Games for everyone, for everyone. Microsoft in two hours reminded me of what I love video games

For years I have not been as excited about the world of video games as after watching yesterday's Microsoft presentation on E3 2019 .

I consider myself a player. Not to the level of obsession, but video games have always had a special place in my life. For years I played for a long time and passionately everything that only fell into my hands, if I could buy it a few months after the premiere, in a budget not exceeding the teenager's ability (here, too often, magazines, such as CD Action, came).

I have always been playing on a PC, because a boarding school and subsequent frequent changes of the apartment were not conducive to having a console and TV, and today, as an adult (not to be confused with a mature person) I simply do not feel the need to have either.

Over the past few years, however, I started to play a lot less than I would like.

The games never ceased to interest me, but I followed the world of this beautiful entertainment from afar, except for the occasional depression of mega-diners like The Witcher 3 or reheated for PCs GTA V. I suspect that the reasons for this state of affairs are not unfamiliar to many readers, especially those closer to thirty - life comes with shoes, a man buys a washing machine, and nothing is as it once was. For this, there is so much non-engaging entertainment around! Games that naturally require more time and attention from us suddenly become less attractive. They became an effort.

For this effort, excuse the vocabulary, damn expensive. When I worked in Empik about 7 years ago, the average price of a new PC game was around 130 zlotys, and I could only regret my fellow consuls who paid twice as much for the new products. Today, however, I am not laughing, because the novelties for personal computers were almost equal to the prices with consoles, and the DLC epidemic meant that we get less for the money spent than ever before.

I can understand this state of affairs; creating games is ultimately not writing books. We are talking about huge, expensive undertakings that will not pay for PLN 29.99 per copy. Studies must somehow compensate for the infinite crunches of computers and the years spent on one production. What does not change the fact that as a consumer this state of affairs hurts my wallet, especially when there are so many things that can "provide" me with entertainment at a much lower price (from books to Netfliks). And yes, you can buy games cheaper on sales, of course, but if I have to be honest, I rarely find something for myself. Too much choice, not enough time.

The other thing is that since I work at home and my main working tool is a personal computer, I feel a kind of repulsion to spend free time with him. After long hours at work at the last desk, which I feel like, is to spend more hours at the desk. The console, in turn, is not an option that I consider at all, primarily for economic reasons - since I do not have a TV, and I would connect the console to a monitor on my desk, I might as well play on a PC.

And so life goes on, and I get more and more away from the world of games. A world that still fascinates me and which I consider to be the ultimate form of art and entertainment in which all contemporary artists will sooner or later end up. Because in games there is the greatest demand for talents.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o2o6R6Nv6aw

Microsoft at E3 2019 solved (almost) all these problems with one cut.

Just like the EA conference on E3 2019, it blew me dead, so thanks to Microsoft I remembered why I even picked up the games "for a kid".

Over 60 productions! And each of the other parish - from super serious, dark titles (Blair Witch, 12 Minutes), through these wonderfully abstract (Psychonauts 2) and wonderfully classic (Age of Empire II Definitive Edition, MSFT Flight Simulator) to the same fairytale or ... somewhat child's games (Lego Speed ​​Champions, Way to the Woods). There were AAA games. There were tiny productions of tiny artists.

Microsoft in less than two hours showed me again how wonderfully diverse entertainment is computer games. Well, computer is the key word. As an unrepentant representative of #pcmasterrace, I very much appreciate that almost every new thing shown yesterday will go to personal computers, most of them also to GamePass, which I will get to.

Watching yesterday's Microsoft conference every now and then I would jump up from the chair, I would hold my jaw with my hand so that it would not fall to the floor. And although today the media is mainly talking about Xbox Scarlett, I am still thinking about trailers and upcoming premieres, especially not looking forward to next year. Microsoft, like the mantra, repeats that their goal is to make everyone play. And I am sure that such a wide spectrum of the games shown was to testify to this. As if Microsoft wanted to say "look, we have something for everyone".

Games for everyone, for everyone.

Interesting news would be nothing but the form in which most of them will be served. And most of the games shown yesterday will go to GamePass, which also debuted on the PC.

Without a shadow of a doubt, I clicked "subscribe", with a light heart giving Microsoft nearly 20 PLN / month. Szymon Radzewicz is right when he writes that this is the first successful attempt to create a "Netflix for games" and a great solution for the whole world of video games. I will add from myself that this is more than a great solution for people who are stopped by the combination of lack of time and money before the game.

On the one hand, we have some preliminary pre-selection here. We choose from a limited number of great games, which in addition, we can stop at any moment to try another one. For this we can do it without incurring additional costs, paying for (currently) one hundred production less than HBO counts for a subscription to your VOD. It's cheap, it's good. All excuses disappear, not to play. The compulsion to force himself into play is forbidden only because it seemed like a lot of money. The entry barrier disappears.

Of course, this does not mean that Microsoft is the messiah of the gaming market.

For a full understanding - I know the landscape of the world of video games enough to know where Microsoft's offer has gaps and to understand that for many people this offer does not have to be attractive after all. For me, however, just like for other people who "would like and can not", such an offer simply has no competition. Perhaps the upcoming Apple Arcade will offer a substitute for similar feelings, but I do not think - in the case of Apple we are talking primarily about mobile productions, and in the case of GamePass mainly full-fat productions, providing tens of hours of fun and which - bought separately - would cost thousands of zlotys .

I also have no doubt that although today GamePass on PC has "barely" 100 production, other will soon join them. Ultimately GamePass for the Xbox has many more, and if you believe Microsoft, the developers have a positive view of the idea of ​​a subscription for games. I personally dream of a collection of iconic classics (something like the games available in backwards compatibility on the Xbox One), but this dream will probably be unfulfilled. For sure, however, we will see a lot of great new games.

Microsoft in less than two hours rekindled in me love for video games.

The feelings that overshadowed adulthood and the excess of other forms of entertainment came back to me yesterday like a strong tidal wave. This is significant because I watched every large conference from E3 during recent years, and none of them evoked similar feelings in me. None of them did with me what Microsoft did to me yesterday.

Nothing has convinced me that I want to be part of this great and beautiful community of players, which the entry barrier is lower today than ever before.

PS. And if someone still does not convince PLN 18.99 for a subscription for games, I will tell you that in GamePassie on PC we also get a dating simulator with pigeons . If it is not worth 19 zlotys, I do not know what is.

PPS. Keanu Reeves on the main graphics is only to draw attention. After all, everyone loves Keanu ^^

Games for everyone, for everyone. Microsoft in two hours reminded me of what I love video games