WELCOME TO THE STREAMING AGE
WELCOME TO THE STREAMING AGE
In the past decade, streaming service platforms have moved from trendy niche solutions, to fully fledged mainstream focuses of multi-billion-dollar entertainment giants. When Netflix first catapulted itself to the front of streaming subscriptions, it had very few peers. By midyear of 2020, almost all of the major power players, (Disney, HBO, NBC, Netflix, etc.) will have their own streaming subscription service. If you had been a holdout of these services, it’s about to becoming significantly more difficult to watch your favorite shows and movies without subscribing to at least one of these streaming platforms.,
The video game industry, which is quickly growing in expanse and influence, has joined the subscription race, as well. Microsoft, while not the first to offer a subscription service for games, deserves credit for bringing it to the forefront with their Game Pass service. Game Pass has become a focal point of Microsoft’s Xbox efforts, and has been steadily accumulating a large number of subscribers. Game Pass subscribers not only get first party games available day one with the services, but also get discounts on the games available on the service, if they choose to purchase them after trying them first with Game Pass. Downloadable Content (DLC) for these games is also discounted for Game Pass members. With a growing number of third-party publishers and studios placing their games on the platform, the value is truly incredible for a consumer. Alongside Microsoft and their Xbox Game Pass, EA, Ubisoft, PlayStation, and a growing number of other publishers are creating their own subscription services. The subscription service race in the gaming industry, is only going to heat up as the decade closes.