Ex-Arkane Boss Says Game Pass May Hurt the Game World
After Microsoft cut over 9,000 jobs, Raphael Colantonio, who started Arkane and now works at WolfEye Studios, has slammed Xbox Game Pass. He called this subscription service the main cause of problems in the game world today, naming it an "unsustainable model".
Why Colantonio Is Upset With Game Pass
On X (old Twitter), Colantonio shared his main worries:
- Less Fair Play: He thinks Microsoft uses its huge cash to keep the service going only to knock out rivals.
- What Might Happen: He feels that if Microsoft wins big here, game quality and price will both get worse. "The great deal you get now is just because Microsoft is throwing money at it, hoping to take out its rivals," he said.
- Sales Drop: Colantonio said he's upset because early claims that Game Pass wouldn't hit game sales were wrong. "Of course it does Really" he said, showing how this hurts normal game sales.
A Way They Might Get Along
Colantonio thinks Game Pass could work if it only used older game titles. If it acted like Sony's PlayStation Plus, which stays away from new release games, it might be okay.
But Microsoft still plans to put all its new games on Game Pass right when they come out. Even with big game names like Call of Duty, Diablo, and Fallout, they only have about 35 million users less than they hoped for.
An Expert Agrees
Rhys Elliott, who checks the market at Alinea, also thinks Microsoft has pushed too hard on its subscription model. He notes people use games differently than films or music since games take more time, and this limits how many games someone can play from a big list.
More Information
Raphael Colantonio made WolfEye Studios, which made Weird West, and is now making an old-school sci-fi game. He has before spoken against Microsoft when they shut down Arkane Austin, the place he first set up.
