Monthly round-up: Fewer games added than the month prior

From August to September 2021, the overall number of titles included in Ampere’s tracked games content subscription services remained static at 4,518 (PlayStation Now covers the US only), decreasing by less than 1%.

These are the main games subscription catalogue changes in September 2021:

• 105 games were added to the tracked services (105 last month) and 96 games were removed (up from 62 last month)
• Apple Arcade added nine games; eight of the games added to the service were published in 2021, including Asphalt 8: Airborne+, Layton’s Mystery Journey+, and Dodonpachi Resurrection HD+. Apple Arcade’s ‘+’ titles are republished old games without in-app purchases, ads, or upfront download costs. This bolsters the catalogue with established content while increasing the service’s perceived value for money
• Magenta Gaming dropped 36 games (-17% month-on-month). 1/5^th of the games removed were published by labels within Embracer Group, with HandyGames accounting for five titles including Townsmen – A Kingdom Rebuilt, Little Big Workshop, and Cloud & Sheep 2
• Xbox Game Pass Ultimate was the most active service for new games for the second month in a row. Almost half of those additions were first released in 2021, with eight arriving as ‘day one’ releases, including Aragami 2, Flynn: Son of Crimson, and I am Fish. Games released on ‘day one’ are added to Xbox Game Pass on launch day, this aids publishers in acquiring players while maintaining a modern catalogue for subscribers.

Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack extends late lifecycle appeal

Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack is a new subscription plan set to launch in late October 2021. Membership will include all the current Nintendo Switch Online benefits but will add a selection of Nintendo 64 and Sega Genesis/Mega Drive titles. Both ‘virtual consoles’ plan to add more games later, likely taking a similar approach to the NES and SNES releases which saw libraries expand over time. This will drive interest in the Switch and Switch Online from late lifecycle adopters as well as more heavily monetising existing subscribers who could be tempted to take the new premium tier.

Nintendo’s decision to roll out a premier Nintendo Switch Online tier is less surprising considering the low cost of the Switch Online service. At present, a one-month Nintendo Switch Online subscription currently retails at half the price of PlayStation Plus (£6.99/$9.99) and Xbox Live Gold (£6.99/$9.99). Once the decision was made to expand the bundled games offer, a higher-priced tier of subscription was commercially inevitable. Despite this, the company is yet to announce the price of Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack. The decision to withhold pricing allows the company to consider public opinion, maintain a strong public image and apply a pricing strategy that works best for the business. 

Xbox Game Pass Ultimate brings cloud gaming to new territories

In late September 2021, Microsoft launched Xbox Cloud Gaming in Brazil and Mexico and revealed that the service was scheduled to launch in Australia and Japan in early October. Streaming will be delivered via Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, Microsoft’s premium subscription tier that exclusively offers Xbox Cloud Gaming. Users will have access to a diverse content catalogue comprised of titles such as Gears 5, Minecraft Dungeons, and Hades. In South America, Xbox Game Pass offers a reasonably priced alternative to expensive hardware and can raise revenue from audiences who are otherwise unable to access games.

Amazon Luna unveils new channels, supported devices, and Luna Couch

Amazon Luna announced and launched the Family Channel. For $2.99 per month, the channel provides over 35 games aimed at families with young children: Wandersong, Spitlings, and Sparklite, for example. Ampere’s Games Consumer research (Q2 2021) showed that 67% of Luna subscribers live with children, suggesting that a family-focused content library could be well-received. The platform also revealed it is working on a Retro Channel that will include classic and arcade content from publishers such as Atari and SNK+. This channel could attract lapsed gamers to the Luna and wider Amazon ecosystem.   

Amazon Luna added four new games to the service in September 2021, half of which were multiplayer: Saints Row: The Third Remastered and Smite. Luna Couch–a new feature on the platform–lets subscribers play any local multiplayer game from its catalogue online. As Ampere’s latest games consumer data indicated that 78% of Luna subscribers prefer to play multiplayer games, this adds value to the product. Subscribers who host a session can invite those with or without a subscription to play. Ampere’s research shows that 31% of gamers in the USA discover games through word of mouth, therefore online play may convert the users to paying subscribers.

Ubisoft+ launches ‘Multi Access’ as an independent tier

Before 30 September 2021, subscribers to Ubisoft+ were able to play a selection of cloud-enabled games, including Assassin’s Creed Valhalla and Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege, on Google Stadia and Amazon Luna. The company has since launched Ubisoft+ Multi Access, offering the same product for $17.99 per month, leaving the baseline PC subscription at $14.99. The higher price is being introduced to offset higher streaming distribution costs and revenue share arrangements with Amazon and Google.