Monthly round-up: Three titles from the Yakuza franchise removed from Xbox Game Pass

From December 2021 to January 2022, 140 games were added to the tracked services (up from 87 last month) and 101 games were removed (up from 55 last month). Raising the overall number of titles in Ampere’s tracked games content subscription service to 4,708.

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

• At 24 titles, Xbox Game Pass (XGP) Ultimate removed the most content from the services tracked. Three of the titles removed were from Sega’s Yakuza franchise: Yakuza 0, Yakuza Kiwami, and Yakuza Kiwami 2. The titles have been available in all XGP services since January 2021, and Yakuza 0 is still accessible through the Amazon Luna catalogue.
• XGP Ultimate and Console both added 27 titles and were the most active services for added content. 26 of the titles were added to both services, but XGP Console added Among Us (InnerSloth), which had already been in the XGP Ultimate catalogue since December 2020, while XGP Ultimate added Mass Effect Legendary Edition (Electronic Arts); a title that was added to EA Play (PC, PlayStation, and Xbox) which is bundled into the XGP Ultimate subscription.
• 20 of the titles added to the services tracked were identified as Platformers. Four of which were added to Blacknut: Biped (Postmeta Games), Clustertruck (tinyBuild), Marsupilami: Hoobadventure (Microids), and Trine 4: The Nightmare Prince (Maximum Games).
• TIM Games added 13 titles to the service and removed one, Ride 4 (Embracer Group), in January 2022. Of the games added, five were in the critical rating group of 50-59: Omen of Sorrow (Azione), Guts (Flux Games), Kao the Kangaroo: Round 2 (Embracer Group), Marble Duel (HeroLabs), and Valhalla Hills (Daedalic Entertainment).
• Six games were added to XGPU on ‘day one,’ consistent with the month prior. All of these were from third-party publishers: Rainbow Six Extraction (Ubisoft) , Nobody Saves the World (Drinkbox Studios), Pupperazzi (Kitfox Studios), Windjammers 2 (DotEmu), and Taiko no Tatsujin: The Drum Master (Bandai Namco). The final title, The Anarcrusis (Stray Bombay), is a game preview with the full title launching on day one in the future.

Rainbow Six Extraction to bolster early adopters on Xbox Game Pass

Ubisoft’s Rainbow Six is an established franchise, with Rainbow Six Siege continuing to drive the company’s back catalogue sales. Bringing Rainbow Six Extraction to XGP on day one was likely done to combat the uncertainty surrounding whether core players will engage with the newest instalment, as Ubisoft previously stated that Siege and Extraction appeal to different audiences. Likewise, Siege may be more attractive for players looking to experience the franchise for the first time as it currently retails below market price ($19.99/£16.99/€19.99 on Steam), is available on XGP console, and is coming to XGP PC on Extractions launch day. To attract core Siege players and newcomers to the franchise, Ubisoft lowered the barrier to entry with XGP. This will bolster player numbers, leading to exposure via of mouth, and generate paid full-game sales on other platforms.

Blacknut partners with Singapore’s M1 Limited and Malaysia’s Celcom

Blacknut revealed two new partnerships with telecommunication operators in Asia. Singapore’s M1 Limited forged an exclusive partnership with the cloud gaming operator, with plans to launch the service in Q2 2022. The second partnership announced was with Malaysia’s Celcom, with technology support from Radian Arc. Both partnerships aim to deliver cloud gaming at an affordable cost to consumers, whilst adding value to current services such as M1’s 5G mobile plan and Celcom’s high-speed MAX internet. Additionally, cloud gaming delivers portability where traditional hardware cannot, and this added convenience allows telcos to compete with large streaming companies - like Netflix - for their user’s time.

Deutsche Telekom announces the closure of its cloud gaming platform Magenta Gaming

Launched in August 2020, Magenta Gaming is a cloud gaming service offered by Deutsche Telekom based on technology from RemoteMyApp. Deutsche Telekom announced that it will discontinue the cloud gaming service on 26 February 2022. Ampere’s consumer research revealed a mismatch between consumers who adopted the service and Magenta’s target audience. Telco based cloud gaming companies tend to target families and casual gamers however, 40% of churned Magenta Gaming subscribers were identified as Insatiable Gamers, and 32% were identified as Console Enthusiasts. These gamers are characterised by their appetite for premium AAA games and the Magenta Gaming catalogue fails to deliver content they enjoy, with 29% of churned Magenta Gaming subscribers stating they unsubscribed as they did not enjoy the games available. 

Magenta Gaming added five titles in January 2022 and removed six. Two of the titles removed were published by Team17: Yoku’s Island Express and Yooka-laylee and the Impossible Lair. Three of the games removed were published by Independent/Other publishers: Highrisers, Shakes on a Plane, and Sphere – Flying Cities.

Note: Data retrieved on 31/01/22