Recently found out Frostpunk 2 is available through Gamepass, thinking of giving it a try over there (and a few other games) before making some purchase decisions over here.

To be honest, I quite like the service. Yes, it's DRM, but because it's a rental service I feel like it's excusable. You pay a fee, gain limited-time access to a library of games, and then either renew or move on. It's cost-effective without a doubt, granted that nothing major happens to your account or internet access during your subscription.

I've used it previously a few times already to play some games that I then bought over here (still praying for Ghostwire Tokyo on GOG, played it through gamepass but refuse to buy it without a DRM-free copy).

I'm not interested in renting games.

No $ for DRM.

As if renting games wasn't bad enough already. Now you want people to actually use a literal rental service?

Actually I don't care. Just playing devil's advocate.

I'm OK with it, as it's a pure rental system without pretending otherwise.

While my son played on his Xbox, I kept an Xbox Live subscription going. There was an offer to bump that up to Gamepass Ultimate for a few years for a symbolic $1, which I did.
When it became time to renew, it was clear that I really only played the games I'd bought outright, and despite promising so back in 2022, Microsoft never added the ability to cloud-play owned games.
Since I'd bought my son a gaming PC fairly recently, he wasn't using the online play on his Xbox anymore, and that left no reason for me to keep the Gamepass subscription going.

For people who are into playing the latest games and are quick to move on, it seems like a great deal.
Just doesn't make sense for me, personally.

If they'd added the promised ability to play my owned games on the go, I might have kept the subscription for that. But the price got jacked up instead.

It's essentially a modern game-only version of Blockbuster...I find it decent for trying out a game now and then or playing games that never seem to get released or go on sale at the usual DRM free locations.

I don't mind Gamepass on XBox. I used it and that is how I discovered Frostpunk and Stellaris then I bought both here. I wouldn't have discovered them if not for that and found I liked them.
That being said I think Microsoft needs to be strict and tell certain companies to take it or leave it with Gamepass, in that you don't get to harvest the data on someone's gamertag to find out the games they played. I set up strict privacy settings on my Gamertag and found some Gamepass games wouldn't play because they wanted to harvest that data, like Namco Bandai for one.
Nintendo needs to do the same with Namco Bandai and others who do this when you "buy" one of their digital copies though now even some companies are getting into it with physical, saying opening that physical copy constitutes agreeing to their TOS which I suspect has the same data harvesting terms. I paid for YOUR product, this isn't a McDonalds combo meal where I buy the game and you get the data for free.

Gamepass? More like I'll pass.

I'm ok with any type of service just as long as there's clarity about what it is and what it offers.

Currently i have no use for a subscription type service since the only reason i'd have to use it would be exposure and i have more exposure than i can handle from purchases alone.

But i did keep a subscription with Metaboli for a while way back when and back then it definitely paid off exposure wise, so, sure, while not for me i can see the value in it.

Agree with this all the way. Also not a fan of the games that require account-linking and alternative launchers when I'm already on the Xbox launcher and that's who I'm paying. I can accept some DRM given how gamepass functions but this extra stuff with certain games is simply annoying.

Owning things is great, but i've noticed I just end up collecting more games than i'll ever play. Reading these forums it seems a number of others are in the same boat, so maybe gamepass is a plus for some that aren't going to play their games anyways?

(Owning stuff is also much better for those who have people to pass it on to. When I pass my games go with me, most likely, as I don't have much family left. Ah well, perhaps it's for the best that I don't think about that too much?)

There isn't too much more that hasn't been said here to add onto this one. I have no innate dislike for the premise of renting a service nor applying copy protecting to something lent. but I'm just not interested in utilising the service offered. I am doubtful that Game Pass is simply a humble renting service. Like many such services, it's used as a means to ensnare customers and induce loyalty from them - to milk them for additional money outside of the entry fee. The digitial goods are also limited time access only, if renting them wasn't bad enough. Best remain constantly subscribed and be a frequently reteurning customer if you don't want to miss out! Though in fairness I don't know how often games are rotated out, but it matters little.
Microsoft also requires accepting their full terms of service to use Game Pass - data collection, advertising, AI training and all. Not that this news to anyone or unique to Microsoft, but giving Microsoft a free ping home with some data packet everytime I log on doesn't sound too enticing.
The service itself is probably worthwhile for many people, but it seems structured in such a way that it prioritises profits, benefiting Microsoft more than it does me.
Just because I'm renting something, doesn't excuse the various wrongdoings in my eyes. I payed the fee to enter, did I not? I deserve to be treated like any customer would, not an untrustworthy swine.

Renting isn't so bad. You still get the most important part, after all - the experience. And that experience will be passed onto everyone you meet. Well, if the game's any good, anyway. But then perhaps it's worth owning, if only to aid in memory retrieval...

My personal backlog is intimidating enough without having to additionally stress out about time limited access to games.

I personally don't touch it not only because I don't like it, but also out of principle.

Yes, it's cool, cheap, and practical on paper, but it's nothing more than a Trojan horse, whose end goal is making customers truly own nothing.

It's a service that shouldn't exist, and only manages to exist because Microsoft has essentially an infinite money printing machine with Windows and it's services, so they can afford the losses. But it is inevitable that if its market share increases a lot (which I hope it doesn't), MIcrosoft will move into the "enshittification" route immediately in order to finally make it profitable.

It's all about making it seem like a choice, locking in consumers, and removing the choice. And if that happens, it won't only be the consumers who'll lose, the game studios will too, because their profit margins will become minuscule, so game quality will take a heavy hit.

The only one who comes out winning in all of it is Microsoft, no-one else.

Everyone has limited access to everything...we're all living on a small amount of borrowed time :|
I try to use it as in incentive to actually finish certain games and stick mainly to shorter titles. If I really like a game I buy it.