Phil Spencer was Xbox head (now officially the general director of Microsoft Gaming) Within a decade Now. Until recently, I would argue that under his watch Marek really put players in the first place, even if Xbox continued to lose their market share in PlayStation. As a reminder: Phil immediately freed Xbox One kinker, removing Albatros worth $ 100, pouring the console. His first great initiative as a boss supporting reverse compatibilitywhich is not much successful. FPS strengthening At Xbox Series, many of these venerable games later worked even better. He stretched Sony Digging and shouting to normalize the cross game. Xbox One X One was submitted by PS4 PRO Offering real, native 4K. And Xbox Gaming undeniably has become more integration in the era of Phil Spencer thanks Xbox adaptation controller and also ASL functions worthy of praise In many first page games. Finally, there is the Xbox Game Pass, whose mysterious economics still makes it controversial among both players and programmers, but it was a great value for subscribers.
At least so far. On the unlocked Ign podcast (definitely also) I often refer to this Simpsons Gif, where Sideshow Bob holds Folding on the rake Is surrounded. The reason I do this is that Xbox always seems to find a way to ruin each momentum that is built, usually because of any fault no one but yourself. Take, for example, October. Microsoft sends more than one or two, but Three Really thrilling novel games in the next 30 days: the Very–Excellent-So-Far Ninja Gaiden 4, which enlivens the beloved franchise of quick action after sleep; Double fines promising Keper, next studio project after his Game Awards Game of the Nomentined Psychonauts 2; And always reliable Obsidian Entertainment RPG/Shooter continuation of The Outer Worlds 2, which we loved every time we are seen Or played This. This is a potentially huge month for Xbox-especially when so many Xbox fans remember how it wasn’t long ago, when we were lucky to get three ultra-obfite released the first batch in full yearNot to mention one month.
All three will fall on the Xbox Game Pass on the first day – but this is the part in which Xbox begins to enter all these rakes. You will have to pay right away up to 50% more for this privilege. Microsoft raised prices for the third year in a row, and the level of Give-Mell-the-Day-One Eleases has now updated $ 30 per month. By the way, fourteen months ago Game Pass Ultimate was 17 USD. So high and how quickly the price increased.
In Microsoft honesty, the company added more to Ultimate: Ubisoft+ Classics, Fortnite Crew and Gaming in a cloud with a higher resolution. It is also worth mentioning that many likely game candidates reached the Pass Game Ultimate on the first day this year: Clair Obsurpur: Expedition 33, Hollow Knight: Silksong and Blue Prince. But we all know that the biggest charm of Game Pass are these advantages for games published by Xbox, and this price augment seems to be directly a target. (As a reminder, PC Game Pass is between USD 12 to 16.49 per month.)
It appears immediately on the company’s heels Lift the prices of the Xbox console For second time Over the past four months, with the highest part of the Xbox Series X, it now has a fertile price of USD 800. But this $ 800 almost sounds like a damn opportunity next to a very lengthy Rog Xbox Ally X computer Nine hundred ninety -nine dollars. Sure, there is a less powerful, more affordable version for 599 USD, but no one knows if it is worth the hell, because Microsoft has only allowed the media and influence on a more powerful Ally X. I hope that it turns out to be useful, just like the S series for the non-Hardcore gamer of the market.
Heck, the only thing Xbox people did not raise prices are the first page games. Oh, They tried With the outside worlds 2, to be clear-and inevitably will be next year, when Fable, Gears of War: E-day, Forza Horizon 6 etc. Microsoft gave way.
I realize that we live in crazy times and that Sony and Nintendo are not impeccable here after each of them raised prices on their aging equipment last year (with Nintendo also aggressively raising software prices also for the SWITCH 2 generation). Blame Trump’s tariffs if you want (damn it, Microsoft does it), but I’m sorry: at the end of the day the zloty stops with Microsoft. This is a company with market capital almost USD 4 trillionwho released after release, after spending over $ 80 billion for the takeover of the studio and publisher. One may wonder if those Naysayers who question the sustainable development of Game Pass and its business model are proven in this latest, deepest round of price increases.
Even worse, in a larger picture we achieved a sorrowful point where games become less accessible to novel players than more. Historically, the prices of the console are falling, and the size and quality of the game library increases during the generation, which leads to more units sold and a healthier ecosystem sold for everyone in it. And although the fault for the lack of this generation does not rest directly on Microsoft’s shoulders, the action of Team Xbox is a company that does not show many empathy towards its clients, because the cost of food, gas and other pigeons necessary. Again, these bigger economic problems are not Microsoft’s guilt and must also fight the growing costs of development, but they choose profit over players.
As such, although I realize that this generation of the Xbox console is not over yet, it will almost certainly be remembered primarily for Microsoft’s Greed: two increases in equipment prices (and counting), three increases in Xbox Game prices (and counting), one software price augment (so far) and so far) and Tens of thousands of layoffs And also many studio closures.
It is really a kind of situation in his paws, really: all Xbox players wanted Xbox One from the beginning of the catastrophic generation, it was a constant supply of great games of the first party. Well, in 2025 we finally get it – and as I mentioned, 2026 is also shaped to be a banger – but it costs, well … practically everything else. But it’s not our fault. Instead, blame Microsoft’s greed.
Ryan McCAffrey is the editor -in -chief of Ign Previews and host of both weekly Xbox Show Ign, Unlocked podcastand also our monthly (-ISH) intelligence program, Ign unfiltered. He is a guy from North Jersey, so he is “Taylor Ham”, not “pork roll”. Debatt with him on Twitter at the address @Dmc_ryan.
