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The current era of the gaming industry is leaning further than ever into the idea of streaming-like catalogs that give players access to hundreds of games without the need to spend the exorbitant amounts of money it would take to have every title in their collection. PlayStation recently threw its hat into this ring, and Nintendo has its classic catalog, but the frontrunner still appears to be Xbox Game Pass.
One of the major reasons Game Pass pushes ahead of the competition is the number of new releases available on the launch day of the service. It provides a lot more access to new titles for players who are swept up in the hype but necessarily willing or able to pay the up-to $69 triple AAA titles are charging upon release nowadays. However, some publishers may be getting carried away believing that Game Pass is a free ticket to a steady user base at a new game’s launch. The success of Xbox Game Pass has seen several publishers particularly lean into new IP getting a day-one Game Pass release to attempt to build hype, which isn’t always the best way to promote a new game.
The Xbox Game Pass Flops
Two of the biggest recent examples of new IP flopping after a day-one release on Xbox Game Pass are Redfall and The Lamplighter’s League. Redfall had solid buzz before its release and seemed destined for success, with Game Pass providing a unique opportunity for a story-driven co-op title like this. Bad word of mouth ultimately killed it, with its performance and technical issues being so heavily criticized upon launch that Phil Spencer himself apologized for it. Flash forward to late 2023, and the game struggles to maintain active players despite being available on Xbox Game Pass.
The Lamplighter’s League is the latest tactical RPG from Harebrained Schemes, the studio behind other major games like Shadowrun Returns. Despite being a genre that has seen a lot of success with titles like XCOM and Fire Emblem: Three Houses, The Lamplighter’s League fell through the cracks of relevancy, and its launch was little more than a blip on most players’ radars.
The marketing push from publisher Paradox Interactive was undoubtedly not significant enough, with very little awareness of this game going around to bolster its sales to the clearly sought numbers. Its presence on Xbox Game Pass feels more like a marketing supplement than a carefully planned step to put the game in more hands.
Rarely a New IP Can Succeed on Game Pass
In contrast, Starfield was a major Game Pass success story. Bethesda’s most recent release had massive hype leading up to its launch despite not being attached to a pre-existing franchise and did excellent sales numbers on top of being available on Game Pass the same week it came out.
However, there are a few critical differences between Starfield and Redfall/The Lamplighter’s League. Starfield had a massive marketing push on top of its Game Pass availability; unlike The Lamplighter’s League, its technical issues were far less egregious than Redfall.
The conclusion would then follow that the formula for a successful Xbox Game Pass launch is to have something players already want and to ensure it is in a state that won’t be met with immediate backlash upon release. If their hands are already stretched out, anxious with anticipation, they’ll race to Game Pass upon learning it’ll be there.
