"We sell loads" and "it's a great tool" – why the games industry still loves Xbox Game Pass, PlayStation Plus

Xbox Game Pass has been the talk of the town for a while now. Offering subscribers an ever-growing selection of games – both indie and triple-A – for a relatively low cost, there are millions of people around the world right now who are playing new, exciting games for a fraction of the cost that they would have a decade ago. With new initiatives being announced all the time (Xbox Game Pass Core being the most recent), it certainly seems like Microsoft is doing what it can to make the barrier to play new titles as low as possible.The deal for consumers is sweet, but consumers only see one side of the benefits of such a program. As highlighted in the recent Microsoft FTC court hearing, Jim Ryan over at Sony claims that publshers aren't a fan, and that concerns surrounding the perceived value of big-budget titles exists within the offices of industry giants.Was this just a statement aimed at blocking the Microsoft/Activision Blizzard acquisition? Or is there some truth to these concerns? To find out, I travelled to Develop Brighton to speak to developers and publishers, hoping to hear directly from the folks who see the stats and live with the realities, and consequences, of Game Pass. Read more