With the constant advancement of gaming as an industry the subscription services continue to be a favored way for players to gain access to many titles for a set monthly price. Xbox Game Pass, PlayStation Plus and EA Play have all revolutionised how people experience content, providing convenience, value and diversity. What is happening to gaming subscription services in the future though? In this article, we are going to discuss how the future of these services will look like, the trends, innovations and challenges to reshape the future of gaming.
1. Gaming Subscription Services Rise
Over the past few years, subscription based models have reigned over many industries, and none are out of bounds including gaming. The days of worrying over whether games even came bundled together or whether you have to buy each game individually have been Glorified. In many respects, services like Xbox Game Pass that grant you access to hundreds of titles for one monthly fee, or PlayStation Plus with its exclusive games and online features, have brought gaming to a point where it’s more affordable than it’s ever been.
The Convenience Factor
The main incentive to gaming subscriptions is their simplicity. By reading the reviews you also save having to make individual purchases when heading into a game you’ve never heard of, and gamers can explore a vast library of titles. It’s games from a single platform that has attracted millions of subscribers and essentially changed the way the gaming content is perceived.
2. Trends and Change you will see in the future
As subscription services continue to grow, there are several exciting trends and innovations that are likely to shape the future of gaming:
Game Streaming between Platforms
With game streaming to multiple platforms possibly about to become the reality of gaming subscriptions, the future of gaming subscriptions may also include seamless game streaming across multiple platforms. This would be beneficial for companies such as Microsoft and Sony, which expand their cloud offering, and let players start where they left off across consoles, PCs and mobile phones. This cross platform accessibility is vital, because gaming subscriptions need to stay relevant in a more mobile world.
3. The impact on game development
It’s also affecting how games get made, through gaming subscription services. As individual sales is moving aside, developers started to become more focused on the longevity and replayability of their games. As a result of this, you will no longer see as many games being made without updates, expansions, and seasonal content to keep people tuned into it. Xbox Game Pass, for instance, and PlayStation Plus help developers launch new stuff and keep bringing in the players.
The Growth of Indie Games
Indie developers now have a larger platform upon which they can offer their games to an audience of tens and even hundreds of thousands of subscribers. Subscribers have access to a global library of games, and can discover indie titles they may not have bought otherwise. When the demand for variety and innovation is high, indie game development will be fed by subscription services and we will get a wider range of game genres and creative concept.
4. Challenges Ahead for Gaming Subscription Services
While the future looks bright for gaming subscription services, several challenges need to be addressed:
Market Saturation
In the event that more services come to market players might face subscription fatigue. As major players such as Microsoft, Sony, and EA release their own services for their products, it will become hard for consumers to know which subscriptions are worth their bucks. To distinguish itself from the competition, a subscription model will require evolving to provide different value propositions.
Conclusion: Gaming Subscription Services have a bright Future
Gaming subscription services have a very bright future. With innovations like cloud gaming, personalized experiences and increasing numbers of indie games, subscription services will continue to increase the access to and the diversity of the gaming world. However, games available, as well as the market saturation will have to be faced to keep these services alive.
The rising claims of the gaming industry to accommodate for new consumer demands, and advancements in the technology of the gaming industry will lead to gaming subscriptions to likely become more of a modern gaming reality. Next generation gaming subscriptions will offer even more value, ease of use and excitement for players across the globe.