Former Forza Horizon Director Calls Xbox Game Pass a Failed Project
The service did not meet Microsoft's expectations.
Mike Brown, former director of the Forza Horizon series and ex-employee of Playground Games, believes that the Xbox Game Pass model ultimately failed to meet Microsoft's expectations. In his opinion, the service was conceived as a beneficial solution for players and developers, but it failed to attract enough subscribers to become a sustainable business.
According to the developer, Microsoft invested heavily in the development of Game Pass. Thanks to the service, new studios were acquired, dozens of games were funded, and thousands of jobs were created. The plan was to regularly replenish the subscription catalog with new projects, offering players a wide selection for a fixed monthly fee.
However, Brown believes the reality turned out differently. In his opinion, the number of subscribers did not reach the level necessary to recoup such investments. As a result, the company faced the need to cut costs, which led to the closure and sale of studios, cancellation of projects, and layoffs.
It was a good idea to make an affordable subscription so that more people could play different games. If there were enough subscribers, the model would work, studios would continue to release new projects, and teams would keep their jobs. Unfortunately, this did not happen.
Brown now heads his own studio, Maverick Games, which recently unveiled the open-world racing game Clutch – a project designed to compete with Forza Horizon.
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