Pete Hines, former Bethesda executive, questions the impact of Xbox Game Pass and other services on studios

The former Bethesda executive considers this model to be "strategically myopic" for the future of the industry.

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It’s been almost two years since Pete Hines retired from Bethesda and his role within Microsoft, but the former big name in the studio’s Publishing division hasn’t lost sight of the industry’s evolution. In a recent interview, Hines shared his vision on the business model that has generated the most headlines in recent times: subscriptions.

According to his words, the rise of these services is transforming the way video games are consumed, and not necessarily for the better. Hines believes that the idea of paying a monthly fee to access a catalog – like with Xbox Game Pass – is a short-sighted approach that can end up generating tension between those responsible for managing the platform and the developers who create the content.

“The value of developers must be recognized and protected”

In the conversation, Hines was direct: “I considered this type of economic model based on monthly subscriptions to be strategically myopic for the future of video games, and I still consider them so”. For him, the subscription can turn the industry into an environment where “you no longer buy a product”, but rather everything is reduced to fattening up a catalog.

• The former executive insists that the solution lies in providing more support and recognition to creators. Only then, he assures, can this model be prevented from harming companies, their franchises, and the developers themselves. The key, according to his vision, is to adequately compensate the studios that feed these services and ensure that their work is not subject to the logic of maintaining an attractive catalog.

Although he is no longer part of Bethesda, Pete Hines remains an influential voice in the industry. His statements reopen a debate that continues to be very present: is the future of video games subscription-based, or is the balance between players, studios, and publishers being put at risk?

Our opinion at Generación Xbox

While Pete Hines’ words provide an interesting perspective, it’s also worth noting that many studios have positively valued their experience with Xbox Game Pass. Several independent developers have explained in interviews that launching their games on the service not only gave them visibility but also allowed them to reach millions of players who might not have tried their projects otherwise.

Additionally, Microsoft financially compensates studios that join Game Pass, and in some cases, this initial injection of money guarantees the viability of a launch. The service continues to grow year after year, expanding its catalog and adding partners, which demonstrates that, at least for now, the model works for both players and a large part of the creators.