Former Xbox boss fears gaming subscription ‘fatigue’ will set in

Former Microsoft executive Mike Ybarra predicts the gaming subscription bubble will burst.

Ybarra oversaw the launch of Xbox's subscription service Game Pass in 2017 before he became Blizzard Entertainment's President two years later.

Now, Mike has admitted he thinks the monthly payment model could falter because consumers have so many entertainment subscription platforms available to them, from music and movie streaming services to smartphone gaming.

Taking to X, he wrote: "I worry consumers already or will soon face subscription fatigue. So many subscriptions across various services … [it] adds up very quickly especially with price increases."

Ybarra added that he believed prices of gaming products - which have risen significantly during the industry's economic downturn - may never come down.

He posted: "I don't think the prices [will] ever go back down. It’s a crazy time."

Despite his concerns for the future of gaming, the ex-Microsoft executive had nothing but praise for recent titles like 'Horizon Zero Dawn' and 'Baldur's Gate 3', and revealed he wished he could "tip" the studios for their work.

In a separate X post, he said: "I've thought about this idea for a while, as a player, since I've been diving into single player games lately.

"When I beat a game, there are some that just leave me in awe of how amazing the experience was. At the end of the game, I've often thought, 'I wish I could give these folks another $10 or $20 because it was worth more than my initial $70 and they didn't try to nickel and dime me every second.'

"Games like 'Horizon Zero Dawn', 'God of War' 'Red Dead Redemption 2', 'Baldur's Gate 3', 'Elden Ring', etc. I know $70 is already a lot, but it's an option at the end of the game I wish I had at times. Some games are that special.

"I know most will dislike this idea. By the way, I realize we are tired of 'tipping' in everything else - but I view this different from a pressure to tip type scenario many face and give feedback on."