Today marks the one-year anniversary of Xbox Game Pass. Let’s take a look at how the service has evolved over the past 12 months.
When it launched in June 2017, Xbox Game Pass served a specific niche. For $10 per month, people could download (download, not stream — it’s an important distinction) dated first- and third-party games. It was a way to fill time between big, new releases. With 100-some titles in the program, people could try a bunch of indie games they never would’ve bought. And, all of Xbox’s most well-known properties were there to act as the main attractions. For example, anyone who didn’t play Halo 5 in 2015 could ostensibly rent it through Xbox Game Pass for a fraction of the game’s retail cost, while also getting access to the rest of the Game Pass library.
Xbox Game Pass’ greatest strength is that it created the perception of value. Video games are expensive; $10 each month is relatively inexpensive. This is a way to play a lot of video games for little money. That’s value. Even if you don’t permanently own those games, it’s a way to experience them.
Source: Destructoid Xbox Game Pass made incredible strides in its first year