There’s been a bit of movement in streaming services of late. Nintendo lifted the lid on their new offering, which turned out to be radically different from what they first announced, and the Xbox opened the doors to their Netflix-like service.
In a world where most people are content to wait for games to get patched before buying, it’s not a bad thing to only have access to a library of older games. That’s especially the case if people are buying a new console as an entertainment device, something primarily for streaming videos to a new TV. I can think of plenty of families who fit the bill for that.
For them, the idea of paying a small amount of money to keep the kids happy is a pretty good deal.
But as for yourselves, how much would you pay to have access to an ongoing library of games? Knowing that you won’t have access to AAA blockbusters, but mostly indies, older remasters and the like, what would it have to cost (either on top of your existing PSN/Xbox Live subscription, or as an added fee through PC somewhere) to get you over the line?
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14 responses to “How Much Would You Pay For A Game Streaming Service?”
What does “streaming” service mean in this context? As in the game graphics and controls are streamed across the network like PlaystationNow or like PSPlus where you have access to games as long your subscription lasts? I’d say current subscription prices are pretty reasonable as long as the service and performance was up to par.
$0 with current internet 100/40 fiber. If you can locally install the games and it doesnt stream them, id be happy to pay the price that MS were asking If i didn’t already own more than 50% of the games in their current offering.
It does seem like there could be potential for a lot of overlap in the subscription service and backwards compatibility for the xbone.
I’d definitely consider it if the price was comparable to other streaming services, $10 – $15 per month. But there are a lot of questions i’d want answered first.
Are games streamed or downloaded like PS Plus? Is there a limit to how many games you can access per month? Can you opt in and out easily? And of course, what games are available?
From what I understand it does install the game locally. No limit on the amount you can install (except the hdd space), easy opt in/out just like ps plus and xbl.
Actual streaming? I wouldn’t bother. Aside from Australia’s terrible internet, I live in a country town where I struggle to stream music through a paid service. Movies aren’t even an option.
$10-15 per month seems reasonable for a file streaming game service where the game is downloaded to your device and run locally (eg. Xbox). I wouldn’t pay a cent for a video streaming game service where the game is run remotely and the AV streamed. Even with the best possible internet, input latency on the latter type of service is seriously frustrating.
OnLive was a disaster that collapsed because it was garbage and they lied through their teeth about its capabilities, Sony shouldn’t have wasted their money buying it.
Microsoft’s solution is already at a level I’d pay if I didn’t own all the games I’m interested in on that service. PS Now, you couldn’t pay me to use it.
Might differ from PC to console but I think any bulk service is likely to fit in the $10 – $15 mark. Any more than that and people are likely to just spend the money on the specific game they want.
The closest thing to this I have at the moment it the humble monthly subscription. For $15 a month get a selection of 8-10 new games, with normally a couple of decent ones. You also have these forever rather than just how long you pay for the service.
SO for me at the moment that is a case level that would need to be beaten. 100 odd games in the year, for $150.
For older stuff and Indies I’m not interested. Newer stuff is be willing to pay fees similar to Netflix.
I have never thought that streaming services work particularly well with videogames (at least for me). Putting aside the issues of the quality of streams through the internet or the time taken to download game files, I like that I can pay once for a game and take my time to complete it, especially if it is a long game that might take me months.
Paying for a streaming service creates stress that you need to rush through a game to get to the next one and the next one, so that you are making the monthly payment worthwhile. I think that model works okay for movies and TV as there isn’t the same level of interactivity as in videogames. I could be wrong!
PS+ is working out OK!
PSNow I won’t touch with a ten foot pole due to the streaming BS. Oh, and the fact that it costs about double what I’d be prepared to pay even for a download version.
Xbox Game Pass I’m actually tempted by. $11 is not too bad on the hip pocket, and there’s some nostalgic titles in there plus a whole bunch I was always curious about but never got around to.
Even a couple of dollars would feel like a waste with how little I’d use it.
Nope, I like to own my games. Not rent them