Starting today, Xbox is rolling out a feature called “ad-supported game streaming” that will make you watch ads before playing a game you already own. Seriously.
Citing affordability, this “new feature” for Xbox Insiders first will allow players to “stream games they own for free with ads.” So, instead of playing the game natively, you can stream it on any number of devices, but only if you watch an ad first.
“For many players, the device they already own now allows them to stream games with XBOX,” the announcement said. “Cloud can also help XBOX One owners play newer games built for XBOX Series X|S without needing to purchase new hardware right away. That can be especially meaningful in places where consoles are harder to find or less affordable, giving more players another way to access great games on devices they already have.”
So, you need to own the game to play it first, but this is meant to be for Xbox One players who can’t afford/haven’t been able to upgrade to the new console, I guess? That’s the reasoning they’re going with. It’s not the ads, definitely not the ads.
“Advertising has existed in gaming for decades, from in-game placements to free-to-play models,” the announcement continued. “But it hasn’t always been built with the player in mind. When done well, advertising can help lower the cost of access. It creates another way for players to get into games without an upfront streaming purchase and expands audiences through new ways to play.”
It sounds a lot, to me, like they’re testing this feature before it’s implemented on a wider scale somehow. But Xbox warns that this is totally optional (for now), the “core game experience is unchanged,” and ads will play before game sessions begin. Kind of like how you have to watch an ad in a free mobile game before you can hop back in. Cool, right?!
“We’ll learn from this test and continue to improve it based on how players use it and what they tell us,” Xbox said. “Our goal is simple. Give more people more affordable ways to play.”
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