Season pass (video games)

Last updated

A season pass is a form of video game monetization in which consumers purchase a discounted package for current and future downloadable content (DLC) and/or expansion packs for a video game atop its base cost. A game may have a single season pass or, for some lifestyle games, new season passes over time. The name originates from the concept of a season pass/ticket for sports (although more akin to acquiring the box set of a season from a TV series). First introduced around 2011, the use of season passes became commonplace among triple-A and mobile game publishers by the end of the 2010s. Season passes can be controversial because the contents of a season pass are not fully itemized beforehand or may not contain all planned DLC, with some instances of season passes being called scams by the gaming press.

Contents

Approach

Season passes may be available to purchase alongside the game prior to its release, or may be available after the game's release. Once purchased, the player gains all content that has been released to date under that season pass and eligible for future, unannounced content. Many season passes state the type of content that players will get even though the exact content may be unknown at the time.

Season passes may cover all planned expansion content for a game and represents a one-time purchase. In other cases, season passes cover the content of a game for a limited period of time, on the order of months to years, which allow the developer to continue to add more content in lieu of developing a wholly new title as to continue to draw in revenue. For example, Ubisoft's Rainbow Six Siege has used annual season passes that give players that purchase them access to new playable characters ("operators"), maps, weapons, and game modes. Some of these elements can be obtained by players without a season pass, using in-game credits, while other content remains exclusive to those with the pass. Ubisoft has considered this a better approach for players rather than developing a sequel. [1] Similarly, Destiny 2 used an annual pass model for its second year of content, providing players with access to exclusive content through three DLC drops over the course of the year; [2] for the game's third year, they switched to a season pass model, with each season's seasonal pass available to purchase à la carte. [3] For some games with recurring season passes, content from older passes may become integrated into the base game at no additional cost.

History

One of the first season passes in video games was used by Rockstar Games with L.A. Noire in 2011. [4] [5] Later the same month, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment continued the trend with Mortal Kombat , [6] Electronic Arts released their EA Sports Season Ticket in August 2011. [7] By the mid 2010s, season passes had become common in AAA games. [8] By the end of the decade, season passes continued to be offered for many games, although some publishers began to forgo offering them in favor of free DLC due to the negative publicity created by their announcement shortly after release. [9] The rising popularity of loot boxes and Microtransactions at the time also played a role in the decreasing popularity of the season pass, although the gaming press has speculated that this may result in less post-release content overall. [9]

Controversy

Season passes have been criticized for being anti-consumer, as they psychologically pressure customers to spend more money. [8] It is also impossible to know if they are worth buying since they cannot be reviewed until they are released, and the discounts they offer are sometimes offset by poor-quality content that the player would otherwise not have bought. [8] Additionally, if a game performs poorly in the market, the prices of the DLC for it can fall faster than any discount people would have received by immediately buying its season pass. [8]

Andrew Reiner of Game Informer called some season passes "scams coming from money-hungry corporations" because so little information is divulged that consumers can be subject to bait-and-switch tactics, like using a lower-quality studio to develop the content, or delaying the content's release significantly. [10]

GamesRadar+ criticized multiplayer season passes as splitting the community of online games, praising games that had instituted a different model that was more dependent on cosmetic DLC rather than downloadable maps, such as For Honor and Titanfall 2 . [11] Shacknews criticized a number of games for having disappointing season passes, such as Evolve and Aliens: Colonial Marines . [12]

Related Research Articles

<i>Max Payne 3</i> 2012 video game

Max Payne 3 is a 2012 third-person shooter game developed and published by Rockstar Games. The game was first released for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 on May 15, 2012; a Windows port was released on May 29, followed by an OS X port on June 20, 2013. It is the sequel to Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne and is the third entry in the Max Payne series. It is also backwards compatible on Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S.

<i>L.A. Noire</i> 2011 video game

L.A. Noire is a 2011 action-adventure video game developed by Team Bondi and published by Rockstar Games. Set in 1947 Los Angeles, the game follows the rise of detective Cole Phelps among the ranks of the Los Angeles Police Department as he solves a range of cases across various bureaus. When he is tasked with investigating a morphine distribution ring involving several of his former squadmates from World War II, Phelps finds both his personal and professional life falling into turmoil, and reluctantly joins forces with his estranged former comrade, Jack Kelso, as they uncover a major conspiracy involving prominent Los Angeles figures.

Downloadable content (DLC) is additional content created for an already released video game, distributed through the Internet by the game's publisher. It can either be added for no extra cost or it can be a form of video game monetization, enabling the publisher to gain additional revenue from a title after it has been purchased, often using some type of microtransaction system.

GamersGate AB is a Sweden-based online video game store offering electronic strategy guides and games for Windows, macOS, and Linux via direct download. It is a competitor to online video game services such as Steam, GOG.com, and Direct2Drive.

<i>Assassins Creed III</i> 2012 action-adventure video game

Assassin's Creed III is a 2012 action-adventure game developed by Ubisoft Montreal and published by Ubisoft. It is the fifth major installment in the Assassin's Creed series, and a direct sequel to 2011's Assassin's Creed Revelations. The game was released worldwide for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, beginning in North America on October 30, 2012, with a Wii U and Microsoft Windows release in November 2012. A remastered version of the game was released in 2019 for Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch, and in 2021 for Google Stadia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ubisoft Connect</span> Video game service by Ubisoft

Ubisoft Connect is a digital distribution, digital rights management, multiplayer and communications service developed by Massive Entertainment to provide an experience similar to the achievements/trophies offered by various other game companies. The service is provided across various platforms. Ubisoft Connect is used exclusively by first-party Ubisoft Entertainment games, and although some third-party ones are sold through the Ubisoft store, they do not use the Ubisoft Connect platform.

An online pass is a digital rights management system for restricting access to supplemental functionality in a product by using a single-use serial number. Online passes are primarily intended to hinder or discourage the second-hand purchase of a product, and to allow the producer of a product to still return profits from second-hand copies of the product.

<i>Grand Theft Auto Online</i> 2013 video game

Grand Theft Auto Online is an online multiplayer action-adventure game developed by Rockstar North and published by Rockstar Games. It was released on 1 October 2013 for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, 18 November 2014 for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, 14 April 2015 for Windows, and 15 March 2022 for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S. The game is the online component of Grand Theft Auto V. Set within the fictional state of San Andreas, Grand Theft Auto Online allows up to 30 players to explore its open world environment and engage in cooperative or competitive game modes.

<i>Tom Clancys Rainbow Six Siege</i> 2015 video game

Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege is a 2015 online tactical shooter video game developed by Ubisoft Montreal and published by Ubisoft. The game puts heavy emphasis on environmental destruction and cooperation between players. Each player assumes control of an attacker or a defender in different gameplay modes such as rescuing a hostage, defusing a bomb, or taking control of an objective within a room. The title has no campaign but features offline training modes that can be played solo.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">EA Play</span> Subscription-based gaming service

EA Play is a subscription-based video game service from Electronic Arts for the Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5 and Microsoft Windows platforms, offering access to selected games published by Electronic Arts along with additional incentives.

Development of <i>Red Dead Redemption</i> Development of 2010 video game

A team of approximately 1,000 people developed Red Dead Redemption over five years. Rockstar Games published the action-adventure game in May 2010 for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. A spiritual successor to the 2004 game Red Dead Revolver, its development was led by Rockstar San Diego's core 180-person team, who collaborated with Rockstar's Leeds, New England, North, and Toronto teams to assist development; Rockstar North, developer of the Grand Theft Auto series, consulted in the creation of the open world. After its announcement in 2009, the game was fervently promoted with press showings, cinematic trailers, and viral marketing strategies. Its release date, though subject to several delays, was widely anticipated. The working hours and managerial style of the studio during development was met with public complaints from staff members.

Video game monetization is a type of process that a video game publisher can use to generate revenue from a video game product. The methods of monetization may vary between games, especially when they come from different genres or platforms, but they all serve the same purpose to return money to the game developers, copyright owners, and other stakeholders. As the monetization methods continue to diversify, they also affect the game design in a way that sometimes leads to criticism.

<i>Watch Dogs 2</i> 2016 video game

Watch Dogs 2 is a 2016 action-adventure game developed by Ubisoft Montreal and published by Ubisoft. It is the sequel to 2014's Watch Dogs and the second installment in the Watch Dogs series. It was released for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Windows in November 2016 and for Stadia in December 2020. Set within a fictionalized version of the San Francisco Bay Area, the game is played from a third-person perspective and its open world is navigated on-foot or by vehicle. Players control Marcus Holloway, a hacker who works with the hacking group DedSec to take down the city's advanced surveillance system known as ctOS. There are multiple ways to complete missions, and each successful assignment increases the follower count of DedSec. Cooperative multiplayer allows for competitive one-on-one combat and connecting with other players to neutralize a player who is causing havoc.

<i>Undead Nightmare</i> 2010 expansion pack for Red Dead Redemption

Red Dead Redemption: Undead Nightmare is a 2010 action-adventure game developed by Rockstar San Diego and published by Rockstar Games. A standalone expansion pack to the 2010 open world Western game Red Dead Redemption, it adds a non-canonical zombie horror–themed single-player campaign, two multiplayer modes, and cosmetic additions to the environments and characters. Set in an alternate timeline from the base game's story, the plot follows returning protagonist John Marston, a former outlaw who sets out to find the cause of and possible cure for a zombie plague that has infected his wife and son. Marston liberates towns overrun by the undead and assists non-playable characters with side quests along the way.

In the video game industry, games as a service (GaaS) represents providing video games or game content on a continuing revenue model, similar to software as a service. Games as a service are ways to monetize video games either after their initial sale, or to support a free-to-play model. Games released under the GaaS model typically receive a long or indefinite stream of monetized new content over time to encourage players to continue paying to support the game. This often leads to games that work under a GaaS model to be called "living games" or "live games" since they continually change with these updates.

<i>Tom Clancys The Division 2</i> 2019 video game

Tom Clancy's The Division 2 is a 2019 action role-playing video game that was developed by Massive Entertainment and published by Ubisoft. The game, which is the sequel to Tom Clancy's The Division (2016), is set in a near-future Washington, D.C., in the aftermath of the release of a genetically engineered virus known as "Green Poison", and follows an agent of the Strategic Homeland Division as they try to rebuild the city. Like its predecessor, The Division 2 is a third-person shooter in which the player uses weapons and gadgets to fight enemy factions. The game has elements of role-playing games (RPGs), and cooperative and player-versus-player online multiplayer modes.

<i>Anno 1800</i> 2019 video game

Anno 1800 is a city-building real-time strategy video game, developed by Ubisoft Blue Byte and published by Ubisoft, and launched on April 16, 2019. It is the seventh game in the Anno series, and returns to the use of a historical setting, following the previous futuristic titles Anno 2070 and Anno 2205, taking place during the Industrial Revolution in the 19th century. Following the previous installment, the game returns to the series' traditional city-building and ocean combat mechanics, but introduces new aspects of gameplay, such as tourism, blueprinting, and the effects of industrialisation influences on island inhabitants.

<i>Red Dead Online</i> 2019 video game

Red Dead Online is a 2019 action-adventure game developed and published by Rockstar Games as the online component of Red Dead Redemption 2. After several months in beta, it was released for the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One in May 2019, and for Windows and Stadia in November 2019. A standalone client for the game was released in December 2020. In Red Dead Online, players control a customizable silent protagonist who is freed from prison after being framed for murder, and tasked with taking revenge in exchange for proving their innocence. Set in 1898, one year before the events of Red Dead Redemption 2, the game comprises story missions where up to four players can complete tasks to advance the narrative, as well as various side missions and events.

<i>Apex Legends</i> 2019 video game

Apex Legends is a 2019 battle royale-hero shooter video game developed by Respawn Entertainment and published by Electronic Arts, set in the same science fiction universe as Respawn's Titanfall series. It is offered free-to-play and is continuously updated under the games as a service model; the game was originally released for PlayStation 4, Windows, and Xbox One in February 2019 and was followed by versions for Nintendo Switch in 2021 and both PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S in 2022, with all supporting cross-platform multiplayer. A mobile version designed for touchscreens was briefly available until its discontinuation in 2023.

Watch Dogs is an action-adventure video game franchise published by Ubisoft, and developed primarily by its Montreal and Toronto studios using the Disrupt game engine. The series' eponymous first title was released in 2014, and it has featured three games in total, the most recent being 2020's Watch Dogs: Legion. Several tie-in books and comic book miniseries set in the games' universe have also been published.

References

  1. ↑ Martin, Matt (19 February 2018). "The future of Rainbow Six Siege: 100 operators over 10 years, no sequel". VG 247 . Retrieved 13 April 2018.
  2. ↑ McWhertor, Michael (5 June 2018). "Destiny 2 gets an Annual Pass, here's what's included". Polygon . Retrieved 8 August 2019.
  3. ↑ Rivera, Joshua (29 August 2019). "Destiny 2's Seasons Will Work Much Differently This Year". Kotaku. Retrieved 30 August 2019.
  4. ↑ "Take-Two Interactive Software - Investor Relations - Take-Two News Release". ir.take2games.com. Retrieved 11 March 2018.
  5. ↑ "L.A. Noire Rockstar Pass". PlayStation™Store. Retrieved 11 March 2018.
  6. ↑ Orland, Kyle (17 June 2011). "Warner Bros. To Offer 'season pass' DLC Bundle For Xbox 360 Mortal Kombat" . Retrieved 12 March 2018.
  7. ↑ Arts, Electronic (1 August 2011). "EA SPORTS Season Ticket Announces Today" . Retrieved 12 March 2018.
  8. 1 2 3 4 "Dear everyone: it's time to stop buying season passes at launch". PCGamesN. Retrieved 3 March 2018.
  9. 1 2 "With the apparent death of season passes and $15 DLC, did we actually end up with a worse deal? - VG247". VG247. 10 July 2017. Retrieved 3 March 2018.
  10. ↑ "Season Passes Are Starting To Sound Like Scams". Game Informer. Archived from the original on 2 February 2016. Retrieved 3 March 2018.
  11. ↑ "The multiplayer season pass is almost dead, this is how For Honor and Titanfall 2 are killing it". gamesradar. Retrieved 3 March 2018.
  12. ↑ "The Most (and Almost) Disappointing Season Passes of All Time". Shacknews. 23 February 2015. Retrieved 3 March 2018.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.