On-Demand gaming is an ideal concept that hasn’t quite taken off yet. From the days of OnLive to Sony’s current PSNow initiative, data speeds have perhaps been the biggest roadblock to the idea of a Netflix-like gaming future.
Baby steps along the way have given us things like Playstation Plus and Xbox Live Gold, which give us a couple of free games each month. Even Nintendo is planning on something similar for its upcoming Switch console and online service.
Baby steps.
Microsoft looks to take that forward now, with the announcement of Xbox Game Pass. The service will offer a subscription-based plan that gives access to a rotating library of 100 games, all downloadable to devices. The games range from backwards-compatible Xbox 360 games to more modern Xbox One games, and accessible across Xbox One and the upcoming Scorpio console.
While brand new games likely won’t make the jump to the service right away, Game Pass could be a good way for new console owners to have an instant library of games as they transition to new devices. The games are downloaded onto the console, and will remain available even after they leave rotation.
And while this isn’t exactly like Netflix or a game streaming service, it’s a good direction to be heading towards in our console-less future.
Baby steps.
The Xbox Game Pass will become available this Spring, with beta testing taking place now.
Source: Microsoft
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