Microsoft appears to be planning to rebrand its popular Xbox Game Pass in a way that removes the specificity of being only for Xbox consoles, as signaled by a recent change in the official social media accounts that now simply read, “Game Pass”. On Twitter, both the accounts for @XboxGamePass and @XboxGamePassPC now feature the same logo, as well as tweets acknowledging the shift towards something new.
This is the second time in only a few weeks that signals a shift in how Microsoft brands and packages its subscription-based services to consumers, following reports that Xbox Live Gold would soon be discontinued.
Reasons for these changes appear to be varied. One explanation may simply be that Microsoft is looking to properly differentiate between its offerings on PC as compared to the console. Although the names are similar, the games offered on PC and Xbox are not the same. Red Dead Redemption 2 was recently made available for console users of the Game Pass, but not for PC players, and there could reasonably be some confusion for users given the similar names of both services.
However, it is far more likely that as the launch of the next generation of gaming consoles nears, Microsoft is purposefully moving away from its traditional offerings which pits it against Sony for consumer attention. A mere seven years ago the competition between both companies led to intense competition to sell more PlayStation 4 or Xbox One consoles, but technology has allowed for entirely new strategies to be adopted.
Put simply, the PlayStation 4 sold far more consoles that the Xbox One, and is the clear winner between the two options. However, as the launch of the Xbox Series X approaches, Microsoft is setting itself up to be in a league all its own. This comes through both the long-term development of its streaming service Project xCloud, and its Game Pass.
Project xCloud take the focus away from forcing consumers to own the latest generation of console, as virtually any smart device will be able to stream a broad range of games in exactly the way Stadia wanted, but failed, to do.
Meanwhile, Game Pass will still offer great value to those who use it on a console, but also anyone gaming on a PC. Rebranding the service may simply be a pivot away from the traditional competition that many assumed would take place between Microsoft and Sony, and in the end, it is consumers that win by having several options available for how to experience their favorite games.
Source: Twitter
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