13th, 2025, 16:11
No, it helps crappy developers stay afloat by moving a portion of the pot that would normally solely go to the games people wanted to those that no one would even consider, regardless of whether subscribers even play those bad games after gaining access.
Game pass is communism :mad:
:old: Wolololo :old:
:knight-cross: Das Ich Soll :knight-cross:
User avatar
Val the Moofia Boss
Turtle
Turtle
Posts: 4198
Joined: Jun 3, '23

Geolocation

Adventurer's Guild

Post by Val the Moofia Boss »

To me it seems like Game Pass is just a bandaid like how movie pass was for movies. New movies were becoming increasingly unpopular and some guy came up with Movie Pass paying out of pocket at a loss trying to stall the closure of theaters. And with Game Pass there has been a continual back and forth on whether or not Game Pass is actually profitable and how much Microsoft is doing numbers trickery or lingo speak trying to tout it as being more successful than it actually is.
User avatar
J1M
Turtle
Turtle
Posts: 5068
Joined: Feb 15, '23

Geolocation

Adventurer's Guild

Post by J1M »

DecadeRiptide wrote: September 13th, 2025, 16:06
People debate whether game pass is hurting developers.

Without any looking in to this, my first thoughts were "does Netflix hurt production studios?".

Game Pass is basically Netflix but for games. Plus, movies generally have a much higher budget than video games apart from some rare instances.

Is this just another case of developers feeling entitled and asking for more than their games are actually worth?

I can go to the back of the supermarket and pick up some blu-ray dvds for like a tenner each, some newer ones costing around £24.

Developers though are asking for £60-£120 these days for a game that has half the budget of some of the greatest pieces of cinema.

So do you think Game Pass hurts developers, and why?
Indie developers are irresponsible and bad at math, so yeah, I guess getting paid up front for a game they haven't finished would be bad for their studios.

For any sensible person, or a developer from the 90s, getting paid in advance for work and not having to give up your sales upside or your IP for the benefit of it would be a godsend.
Last edited by J1M on September 13th, 2025, 18:25, edited 1 time in total.