Devolver Digital has made a name for itself over the years by publishing a great deal of unique and interesting indie titles. According to the company, subscription services such as Xbox Game Pass and PlayStation Plus ‘undervalue’ the quality of their included titles, leading to the publisher passing on a bunch of potential deals.
Shared by industry analyst MauroNL, as part of Devolver Digital’s fiscal report for H1 2023 the publisher discussed their ‘current trading outlook’ revealing that they have seemingly passed on a number of potential Game Pass / PlayStation Plus deals, saying:
“After a period of strong growth in subscription deals in 2021 and 2022, we expect the trend of reduced revenues from subscription deals to continue into 2024. We expect to continue to turn down subscription deal proposals that undervalue the titles' value and revenue opportunity in 2023 and 2024.”
The discussion surrounding game subscription services has been a contentious one, with some developers claiming it to be a net good for both the studios and their titles, while others suggest the opposite. It seems as though Devolver Digital lies within the latter camp.
Subscription services such as PlayStation Plus and Xbox Game Pass are still in their relative infancy and so it will be interesting to see how they evolve in the coming years – and whether more studios will follow suit in declining such deals.
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KitGuru says: What do you think of Devolver’s statement? Are you subscribed to Xbox Game Pass / PS Plus? Will these services survive in the long-run? Let us know your thoughts down below.