Monthly round-up: Sony’s MLB The Show launches on Game Pass for the second time

From March 2022 to April 2022, 100 games were added to the services tracked (up from 71 last month) and 81 games were removed (up from 37 last month), raising the overall number of titles in Ampere’s tracked games content subscription service to 4,780.

These are the main games subscription catalogue changes in April 2022:

• TIM Games, TIM’s Italy-only white-label cloud gaming service operated by Blacknut, was the most active service for added titles in April 2022. Of the 14 titles added, half were published by Microids, including Agatha Christie – Hercule Poirot: The First Cases, Asterix & Obelix: Slap them All, and three titles from the My Universe franchise. Notably, Microids was the most active publisher in both March and April 2022, highlighting the publisher’s focus on distributing catalogue content to casual gamers via telco-based subscription services.
• At 22 titles, PlayStation Now was the most active service for removing titles in April 2022, with 10 of the titles removed being published by Curve Digital, including two games from the Stealth Inc franchise, Guilty Gear Xrd Rev 2, and Pumped BMX +. The number of Curve Digital titles in the subscription services tracked has been declining from February 2022, when it peaked at 35 titles, to 25 in April 2022. The decline in distribution via content subscription services may be linked to the publisher’s recent rebrand from Curve Digital to Curve Games. It highlighted a new strategic focus on ‘triple I’ (high-quality indie) content and earlier games may not reflect this new brand image.
• Four games were added to Xbox Game Pass (XGP) via Console and PC (and therefore Ultimate) on ‘day one,’ down from seven the month prior. All the titles were from third-party publishers: MLB The Show 2022 (Sony), Research and Destroy (Spike Chunsoft), Unsouled (NEOWIZ), and Chinatown Detective Agency (Humble Games). For the second instalment in a row, MLB The Show was on XGP at launch, despite being a PlayStation console exclusive prior and a Sony first-party title. Staying as a console exclusive restricted player numbers and revenue, whilst leaving a gap in the market for a competitor to fill. XGP compliments the launch on Xbox consoles as it raises brand awareness and encourages consumers who exclusively play on Xbox to engage with a Sony game.
• 13 (18%) of the titles added to the services tracked were first released in 2022, raising the total number of games published in this year to 46 in April 2022. By the same point in the year prior (April 2021) content published in 2021 only reached 20, suggesting that newly released content is beginning to play a greater role in games content subscriptions. This may be a result of the pressure XGP has placed on the market with day one releases; competitors like PlayStation Now need to include newer content to remain competitive.  

PC Game Pass launched in five more Asian countries 

Following a month-long preview period, Microsoft officially launched PC Game Pass in Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam on 20 April 2022. Highlighting the company’s intent to increase brand awareness in Southeast Asia, a region where console gaming lags behind mobile and PC. With cloud gaming infrastructure unable to support gamers in Southeast Asia, PC Game Pass fills the gap that streaming services like the new PlayStation Plus leave in the market. To attract subscribers, a three-month subscription to the service is being offered for $1, whereas in more established territories like the USA and UK, new customers are only offered one month at $1/£1. However, Microsoft may need to add localised content to deeply engage audiences in Southeast Asia, as much of the current XGP catalogue is tailored toward Western consumers. Whether this is done by curating catalogues for specific markets or adding content to the global catalogue remains to be seen.

Bugsnax launches on Game Pass after a period of PlayStation console exclusivity

Bugsnax (Young Horses) launched on 12 November 2020 as a PlayStation console exclusive and Epic Games Store PC exclusive. The title was free at launch on PlayStation 5 for PlayStation Plus members until 4 January 2021. On 28 April 2022, the title launched on other platforms, including a simultaneous launch on XGP.

This is indicative of a shift in the games industry away from entirely exclusive content to a more flexible approach. In recent years, the sector has seen a rise in timed exclusives, where content is restricted to one platform for a predetermined period but will release elsewhere after this time. For example, Final Fantasy VII Remake (Square Enix) was available exclusively on PlayStation consoles from 10 April 2020 to 16 December 2021 when it became available on PC. Similarly, console manufacturers have begun moving away from exclusivity, with Microsoft stating that all current-gen exclusives will be available on PC, and Sony slowly publishing flagship first-party content such as God of War and Horizon Zero Dawn on PC as well.

Small publishers like Young Horses are willing to adopt timed exclusivity as it negates some of the financial risk associated with launching a game as an independent publisher, with a monetary incentive included on the platform’s behalf as part of the deal. Following this, the title can go on to generate sales from consumers on other platforms. However, there is a risk that interest in the title may dwindle after a large share of the market is unable to access the game for a significant portion of its lifespan. Launching on XGP helps reduce this risk by boosting exposure and accessibility, reigniting interest amongst players who will likely be experiencing the game for the first time, and creating a knock-on effect in the wider gaming community.