As an ardent admirer of gaming, I’m sharing insights from Alex Hutchinson, the visionary leader at Raccoon Logic Studio. In a fascinating chat with Gamer Social Club, he expressed his concerns about the Xbox Game Pass subscription model. Although he acknowledges some advantages, he fears that in the grand scheme of things, it might potentially pose threats to the video game industry, particularly independent studios like ours.
It might come as a shock given that Hutchinson’s studio recently launched their game, “Revenge of the Savage Planet,” on Game Pass only a month prior. However, the developer explains that while Microsoft’s subscription service offers quick advantages like a placement fee or increased game visibility, it also carries significant disadvantages.
It appears that the value of content is decreasing, leading to a reduced readiness among people to purchase items. This trend could potentially result in fewer new games being produced and an increase in gaming studios closing down.
Additionally, Hutchinson voiced displeasure over the sale of extra content for “Revenge of the Savage Planet.” Surprisingly, despite the vast number of Game Pass subscribers, interest in expansions was less than anticipated (as reported by 3DJuegos).
Potential solution and bitter truth about the industry
According to the CEO of Raccoon Logic, he believes that preventing the immediate availability of games through subscription services during their first year post-release could potentially yield beneficial results. This is similar to how films are initially shown in theaters and then made available on Video On Demand platforms after some time has passed.
Despite facing criticism over the subscription model, Hutchinson underlined that Microsoft is an “excellent business collaborator.” He mentioned that the charge for incorporating the game into Game Pass was substantial enough to be significant, though he reiterated that this occurred “several years back.
The developer also touched upon the subject from a wider perspective on X, expressing the viewpoint that it is only Nintendo who takes care of preserving the genuine worth of games nowadays.
In Hutchinson’s post, it was stated that everyone apart from Nintendo is engaged in a competition where they aim to devalue content to zero. This competition, according to the author, will ultimately result in sorrow or regret.
In the business world, there’s a significant discussion going on regarding how the subscription model is influencing the gaming market. Critics of this approach aren’t just independent developers, but also analysts and ex-CEOs from major corporations – such as Jim Ryan, who used to head Sony Interactive Entertainment, who referred to Xbox Game Pass as a potentially harmful solution.
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2025-06-13 13:03