Speaking to game developers, former Yoshida, former director of Sony Interactive Entertainment, outlined concerns about the potential impact on video game subscription services such as Xbox Game Pass and PlayStation Plus, especially third parties and indie developers.
According to Game Developer, who spoke to Yoshida on Gamescom Latam, he said it was “great” for developers who allow what the website calls Walled Garden, but as these services inevitably expand, it was hard for people within this group to cross the group.
Read Also:
Manage cookie preferences
Yoshida said, “If the only way people can play the game is through a truly dangerous subscription, then (…) what you can create a game is determined by the owner of the subscription service (…), so it’s really risky.
Yoshida clearly biased as a former senior member of Team Sony, but said the PlayStation approach is “healthy” than what you’ll see on Xbox. It offers the AAA release of Day-one on Game Pass in connection with Microsoft’s first pledge.
Yoshida continued. “We believe the way Sony approached it (subscription) is healthier. We cannot allow people to spend money on buying new games in a few years.
From a purely personal perspective, I feel that the growth of video game subscription services such as Game Pass and PlayStation Plus has devalued Big AAA, especially as prices for those games have risen significantly recently. You can see in full how normal consumers grab a game pass and don’t buy the full game. This adds a benefit to Yoshida’s points as this new non-purchaser group is not spending on both big AAA releases and third-party games other than these services.
It’s certainly an interesting topic. Please tell us if you feel that Yoshida is listed in the money below!