Why Xbox Game Pass Might Be a Mistake

[@cloudycolacorp]

I play games at too slow a pace for game pass, I went back to buying stuff on sales

[@markmaxwelljr]

That makes perfect sense! Thanks for watching

[@Mysticbladegod]

I refuse to pay for any gaming subscription of any kind. I only buy used physical games or games on GOG for PC.

[@andipajeroking]

Good job. I only buy games discounted, and it works great. No downsides that OP is mentioning.

[@Morden97]

Same. I tried gamepass and immediately noticed this problem. Im just not built for the blitz type gaming 😅

[@toxicknicksfan5547]

So this whole video is about how gamepass made not enjoy game cause you have no self control?

[@TimothyCollins]

I love game pass. So far it's been a pretty good boon for gaming. But my worry is that it encourages a creeping buffet style for games. I mean, go to a buffet restaurant. None of the food is good - it won't give you botulism or anything but it also won't be your favorite. And that is because the goal is just to keep it filled up so people don't notice the quality drop. I worry game pass may end up like that. Look at online services like Tubi or such - stuff they get isn't great. But it's there and it's only there to keep a full menu of stuff for people to watch. Sooner or later that will happen with games - the games won't be good, they'll just be there to keep the menus filled up.

[@markmaxwelljr]

Not getting botulism is a pretty low bar heh. I agree, hope developers don't lower their standards as a result of these services. Thanks for watching!

[@charliemilroy6497]

Game Pass is not a boon for gaming. It is a short-term gain for the minority of consumers who have enough time to make use of it. It is having a negative effect on the industry and it is too cheap, meaning it's unsustainable.

[@TimothyCollins]

@charliemilroy6497 Here is the thing- I don't care if it is sustainable or not.I don't get paid by Microsoft (Or Sony or Nintendo) so whether they are making money or not is not my concern. I only care about playing games and my own entertainment. And Game Pass is conducive to me having fun. I am not loyal to any company or any collection of silicn and plasticsitting in my living room and connected to myTV. I am only loyal to my own enjoyment of games. Game Pass is allowing me to enjoy games I may have ignoredif I had to buy them.

[@charliemilroy6497]

@TimothyCollins It's good in the short term, but if it's not sustainable, companies will stop making games, or more likely game pass will be much more expensive or have no brand new games on it.

[@101Lunga]

You definitely see this effect in many aspects of modern life. It's like still swiping on Tinder on your way to meet up with someone from Tinder. Or stopping a show you regularly watch because you want to see the new Netflix show that's getting a ton of hype and you want to see what all the fuss is about. It's definitely a lot to rewire because it's so common in our lives and maybe as people (and for the sake of our mental health) you have to be okay with the idea that you won't be able to experience absolutely everything and that's okay.

[@Zack_Dias]

I recently purchased a Nintendo Wii and an New 3DS, hacked them, downloaded a bunch of games, and felt overwhelmed. So I’ve started to purchase games for them, to try to consolidate and enjoy the games I own. I do think we have too much, and we get to much hype from seeing things on the internet as well. We can view all the games that exist, lists of the most famous, the hidden gems, and all of that. It’s a difficult problem to solve on this modern era. We have to go the opposite way, against the culture of hyper consumption.

[@markmaxwelljr]

So true, and it really is a personal struggle on many levels. Thanks for watching!

[@marcoalves9029]

I'm on the same boat, last year I dusted off my old consoles and even got a few more, and I've been sticking with only buying games physically for the most part since then; while there were a few games along the way that didn't quite land and I ended up dropping, I do feel like the "bond" I make when I buy a new game, open it, and put it in the console and all that stuff, does help me enjoy them more like, I got a PS Vita along with 3 games for it last November, and by the end of January I had already finished all 3 of them and enjoyed it; for comparison, I don't think there's ever been a time I got 3 or more games on a Steam sale for cheap "to play later" that ended up with me actually finishing them, there's quite a few I never even bothered starting at all and have lost interest in playing by now, there's just always something else around the corner so yeah, while this *is* more expensive, I do think it's something worth doing to anyone who can afford it

[@santiSS-kx8kz]

I have had the same experience, so I totally get you.

[@bellissimo4520]

Games like Persona 5 being made available on a service like Gamepass only for a limited time is the ultimate form of instigating Fomo...

[@markmaxwelljr]

It so is!! Thanks for watching

[@XFR18]

It doesn't say anywhere but games stay on for a year so it's not really fomo baiting, it cost money for them to have the games on gamepass. Games do come back though and they might announce it a month or more before it does come back. In the end the service is good because if you like the game and it is about to leave, then you just buy the game. You got to play and now you then directly buy the game. Lots of ppl including myself buy the games after completing them on gamepass after they have been removed. Some devs say this themselves as they talk about the positives of gamepass.

[@cybogg13]

​Yeah I think Fomo is the wrong word, but for me a year for a potential 70 hour game is not that much and creates some sort of pressure, even if you know when it gets removed @@XFR18

[@Dyno_98]

I think not starting games that are longer than 30 hours should be a mandatory warning if you recommend Gamepass to anyone. But Gamepass, alongside me buying a PS5, TotK and emulating a couple of games, allowed me to have a really special 2023 for gaming. Is definitely the year I've played most games at release, and I found myself enjoying that way more due to being able to be in the conversation and a part of a community.

[@charliemilroy6497]

The huge problem with game pass is that no gamer really needs new game recommendations. Every game series that I don't get into is a blessing. In fact game pass and PS+ just add more stress to a gamer's life. The backlog is already big enough. It is much better to commit to games, which necessitates proper forethought and you will get more out of the few games you play properly than the many shallow and varied experiences you get. It's basically why marriage is better than dating 😂

[@HelloZukoHere7]

Great video, my Nana passed away a year ago and I remember the christmas where she gave me Gears of War 3...will always be a 10/10 to me

[@vladyslav_patsiuk]

This reminded me how I used to get only one game a month or so during my childhood ps2 gaming era. And, oh man, did I complete them on 100%. Such a great collection of memories. This video resonates with me, after initial excitement about Xbox game pass and enjoyment from amazing games, it started to fade away. But games at my steam library, which I bought for the full price (like Hades), are bringing me much more satisfaction, letting me choose my own pace and organize my collection in a way I like. I even deleted my old steam account with a bunch of games from giveaways and discounts and created a new one, to be more carefully managed with games that are close to my heart.

[@josetomascamposrobledano4618]

I need to ask. How young are you? To make this comment easier to understand, I’m talking about being a kid in Christmas and knowing the value of the games you get. By the time I was able to choose games as a kid (8) it was the PS2 era. And there was no way for me to decide the “score” of a game before playing it. Then there was the teenage year on PS3, COD dominated the quality of this console (don’t buy the series on PS4/5, please). So the yearly release + a few famous like Demon’s/Dark souls 1 + other FPS like Crysis and Battlefield, etc. The change from PS2 to PS3 is that the internet came and games like movie tie-ins became HORRIBLE! And nobody would buy them cause internet content creators were loud. Then the PS4 era is the same as today on PS5. We now live in a world where the gaming community is loud and we know the scores of each game (more like if it’s bad/mid/good). And the worst part, EVERY IMPORTANT GAME IS SPAMMED ON SOCIAL MEDIA AND SPOILERS ARE EVERYWHERE, therefore either you have to be a day 1 buyer, or a discount buy, but the general story is spoiled.

[@duckyshitatmc7103]

The exact thing about persona happened to me, but i ended up picking up persona 3 reload when it launched on gamepass and recently bought p5r on steam (100% worth it) Gamepass is 100% less of free games and more of a game trial to see if I want to actually play it

[@ogre706]

Analysis paralysis is a real thing in general, not just for games. Even when we do decide on something, we can often end up feeling less satisfied with our choice when we consider all the other options that were available. Sometimes less can really be more. Less options for games in this case. This is actually one reason I don't mind this supposedly catastrophic lull in releases happening on the PS5 that have many gamers up in arms. Everyone needs to just chill, enjoy the amazing titles that are there, and more will come eventually.

[@markmaxwelljr]

#patientgamers. There is so much great stuff out there. Thanks for watching!

[@ogre706]

@@markmaxwelljr Hey just noticed this is your first video. You're off to a great start!

[@Greekeycoo]

WTF man this is only your first video! I had a great time listening to this! Welcome to KZbin, can’t wait to see more from you!

[@Arosda1]

I totally live in constant choice paralysis and losing out on temporarily free games. Played a fair bit of Stray on PS+ Extra and left it long enough for it to leave. So your video spoke to me for sure.

[@microsoul669]

I've lost count of the numbers of games on game pass I've put aside at the slightest points of friction, so your point about commitment really resonates with me.

[@markmaxwelljr]

Yes!! The bar for dropping a game is so much lower now with subscriptions. Thanks for watching!

[@XtianApi]

Back when I was a kid with a n64. My buddies and I played golden eye, Diddy Kong racing multi-player and that's basically it. Best time to game, when you didn't have a choice but to stick with what you had.

[@timothylewis2527]

I'm 47 years old. I've been gaming since the early 80s. I would always consume every bit of gaming content i could--every magazine, news story, glimpse of gameplay on Nick Arcade or Video Power. I haven't missed purchasing a major gaming device since 1999. When I clicked on this video, i thought "What can this kid tell me about video games that i don't already know?" The answer is: A lot. This video was eye opening and your delivery is sublime. Thank you for this.

[@fenix8132]

I get it about owning a game and sticking to it is more powerful than just having a subscription and playing basically for free, but for me is more about patient gaming and enjoying one single game at the time and what brings me, and if its not good just pass to another. Before Game Pass looked good but even with free games I try to stick with one at a time at all or by genre (e.g one multiplayer and one single player or just finish what i started), and with that I never had a problem with a backlog, because I had a small collection of games and just pick one at a time and getting what the game has to offer, without pressure to continue or quit.

[@Cloud92390]

Had the same deal when my gamepass expired and I didn’t renew it. It’s great to have to check things out but I would never use it as a primary way to play. Most GP games I tried I’ve either bought or moved on from.

[@kikk]

Great video! The best way I find to use Game Pass is to see it as a "try before you buy" tool. Most games don't have demos and if they do, I find most don't give a good sense if I'm going to like it. Either the demo isn't long enough, it only shows you the game much further in when you're all geared out or it's the opposite, it's the prologue that barely touches on the main game mechanics. Most retailers allow you to refund the game so you can try it out, but I find that extremely limiting and risky. Usually they give you about 2 hours, which depends on how much of a slow burn the game is, might not be enough time. Plus you feel pressured for time, so you might skip cut scenes or rush so you don't go over the invisible time limit. The other drawback is if you refund too often your account could be flagged which could 1) prevent you from refunding future games and 2) put the games you've already purchased at risk if your account is banned. The biggest downside with using Game Pass in this way is that saves don't always transfer... But the internet seems to have thought of everything and there's a tool out there that (if possible) can convert your PC Game Pass save to a local or Steam save. Would actually be interesting to know your take on game demos!

[@marconihimself]

I was born in 86, my first console was a nes and I have been playing games ever since. One thing I notice about all sorts of media (games, books, music, movies) is that the discovery of a title, the surprise, the curation, the feeling that there's so much more hidden out there, all of these things add to the feeling of enjoying that media. Not only availability detract from the feeling, stuff like youtube, twitch etc also detract from it. Physical media enthusiasts feel the same way but they shrug against that feeling and argue that its about media ownership and preservation. It ALSO, definitely, is about those things, but our fetichism with owning material objects and the process of discovery and awe is the true driving force.

[@markmaxwelljr]

This is spot on-I love the feeling of discovering something that I didn't know about. Thanks for watching!

[@andipajeroking]

The90s, the 00, even the 10s. Those are the best gaming decades ever.

[@bluepharaoh1766]

It’s… You aren’t alone. For older gamers, we do “bond” with our games and expect a ROI. That withers with subscription services. Unfortunately.

[@PloverTechOfficial]

One of my favourite games (after outer wilds (my beloved outer wilds)) is the Witness. I love the game because it almost forces me to leave it for multiple weeks to a month or two, it feels like I’ll end up not getting back into it, sometimes I do have trouble. But the way that is slowly chip away at its puzzles and mysteries is so so satisfying to me, it gives me a good feeling. Since I own the game I don’t have to worry about it leaving (which I guess doesn’t really vibe with the video premise but eh, comments are comments.) and it isn’t really like a choose to leave the Witness, it’s that the game is better with breaks. Like a good puzzle game, knowing nothing is best, and like a good puzzle game, it will bend your mind. I just have to leave, I’ll get all bent after a few puzzles and won’t be able to do any more, but I will have learned a bit more! It’s like leaving for a bit during a non-competitive scrabble game for a fresh mind.

[@vladyslav_patsiuk]

Wow. Had the similar experience with The Witness. Got basic ending but still so much to discover (if you know you know). But had to put on on hold for a while, because I feel I have to grow intellectually and build my focus to progress further. It is definitely a slow burn and one of my favorite games of all time now. And I'm waiting years at this point to play Outer Wilds, from my intuition and small bits I just KNOW that this one is special, so I'm patiently waiting for the perfect moment. Might be this winter. I would love to discuss The Witness more but here is no place for even slightest spoilers.

[@marcusramirez9817]

Great video! I’ve actually done something similar recently in that I’ve created what I call a “Personal Gamepass”, which is basically all the games I own and am either actively playing, enjoy going back to, or want to play, and curated them into a list. I’ve also put a rule in place that I’m not allowed to buy any more unless it’s from a franchise I care about most like Kingdom Hearts or Fable, or it’s a release that looks absolutely up my alley like that new Indiana Jones game. Being intentional and curbing that wandering eye, as you put it, has really helped me to enjoy what I have and what I’m playing more. Hoping your experiment helps you that way, too! Again, really great video. I’m subbed and looking forward to what else you’ve got in store!

[@markmaxwelljr]

I love the "Personal Gamepass" idea, I kind of do something similar with games I consider to be "in my rotation". Really appreciate the kind words, thanks for watching!

[@dlaniganohara]

What I started doing was that I only allow myself to buy a new game if I complete 150 hours of games I've bought already. Some games are long, for sure, but it helps me tick more off than I buy.

[@ninoaffrini7282]

Hey there. You really struck a nerve with this video. I feel the exact same thing! It really is about the commitmet to spend time with a game, dive deep into its systems and content that is missing in a service like game pass. I miss the simpler times where I was stuck with a strange game like Warioworld on the gamecube 😂. After about 5 years I finally quit the service this month. I do not know what to expect and I might resub some day, but for now I am going to try to buy a few games 😊

[@markmaxwelljr]

Wario games were so wild. Thanks for watching!

[@Vivi_9]

You are echoing my exact sentiments! Stopped paying last month having been subbed for 5 years or even longer (whenever it started)

[@くんヴィッツ]

@@Vivi_9me too

[@XFR18]

I mean I just start up and play, committing to it just as much as a purchased game. Maybe you didn't actually like the games? Maybe you had too much choice and couldn't commit then? Slime rancher was chill basically have to commit to it, bloodstained ritual of night I grinded and explored like any other rpg/adventure, bramble went through it just fine, deaths Gambit another Metroidvania that 'calls' for commitment with exploration options. no man's sky committed just fine, signalis committed just fine, crosscode. If I don't play it's when I don't play games in general. I'm still buying steam sale games that haven't completed, have backlogged physical games I bought years ago still haven't finished.

[@BigmanDogs]

Game pass is almost like battling an addiction. You have to be diciplined and only play 3 games at a time at most. And youre only allowed to play a new one if you beat one or give up for at least a month (unless its your last game)

[@davisandew44]

Wow! What a well made video. I know exactly what you’re talking about. I didn’t renew my Gamepass this year because I felt overwhelmed with too many games. I went back to just buying the ones that really matter to me.

[@markmaxwelljr]

Thank you for the kind words! Gotta do what works best for you

[@CryingPools]

I completely agree with the commitment portion of your video. I’m gravitating towards going out and physically buying games before choosing a digital option because of the commitment it takes to not only decide which game to play but to also travel to a store with said game and buying it. This leads to sentimental value, the same value we attached to the few games we had as kids regardless of the quality of the game. Removing options and limiting ease of access has helped me appreciate games better.

[@Morden97]

How to avoid this problem, in my experience (you'll also save some money) - Do NOT binge on sales. - Try to buy just one game at a time - Start a new game and COMMIT to it until you're done with it - In the previous point "done" means either finished, or lost all desire to play it. - You can do this at most for 2 games at a time, for different time segments. - If you like service games only play a SINGLE GaaS at a time, and leave a time segment for a different type of game. - Never install a game if you're not finished with the last one. This has helped me appreciate each game more, buy less games, spend less money, and finally start tackling that backlog. I decided to start doing this bc I felt I was spending too much money on games I didn't play in the end, it has helped me immensely.

[@The_SOB_II]

That's a lotta rules for a fun hobby. Hope it works for you, I don't think it could for me though

[@donut_jam]

I had the same thoughts after being on game pass for a year. Games that cost money, and were actually mine to keep, felt 10 times more enjoyable. Gamepass felt like a laundry list of games to play just because they needed to be played, if that makes any sense.

[@markmaxwelljr]

Exactly! Thanks for watching

[@Syae22]

Yes had the exact same feeling

[@ispgravy4233]

That’s a you problem

[@TheGaboGuerena]

Yeah I feel like I drop most of the games I play in Game Pass after like 1 hour including new titles like Atomic Heart or Dead Space remake, on the other hand every game I buy I squeeze the last drop of it

[@mutcholokoW]

I totally feel you! Honestly, I cancelled Game Pass because I was feeling the exact same pressure you mentioned while playing a game. Instead of having fun, I was just rushing the game to make sure I was able to finish it before it leaves the catalog. I also came across many games that I'd (probably) not come across so soon, the Danganronpa series being the main one for me. Honestly, nowadays I prefer to just wait for a sale and actually buy the game, instead of having that easy access because of the service. After all, I'd probably spend as much as the price of the actual game, while probably only playing it on the service. In the end, it really wasn't clicking for me anymore, and nowadays I can't even imagine myself signing up for a games service like that anymore. It just feels SO MUCH better to buy a game, because I can play it and just chill about it while my inner peace is maintained!

[@megasquidd]

I had the same experience with P5. This video has really helped me understand what I’ve been going through the past couple years of gaming. Once I get hyper-fixated on a game (Stardew Valley, Hades, Civ6) I get that old feeling, but whenever I try to spread my attention, I enjoy nothing. Right now I’m bouncing between P3 reloaded, Star Ocean 2nd, and Hogwarts. Most nights I just sit there and play nothing.

[@henriqueaugustus1761]

I totally agree with you. I hate too many choices as well and I believe the commitment to something makes it so much more enjoyable. Recently I purchased a Switch and I very quickly realized how Nintendo was still on the older business model of buy and owning, with no game pass equivalent, but that didn't stop me from buying their excellent games and realizing it was something that made me so much more excited to play than anything else. I believe that these new business models give the consumers what they want, but not necessarily are the most satisfying and one must definitely find it's own best place to play.

[@finkz5674]

Not to mention the fact that subscription services will start to be the customer for developers to appeal to. It adds another degree of separation between consumer and developer, and that only serves the shareholders and could actually harm the consumer's power to shape their own entertainment. I'm very close to ditching my Pass subscription, and have actively started trying to only purchase physical games and movies. Even dropped most streaming services for movies/TV, too, as the same problem plagues those industries already. Subscription services are no longer the pro-consumer choice to make, in any industry, and for any product.

[@markmaxwelljr]

I do fear the direction we're headed. Hopefully we can continue to be vocal as consumers about what we want to see in our products. Thanks for watching!

[@kidkangaroo5213]

You have a very pleasant voice cadence and writing style, the video flew by

[@markmaxwelljr]

That means a lot, thank you for taking the time to watch!

[@johndraffin5031]

I am subscribing, but I call cap no way the youngest doesn't get to pick a movie.

[@diegomireles]

I don't have money for so many good releases in this quarter (Tekken 8, Persona 3 R, Dragon's Dogma, FF7 Rebirth, Stellar Blade, etc) so I just pay one month of gamepass to play Persona 3 Reload, I just finished it yesterday after 86hrs. That saved me 70usd, I will buy it for ps5 in the future on sale or when a defitive (FES) version come out.

[@theramenspot]

I play on Playstation and I find PS plus extra the same, we have played so many games we otherwise never would have. And we don't suffer paralysis because we are not afraid to just let something go if it's not for us. Thats the real benefit of a subscription service. Great video!

[@markmaxwelljr]

Thanks for watching!

[@CodyCallaway]

I clicked on this video totally expecting to hear the same ideas that every KZbinr has been putting out. I’m glad I was wrong. This was really well written and thought out. Got a sub out of me man.

[@Neros_light]

Something for me that makes steam overwhelming is for years I was restricted to xbox and I begged my parents to let me get a gaming laptop and for years I only played fps games and fps games are honestly getting worse. And I've switched to purely single player. And there are just too many great options. I got into Devil May Cry and Resident Evil because of Steam. So your point about Gamepass expanding your tastes really resonates with me

[@markmaxwelljr]

I had the exact same experience when I got my Steam Deck last year...the number of new potential games I had access to was hard to process at first. Thanks for watching!

[@BioAlpha5]

This is your first video AND you only got 9 subs? Must be cuz we both are new lol. Great video, i feel something similar back when i was a kid in school and a friend taught me emulation and piracy and hacked my PSP. Didnt have internet but the prospect intrigued me. As we got high speed internet i started pirating more but mind you this was still slow, just fast enough to play online so i was still pretty stuck with getting them as gifts from my parents, getting lucky goin to gamestop etc. It wasnt til after i graduated high school when i got into PC gaming and had PC 360 PS3 and Wii (Always Console but loved dabbling in everything I played kingdom hearts.... had to get a DS and PSP for the plot lmao) and when the free games started dropping i had so much to play i was overwhelmed. Couldnt play cuz i didnt know what to play. So what did i do? Halo 3 or something that caught my eye. Id play the games i bought. Even to this day i still do, most games i got for free on Epic Games store i never touched. Accidently bought a few on steam forgetting i even had them honestly then BEAT THE STEAM VERSION lmao. But to be fair i did accidently let a free trial of Xbox Game Pass go through and charge for a month, and ended up playin DMC5 before the Vergil DLC existed. Ended up buying it on PC before the Vergil DLC lmao. This has nothin to do with DRM, Preservation etc. Just strictly on the "too many games so little time and i get overwhelmed with my tiny little mind" Thats one reason i have an issue with Games going Digital only Sub Only The other being well Preservation and ownership issues but yeah again another topic for another time lol (ok Gamepass isnt free but same thing when it comes to all sub based services too, i rarley if at ALL touch my freebie PSplus or Xbox 360 Live Games for Gold before that was canned at least those free xbox games i can play without a sub unlike ps plus, cuz dont get me even started on the DRM Preservation stuff lmao they just delisted Spec Ops.... ) TLDR great video you got a sub, Ai kinda sucks tho so youll see push back tho on that if you continue to use it. Just mentioning it. seriously tho great work, mic and audio quality is superb. shocked i am to see a 9 in your sub count. your gonna go far. Keep up the great work man! Keep in mind most this comment was wrote 5 minutes in and added onto as i watched. Honestly one reason im here is this exact issue with decision paralysis, just easier to get stuck in a loop on youtube videos. Both a blessing and curse. lol

[@markmaxwelljr]

I appreciate the kind words!!

[@octoeight2362]

I hope more people realize what u did. Ownership isnt about having a mountain of games to collect. Its about feeling like ur money turned into something tangible something u can always come find at a later date. With subscriptions ur just turning ur money in an access key. Once ur not throwing money at it that access is gone and u have nothing to show for it

[@markmaxwelljr]

Ownership is definitely getting more and more difficult to define in the digital era. Thanks for watching!

[@raychii7361]

Restaurant waiter : I attack you with choice parálisis! Me: Thou fool, my gluten intolerance cancel your power and i receive instant counterstrike. I chose chicken salad! Restaurant waiter: Impossible! He made is choice in less than 10 seconds!

[@dailyhubranx]

There's no way this is your first video.. no way... U have experience in storytelling end editing. If id had the money, I'd hire you

[@scottcooke5970]

This is a superb video. Where have you been dude lol 🎮👊

[@markmaxwelljr]

Really appreciate the kind words!

[@equinoxXIII]

I also came to the same conclusion as you and why I unsubsribed from game pass. What I noticed is that more and more people are coming to the same mindset and why the numbers of game pass subscribers doesn't increase. People want to feel that they own something and with how physical games are slowly dying especially with xbox games you can see why xbox got hate for shutting down their physical games department. Very good video by saying it perfectly without triggering the fanboys!

[@mattlarrubia]

I think you should consider buying the game if you are REALLY liking it, even if it's on Gamepass. That way you will never be stressed out if you will be able to finish it in time or not. RPGs like Persona are not the type of game that you will want to rush it

[@markmaxwelljr]

Yep, I will 100% be buying P5R. Thanks for watching!

[@mattlarrubia]

@@markmaxwelljr great video!

[@begottenbaker]

Gamepass has too much shovelware on there, but at least it's a quick way to demo games. That's all it is really since most 3rd party games leave gamepass after a while. Same issue with PS Plus Extra/Premium, though I will say that service generally has games of better quality so I tend to feel more bothered when a game leaves it

[@notsocasualYT]

I'm in the same boat. I came to the conclusion to use Game Pass the same as I would if I were buying a game - subscribe only when I want to play something specific. It is also great for the game that I want to check out, but not sure if I'm ready to play full price. I've been trying to watch out if should I pick the subscription or a game on a deal - and for this year I'm trying to stick mostly with deal games from backlog and game pass only for games that I really want to play on release.

[@markmaxwelljr]

Deals feel more satisfying to me, even when I'm only saving $2 :) Thanks for watching!

[@notsocasualYT]

@@markmaxwelljr Agree on that. I build up quite a big backlog with it - the best thing is - I don't need to feel rushed to finish a game.

[@RamblePak64]

Firstly, congratulations on your first video. I enjoyed it. I feel like what you've run into is a combination of getting older and therefore your approach to games changing, combined with the access, technology, and culture itself changing. In regards to getting older, I know once I got my first job the first thing I bought at the mall was a game for myself. There was something delightful about purchasing a game with my own money instead of birthday cash or receiving it as a present. It also unlocked the ability to buy what I want, when I want, even on release day (a habit further enabled once I began working at GameStop). By time you're an adult, you have more money but less time, and thus you're in the habit of buying what you want but not factoring in the time budget. This is the birth of the backlog, and I feel every grown gamer has that moment where they realize maybe they ought to slow down on the purchases. But, there were other factors at play. GameStop relied heavily on trade-ins, to the point that I recall purchasing Gears of War 3 and inside the bag they included a flyer to receive $40 trade-in credit for Gears 3, specifically. In other words, GameStop was encouraging players to go through a game once, then trade it in for a discount on the next game. I had several friends that only paid $60 for "the first" game, subsequently buying each after for $20 because they played a game, beat it, then traded it in to save $40 on the next release. I have a feeling these two factors, the ability to purchase games whenever and the trade-in frenzy, began to program this "one-and-done, next big thing" habit into players. GameFly similarly made a contribution, where you could queue a game up to be mailed to you upon release, and when you were done you'd send it back to wait for the next game. GamePass' slogan, "Discover Your Next Favorite Game", kind of feeds into this same idea. Your own story, however, highlighted another factor: playing Tears of the Kingdom when it was new in part to keep up with everyone else starting their own playthrough. When you were a kid and you got games for Christmas or your birthday, was "the discussion" online as important as it is treated now? People are afraid that, by time they get to a game, no one will want to talk about it. This is strange as, when I was first browsing Internet forums in the early 2000's, people were willing to discuss games new and old all the time. Similarly, my friends and I in high school talked about Final Fantasy IV, Chrono Trigger, and Ocarina of Time as much as we discussed Halo and Metroid Prime. So purchasing and playing habits have not only encouraged The Latest and Greatest, but algorithms and social media have as well. Now, a double-edged sword to Game Pass is that it can allow games that had been out for a while to find new life within the conversation. You discovered Persona 5 with a lot of other players that had not had an opportunity to do so, as well as Nier: Automata. This means there's room on the Internet to discuss those games! They're relevant again! At the same time, they're only relevant for so long, especially as every month Microsoft wants to push the NEW additions to Game Pass. Which leads into your point regarding expiration notifications: doing so would likely inhibit the amount of activations/engagement in a game as it approaches leaving the service, and they very, very much are incentivized to get you hooked so that, when you haven't finished the game, you are encouraged to purchase it. So, it's unfortunate you won't know until it's too late, and I myself missed the opportunity to play games because, by time I had the opportunity to play them, they were gone. Anyway, apologies for the huge comment. I liked and subbed, look forward to seeing more.

[@markmaxwelljr]

Thank you for the thoughtful comment and for taking the time to watch! The discussion factor is so true, it's like a fear of missing out. That's why I cleared my schedule for TotK, because I was late to the party when BotW came out and I wanted to be part of the discourse.

[@takeyourheart1]

You have to admit that there is something special about playing a new game that EVERYONE else is playing and loving at the same time. I have experienced this with TOTK and Elden Ring in recent years and both times were very special fun moments in time that I look back on fondly. It’s not that people won’t talk about those games now, but EVERYONE was talking about them, playing them, loving them all at once. And it’s so rare for that to happen with how many games get released. It happened with BG3 as well and Palworld recently. These big gaming moments are really cool and it makes sense to want to be part of them, it’s fun.

[@RamblePak64]

@@takeyourheart1 You definitely raise a good point. Elden Ring was especially fun for me as it was a rare moment I was playing the same game as many of my friends. Interestingly enough, the games you list, with Breath of the Wild, Elden Ring, and PalWorld (not sure on BG3, haven't played it myself) is that there's also a sense of discovery. The games are both large enough and also mysterious enough in some way that players can play for an equivalent amount of time and have unique stories. Coming together they can share what they've found and discovered. That is certainly a positive experience, and if you arrive late then that sense of discovery becomes lost. It's old news to all the veterans and the answers have all been figured out. I find that there aren't too many games like that, honestly, but perhaps it also depends on what corners of the Internet you're on. Perhaps more linear action games have communities that have similar experiences with things like DMC5 or Bayonetta 3.

[@Elpolacoo1316]

First of all amazing video, I really enjoy it and loved the topic you brought to table I think nowadays the market is over saturated and its imposible to be playing something without putting an eye on another game. Like you said its all about commitment with the game you started and a good self reading to know if we are really having a good time with it or its just not worth of our time… This last thing will be diferent for everybody because we might be all gamers but we all have a diferent perception of videogames. Again, great work, got new sub here and I’ll be expectant for any new video. Greetings!

[@markmaxwelljr]

Yes! I wish my brain could just forget that every other game exists when I'm playing something. Thank you for the kind words!!

[@nathanmitchell7961]

After watching "Why music is worse" KZbin video it was very clear that gaming doesnt feel personal anymore, opinions are thwarted by online personalities and reviews, no experience in obtaining it o owning the game personally (physical copies) if Game Pass is only 10 dollars for every single game, waht are those indiovudal games truly worth? Are they valueless?

[@NoMadKid]

Absolutely agree!! Game Pass is undeniably a great service but it’s overwhelming and make treat games unfairly. Ps plus isn’t up to par but I appreciate it now cause it’s basically giving me games I missed or ignored from past years while still retaining purchasing games first.

[@markmaxwelljr]

Yep, all about finding the right balance for yourself. Thanks for watching!

[@TurboTechBlast]

The conclusion you came to at the end, with self-limiting yourself has been something I've also been doing on Gamepass for a little while now. The only games I have downloaded to my console are the ones I want to finish. I've found having a couple games to jump between strikes a good balance if I get bored and need something different. Limiting to around 3-5 games and leaving the rest for the backlog means I'll usually only start a new game if I've just finished another. And if I abandon a game, it's usually not worth my time to come back to, so I only let it go if I know I'm not having any fun. Good luck to you in 2024! With such a high-quality caliber as this video is already I can't wait to see where this channel goes.

[@markmaxwelljr]

It really is all about striking that balance! Thank you for the kind words

[@timeforgamesYT]

"Looking at this year's game of the year contenders"... this video has been long in the making, hasn't it? ;) Great work and good on you for putting this video into the world! I thoroughly enjoyed it and looking forward to more.

[@markmaxwelljr]

Haha you nailed it...took me longer than I thought it would. Thank you for the kind words!

[@Syae22]

I stopped paying for Playstation plus and buy games from the store directly and get much more enjoyment from the games since i do that plus has taken away the fun in not owning these games and just having them for a limited amount of time

[@markmaxwelljr]

Exactly! Thanks for watching

[@Syae22]

@@markmaxwelljr Thanks for the Video :) I subscribed to you please continue to make gaming positive content like this, It's nice to have someone not just making this whole hobby negative like so many channels out there do it

[@PunkerNinetySix]

Trying to get into the video, but that one dude in the orchestra is rocking out so hard I keep losing track of where I am 😂 Loving it so far! Good stuff. Also: Shout out to (what I'm pretty sure is) The Sims pause music in the end of the video.

[@clearjohn9882]

I love that you made this video and for a first time its a master piece. I hope you make a video on how your solution has worked for you in the future.

[@markmaxwelljr]

Really appreciate the kind words!! I will definitely be thinking about a follow-up at some point

[@annaczgli2983]

Beautiful, thoughtful essay. Thanks for sharing. You've got my sub!

[@markmaxwelljr]

Thank you for the kind words, much appreciated!

[@gamergrisalho]

Great video man, got me hooked all the way to the end. Keep it going!

[@markmaxwelljr]

Thank you for the kind words, much appreciated!

[@Saccade_HS]

Well done on exploring the topic, turned out great. Another subtle issue I came across is feeling guilt about not using the service enough per month to completely justify the cost saving instead of outright purchasing games. This is more likely to be the case for PC players who have access to a huge back-catalog of titles that are often on steep discounts or free via the Epic Game Store. If I'm playing on Steam, creeping thoughts of playing a Game Pass title instead to "save" money slip in. I've cancelled my subscription, only intend to use it again when there are Day 1 launch titles that would otherwise be full price to play such as Hellblade 2. Also, limited modding on PC for Game Pass titles, but that's an aside.

[@markmaxwelljr]

So true, the guilt is something I have absolutely felt with Game Pass. Thank you for the kind words!

[@abhishekshanker6839]

Game pass is not mistake when ever you want to play gamepass games subscribe and whenever you don't want you can unsubscribe and play othergames

[@MyNameIsPaulo54]

Seriously this is a great video, I’ve been going through the list trying to play the main 6 games of the year. Since I all I really played this year was Pikmin 4, lies of P and pushmo for 500 hours

[@markmaxwelljr]

I've heard a lot of good things about Lies of P, will probably be checking that out this year. Thanks for the kind words!

[@MyNameIsPaulo54]

@@markmaxwelljr it’s a great time, + keep up the videos

[@1originalaccountname]

I feel similar to you but I've never touched game pass. I grew up playing the same few games for months at a time before getting new ones, but now I'm on my own with a very high paying job and tons of free time. For me $60 or even $70 is not a significant amount of money. I'll often buy a game on sale and if it's not hitting with me I'll just delete it from my SSD/SD card and move on. Games meant more when you could only play a few.

[@markmaxwelljr]

Less is more in many aspects of life. Thanks for watching!

[@RidingLines]

This is a great video in terms of script, ideas, pacing and more! I found it thoughtful and poignant and am impressed by your first video. Well done!

[@markmaxwelljr]

Really appreciate the kind words!

[@drgonzo123]

Great video, especially for your first! KZbin actually recommended me your 3rd video about how to get back into a game you’ve dropped, and now I’m checking all your stuff out. You just got another sub from me! 😊 also, don’t let the haters give you shit for using AI art. Do what you want, and make videos however you want. Especially since you’re new to this and probably not rich enough to hire artists for a pic that shows up for less than a few seconds. You don’t need to justify anything, AI is a tool like any other. Keep up the awesome work and I’ll be happy to say I was one of your first supporters when your channel blows up.

[@monkelifegood]

5:24 Doesn’t KZbin make creators tell them if stuff is AI generated? Obviously all the previous stuff is also AI.

[@DarkStar777]

Great first video man! Not many people get this viewership on their first attempt. Keep it up and don’t listen to the small nitpicks people are making. Do your thing.

[@markmaxwelljr]

Really appreciate the kind words!

[@iwatchDVDsonXbox360]

I agree. I had way more fun and joy when i was playing 1-2 games per year. I don't think Halo or Star Wars The Force Unleashed are bad games, but i feel like i was wasting my time by playing them and instead i should have played KOTOR, Mass Effect and Dragon Age. I especially regret not playing Mass Effect 2 enough. After i've realized that, i've limited myself to 30 games and now i cut even more, because i feel like even 30 is too much.

[@markmaxwelljr]

I really need to revisit Mass Effect. Had so much fun with ME3 and haven't played any of the others. Thanks for watching!

[@retrostansolo]

Good video. I've never subscribed to game pass even though i have been with xbox from the start and the reason is because i would never actually finish a game because my mind would keep telling me to try something else in the library. It's just too much for me to handle so i prefer to just buy the games i want to play and finish and replay. I'm an old gamer and back in the 80s/90s the excitement of buying a game was mind blowing and i could not wait to play it traveling back from the game store but i just don't get that feeling any more with this age of gaming.

[@markmaxwelljr]

100%. I really do miss reading the game manuals on the way home from a new purchase at Gamestop. Thanks for watching!

[@zedrico8577]

Ive done 2 year long experiments with gaming for myself. Mostly because becoming father gives you mid-life crisis lol 1. First experiment i did was no spending money on games for 1 year. But i had Playstation plus for a year. And i had a lot of similar feelings as you did. 2. My current experiment, if you even call it a experiment is a monthly budget without a any 1 year subscriptions. And this is interesting because it sorta makes deciding which games to play like b-day and xmas all over again. With ff7r coming out i had to think months ahead and have that money saved and which games im going to play while i wait. I also look at hyper very different. I cant just hope on palworld or enshrouded because i didnt have the funds saved. I think one think we need to ponder about is the thought pattern we have about playtime = dollars spent... this is an old era thought process. Games have 100s of thousands free to play games, game pass exsit for millions hours plus.... what do you think would happen if you ran out of money to buy new games, and you completed your back log? I think part of the problem is we dont get bored anymore. Ya. Idk... just a thought.

[@markmaxwelljr]

Lot of interesting points you bring up here. The relationship between playtime and $ spent is something I'm interested in and might explore in a future video. Thanks for watching!

[@nirgendsdahierschon]

I don't know if this will help you, but I always keep track of what is removed from the program for the subscriptions I have and have a small list with the playing time. That helped me, but I'm also the person who plays 25 hours of person 5 royal and then only stops because I happened to notice it and that's not so healthy. But I also don't have those moments where I don't enjoy a game until later. I can tell very quickly whether I'm having fun or not. I also keep a backlog of what I'm playing and what the status is. But Game Pass has also helped me to cancel games when I'm no longer having fun. before that, I always tried to blast through them until I hated them. Now I can say for myself okay that's enough for me I'm not having fun anymore. for example in Hades when I was already twice at the top but not yet finished in itself but the new stuff just bothered me or in another game where the game consisted of having incredible freedom in what you do to get stronger and get new skills but then after half of the map at least you were forced to do the rest or totally under leveled to somehow get through it.

[@markmaxwelljr]

I definitely agree that it works well for people who feel like they HAVE to finish games bc they've paid for them. Takes the pressure off. Thanks for watching!

[@desmondbrown5508]

I don't think decision paralysis works as an explanation except in the context of our current cultural state. We are time stricken, and when you are so time stricken, so limited, then having a lot of choices means feeling potential regret due to not having enough time to try it all. I'm curious to see how much decision paralysis affects people with nearly unlimited time to play/watch/etc. all of it. I find that people feel this less with things like KZbin because it's not that hard to watch 5 videos a day and move on to something else and it's all technically free. You don't have to spend money, waste a bunch of resources, or dedicate massive amounts of time to that. Video games though? Massive cost (even subscriptions cost a lot over time), massive time investment, and we all work jobs now and/or have kids to care for. When you were a kid, the cost wasn't on you so you didn't feel it and you had virtual infinite time to try as much or as little as you wanted. So who cares if you make a bad decision. I think a lot more studies might need to look into the environment people are in when they make decisions at least as much (if not more) as the number of choices or what those choices are. I will agree with your conclusion though that ownership plays a big part. I really love the games I have precisely because I own them, yep even the digital ones. I have quite a few physical games, but for my digital ones? Well... regardless of what the law wants to say, I have backups of those (most of which are cracked using steam cracks). And there is definitely something to having the knowledge that it's with you and that you can come back to it anytime.

[@markmaxwelljr]

That's an interesting point about the "cost" equation-things were a lot different in childhood, even the very concept of time itself! Thanks for watching

[@requiem165]

2:59 I live so close to here so seeing this is a shock, I pass through these gardens almost daily lmao

[@Dynastone]

bros doxxing himself

[@Viewsk8]

Really interesting video. I fully agree with your points here. I have actually recently unsubscribed from game pass and I have been enjoying my time with games more (although I still face some decision paralysis with my backlog). But without the pressure of game pass rotations and paying a membership, I am able to dive into older or longer games I already own without feeling like I’m not “getting my moneys worth” out of my membership. I highly recommend trying it. I’d be interested in seeing updates if you decide to go that route yourself.

[@markmaxwelljr]

Glad to hear it has taken some of the pressure off, hoping it will have the same effect for me. Thanks for watching!

[@iamkurogane]

The way I do it is at the end of every year I tally how much I played game pass compared to how much I paid for it. P5 Tactica, Starfield, Hi-Fi Rush, MHR, Atomic Heart and Wo Long are all games I’d have happily paid full price for you. Mind you I didn’t finish all these game and I do agree with your point that I’d have definitely stuck through if I’d actually paid for them. I definitely enjoyed my time with the ones that I play till the end. The other thing I agree with in the is choice paralysis. Holy moly does it hit me in balls sometimes. So I’ve decided to basically ignore game pass until I get through my list of “major games” Game Pass is great is for folks with limited budgets. Except I basically have an unlimited budget for Games and that makes the backlog just torturous

[@iamkurogane]

Amazing first video btw. Congrats!

[@markmaxwelljr]

UNLIMITED BUDGET?? Haha that does honestly sound like more of a curse than a blessing :) Thanks for the kind words!

[@rafaelbento6450]

I completely agree with you. I'm 31 and don't have that much time to play games so, when I do, I want it to be well spent in a game I really enjoy. Now I only buy a game if I am playing it immediatly and commit to finishing it. Consequently, I also stopped getting games during sales because they would be on my library forever and I wouldn't touch them. This approach might not work for everyone but was great for me. In fact, it was necessary. I played elden ring for 6/7 months before finishing it for the first time. If I had 10 other games to distract me from it, I probably would have dropped it. The thing I have to accept with this is that I have to be ok with playing games far later than everyone else. I am yet to play tears of the kingdom, jedi survivor and horizon forbidden west. All games I really want to play but I know I will get to it eventually

[@jhcola7511]

Game pass is perfectly good service and MS Puy the dev just by add they game on the service, point is. Game pass save me a lot of money, so I love game pass.

[@yog-sherkoth1782]

Heres a comment to help catch the attention of the algorithm gods! Hopefully they smile down upon you and spread your message to the masses. Rooting for you big dog. I enjoyed this video.

[@markmaxwelljr]

Thank you kind sir, really appreciate the help!

[@dillanikobe495]

Game Pass can definitely work! Just give yourself a checkpoint in the game you want to play (5 hours in, 7 missions in, a third into a game’s progress, etc), and check whether you still feel engaged with that title. If not, next game. If yes, keep playing! If you're already engaged from the get-go, more power to you!

[@smidlee7747]

Gamepass is good 1)to play short indy titles like Cocoon that I would never buy. 2) To try out long term games which often require more than 2 hours (steam refund policy) to see if I like it. Humankind for example. If I like the game I will buy it on Steam. 3) First party titles 4) To try out a long game like jrpg like Persona series and Sea of Stars and determine I going to continue playing until I finish them within a few months. Gamepass is not good with any game I would like to play long term and long games I want to take a break from like Persona 5 , Medieval Dynasty,etc . If there is a game on Gamepass that requires more than 30 hours and i don't know how long it's been on gamepass I will often avoid playing vs a new release . Since Persona 3 Reload just release I might decide to finish the game on gamepass. Gamepass is not good when it comes to games with DLC. ( I'm glad i didn't buy Starfield as after a month I played all I want. It was not bad it just wasn't anything special compared to their past titles. The "in Space" part of Fallout did more harm than good.) Even though I have gamepass I still buy and play games on Steam more than gamepass. My main aim with gamepass is to at least break even at $10 a month so it pays for itself.

[@markmaxwelljr]

Exactly. I have been spending more time with my Steam Deck recently because I have to think harder about what games I purchase there. Thanks for watching!

[@jacksom-x4j]

Uou hit the nail on the head witb the paper mario analogy. I force nyself to spend at least one evening with one gane

[@Vivi_9]

Fantastic video, especially for your first! You put into words exactly how I've been feeling. I recently unsubbed to Gamepass, but I'll definitely start paying again when I want to go back to the free games I enjoyed before, I have discovered quite a few games on there that I ended up paying for (RE7 for example) because I knew I'd be playing them again and again and was grateful for the oppprtunity to play them in the first place

[@markmaxwelljr]

I appreciate the kind words!

[@cenbu]

Super great video, well thought out and presented. Came up in my feed and was intriguing so I clicked. Can't wait to see what comes next.

[@philipberlanda]

When we were children our parents bought our games at there own expense because they loved us. Now we have to budget our money and set ourselves a certain budget for games. It makes it kind of like a job which makes the gaming experience less fun. Since we have to be more responsible. I don't think gamepass is the right choice. Even tho it's cheap. The games are limited and paying every month adds up. Where I get the most enjoyment is buying used games for next to nothing and loving them. It kind of lifts the burden of the responsibility. When I buy games, I do look for great deals. But sometimes I just have a certain feeling to play a specific video game. I'll just go and get it. If you go on feeling and not just on the thought that "I like games so I'll just consume games" you'll find alot more pleasure in it. Don't be afraid to jump from game to game and not finish them. They sometimes bloat games on purpose to get you to spend money. Or they didn't put much effort in making the game interesting enough for you to finish it. Most of the time when I go back to a game. I'll play it a little longer then I'll stop again. If I was already satisfied with it. I personally go by how I feel. I go by if I'm satisfied with the game. Not by if I finished it. Because games arnt always fun to finish. I no longer really have a back log due to budget. I just go back to a games I want to replay or continue when I feel like. I dont set myself a number of games I have to finish. That feels more like work then fun. Live in the moment. If you live in the year you'll say your year was slow and boring, Unsatisfactory.

[@markmaxwelljr]

Gotta go by feel, totally agree. Thankfully I've made progress on not needing to finish I game I start. Thanks for watching!

[@thomrl]

It's nice to hear I'm not alone in this. In a sense I really like game pass, because of how much you get. But multiple things about it doesn't sit well with me as well. Like you say, the game can disappear from the service, you never "own" any of the games, and the stress of playing the games you want to play on it is not great. The stress is kinda like when I go into World of Warcraft, but that is another can of worms. Subbing and playing games on game pass also makes me feel guilty, because I have a huge backlog on steam and I also want to play bunch of them, maybe that also adds to the stress. Something that has helped me in some ways, have been to play small/short games on game pass. Overall I currently just try to not buy any games or look at any new games and focus on what I have on my plate already, go through my backlog, and I'm having a good time with it. I'm currently playing Noita, and it's tough but I enjoy it :) Also what a great video! I'm definitely subbing as I also enjoyed your "how to get back into a game" video. Look forward to seeing more :)

[@valiantparagonvideos2383]

There's definitely something to investment that can compel you to stick with a game longer than you otherwise would and that can lead to more appreciation for it. I don't have this problem with Game Pass because I don't passively subscribe to it. I find something I want to play and if it's on game pass I'll subscribe and try and finish before my month is up. So it's a much smaller investment, though it is an investment still. When you just have it all the time and it's your main source of games though, I can definitely see how you can develop an attitude of not particularly caring.

[@markmaxwelljr]

That's an interesting way of approaching Game Pass, sounds like it could work for some. Thanks for watching!

[@eitelp.9066]

Great video man, I totally relate to this nostalgia of simpler times feeling, when less games meant more enjoyment. I believe that taking a minimalist view on this issue would led to solve some of the problems that comes with this new era of consumerism in video games. My only criticism on your video would be the excessive amount of vocal fry you use at the end of every sentence, once I noticed it, it's was really hard to focus on what you were saying. Anyway, great video, keep them coming!

[@jasonmyers8278]

I own so many games that Gamepass & subscription services seem like just a waste of money. But it would have been great growing up when I only got new games around Xmas.

[@markmaxwelljr]

As a kid I think my brain would have exploded haha. Thanks for watching!

[@justarandomguyontheinterne681]

agree with every point. subbed, id be interested in your fav games you played as a kid that your most nostalgic about, the ones you only had like 3 and had to play them to get more or parents just couldnt afford it so you made do with what you had like GTA San Andreas was my only game and that Gameinformer with the "Bigfoot" myth was mine.

[@markmaxwelljr]

I would love to make a video like that in the future. Thanks for watching!

[@DavisGB84]

Good video man. In the last year or so I decided to unsubscribe from ps plus, due to price and just not having enough time to warrant having it. This consequently has made me look at my back log and finish/play alot of games I put down. It's honestly refueled my passion for gaming. I'm not rushing. I just pick a game and sit with it for awhile, enjoy it's content and story. I don't think us humans are supposed to have access to so much all the time, all at once. We miss the point and just breeze through stuff, on to the next piece of entertainment. Anyway, again great job on the video.

[@markmaxwelljr]

Rushing is the #1 enemy of fun for me. Thank you for the kind words!

[@deltadaryl262]

I cannot believe this is your first video. Your sense of storytelling and how to weave research through narrative is incredible. You’ve made me reconsider my PlayStation subscription and how it’s impacted my enjoyment of video games. I’ve subscribed, and I can’t wait to see what else you put out!

[@nerdalysis]

I live in fear of game pass and other services like it because that’s just way too much choice for my brain to handle. Like you said, you’re quick to put down games that could be a hit just because your brain tells you there could be something better out there. I hope you get to finish P5 because that game is fantastic.

[@markmaxwelljr]

Oh I WILL, it's too good to not :) Thanks for watching!

[@TavishHill]

The obvious counterpoint here is that games in a sub service compete for your time, not your dollar, which means you aren't rationalizing playtime in an ad hoc way. In an age where human attention is the most valuable product on earth, it's not just other games in the service competing for that time. It's also TV shows, youtube, music, mobile games, social media, etc. That is just as true of games you have to buy as it is of games you have free access to. I'd also note that data shows GP subs spend a lot more $$ buying games and content despite having the sub. They discover games/genres/franchises they'd never give a fair chance otherwise. I bought Diablo last yr only after The Ascent and Death's Door made me accept games w/isometric cameras. Now I'm hyped to play No Rest for the Wicked and PoE2 and Diablo's expansion. Further, how are you distilling the game experience on offer thru the lens of a catalogue/library from the natural effects of getting older? When we get to a certain point, all of us begin valuing our time differently in ways that have nothing to do with how we access a collection of games. It's to do with our lives becoming more centered around our career, or our family or other aspects of our lifestyle. We appreciate sleep more and have less tolerance for wasted time, which many games can signal with slow starts.

[@drewmg]

I realized Game Pass wasn't for me when I realized that it wasn't going to stop me from purchasing games that aren't on Game Pass, and as long as I'm making purchases of games, I will *always* prioritize my time with those games. I finished maybe 2 or 3 games in my 3 years of subscribing to Game Pass.

[@Ecsa0014]

As someone with enormous Steam library and wondering where my enjoyment with gaming went, I think you just nailed what has been going on with me. I'm not discounting the stress and responsibility that a career and family has brought on and how that has affected things but for quite some time there has been something else lingering that I've never been able to put my finger on. I haven't truly put my focus into one game at a time since the days I truly found happiness gaming. Thank you! You have gained a sub.

[@BingusChillingus]

Great video man! I hope it gets the attention it deserves!

[@markmaxwelljr]

I appreciate it, thanks for checking it out!

[@azzam2284]

Amazing video quality for what I thought is a million subscribers channel. Could you talk about how online/multiplayer games are ruining our experiences on story games. Our brain has been addicted to fast dopamine that story games is turned to a chore to finish. That's why I stopped playing them for almost a year and have been gradually more immersed in story games.

[@markmaxwelljr]

Thank you for the positive words!! I would love to explore the interplay between online, live-service, and single player experiences in a future video

[@shinshinshin81]

Spot on video. I have ps+ and gamepass and drop games if i dont love it within a few hours. I have hundreds ofgames with1-2hrs played, then Civ6 at 1.5k hours and Ark at 3.5k hours. I get bored with new games and return to titles i bought and enjoyed. Im born 1981 and alike you had to make commitment to amiga500 games id buy at xmas and birthday. Now its catalogues and reviews online to help pick winners, often leaving me more disappointed. I feel bad for my kids, other than minecraft that seems universally loved by 10 year olds, they quit at games if stuck and move on. I remember it took me and my siblings hundreds of hours to complete the Simpsons bart vs mutants on amiga500+ , tedious platforming, but we commited due to no choice !

[@Zendoheim]

Learned this lesson before game pass / subscriptions became what they are now luckily. Around the PS3 era that was when I first had my own job and income as a budding 19 year old who went years not really getting the games i would point out i wanted as a kid. The result was I had spent so much money buying games whether they were in A+ territory of definitely going to be played, or even as low as a C- "maybe someday," it didnt matter the priced i was just collecting to collrct before i feasibly realized how long i actually took to play and enjoy games. I had a stint with being a completionist around then as well so not only was the hording aspect daunting, but the idea that I began to see the game as another checkbox in a long list of checklists to complete definitely led to me burning out and only playing the same 5 or so games each year with a few new ones rotated in. I definitely feel like the choice of overload is real though, I have game pass and PlayStation Extra, I justify it by telling myself that I will spend less annually compared to buying my games outright and my interest in modern games doesnt last long before a few months at best. I still get a itch on my neck when I see incomplete completion logs or achievements, or seeing games I have yet to hit; but I constantly remind myself that im likely never going to get it all done because of how insanely saturated the market is as well as my interests only lying as deep as a few games and mechanics. This video was impressively done as I've thought about mulling my thoughts into a video like this as well.