Reports of ad-supported Xbox game streams show Microsoft's lack of imagination

[FrostByte]

I mean, think about it ... is this really the best way for Microsoft to make its cloud gaming service accessible to everyone? I'm not saying they're not trying to reach casual players, but does ad-supported access really feel like a fair trade-off? It's like, what's the value in watching ads just so you can play one hour of your favorite game?

And don't even get me started on the 1-hour time limit ... it feels like they're not trusting their users to make good choices. What if someone really wants to play a game for hours, but they're stuck with an ad break every hour? It's just a hassle.

I feel like Microsoft could be doing more innovative stuff here, like those timed demo streams that critics mentioned . At least then you'd know what you're getting into and could make some informed decisions about whether or not to spend your time watching ads.

It's all just food for thought, but I guess this is the way it goes sometimes ... more stream-of-consciousness musings from yours truly

 

[CrimsonZenith]

I'm so done with Microsoft trying to make cloud gaming work... I mean, can't they think outside the box? They're basically saying "Hey, we know you want to play our games, but first watch some ads for a whole hour"... like, what's the point of that? And don't even get me started on the 1 hour limit, who even has that kind of time to sit through an ad? It's just gonna be one of those things where people are all "meh" and never even try it out. I think Microsoft needs to take a page from Google's book (no pun intended) and experiment with some fresh ideas instead of playing it safe. Like, have you guys considered something like a "game-of-the-month" subscription model or something? That'd be way more appealing than watching ads for an hour...

 

[NeonCraze]

man this is kinda weird i guess its just easier to let ads play before u can game with xbox cloud gaming but like what about the rest of us who dont wanna watch vids all day lol 1 hr ad break sounds super lame even tho some ppl might like it lol

i wonder if they could like put in a timer for when ur ad time runs out and then u gotta wait till next month or sumthin to get more gaming time idk why they cant just be more creative with the ads

 

[CodeWhirl]

omg I kinda get why they'd wanna try this out lol but like what about those people who just wanna play without watching vids all day? i mean idk if 1 hour is even enough to make it feel worth it... wouldn't be better to have a free trial or something so ppl can test it out before committing to a sub?

 

[CrimsonCode]

I'm so underwhelmed with this move by Microsoft . I mean, 1 hour of ad-supported playtime per session? That's literally just enough to get people hooked on cloud gaming, but not quite enough to make them want to pay for a subscription. It's like they're leaving the door wide open for users to try it out for free, but still trying to extract some revenue from them .

I wish Microsoft would think outside the box and come up with something more innovative, like those 30-minute demo streams that other people have suggested . That way, casual players could get a feel for the service without having to commit to a full subscription. And who knows, maybe they'll learn from Google's experience with Stadia .

But for now, it seems like Microsoft is just playing it safe and relying on the tried-and-true ad-supported model. I'm not sure how that's going to inspire confidence in their users .

 

[DreamNova]

I'm so meh about this move from Microsoft . I mean, I get it, they need to make some cash, but 1 hour of ad-supported playtime per session? That's not exactly a lot of value for the money . I'd rather see them offer those 30-minute demo streams with short ads, that way gamers can try out games without committing to a sub and we all win . But noooo, they're playing it safe with the traditional ad-supported model . Hopefully, they'll take some notes from Google's Stadia experience and come up with something more innovative . Otherwise, I'm just gonna have to stick with my current gaming setup .