News business PlayStation: Spartacus, Sony’s Xbox Game Pass, soon to be unveiled?
Sony’s answer to Xbox Game Pass might be revealed as early as next week! It is Bloomberg that indicates such information. The service, named Spartacus, would be a merger of PS+ and PS Now with different subscription models.
Summary
- An announcement next week?
- Sony at a disadvantage?
An announcement next week?
The subject of rumors for many weeks, Spartacus has not yet shown the tip of its nose… but should do so in the following days. It is Bloomberg which indicates that, according to sources familiar with the matter, Sony would be ready to present its new service as early as next week. But what is Spartacus? This is the code name used by Sony to designate a new subscription service that would be the answer to Microsoft’s Xbox Game Pass.
Also according to Bloomberg, the Spartacus service would combine two of its main current offers: PlayStation Plus and PS Now. The first allows its subscribers to retrieve free games every month and offers discounts on certain titles in the catalog. The second is a service allowing its subscribers to enjoy a set of games in cloud gaming, therefore only requiring an Internet connection to play them. This Spartacus would offer several catalogs from third-party publishers, mixing modern games and other older titles. Several subscription models would also be possible, with the most expensive allowing its subscribers to have access to demos with an extended duration and the possibility of streaming their game sessions on the Internet.
Sony at a disadvantage?
At the end of the article, Bloomberg recalls that PlayStation consoles have sold better than Xbox ones. In addition, the latest figures revealed by the two companies turned to the advantage of Sony: 48 million subscribers to PS +, for 25 million to Xbox Game Pass. However, the Spartacus subscription service still seems to be behind the Xbox Game Pass: the latter now offers its exclusive titles on the day of their release on its service. This was the case with Forza Horizon 5 for example, but also the campaign of Halo Infinite. An initiative that should not be repeated by Sony: still according to a person familiar with the matter, “it is unlikely that God of War: Ragnarok, for example, will be offered at no additional cost to subscribers of the platform“.
Of course, this information is to be taken with a grain of salt and we will wait for an official communication from Sony before taking it at face value. Still, if Spartacus’ offer seems light on paper, it might very quickly strengthen in the months to come. Remember that Sony is the parent company of Crunchyroll, an SVOD platform specializing in anime, which recently absorbed Wakanim.
Source : Bloomberg
By chatmhgWriting jeuxvideo.com
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