Xbox Insiders will have the opportunity today to help Microsoft evaluate a new ad-supported streaming channel.
The new service will serve ads before the game starts and, ridiculously enough, you’ll need to own the game to stream it. Yes, ads on top of the cost of the game you already own, it’s probably just for testing.
“For brands, this only works if showing up here adds to the experience, not takes away from it,” Xbox explains.
A quick note to Microsoft: ads add nothing to the experience. No one ever said, “Ooh, I enjoyed this movie but it really could have used a few commercials.” »
Snark aside, this is testing whether an ad-supported game subscription might be viable, and given the high price of games these days, that might appeal to some people.
Here’s the full text from Xbox.com
Today we’re starting to test an ad-supported way to stream select games from your library for a limited time, available to XBOX Insiders.
During this testing period, XBOX Insiders with an XBOX account will be able to stream games they own with ads for free. Players will have a one-hour session limit on supported devices and regions.
Here’s what you can expect:
- Advertisements will be shown before the sessions begin.
- The core gameplay experience is unchanged.
- This is optional. Players can choose other ways to play at any time.
For many gamers, the device they already own now allows them to stream games with XBOX. The cloud can also help XBOX One owners play newer games designed for the XBOX Series X|S without needing to purchase new hardware right away. This can be especially meaningful in places where consoles are harder to find or less affordable, giving more gamers another way to access great games on the devices they already own.
Advertising has been around in the gaming industry for decades, from in-game placements to free models. But it wasn’t always designed with the player in mind. When done well, advertising can help reduce the cost of access. This creates another way for players to access games without a prior streaming purchase and expands the audience with new ways to play.
For brands, this only works if showing up here adds to the experience, not takes away from it.
Given this, we want to be clear about how we will approach ad-supported services on XBOX:
- We start with the player. Ads must create value.
- We don’t interrupt the flow of gameplay.
- We keep ads at the same level of quality as our content.
- We clearly know what advertising is.
- We ensure that ads are what players expect on each platform.
We will learn from this test and continue to improve it based on how players use it and what they tell us. Our goal is simple. Give more people more affordable ways to play.
Source: Xbox.com
