Microsoft finally gets it. Does this mean they renounce the gaas future? How will this bode for gamepass?
Game Pass is GAAS. This is why I was excited about their future as soon as they announced Game Pass would be the core and all their 1st party would be Day 1 in the service.
New story driven games from AA studios are an equivalent expense to DLC for AAA games.
They need a variety of content to cast a wide net for the service. Much like Netflix doesn't have a single model for its content. Netflix has their big, ongoing franchises but they also have a variety of one and done content.
These games no longer have to justify themselves in a vacuum. For example, Ninja Theories next game may drive someone to pay $10 for one month to play that game. Consumer subsequently tries out Sea of Thieves and State of Decay and likes them. Consumer buys micro-transactions in SOT and the DLC for SOD. Consumer sticks and keeps paying $10 a month.
Microsoft will need loss leader content. Content that drives all types of people to the service. Then they'll have other ways to monitize and get people to stick once they're there.
Most of all, it gets consumers interacting in the Xbox ecosystem where Microsoft is good at monetizing once consumers stick. It's a web. These single player games will be just one way to get people caught in the web.
