Double Fine split from Xbox this year after nearly seven years together. Tim Shafer, the company’s head, has given multiple interviews recently, saying that the partnership with Xbox was a natural fit for him ahead of changes in leadership at Microsoft’s gaming division. Shafer said Double Fine’s previous goal was to release the game on Game Pass, but now that goal has changed.
As part of a new interview with the publication IGN Tim Shafer expressed confusion as to why Game Pass doesn’t work like Netflix. He noted that he likes these types of content distribution services, but they clearly don’t achieve the results platform owners hope for.
I really hope Game Pass works. I like the idea of a subscription model, it works well for a company like ours. As you know, subscriptions lower the barrier to entry for everyone. We want to create unusual and creative games that players may not immediately understand. I think that’s what we like to do. People see the cover and think, “What is this?” If the game is included in the subscription, you’ve already paid for it. You’ll be more likely to try it, so it sounds good.
[…] But there are other ways to attract these people, such as lowering prices. You know, it’s a way to get people to try your game. I think this works. I don’t understand why Netflix works but Game Pass doesn’t, and I’m probably just not good at it, but that’s the way it is. So now we’re taking a different approach: making games truly affordable.
Let’s remember that after leaving Xbox, Double Fine Studios lowered the price of its game Kiln, which was released earlier this year.
