Monthly round-up: 10 titles removed from PC Game Pass

From August 2022 to September 2022, 88 games were added to the services tracked by Ampere (down from 91 last month) and 50 were removed (equal to 50 last month).

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

• PlayStation Plus Premium/Deluxe was the most active service for added titles in September 2022. Of the 19 titles added, six (32%) were published by Ubisoft: Assassin’s Creed Origins, Rabbids Invasion: The Interactive TV Show, Rayman Legends, Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World: The Game – Complete Edition, Watch Dogs 2, and Wheel of Fortune. All the titles were also added to PlayStation Plus Extra as part of Ubisoft+ Classics, a limited collection of Ubisoft games used to add value to the service.
• Xbox Game Pass Console removed 10 titles in September 2022. Notable titles removed included Twelve Minutes (Annapurna Interactive), Spiritfarer (Thunder Lotus), and Hades (Supergiant Games). Spiritfarer was first added to Game Pass on day one in August 2020, where it stayed for just over two years. After being removed in September 2022, the title was added to PlayStation Plus Extra and Premium/Deluxe in the same month. The title also debuted on mobile via Netflix Games on 04 October 2022. Thunder Lotus is successfully growing its subscription revenue from the game and reaching new audiences following this period of Game Pass exclusivity.
• Nine games were released on ‘day one’ on Xbox Game Pass Console and PC in September 2022, up from six the month prior, including: Metal Hellsinger (Funcom), Disney Dreamlight Valley: Founder's Edition (Gameloft), and Moonscars (Humble Games). In September 2022, Humble Games added a single day one title to the service - as part of a deal with Microsoft, seven indie titles from the publisher will be added on day one by the end of the year. This follows a successful partnership in 2021 that saw eight titles launched on day one, suggesting that the collaboration was viewed favourably by both parties.

Netflix partners with Ubisoft to bring three new titles to the service

Netflix and Ubisoft announced a partnership that will see three mobile games launch into Netflix’s mobile games catalogue – which is available to Netflix subscribers at no extra cost –  in 2023. The titles will be developed exclusively for Netflix, and are all based on existing Ubisoft IP, including a sequel to Valiant Hearts: The Great War and a new title in The Mighty Quest franchise. Partnering with a notable publisher like Ubisoft may give Netflix more mainstream credibility; consumers may be more likely to engage with the company’s gaming content if it is associated with well-established players.

The final title will be a new mobile-based addition to the Assassin’s Creed franchise, complementing the live-action series which is currently in development. This is no surprise as Netflix has shown a growing commitment to adaptation of games IP. The Witcher – originally a book series but popularised by the games franchise – Arcane (League of Legends), and Cyberpunk: Edgerunners are all examples of high-profile game adaptations on the service. What’s more, in September 2022, Netflix had two Stranger Things games on its service and is in the process of developing new titles based on more of its original IP (e.g., Too Hot To Handle and The Queen’s Gambit).

This strategy is fuelled by the desire to drive more value from content and IP. For Netflix in particular, cross-media entertainment increases its competitiveness in the context of the ‘attention economy’, which describes how users choose to allocate their attention during downtime. This has become increasingly complex as the entertainment industry diversifies and becomes more saturated; Netflix must now compete with games subscription services as well as other subscription video on demand (SVoD) services for engagement. By offering both video and gaming content, Netflix can differentiate its offering; providing a value-add for its subscribers to keep them within its ecosystem.

Logitech announces cloud-based handheld gaming device

In late September 2022, device maker Logitech revealed the G Cloud Gaming Handheld, built to stream third-party content either from the cloud via Xbox Cloud Gaming and Nvidia GeForce Now, or from PC or console via Steam Link and Xbox Remote Play. Users can also access the Google Play Store to download content. The device is attempting to carve out a unique position in the handheld console market. 

Despite this, the Logitech G may struggle to scale its user base due to several factors, one of being the price of the device: At $349.99 it is $50 more than the Nintendo Switch and around $49 less than the most basic version of the Steam Deck. Without a strong gaming brand to leverage, the Logitech G will struggle to convince consumers to purchase the device over another, particularly when it cannot really position itself as a more wallet-friendly option. One of the foundations of cloud gaming is that it provides a cheaper alternative to expensive hardware as it utilises devices already owned by the consumer, and a $349.99 console thwarts this benefit. The Logitech G is also not truly portable, as it relies entirely on a Wi-Fi connection and has no cellular connectivity. This means it cannot stream cloud-based content away from a reliable signal, limiting play considerably. 

Stadia’s hybrid offering falls flat as the service announces closure 

As covered elsewhere by Ampere, Google’s game streaming platform Stadia will officially close on 18 January 2023, less than three years after launch. The platform struggled to make an impact on the market due to its product positioning and the nascent adoption of cloud gaming services. Consumers were forced to purchase games from the Stadia storefront, while GeForce Now supports most PC storefronts and offers access to the player’s existing collection of PC games. Additionally, Stadia Pro’s limited selection of titles appeared to be poor value in a landscape of relatively low-cost subscription services which offer access to bigger catalogues for a low monthly fee.