If you were to get an Xbox, the way to play most online games is through their Live Gold. They range at one month, three months, and a year. The year one is 60 dollars, which is the equivalency of buying a full priced game. On the 360, there were perks to using it and there still is reasons to have it on Xbox One. But Microsoft considering doubling it to 120 dollars, which met obvious backlash and they reversed their stance on it. They also have plans, according to sites like The Verge and Cnet, to make free to play games free without using their service.
The game industry makes a lot of money every year. Here's the thing however. Most gamers are not going to bend over for something like Live Gold. I don't think parents would go for it for their kids. Even if you were to budget, 120 is very high, no matter how much you slice it. Game Pass has become one of Microsoft's main focuses in recent memory. Reminds me a bit of Sega Channel with picking games you want out of the selection. But this requires a lot of bandwidth. Lots of downloading, too. Internet speeds are not the same for everybody.
I hope this was a test to see reactions. If not, this was a dumb move on Microsoft. They seemed to be making the right choices before the Series S/X came about. Nothing too bad in its first two months. But the PlayStation and Switch are still the top choices for everyone. This will not be anywhere near the disaster of the Xbox One reveal. And Phil Spencer better think about trying to get people into buying his systems. This isn't like the last generation where you're riding high on your major hit. I like the Xbox brand, but they need to get some of their exclusives out if they want even a shot at second place. PS5 and whatever new Nintendo system comes out in a couple years will eat them alive.
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