The Monkey's Paw Has Curled a Finger: Game Pass Prices Have Dropped, But With One Notable Change for the Worse

Ya'll know about the cursed monkey paw, right? Originally a classic short story simply titled, "The Monkey's Paw," by W.W. Jacobs, it involves a mysterious mummified monkey's hand that grants wishes but at a terrible cost. It has been homaged and riffed on in everything from, "Are You Afraid of the Dark?" to, "The Simpsons," and plenty of other media. Well, if anyone pulled out their monkey's paw today and said, "I want Microsoft's Game Pass to be cheaper, right now!" you've got your wish, with a little evil monkey-magic thrown in. You see, as of today, the Game Pass has gone down in price with the most expensive, "Ultimate," option decreasing from $30 to $23 and all the other selections going down in price as well. Something won't be, "Day One," on Game Pass anymore, and that, "Something," is pretty huge.

As Patricia Hernandez over at Polygon discusses, "According to Microsoft, everything that is currently included in either subscription will remain available after the price change. However, future Call of Duty games — including this year's unannounced Call of Duty entry — will no longer be day one releases on Game Pass. Instead, newer Call of Duty games will be available on Game Pass the following holiday season, or about a year after they first release. Existing Call of Duty titles already on the service will continue to be available for Game Pass subscribers." This might sting for many players as when it comes to the biggest games around, I often think of, "Pokemon," "Minecraft," and, "Call of Duty," being huge (there is GTA, but at this rate VI ain't never coming out). Obviously, the price increase ended up doing more harm than good, with many players (including yours truly) presumably giving up on Xbox/Game Pass with the drastic jump in cost back in October. I suppose a mix of lowering the price but charging people for (sooner) access to a big game is hoped to balance everything out. If you love Game Pass and, "Call of Duty," however, that Monkey Paw just zinged you thoroughly. Now, we shall see how this all shakes out.

Sony is Raising the Price of a PlayStation 5, Nintendo is Charging More for Physical Games, and Further Mayhem...

Sit down, Gen-Z and younger, to listen to the old Millennial. You see, it used to be that our console games were only available on physical cartridges and discs, which wasn't always optimal, but it was nice to be able to boot up a game and simply play it. No patches or fixes, zero random updates, it just worked. With the rise of digital, physical game sales have steadily decreased (stores like GameStop expanded into a variety of markets to compensate). You can download a game to your console, and that can be great! If you can afford the console.

The PlayStation 5 was released in November of 2020. It has a digital-only version and a fancy Pro version, but is arguably a half-decade or so old in tech (with the Pro a bit fancier). As us Millenials who played consoles back in the day can attest (and GenX who played the even older consoles will agree), usually when a console is around for a while, the price starts to come down. It is older tech, a newer generation will eventually be on the way, and so forth. However, with computing power being gobbled up more and more for AI, those microchips and GPUs, and such, are being bought in large quantities and costing more. Plus, our moronic President's tariffs don't help, either. That is why Sony just announced a price increase on the PS5. Yep, a PS5 that cost $500 in 2020 is going to cost you $650 in 2026, a whole one hundred and fifty smackers more. All the various PS5 models are shooting up in price, with the PS5 Pro set to cost $900. Dropping nearly a grand on an already-outdated, "Pro," model of a gaming console sounds insane, but welcome to 2026! People are not reacting well to this news, obviously.

You might be saying, "Forget that noise! I want to play new games, but I'm mad at Sony for this increase and don't want to pay the higher price for Xbox Game Pass, either. I'm going to stick with my Nintendo Switch/Switch 2 and enjoy physical games on them, none of that digital mumbo-jumbo!" Well, Nintendo is going to start charging more money for the physical copies of their games as opposed to digital, starting with, "Yoshi and the Mysterious Book," running $60 for a download (that you do technically own at least) , but $70 for a copy you can actually, "Own," in the sense of holding it in your hands. Nintendo is saying this is a misunderstanding and, "The cost of physical games is not going up," but, uh, yeah, they are! Don't tell me your game is going to be sixty dollars, then put out information saying the physical copy costs more, followed by you acting like the $60 you already disclosed is some kind of, "Digital discount." That's the equivalent of peeing on my leg and telling me it's raining--then, trying to sell me an umbrella!

Back to you shouting out loud to anyone who will listen, "Alright then, screw gaming, I'm just going to stream Netflix and save some money!" Oh, you sweet Summer child, Netflix is raising its prices, yet again, and you can expect to pay $20 for the, "Standard," ad-free plan, which you may recall won't let you share your password with friends anymore. Again, welcome to 2026--everything is more expensive and less user-friendly! If things are getting to the point you want to dust-off your old Bluray or DVD player and just check-out movies from the library, I don't blame you. Hell, some libraries let you get games too. Maybe try that, at least until the government outlaws libraries because nothing awful our current administration could do would surprise me at this point. Now, if you excuse me, I have an idea to bring back the renting of game consoles like in the old days, but with an added twist, kind of like a timeshare. That idea may sound absolutely terrible, and that's why I say for a third and final time, "Welcome to 2026!" Let's all try to make it out alive.

With the Latest Price Hike I'm Canceling My Xbox Game Pass

I don't play a ton of video-games these days. I do sometimes get a chance and enjoy renting games for my PS5 from the library and/or VStock. With my Xbox, I've used the Game Pass to sample various titles as I don't, "Own," them via the pass, but can play a variety of stuff. I'm going to cancel my pass this month, however. The main reason? A sudden and massive price hike with little to show for it. Yeah, Microsoft, this wasn't a good move.

There are various, "Levels," of Game Pass, and the, "Best," in terms of getting the most games to play, is the Ultimate Level. It has been $20 a month for a long time, but starting this November, it is shooting 50% to $30. This means it will be the most expensive streaming service around, to my knowledge. The other Game Pass echelons will be going up in price too, with many saying the, "Premium," level will now be best as there isn't too much coming via Ultimate besides some big day-one games to fiddle with. I'm just quitting for now, though, as I don't want to pay more for less. Other folks are angry as well, and Microsoft isn't giving us much for this upcoming cash grab besides a lot of old Assassin's Creed titles or that Hogwarts school game, if you're into Harry Potter games without Harry Potter.

Is this proof that Game Pass is not a sustainable model? Is this because Microsoft is thinking of launching a, "Free with ads," style version of Game Pass? Will a massive number of cancellations counteract any possible benefit of a price increase? Clearly, there are many questions that only those with access to big ol' spreadsheets (for how much money Game Pass has made/lost) or the ability to tell the future (for how this will work out) can answer. All I personally know is I don't use my Game Pass enough right now to want to pay $360 total a year. If a title comes to Game Pass which I'm chomping at the bit to play. I may dive back in for a month someday in the future, but for now, I'm much happier just occasionally renting games and buying ones that I determine I absolutely love and need to own. I mean, heck, that PlayStation Network has its own Game Pass-style options that might start looking pretty attractive to sample now as well, even!

A Portable Xbox Handheld is on the Way This Winter

We've got the Steam Deck for playing PC games via Steam, and now we're gonna get the Xbox ROG Ally (and Ally X) PC Gaming Handheld...yeah, that's an awful name, but the device itself sounds interesting! Due this Winter of 2025 (but with no price yet revealed), this Xbox-branded computer-gaming tool will essentially allow people to play their Xbox Game Pass games while out and about. 

I like the idea where you can play many of your computer games and your Xbox games all via this device while you're on the go (maybe there will be one that works in Steam too at some point). The fact that the cost hasn't been revealed yet makes me think it is going to be cheaper than expected--and that'll be a fun surprise--or cost more than one would hope (consumers would obviously prefer the former to the latter). I imagine we'll learn more as an official release date nears.

The Switch 2 Officially is for Sale

The Switch 2 is (theoretically) available in stores now. I previously discussed that it looked powerful and pricey at its $450 price point. That assessment still stands. Plus, many--including myself to a degree--are wondering if we're even nearing seeing the end of consoles (as we know them at least), considering almost any console can play any game these days (except with Nintendo only sharing stuff with other companies a little bit). That said, besides one store accidentally stapling through the screen of the new console on any copies they sold, this seems to be a relatively chill launch. Some folks waited in line, and a number had success even without a preorder. I haven't read of any absurd fist-fights breaking out or thefts occurring. 

Not everybody who wants a Switch 2 on day one is succeeding at getting the console, while some folks got multiples to flip for a profit (as always happens). Still, initial glitches or quirky system rules aside, this seems to have been a pretty relaxed debut of the new console without being so laid-back as to create the impression of a flop (the Wii U tried so hard but failed so epically). I'm in no rush to purchase a Switch 2. Cost of it aside, I have plenty of games I need to get into via my Game Pass on my Xbox Series S, as well as some PlayStation 5 titles I want to sample still. I don't need to add another console with fun games into the mix when I'm as behind on trying titles as I already am. That said, I wish anybody who has already acquired a Switch 2 hours upon hours of fun with the new, "Mario Kart World," or whatever they choose to play.

The Official, "Oblivion," Remaster Was Announced and Released Today

Elder Scrolls Games have a lot of fans. Many folks (myself included) adored the 3rd in the series back in 2002, "Morrowind," while the fourth, "Oblivion," came out in 2006 and has numerous fans and the most recent came out in 2011--"Skyrim," and was pretty popular as well. In what was technically a massive surprise if it hadn't been such a badly kept secret, a total remaster/reworking of, "Oblivion," was announced and promptly released today by Bethesda on PS5, Xbox, and PC. There is still that mod in the works too, so you could basically play two totally different and, "New," versions of, "Oblivion," this year if you wanted.

Early buzz for this remake is positive. It looks good, even if a little muddy and muted. I'm going to be honest and let you all know that while I loved, "Morrowind," and quite liked what I played of, "Skyrim," I randomly enough never played, "Oblivion." I'm not sure why, I was perhaps a bit busy in 2006, seeing as I graduated high school and went off to college that year. I did play video-games somewhat during my initial collegiate time, however, but while I dabbled in, "Dead Rising," and, "Hitman: Blood Money," a good deal, I just never tried, "Oblivion," and therefore can't offer any opinions on the original's quality or if this remaster compares favorably. It is available for, "Free," on Xbox's Gamepass, however, so perhaps I should give it a try sometime in the near future? The question is what other game from my backlog I've been meaning to play that I'll need to delete first to have the memory space, however!

"Starbound," Has Come to Xbox via Game Pass

Way back in 2013, I discussed how I had greatly enjoyed playing a very early beta (a pre-release test version) of a game called, "Starbound." I considered it one of my favorite titles of that year and was excited for more features to be added over time. I dabbled with, "Starbound," off and on for some months and eventually moved on, figuring I would return to it at some point in the future when it was done. I then, eventually, forgot about it as there are always more and more games to try out. However, "Starbound," has now come to the Xbox Series X/S via the Game Pass and that has me excited!

"Starbound," is complete and has had a number of patches/additions over time so that means this game is packed with features! It is fantastic that, "Starbound," now can be enjoyed on a computer and Xbox Series X/S, I look forward to trying it out on my console once I have a bit of time to dive in and try it out!

"Star Trucker," Early Impressions

I tried the new game, "Star Trucker," via Xbox's Game Pass. I found it both fun and infuriating during the bit of time I've had to sample the simulator of sorts. In, "Star Trucker," you have a big space rig you fly around via the stars. It's a mix between wild sci-fi and at times focusing on the minutia of taking care of your vehicle. One minute you're admiring a space station the next you're replacing your cabin's air filters and making sure the gravity doesn't shut off in your rig. There are lots of little buttons and things to fiddle with in your truck and it gives everything a nice tactile feel even though we obviously can't truly, "Touch," our levers or buttons. "Star Trucker," takes great pains to really make you feel like you're inside a hefty spaceship, however, whether it's cycling your cabin's cameras or pulling the horn. It is quite charming. Then the issue arises that I'm not good at flight simulators.

Yes, you're in a truck, but you are flying through space. Up is down and down is up, but as this is space even that doesn't always hold true. I'm not the best at games with your flying or floating around and I found myself getting incredibly irritated when I'd try to dock myself with a space station or pick up some cargo. I attempted to be as precise as I could lining my truck up with things, but often would just smash into a wall and damage my poor rig. I'd get really annoyed, but then I'd also have fun once I finally got to cruising. Once everything was hitched, I could enjoy some tunes on the space radio and kick-back..before hitting some space debris and having to do a spacewalk to fix my hull.

"Star Trucker," requires patience. You need to watch all the life support systems in your truck at the same time you're flying through space avoiding debris and then slowing down to a crawl and carefully lining-up for cargo. Even on the easiest setting, there is much to manage. It's a very endearing game one minute and has you feeling like throwing your controller across the room in a rage the next. I've had some fun with it when I'm not cursing under my breath, and if you have Game Pass there really is nothing to lose if you give, "Star Trucker," a try. I haven't played enough of the game to feel I could offer an earnest review, but my early impressions are that this is a good time...when it's not enraging you.

"Totally Accurate Battle Simulator," is a Hoot

Thanks to the good ol' Game Pass on my Xbox Series S, I can sample an assortment of games. I'd heard of, "Totally Accurate Battle Simulator," or, "TABS," before and wanted to try it out. Having played it a good chunk, this game is a hoot! You basically enter a level facing enemies and can place your own units to see how a fight plays out. If you want you can control a character too or simply float around the battlefield. 

There are all kinds of wacky characters and the zany physics makes the fights hilarious to watch. If you don't want to play, "TABS," more strategic levels you can always go into the sandbox mode and just fiddle around. Want to see if a bunch of potion throwers can beat two mammoths? Have at it! Curious if a ton of cavemen with clubs can take Zesus and his lightning powers? Nothing is stopping you!

"TABS," is really fun to play. There is a strange satisfaction to finding the right combination of units to conquer a level and it is always hilarious to start random fights in the sandbox. If you have an Xbox or computer with Game Pass I'd 100% recommend trying this game out. Even if you don't have those this is worth every penny if you choose to buy a copy to own as well. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to have my scarecrow fight some knights.

5 out of 5 stars.

"Exoprimal," is a Weird and Fun Little Game

I've got the Xbox Game Pass so I'm able to dip my toe into games with ease. If I like something I can keep playing it and if I dislike it, I move on with nary a problem. I was intrigued when I saw promotions for, "Exoprimal," as it featured a team of human players fighting against AI dinosaurs and other human players. Then I saw mixed-to-negative reviews. Still, I tried the game out even knowing it maybe wasn't the best, and found myself pleasantly surprised by what I've played so far.

"Exoprimal," is a multiplayer game but between missions will give you little cinema scenes that flesh out a very strange plot. It is a bit of a kitchen sink of a story with time travel, alternate dimensions, self-aware robots forcing wargames for twisted amusement, mech suits, dinosaurs, and you as the silent protagonist surrounded by a zany crew with an assortment of accents. You don't have to pay any attention to the plot, but it is so utterly bonkers I found it a bit endearing. The gameplay itself allows you to wear various suits that let you do all kinds of powers from shooting to punching, shielding allies, healing friends, floating around, summoning helpful dinos, and more. It is a bit like the various characters in games such as, "Overwatch," who are all very different but manage to complement each others' skill sets. You run around, fight dinosaurs and some other players, watch a zany cinema scene, and that's how it goes.

You level up and can tweak certain things or even buy cosmetic upgrades, but the game isn't too annoying with that and thankfully lacks other stuff I'm burnt out on in many other titles (too many games have some form of, "Crafting," these days). This is mostly a straightforward affair of beating up prehistoric creatures and having laid-back fun while you do it. The graphics are perfectly fine without having a, "Wow," factor, the gameplay is simple but engaging (and you can always change your mech suit to alter your style of play if one method gets dull), and while, "Exoprimal," may not win any awards or astound players, it's some chill fun. I haven't played nearly enough to offer what I'd consider a truly detailed review, but from what I have sampled I'd say this is a pleasant 4 out of 5 stars of a game.

Evernote Expects Me to Pay Double Suddenly, I Will Not

Things go up in price, I get it. Between inflation and the general costs of operating a service, a price will sometimes need to be increased. Microsoft/Xbox Game Pass is raising its price a couple bucks a month. People are upset and I also dislike it but I understand and it isn't an absurd change. Then you've got Evernote, which decided to tell me they were going to basically double the price for me to use their app from $70 to $130. A 100% price increase sucks. If we were talking about raising the price by $10 for the year I could maybe understand, but when you go slap with me such an absurd price hike I'm not going to take part in that. Before my Evernote subscription renews at the end of July I plan to find another service (I've been testing some other sites and apps out), import my notes to my new selection, and be done with it. This is not a decision I take lightly as I've been using Evernote for years. Double the price, however? To quote the great Randy Jackson back in the heyday of American Idol, "It's a no from me, dawg." It's a dated reference, but it works.

Xbox Has Big Plans, Here's Hoping They Work Out

Today, Microsoft showed off a lot of new Xbox (and PC) games at their big ol' Summer Showcase. A lot more details were revealed about, "Starfield," as well in a follow-up segment and reactions have ranged from optimistic to less-than-excited for it. A new, "Fable," game was confirmed with Richard Ayoade as a character and it does actually look a bit quirky and funny (I recently posted my concerns about the franchise continuing, but maybe I was wrong). A new open-world game titled, "Star Wars: Outlaws," had an all-CG teaser so who knows how the game will be but that caught my eye. Developer Obsidian showed off,"Avowed," and acknowledged it looked a lot like, 'Skryim," while assuring us it is different. I thought, "Still Wakes the Deep," sounded interesting as a horror game on an oil rig, too. 

I haven't even named all the stuff discussed, just what looked cool to me. That said, many would agree the Xbox Series X/S has had a rough go of things lately and is clearly hoping the Fall of 2023 and much of 2024 are going to bring in those games that really draw people to the consoles and the Game Pass. I personally find the Game Pass snazzy but I'm aware more and more people think it needs to step things up to really dominate the market as Netflix (or whatever streamer you like) of games. There is clearly a plan, we just need to see if it works out.

Wow, "Redfall," is Really Bad

The internet has been discussing just awful, "Redfall," is. At this point, you almost feel guilty talking about the game being sucky as the developers share how they've witnessed even industry peers mocking them. That said, we need to talk about, "Redfall." It's a game about a town overtaken by vampires and it is so bad. The gameplay is bland, the enemies have horrific AI, and it is ugly. I mean, these are the kind of graphics you'd witness on an Xbox 360/PS3 and still remark, "This doesn't look good." Everything is blocky, hideous, and the fire effects made me outright laugh at how atrocious they were. 

This entire thing feels like a misfire. I honestly didn't play much of, "Redfall," so you can call my review unfair if you want to claim the game gets better hours upon hours in. That said, I feel horrible for anyone who actually spent $70 on this and I am glad I could just sample, "Redfall," with Game Pass and then quickly uninstall it once the low quality was apparent.

1 out of 5 Stars.