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Game Pass Could’ve Worked, Moon Studios Boss Says, But Xbox Never Delivered the Big Hits It Needed
Wccftech • • technology
Key Points:
- Xbox is facing significant challenges with multiple studios, including Ninja Theory, Compulsion Games, and Double Fine Productions, at risk of closure amid rumors of further layoffs.
- Moon Studios CEO Thomas Mahler criticized Xbox's Game Pass model, comparing it to communism by arguing it fails to incentivize developers to produce exceptional content.
- Mahler highlighted that Game Pass struggles because its game catalog lacks consistently high-quality new releases that can become cultural phenomena, citing the underwhelming reception of Bethesda's Starfield compared to Skyrim.
- Despite some strong additions to Game Pass, the subscription service faces a structural dilemma where blockbuster hits might cannibalize premium game sales, while weaker titles fail to attract enough subscribers.
- Starfield's issues are attributed more to Bethesda's internal challenges with developing a new IP than to the Game Pass strategy itself, as it was not originally designed as a Game Pass exclusive.
