If you’re reading this, you probably like playing video games. But do you like to continuously pay for that privilege? It seems that you will have to, if you’re keen on trying next-gen consoles as soon as you can. The upcoming consoles, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Scarlett, are launching with live service games that require players to either pay for a subscription service, or employ a free-to-play model with in-game purchases.
Launching either at the same time as the two consoles - both set to arrive during the holiday season of 2020 - will be games such as Fortnite, Apex Legends, Final Fantasy XIV, Rocket League, Warframe, Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege and others. They are expected to either have in-game events, visual upgrades in line with the new hardware specs, or in-game updates. These things are all guaranteed to have players flocking to both the new consoles and the updated games, which can only be a good thing for both of them, as it effectively enables them to live in a sort of symbiosis that games employing different sales strategies may not be able to offer.
First reported by Venture Beat, this approach could be what sets apart these consoles that only grow in popularity from platforms such as Stadia that, well, flopped. There is zero way to play the same service games you already know and love, and people are not too keen on repurchasing titles that had already launched on several other platforms. On the other hand, Microsoft is launching Halo Infinite along with the Scarlett as part of the Xbox Game Pass service that will have people all too happy to pay the needed amount and play the game.
