Summary
FormerPlayStationboss Shuhei Yoshida recently weighed in on the growing dominance of subscription models in the games industry. Notably, Yoshida offered praise for Sony’s measured approach toPlayStation Plus, while cautioning that Xbox Game Pass could be heading into risky territory if one aspect of it continues unchecked.
The launch of Xbox Game Pass in 2018 accelerated the rise of subscription services that offer a rotating catalog of hundreds of games. Over the years, many gamers - particularly on Xbox - have begun to prefer these subscription services over buying games individually. However, others remain skeptical of them, citing lost sales and revenue that could harm game developers. Industry professionals are similarly split as well, withindie devs mostly supporting Xbox Game Passand PS Plus, while AAA studios usually don’t find them economically feasible.
Now, PlayStation’s former studio head and indie initiative leader Shuhei Yoshida recently turned his attention to game subscription services.Yoshida left Sonyearlier this year, and has made appearances in various interviews and podcasts since then. Speaking at Gamescom LATAM in aninterview with Game Developer, Yoshida compared Sony’s approach to game subscriptions - specifically PS Plus - with that of Microsoft’s Xbox Game Pass. While he acknowledged his bias as a former PlayStation executive, he firmly opined thatPS Plus is “healthier” than Xbox Game Pass.
Shuhei Yoshida Thinks Launching First-Party Games into a Subscription Service Might Be “Dangerous”
Specifically, Yoshida criticized Microsoft’s business model of launching Xbox first-party games directly into Game Pass, suggesting that over-reliance on such strategies could be “dangerous” for the long-term health of the industry. He praised Sony for resisting the urge torelease its marquee first-party games day one on PS Plus, instead choosing to launch them at full price first to capture upfront premium sales. Only after the initial purchasing wave subsides are those games folded into PS Plus - ensuring additional visibility and potential engagement from a broader player base.
Yoshida argued that this delayed inclusion strikes a more sustainable balance between profitability and accessibility, and helps build anticipation for sequels by giving newcomers a chance to catch up on earlier titles. His remarks come at an intriguing time, asXbox Game Pass has recently been on a hot streakwith the addition of amazing games likeDoom: The Dark Ages,Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, andThe Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remasteredin the span of a few weeks. While the value proposition for Game Pass members is undeniable, Yoshida’s words do lend credence to the wider industry discourse surrounding the viability of subscription-first models - especially in light of soaring game development costs.
