Side note, I read the interview on press start, then their deathloop interview, and this is the first time I've actually heard the premise of the game laid out. And now I'm 1000% more interested (lol). If this is Outer Wilds with shooty shooty bang bang, I'd be very pleased..
they're still a business that requires games to succeed. if a studio is failing to bring in crowds (which arkane games are consistently bad at), what use is it to keep them operating? especially when that budget could be used elsewhere?
ubisoft aren't exactly known for taking risks with their AAA either though. they release sure fire successes based on well established franchises that often follow wildly popular templates, and the experimentations typically are lower budget affairs. after all i'm not talking about studio's that make stuff like child of light or valiant hearts.
dishonored or prey however do not fall into either of those catagories. they're high risk, high budget flops. no console manufacturer is going to keep a studio open that consistently produces those. and gamepass is more than capable of producing flops. people can argue it increases variety and appeal of the service overall...and it does, at least in the sense that those games exist and will be on gamepass for the life of the service. but that doesn't mean MS have to keep them around making MORE content if it doesn't actually amount to meaningful engagement. netflix cancel shows all the time regardless of the variety they offer, views and/or budget. i don't see how anyone thinks MS won't do the same at some point.
Dub. Bull. Down.
All of your concerns are exactly why this is great for Arkane, Microsoft, and game pass. Arkane makes intricate, involved, (likely expensive), critically acclaimed, discourse driving, but ultimately low selling games. This is a disaster. A sustainability nightmare. How do you justify keeping a studio open that can't pay the bills? Well. You can't.
Unless your metric ISN'T sales. Arkane games are innovative and intricate - making them often hard to grasp and hard to market, BUT spawning a particularly devoted fanbase that has stuck with them wherever they go and isn't shy about evangelizing. Arkane games are critical darlings that often come up in discussions from games media and gaming influencers (to a lesser degree).
All of that is perfect for Game Pass. The people who sub for Arkane will definitely show up. They may even just purchase the game outright. Then, they'll evangelize to their friends - just pay $1 or $10 or $15, you HAVE TO try this out! And while we're here, maybe we try all these other games. And well, we know all these other games are coming, maybe we just stay subscribed.
It turns a dedicated following into steady ongoing income. And it turns general enthusiasm into paying customers. If Arkane ends up shutting down in 10 or 15 years, it'll be IN SPITE OF game pass, not because of it.
