There’s been a big movement lately in the video game industry. While 2020 would be the hyped up and anticipated year for the video game industry because we’re getting the next-generation console platforms, it would also be the year that we would see a bigger push for streaming-style video game subscription services. With the likes of Xbox Game Pass continuing to grow, there are some consumers wondering just where other notable companies stand on the idea of a subscription-based future.
While Xbox Game Pass is the biggest right now in terms of subscription-based video game services, there are other notable services out there that are hoping to grow. For instance, Amazon has announced its interest in getting into subscription gaming with their Luna service. In fact, it’s a streaming service so players could pay a fee and dive into a catalog of titles. However, Xbox has been pushing the Xbox Game Pass to include even more titles and at a rate that’s quite a bit more accessible than purchasing video games individually.
Recently, Take-Two Interactive held a financial call where the COO, Karl Slatoff, was asked about the companies thoughts over subscription-based services. In the past, Take-Two Interactive has supplied games for Xbox Game Pass such as Red Dead Redemption 2 and Grand Theft Auto V. But there’s no telling if the company will continue to support this idea of a method of gaming.
“I don’t think our views have changed much. We’re open-minded. We’re highly skeptical that subscriptions will be the only way or the primary way that interactive entertainment is distributed.”
Karl Slatoff noted that the company hasn’t changed much and that they are open-minded. Still, it’s a bit skeptical over subscriptions being the only means of gaming in the future. It would seem that Take-Two Interactive is still holding out on the idea of consumers purchasing titles individually. However, that doesn’t mean that Take-Two Interactive won’t embrace subscription services.
At any rate, it looks like it’s going to be up to the consumer. Karl noted that at the end of the day, it will be the consumers that decide on what is the best option for them. As a result, they will continue to go where the consumers are. If consumers tend to flock towards subscription services like Xbox Game Pass then we may see Take-Two Interactive take a more prominent role in the area.
