What is the reason Xbox PC Game Pass doesn't disclose dates when the game will leave the game pass library?

[Space Lynx]

I have never understood this. Like there was a game on Game Pass I want to play, but then I am like well what if they remove it in like 7 days or something and I don't get to finish the game in time? If I had an actual date, I could better understand if I want to start that game before it leaves the library.

Any thoughts on this? Why not just give us an estimated date when it is expected to leave (I am guessing because some contracts do get extended?) the store or an exact date? I just find it really frustrating, especially if I am going to start up a game that will take like 50+ hours to beat. It would suck to play it for like 15 days, then it gets removed and you were so close to finishing it.

 

[Kapone33]

I don't go past the $1 offer. It is my opinion that Game Pass wants to dominate the PC subscriber market. Don't get me wrong they have some killer Games but you have experienced what I did about 1 year ago. I wanted play Forza 7 but it was not there and even after I found a key on a discount site I had the Game as my Game Pass version was not bought directly from Microsoft who no longer offered it on Game Pass. Then I upgraded my PC to Windows 11 (using my outlook nonetheless) and they wanted me to re-download Forza 5 (100+GB) and I don't remember what other Game but it was also another 80+ GB. The kicker was I could see the folder on the drive for Forza 7 (that I had bought) but they wanted me to re-downoad that too. I had the original installed but had no access to the files. At that point I gave up on Gamepass. Humble Choice to me is a much better way to spend $12 a month for PC Gaming because I have been playing and having fun playing Hotwheels Unleashed. I think I will try Deathloop next.

 

[Hyderz]

if there is a date when a game no longer be available and upcoming games with dates on them,
microsoft will revenue, players would go oh there is nothing i want to play so ill unsubscribe until there is something i want.
so if theres nothing the customer wants for 6 months then 6 months worth of revenue gone but $6. Thats just 1, but im sure there will be others..

 

[Kapone33]

if there is a date when a game no longer be available and upcoming games with dates on them,
microsoft will revenue, players would go oh there is nothing i want to play so ill unsubscribe until there is something i want.
so if theres nothing the customer wants for 6 months then 6 months worth of revenue gone but $6. Thats just 1, but im sure there will be others..

The $1 price is a month promiotion. After that it jumps to $13.99 CAD.

 

[Mussels]

I just want a "family plan" for the household (check my IP address or something damnit) so that i can get crossplay games for myself and my kid on PC and Xbox without paying multiple times over

 

[Hyderz]

The $1 price is a month promiotion. After that it jumps to $13.99 CAD.

ah i didnt know that... been a while i hop on it

 

[Vayra86]

I have never understood this. Like there was a game on Game Pass I want to play, but then I am like well what if they remove it in like 7 days or something and I don't get to finish the game in time? If I had an actual date, I could better understand if I want to start that game before it leaves the library.

Any thoughts on this? Why not just give us an estimated date when it is expected to leave (I am guessing because some contracts do get extended?) the store or an exact date? I just find it really frustrating, especially if I am going to start up a game that will take like 50+ hours to beat. It would suck to play it for like 15 days, then it gets removed and you were so close to finishing it.

In subscribed services, every trick in the sales book of absolute horror gets deployed to maximize profit margins. You're subscribed to a service where you have zero control. This is what that feels like. Commerce decides where you go next - not you.

They create a reality where you can't plan ahead, so you won't plan ahead, and every month that subscription money moves away from your bank account because you're left with FUD.

The same thing occurs with timed availability of items in stores. Because its timed, there is a misplaced sense of urgency. The opposite approach, not saying when things are gone, creates that same urgency, in a different way. The items are not scarce, or finite in any way. The whole thing is artificial.

You say contracts end or get extended... I say those contracts are already dynamic contracts where analytics determine what's on offer and when; think of seasonal availability/push, or the fact that franchises get a new release and suddenly you can access all previous seasons, etc. Contracts are built on sales targets/exposure rating, instead of 'period of availability' for example.

 

[Chomiq]

I have never understood this. Like there was a game on Game Pass I want to play, but then I am like well what if they remove it in like 7 days or something and I don't get to finish the game in time? If I had an actual date, I could better understand if I want to start that game before it leaves the library.

Any thoughts on this? Why not just give us an estimated date when it is expected to leave (I am guessing because some contracts do get extended?) the store or an exact date? I just find it really frustrating, especially if I am going to start up a game that will take like 50+ hours to beat. It would suck to play it for like 15 days, then it gets removed and you were so close to finishing it.

What do you mean? There's "Leaving gamepass soon" on main Xbox dashboard.

 

[Bomby569]

The $1 price is a month promiotion. After that it jumps to $13.99 CAD.

i've been done the 1$ month and sometimes the 1$ for 3 months for years now, never paid more than that, and i've had countless months. Sometimes they block it to users that already had the promo, but most of the time don't. Like now, i'm again in the promo.

 

[INSTG8R]

What do you mean? There's "Leaving gamepass soon" on main Xbox dashboard.

This! Not sure why this is even a valid question. I check that part often just in case there’s a game I didn’t get around to playing…Heck I even get an alert message....

 

[Toothless]

This! Not sure why this is even a valid question. I check that part often just in case there’s a game I didn’t get around to playing…Heck I even get an alert message....

Well, not everyone has 10/10 observation skills.

 

[Vayra86]

What do you mean? There's "Leaving gamepass soon" on main Xbox dashboard.

What's the advance notice? Do we know? Is there a standard, like always 14 days prior?

 

[Bomby569]

What's the advance notice? Do we know? Is there a standard, like always 14 days prior?

once ones leave they announce the next, i think it's this

 

[Vayra86]

once ones leave they announce the next, i think it's this

Exactly, so it tells you almost nothing.

As specified in the terms; 'subject to change without notice' - even if it did specify a date, you would have nothing.

People really oughta wake up...

 

[Bomby569]

As specified in the terms; 'subject to change without notice' - even if it did specify a date, you would have nothing.

i'm assuming that's legal talk, you can never be 100% sure things don't get complicated with the actual owners of the rights for the games

 

[Vayra86]

i'm assuming that's legal talk, you can never be 100% sure things don't get complicated with the actual owners of the rights for the games

You assume but its absolute nonsense.

Companies enter in contracts that are completely, entirely checked top to bottom. And they present the customer with complete uncertainty. Between those two realities, money is made; a simple lack of transparency is enough. Its an approved sales trick. You're not lying, you just don't tell the whole truth.

Subject to change means what it means: you have no rights & no leg to stand on in court, in the mind and intent of the contract you entered. You see, here that 'subject to change' applies to the entire service. Its not talking about an availability of, say, multiplayer servers for game X or Y (this is where that clause fits...). It encompasses everything and sheep swallow it, completely oblivious.

 

[Bomby569]

You assume but its absolute nonsense.

Companies enter in contracts that are completely, entirely checked top to bottom. And they present the customer with complete uncertainty. Between those two realities, money is made; a simple lack of transparency is enough. Its an approved sales trick. You're not lying, you just don't tell the whole truth.

Subject to change means what it means: you have no rights & no leg to stand on in court, in the mind and intent of the contract you entered. You see, here that 'subject to change' applies to the entire service. Its not talking about an availability of, say, multiplayer servers for game X or Y (this is where that clause fits...). It encompasses everything and sheep swallow it, completely oblivious.

if you have to deal with stuff like this on the day to day, a contract is just a contract, the other side can still do a 180 even if they have no reason to do so, it actually happens more then one might assume, then you can take them to court but they are always free to do the unexpected.

 

[Vayra86]

if you have to deal with stuff like this on the day to day, a contract is just a contract, the other side can still do a 180 even if they have no reason to do so, it actually happens more then one might assume, then you can take them to court but they are always free to do the unexpected.

Yes, but the translation to the practice of a cloud service in the world of a customer is missing from what you're saying here.

There is a business to business perspective, and a business to customer perspective, plus a completely different access to legal support between these two parties. Subject to change without notice practically means what it says: you don't know what will happen. And the transparency is extremely limited; Xbox only specifies 'soon', and there are no fixed timelines.

See if I rent a house, sure, that is 'subject to change', the landlord can always decide he needs to renovate. But... there is often a mandatory advanced notice period, it is specified in hard numbers. There is no room for interpretation.

So, long story short, what I'm saying makes perfect sense and what you're saying really doesn't; the situation you're in within a cloudbased service contract is that you have right to access a service, and everything else is unspecified, so you're a plaything of commercial urges. You have three certainties, really: your monthly payment, your login name, and your password. Well, actually not even that because a password reset can be initiated from their end too. The actual fact is, not even access to your account is an absolute guarantee, as downtime and maintenance do happen, authentication servers can crash, etc.

All of these things are fully open to manipulation, too.

 

[Deleted member 211755]

I just opened this discussion to write how I don't believe in game passes. That's shit.
When I pay something, I want it mine forever.

 

[Bomby569]

....

Again this is legal department mandated. Doesn't mean more than that.

I just opened this discussion to write how I don't believe in game passes. That's shit.
When I pay something, I want it mine forever.

i really have to agree in principle, but it's nice if you just want to try games you would never buy, that's how i use it. I bought Horizon 5 on steam even having gamepass because i want to keep it. I played Grid Legends on GP because i would never buy it.
It's like that people that pirate but say they buy if they like it. I guess when demos stopped being a thing, this is useful.

It's still a good concept that doesn't appeal to everyone. Some friends of mine love it, and now only play GP games.

 

[Chomiq]

I just opened this discussion to write how I don't believe in game passes. That's shit.
When I pay something, I want it mine forever.

You don't pay for games on gamepass, you pay for access to the service.

Just like when you buy a ticket to the cinema you do not get a copy of the movie for you to keep.

 

[64K]

My biggest issue with services like Game Pass is the lack of choice to play what I want when I want. I refuse to allow some company to dictate to me what I can play and when I can play it. I play games all the way back to the 90s and up when I want to. Some games that I really enjoy I replay every few years. There's not a snowball's chance in hell that I could do that with a service like Game Pass.

Basically I like having the freedom to choose what I will play and when I will play it and I'm willing to pay more for that freedom.

 

[Vayra86]

Again this is legal department mandated. Doesn't mean more than that.

And again, the day-to-day practices of on-demand services show us that it does mean more than that. Time to take off the blinders. Of course its mandated, its how companies create their wiggle room. There is no tinfoil hat here, I've seen this with my own eyes, and still do. Anything that is not specified, is available to be used to meet the bottom line. I'm working on a product tariff change as we speak where this principle is being used

 

[Bomby569]

You don't pay for games on gamepass, you pay for access to the service.

Just like when you buy a ticket to the cinema you do not get a copy of the movie for you to keep.

cinema is different, you're not just buying the movie ticket, you're buying the experience, go out, maybe dinner, enjoy a movie with someone. This is in no way different from playing a game on steam, there is no distinction i can see.

 

[Deleted member 211755]

People, just buy the games you love... What's a game pass???
Once you stop paying the monthly fee, you won't be able to play anything anymore until you truly buy the game you want to play or you once again pay the fee to be their slave.
Oh, servant.
I saw someone talking about a service... So serve.
Because you're the one serving them not the other way around, you know?