Should Xbox Games Pass Adding Games Be Allowed as Deals?

jimbobaus on 04/01/2020 - 13:03
Last edited 14/02/2020 - 14:39 by 2 other users

So this was briefly discussed in the 2019 site suggestions thread

today a game was added and it has created a lot of heated debate on the actual post.
At the suggestion of Neil i have created a thread for all to discuss this

My Thoughts:
XGP adding games is no different from Spotify adding an album or Netflix adding a series or movie
You pay the subscription and if some thing is added its not a deal
if you can get the subscription cheap, now that's a deal

Lets try and play nice in this forum
everyone's opinion matters even if it does not match your own

Mod

  • Users who wish to block "Additions to Subscription Services" can do so by adding SUBS to their front page customisation.
  • Moderators & Power Users will add [SUBS] to any deals that fall under additions to Subscription Services.
  • Xbox Game Pass, Netflix, Hulu, Disney Plus are considered additions to subscription services. Playstation Plus and Games with Gold are not considered additions to subscription services as you need to claim/"buy them". We will tag any other services that may fall under these deals.
  • A reminder of how to block these kind of deals will be added to deals for a short term period, just as we do with targeted offers.
  • In the near future, the filter will apply to the new deals page along with the current front page. Filter now works with new deals page. My Account - Edit - Deals

Poll Options expired

  • 230
    YES
  • 368
    NO
Site Discussion

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Comments

      • wendellX on 05/01/2020 - 15:38
        +2

        And? Which deal posting guideline does it break?

        Isn't this the website OzBargain where we post deals? If the price of PPSR has been consistent for years, then what bargain am I going to receive when someone is simply posting "hey this service exists, this price is the every day price, but maybe you just don't know about it yet"? Sounds like a prime candidate for a forum post. If your guidelines don't cover this and common sense doesn't enter the picture, then maybe guidelines on "everyday price products" should be added.

        • SlappersOnly on 05/01/2020 - 15:51

          I just looked up this PPSR deal everyone is talking about and it seems like the mods already have this covered. The deal was marked as Long Running. PPSR has its own subscribable topic so you can get notifications if there is a limited deal posted while also maintaining the $2 long running deal at the top of the topic if searched.

        • Moderatorneil on 05/01/2020 - 15:53

          Shouldn't the determination of whether something is a bargain or not be in the eyes of the community though?

          • wendellX on 05/01/2020 - 15:58

            @neil: I am in the community too…

            IMO a bargain would usually be getting something cheaper than what it might ordinarily be worth. No one walks out of Harvey Norman having bought a new TV at RRP and claims they just scored a great deal.

            • IceCreamBandit on 05/01/2020 - 16:03
              +2

              @wendellX:

              I am in the community too…

              So am I, so are countless others.

              So if in your opinion it isn't a bargain, then move on.

              If in the opinion of the OzBargain community as a whole (look at deal votes) it is, then guess what? It is!

              • jimbobaus on 05/01/2020 - 16:46
                +2

                @IceCreamBandit: Can’t use voting on a deal as a determining factor. To down vote takes a lot more than an upvote, and “not a deal” is not a valid reason to downvote.
                So voting can be skewed. You may have a lot who want to downvote but don’t or can’t as their reason gets their neg removed.
                The poll on this post (which doesn’t require a comment) indicates it’s pretty close either way.

                • IceCreamBandit on 05/01/2020 - 18:28

                  @jimbobaus:

                  Can’t use voting on a deal as a determining factor

                  Why not, may I ask? It is used as the method of determining what goes to the front page etc. Why should the votes here count then?

                  I said this in an earlier reply to someone else here, but I don't see the need for people to justify their + with a comment.

                  Good deal? Then + vote it. Comments like 'love it' or 'great deal' contribute nothing meaningful. If people do it to show gratitude for OP or share personal experience or reviews to go with their vote, then that is useful and helpful to the community.

                  If it doesn't apply to you or interest you, then you don't need to interact with the post. Just like in real life if someone does and buys something you don't care about, you don't need to do anything about it.

                  Some people appear to have a mindset of 'if it isn't a good deal, it must be negged' and I am not sure it is an overly useful mindset to adopt.

                  You may have a lot who want to downvote but don’t or can’t as their reason gets their neg removed.

                  We definitely may, but I think it is fair enough for users to put in the effort to neg a deal and warn the community of issues as detailed in the voting guidelines. As per the guidelines, if it does not appeal to you, the individual user, it must not be negged.

                  If people could free downvote as they could upvote, I can easily see deals of iPhone/Android and PS/Xbox/Switch/PC being vandalised (and I use that term very deliberately) and everything goes to sh*t.

                  I think it is a very similar reason why a 👎 or dislike will not appear on social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram (FB does have reacts now mind you). It is very easy to be a jerk online and cyber bully thanks to anonymity.

                  If people want to neg a deal, by all means go for it as long as you play by the rules (the T&C you agreed to when signing up etc.). If people are ignorant (deliberate or otherwise) of the guidelines, then the offending votes should be removed.

                  The binary of 'good deal or bad deal' seems silly. A deal that is not interacted with (no votes either way) is just as good an indicator that a deal is not of value (or interest) to the community. This is particularly evident in deals from Reps. To ensure they contribute meaningfully with actual deals, their posts must manage an average + vote of something (see guidelines for merchants for detail). If reps continue to get no responses, they get banned.

                  The same thing happens with general posts (without the banning of course), where a post that gets no interest should lead the OP to reconsider the value of what they are posting before doing so.

          • Skramit on 05/01/2020 - 16:44

            @neil: That’s not the case though is it? Deals get nuked by mods on the reporting complaint of a single user. Mods have final say on all deals, especially in the first 5 mins when 99% of the community hasn’t even had a chance to see it.

            • Moderatorneil on 05/01/2020 - 17:10

              @Skramit: Does the deal meet deal posting guidelines? Yes: ↓. No: Unpublish Deal with link to guidelines
              Is the deal a duplicate? No: ↓. Yes, Unpublish with link to original deal
              Good to go!
              Then power users and moderators will fix up the title, description and links.

              Whether a deal is a bargain or not, is not a moderation issue. It's up to the community to vote up good deals.

              P.S. I've removed the associated tag from your account. I assume you pressed that by accident?

              • Skramit on 05/01/2020 - 17:52

                @neil: Oh probably. On iPad the HTML is all out of wack in chrome these days.

              • wendellX on 05/01/2020 - 20:05

                @neil:

                Does the deal meet deal posting guidelines? Yes: ↓. No: Unpublish Deal with link to guidelines

                So why are the so called "joke posts" about Netflix movies being removed? They follow the guidelines but are removed just because you feel they are in protest to identical deals for some updated content on gaming subscription services?

                • Moderatorneil on 05/01/2020 - 21:33

                  @wendellX:

                  "joke posts"

                  Deal Posting Guidelines:

                  Joke Posts
                  Please don't submit joke posts in the deals section - new deals trigger notifications to subscribers who are after genuine deals. Feel free to put any humorous finds in the forums.

                  • bxpressiv on 05/01/2020 - 22:01

                    @neil: So it's not a moderation issue and the cream will rise to the top except for when almost identical posts with the same amount of upvotes, the mods in their infinite wisdom will veto with a trolling card. The community wants those posts based on the votes but here we are.

                    • Moderatorneil on 05/01/2020 - 22:20

                      @bxpressiv: Yes,

                      Yummy by Justin Bieber added to Deezer

                      was surely not a trolling post at all.

                  • Skramit on 05/01/2020 - 22:01

                    @neil: With all due respect you didn’t answer his question. The Netflix deal was as legit as the Xbox one. It’s simply a judgment call from the mod that it’s a joke and removed it so you kind of defeated your own replies above. So can you understand the community frustration? On one hand you say “guidelines rule” and that’s all you gotta do is fit the guidelines. But on the other hand you banned the Netflix deal guy for trolling when it meets your guidelines. (Which I think is grossly unfair)

                    • Moderatorneil on 05/01/2020 - 22:32

                      @Skramit: The posts were trolling. Yes, in a vacuum, deals like that are the same. But deals like that, posted right after another controversial one to make a point are not. Respectfully, the community also doesn't know any of the background on the users prior history (which helps towards intent) due to privacy and we can't discuss bans.

                      I'll take an extreme example for understanding. Let's take the bushfire disasters we are going through. If a user now started posting deals about firelog starters, lighters etc which are, in a vacuum, applicable as a deal normally, it would be pretty obvious that it's trolling. The intent wasn't to let the community know about a deal but was to troll. I hope that helps understanding.

  • Yuri Lowell on 05/01/2020 - 15:22
    -1

    If Game Pass deals are banned then so should PS+ and XBL Gold. Basically any service that requires a subscription should be banned. Personally I don't feel they should be.

    • jimbobaus on 05/01/2020 - 16:43
      +2

      The argument for ps+ and XBL is the subscription is for the online services such as multiplayer etc and the games are a bonus which you get to keep in some cases (Xbox 360 etc)
      Where as game pass games can be removed any time and then you need to buy them to keep playing.
      You also have a very limited window in which to claim ps+ and xbl games.

  • Shwayne on 05/01/2020 - 16:14
    +1

    I think if the game can't be obtained for less than $60 elsewhere then yes.

    I do not think we should be including every game whatsoever, especially if the game is $15 on Steam during sales.

    So a recent release Outer Worlds on XBP yes, saved me a lot of money, but I don't give the slightest about GTAV on the pass.

  • locknuts on 05/01/2020 - 18:45

    It's impractical but I love the triggerings it causes.

  • hawktalk on 05/01/2020 - 23:01
    +5

    I don't see the harm in it. I am a gold + gamepass subscriber, yet I wouldn't have known that GTAV got added to the service if I didn't read it on here (last used the Xbox several days ago). I already have the game but its still nice to know!

  • Clear on 05/01/2020 - 23:49
    +7

    I seriously don't understand why people can't just ignore and not vote on a deal that doesn't apply to them.

    If I wanted to be pedantic like a lot of people are here, I would be having a hissy fit and downvoting 7/11 deals for a few reasons: 7/11 is not in my state, so I can't take advantage of the deals. 7/11 is not nationwide and yet the deals do not have a [WA/QLD/NSW/VIC] tag. Other stores that are in specific states and not nationwide require tags for which state they're in.

    Above example is just hypothetical because I really don't care and I normally upvote 7/11 anyway because they seem to be good value.

    • SlappersOnly on 06/01/2020 - 01:05
      +1

      Relate so much to this 😅. All those Costco, 7/11, Aldi, Umart C+C etc deal notifications. Especially all the targeted MyMaccas reward deals. Like, come on guys, you get a random maccas reward every 3 or so days. Just because you got free fries with a burger order doesn’t mean we all did.

      • Clear on 06/01/2020 - 07:09
        +2

        Hold on you just mentioned Costco. Why are they even deals in the first place since they are a part of the membership you pay for?

        /s

    • spackbace on 06/01/2020 - 01:41
      +5

      Wait, so you can just skip past deals without clicking in and going "I don't like this".

      In the esteemed words of Keanu: Woah

    • wangasm on 06/01/2020 - 03:50
      +2

      I don't understand either why people say to ignore the deals. Rules are in place for a reason, that is to improve your experience on this website, no matter how trivial it may seem to you. What if Ozbargain decided not to ban posts from Adult and Gambling websites? Would you still be happy to keep "ignoring" gambling/adult deals flooding the front page just because they are popular and don't apply to you?

      Anyway, the issue here isn't whether a deal applies to you or not, it's whether these posts should be considered deals at all. 7/11 deals are on goods that have a set price normally, so when they are discounted or free then they are obviously deals. Goods available through subscription services do not have any individual set prices, they are a benefit of paying the subscription. Hence when goods are added to a subscription service there is no monetary amount that you have directly saved since you already paid for the expected service of new games/movies/music being available to you.

      • Clear on 06/01/2020 - 07:11

        It's going to cost me a heap of money to go to a 7/11 to take advantage a deal. Thus no monetary amount has been saved directly.

        Seriously people need to stop getting so stressed about things so trivial in the new year. We have bigger issues.

      • spackbace on 06/01/2020 - 10:04
        -3

        Anyway, the issue here isn't whether a deal applies to you or not, it's whether these posts should be considered deals at all.

        263 people determined it to be a deal by voting for it (so far).

        So yes, the issue is whether a person deems it to be a deal or not, which is the whole purpose of this site and the voting mechanism.

        • Skramit on 06/01/2020 - 10:45
          +4

          Just because a deal gets 263 votes doesn't mean it aligns with the vibe/essence/feel of the site. Which is why this very discussion thread exists. Clearly it's a discussion around - "do we want a deal posted every time a new game/show/album is added to a streaming service?". IMO - no way.

          I don't think the debate has ever been "is this deal a good thing or not". Clearly the answer is always "yes" when new content is added to a service. But that's not what being debated/discussed in here as I see it. So you've got people on two very different tangents here trying to debate different things (and causing friction!)

          In hindsight I negged it as "not a deal" because I dont think it's what OzB is for. It feels to me like a news feed, rather than a deal feed - two very different things. A bit like your PPSR deal - to me this is a news post, not a deal post and belongs in the forum.

          • spackbace on 06/01/2020 - 12:18
            +1

            @Skramit:

            Just because a deal gets 263 votes doesn't mean it aligns with the vibe/essence/feel of the site.

            It means it's what the community wants. A deal doesn't get over 100 votes easily. As to vibe/essence/feel, the deal went nuts at HUKD, does their site focus any differently on 'bargains' as we do?
            SlickDeals sends theirs to the forums, HUKD post theirs as deals and prove popular, so who's right and who's wrong?

            So you've got people on two very different tangents here trying to debate different things (and causing friction!)

            Pretty much!

            A bit like your PPSR deal - to me this is a news post, not a deal post and belongs in the forum.

            Which has already been responded to by neil. And whether it's been posted by me, or others, it's always had replies of "oh I didn't know about this" or "Oh I paid for the $30 one last time" etc.

            • Skramit on 06/01/2020 - 12:30

              @spackbace: Maybe it helps by breaking it down to this:

              The [+] box means different things to different people on different deals. To some it's a "like button" to other it's a "valid bargain" button.

              I would prefer to see OzB stick to "valid bargains" and not be just a news feed where a "like button" comes in to play.

              I think it gets to the crux of the confusion/disagreements as some of the iffy deals that get a billion upvotes are really just 'likes' :)

              Now if OzB overlords are happy to have "news" type deals posted and get 1000 "likes", so be it. But at least say so, and then moderate accordingly and consistently for this, and not inconsistently nuking some but not others like has been happening here and there.

              • spackbace on 06/01/2020 - 12:37
                +1

                @Skramit:

                not inconsistently nuking some but not others like has been happening here and there.

                Hasn't been inconsistent. Just because deals have been nuked due to trolling, doesn't mean they weren't. It was quite clear when they were. And always after something like the Game Pass deal gets posted.

                I would prefer to see OzB stick to "valid bargains" and not be just a news feed where a "like button" comes in to play.

                You're never going to determine how the voting system is treated. There's a member who consistently votes up most of the deals posted, by members and reps. Obvious shitty deals, or sockpuppeting, or whatever, they just go through the new deals page and vote on everything. And a few years back I remember we had the same thing.

                It's like the deals for those who have been affected by the fires. While that (most likely) doesn't directly affect those voting, they still vote it up because they think it's a great initiative. They don't vote it down because it doesn't apply to them, or similar reasons. They vote because they 'like' the deal.

                • Skramit on 06/01/2020 - 12:45
                  +2

                  @spackbace:

                  you're never going to determine how the voting system is treated.

                  You certainly can by controlling (i.e. modding) what is a deal and what is a news post. News posts get moved to the forum removing votes.

                  • spackbace on 06/01/2020 - 12:47
                    +1

                    @Skramit:

                    what is a deal and what is a news post.

                    Which is getting into the crux of who determines what is and isn't a deal again…! You think the PPSR post is news, mods and rules and the community don't

                    • Skramit on 06/01/2020 - 12:55
                      +1

                      @spackbace:

                      You think the PPSR post is news, mods and rules and the community don't

                      Just because PPSR got upvotes doesnt mean people thought it was a genuine bargain. This is the point and the crux of this thread - what belongs as a deal and what doesn't. Interesting you reference "the community" when you have no evidence of why anyone upvoted your post. But I'll hazard a guess that given there was 0 discount and it was a repost, I'm guessing most people upvoted because it was simply news to them that PPSR existed, not because it's a bargain - which to me a has a perfect place in the forum, not as a deal.

                      Also theres more votes on this poll for "no" so "the community" you referency is not as clearly cut in favor of news posts as you claim.

                      • netsurfer on 06/01/2020 - 13:54
                        +1

                        @Skramit: Why are you so fixated on the PPSR post? I had no idea such post exists until you mentioned it. It's called OZBargain, not SkramitBargain.

                        It's common for people to disagree with what deals/posts got included and + votes being biased. However, what is the big deal exactly? If the mod(s) believed a deal doesn't have sufficient information or a deal can be posted, so be it.

                        I've reported some deals to the mods, sometimes they agree with me, sometimes they disagree. They do provide reasons when they disagree. In those cases, I just move on.

                        PPSR post is nothing compared to some pricing error deals (which nobody ended up getting them) and collected heaps more + votes. Or, deals where due to system glitch, the seller actually only had 2 available, but accepted hundreds of orders. Why don't we go back to correct them? BECAUSE people move on to more important things.

                        Rather than getting upset that your deal got knocked back while PPSR deal was allowed, just move on and find a better deal. Frankly, even though I don't really see PPSR is really a OZB deal, I am still happy for that OP to get some many + votes. Some people like that and that does matter. It is not about you and me. It's for the community. If the community find a deal useful, even if you and me disagree, there is no point being a jerk about it.

                        • Skramit on 06/01/2020 - 14:00

                          @netsurfer:

                          Why are you so fixated on the PPSR post?

                          Ease up. Not fixated at all. Neil asked me for an example. It was just the first one I could think of that's not a bargain per se, and was similar in essence to these 'new content added' deals that get posted where it's more a PSA than a deal. shrug

                          The only thing that I am arguing is that it should be consistent one way or the other, because to me it's currently not consistent. That some PSA's get nuked and others don't.

                          I'm only trying to improve the quality of the deals that hit the front page by giving my opinion on what should be a deal and what shouldn't.

                          • netsurfer on 06/01/2020 - 14:25
                            +2

                            @Skramit: I didn't neg you. He already explained it. You still don't want to accept it.

                            The way you post a deal and the info you provide do make a difference. If you feel that a mod or certain mods are picking on you, then follow one of the OZBers who used to post quite a lot of deals and had differences with a mod - he stopped posted any deal (I think he also stopped commenting on deals).

                            Honestly, your idea of improving the quality of the deals is purely based on your opinion. Whether we like it or not, if PPSR post got that many votes, then the community in general felt it deserves to be there. Sure, we can disagree, but you and me get 1 vote each - that's all. Just go to that deal, vote your opinion and neg vote it if you must.

                            Don't assume mods have anything to do with the results. For deals in grey area, don't assume mods make a pure black and white decision.

                            • Skramit on 06/01/2020 - 15:11

                              @netsurfer:

                              Honestly, your idea of improving the quality of the deals is purely based on your opinion

                              Duh. This is a discussion forum for debating opinions and ideas. It was encouraged by neil and I will always engage with somebody such as yourself trying to shut discussion down. I am not saying "my way or the highway". If it comes across as that, my bad, but just because I have a different opinion to yourself doesn't mean I'm forcing it down everyone elses throat by arguing for it.

                              Whether we like it or not, if PPSR post got that many votes, then the community in general felt it deserves to be there

                              Sure, but I feel similar deals have been nuked by mods before the community can decide. My personal opinion is it's inconsistently moderated. The xbox vs netflix thing probably just brought it to a head.

                              Like I said to neil, I can only provide feedback as a user in this regard - which is what I'm trying to do. If you disagree, that's fine too.

                              Perhaps it's just a gap in the guidelines that lead us to this point.

                      • spackbace on 06/01/2020 - 15:23

                        @Skramit:

                        Also theres more votes on this poll for "no" so "the community" you referency is not as clearly cut in favor of news posts as you claim.

                        Just to note, here's why the poll was flawed from the start. I've read comments from all 3 sides in this post, that a simple yes/no isn't answering.

                        (side note, no I didn't neg your other comment)

                        And to further add, I posted this deal directly into the Forums, and this deal as a deal post ;)

                        • Skramit on 06/01/2020 - 15:25
                          +1

                          @spackbace: For the record I'm not critical of the PPSR thing in a general sense, I hope that's clear.

                          • wendellX on 06/01/2020 - 15:46
                            +1

                            @Skramit: Everyone that wants these deals seems to be referring to the community as only those who agree with them, and everyone who disagrees are naysayers trying to go against the community. The community here on OzBargain are clearly not settled on whether an update to a subscription service constitutes a worthy deal for the front page, and if you claim votes are how the community expresses their voice best, then be prepared to accept the votes on this post too. It's disingenuous to pretend that the community are the good guys who just love these deals, and the bad guys are the ones saying to move them to the forums.

                            Consider that all it takes to [+] a deal is to click a button. To [-] you also need to make a comment, and open yourself up to all the complainers that get worked up that you pressed the precious neg button. If someone has to neg every gamepass or whatever deal with a comment to express their opinion on them, and then get all the hate back every time from the people that don't agree, I reckon most would just not bother. All the plus voters get a nice easy way to express their view, and a whole part of the community is effectively silenced. With the voting system as it is (I'm not proposing any changes though) I don't think a positive score on a deal absolutely means there is community consensus that it belongs here.

                            • Skramit on 06/01/2020 - 16:06

                              @wendellX: Agreed. It’s always intrigued me that you can pos without comment but neg requires justification, and a very strict guideline of what the justification must be. I can understand why on one hand from a protecting good deals from being shitcanned by trolls POV, but on the other it can give “false positives” for lack of a better phrase.

                              • Moderatorneil on 06/01/2020 - 23:51

                                @Skramit: People like to enact their own version of how voting should work from their POV which differs from OzBargain's POV on the voting system.

                                Voting Guidelines

                                Positive Votes - This is a good deal
                                No Vote - Not interested in deal, meh (There isn't a button for this)
                                Negative Vote - Bad deal e.g. price isn't the best, product isn't great, company isn't great.

                                Negative votes are there to point out issues.

                                The voting system we currently have is based on 14 years of trial and error. We trialed negative voting without commenting and it was a mess. We've discussed at one point having a certain set of reasons to neg a deal. We removed negative votes entirely. None of them are a silver bullet but we believe the voting system we have is probably as good as it is going to get.

                                We've setup customisations of front pages so users see popular deals they are interested in (e.g. more travel deals, less computing deals). We're also algorhythmically promoting deals with lower votes on slower day, and vice versa. I would like to see a more Facebook type algorithm that can build a profile on a user and show deals they are likely to be interested in. For example, I'm never going to buy an SSD deal so never show me that but love Amex Cashback. Easy to say, but programming something like that is probably a bit trickier. I think there is also work that can be done to de-influence certain voting blocks. e.g. X user tends to vote mostly on Ys deal. In cases like that X's votes should count be weighted less than person A who falls within the bell curve of voting. Anyway, just some thoughts

                                • wendellX on 07/01/2020 - 01:29

                                  @neil: Yea I like the voting system as it is too, but I'm just responding to the suggestion that upvotes on a deal indicate the communities preference for the deal as a whole. Even if people were to use negative votes to show their distaste (against the guidelines I'm aware), it usually doesn't end well for them so the people voting YES in this thread are just further empowered by their overestimated show of support.

  • Wallyt99 on 06/01/2020 - 08:19
    +1

    Time for a new site - ozstream.com featuring what to watch / play

    • netsurfer on 06/01/2020 - 14:28
      -1

      It costs $3295 just to get that domain.
      ozstream.com.au is also taken.

      • Wallyt99 on 07/01/2020 - 10:37

        By Scotty? Probably two steps ahead….

  • bxpressiv on 06/01/2020 - 11:55
    +1

    @neil Can we get a not a deal option below the +/- which has no effect other than better reflecting community sentiment to offers? If you want to be the librarians here there probably needs to be a fairer way to accurately capture what people think of what is being posted. With that addition it actually gives everyone a voice on every deal beyond the token 'just don't look at it' comments which gets rolled out. It's not about negativity, it's about having a vote to shaping the site.

    • SlappersOnly on 06/01/2020 - 12:05

      That opens up a whole other bunch of issues. I remember few years ago when a officeworks deal was getting a ton of negativity because a Umart click and collect deal was cheaper even though people explained that postage made it worse.

      Not to mention all the brand wars that happen on a daily basis.

      • bxpressiv on 06/01/2020 - 12:08
        +1

        Negs have an effect, this would just be a counter. It would be a more dynamic way for the site to evolve. What other issues are there? It would be data to consider, that's it. Doing a forum discussion isn't the best way to capture sentiment.

        • SlappersOnly on 06/01/2020 - 12:19

          It would be way to open for trolling. I mean, just look at how people reaction when a Harvey Norman deal is posted.

          • bxpressiv on 06/01/2020 - 12:29

            @SlappersOnly: It could be a number only the mods can see, it may actually have a positive effect by removing some of the negative sentiment in the comments because people have an option of voting against it to begin with. It's also not hard to do analysis of types of deals people don't want VS stores people don't like.

            • netsurfer on 06/01/2020 - 15:01

              @bxpressiv: Your suggestion is too complicated. People are already using the Report option every time these type of deals are being posted. Mod(s) have had to stop the report option. I saw a flood of reports initially when the deal was just posted.

              Mods are aware of the situation and by allowing them, they are creating overheads for themselves as well. So, they need to decide whether they still want to allow these for those who found them useful, even if a growing number of people starting to find them annoying.

              • bxpressiv on 06/01/2020 - 16:12

                @netsurfer: I presume you mean implementation is complicated, the idea is quite simple.

              • Moderatorneil on 06/01/2020 - 23:58

                @netsurfer: We hit a new record for reports in December. 6279. 1 report every ~7 minutes. :)

    • Skramit on 06/01/2020 - 12:58

      There's merit in this, given how black and white the pos vs neg votes are. But I doubt scotty wants to rejig the coding over this issue :P

    • Moderatorneil on 06/01/2020 - 23:56

      While I agree with the sentiment, I think you'll just have to pretend there is a no vote button or just put a comment in there.

      • bxpressiv on 07/01/2020 - 00:08

        No prbs, thanks.

  • infinite on 06/01/2020 - 13:01
    +2

    Both the console versions of the digital game pass rental services are just that, a rental service. They are no different to Netflix, Spotify, EA Pass or any other digital rental service. A core basic function of the advertised service you pay for is that they will add new games to it at a set interval. You are simply getting what you paid for, it's not a bargain to get what you paid for as part of the advertised service.

    They should only ever be posted as a deal if the service itself has been discounted, or a sale for X-month's worth of the service comes about.

    Posting updates about new games that come on/off the service each month is not posting a deal. If it was, we'd have Netflix and Spotify posts up on the front page every single week. But we don't, because they aren't deals either unless there is a discount or sale on the price of paying for the actual service.

    • netsurfer on 06/01/2020 - 14:07

      They should only ever be posted as a deal if the service itself has been discounted.

      Problem is, this opens a loophole to allow GamePass deals to be posted. Most of the GamePass new (above average) game(s) being added are for finite period of time - most people generally post 3 party titles so they do leave the GamePass library. Let's say the game is going to be available for 3 months, then how soon before it leaves the library can someone post it as a deal? 1 month?

      Also, I can imagine some people are like me, simply join GamePass when it is $1 or $2 for a month (or up to 3 months). I have on occasions used GamePass vouchers on the months where game(s) I wanted to play got added (I don't need OZB reminder). I just take the dirt cheap way, rather than max out GamePass Ultimate for 36 months.

      I get these deals can be annoying to people (even I am starting to find them annoying). However, we can just ignore those posts. I reckon most of us are upset about them due to the + votes they are getting. If they only get 10 votes each, I reckon most of us wouldn't give a damn. Realistically though, I don't see an issue for those people getting + votes (they did find out the info faster than most of us) and some people do appreciate them. I don't vote for those deals, but it is not a show stopper issue. It's not like we have heaps of bargains at the moment anyway.

  • richadam on 06/01/2020 - 14:53

    Yes because free games from the EPIC store come in weekly and that's similar (except it's free on the EPIC store)

    • wangasm on 06/01/2020 - 15:14
      +3

      But that's a completely different concept. Those are completely free games with no strings attached (other than having to create a free Epic account).

      You can only access Xbox pass games after paying for the subscription service. The expectation of the service is that new games are periodically added, hence you are getting what you already paid for.

      • spackbace on 06/01/2020 - 15:15

        You can only access Xbox pass games after paying for the subscription service.

        So you don't agree with XBL and PS+ free game posts then either?

        Or the deal for free Discord Nitro/EA Access for those with Xbox Game Pass subscriptions?

        • wangasm on 06/01/2020 - 15:18

          Yeh, those all fall into the same category to me. (Same as Netflix, Spotify etc.)

          • spackbace on 06/01/2020 - 15:19

            @wangasm: Which is where this poll is failing. Some are happy with those deals, some want a blanket ban, some are fine with XBL/PS+ posts but not Game Pass.

            There's 3 camps and a simple yes/no isn't helping solve it.

            Side note, that free Discord Nitro/EA Access deal didn't receive a single neg vote. Nothing revoked here.

            • wangasm on 06/01/2020 - 15:29
              +1

              @spackbace: My apologies, I forgot that the XBLG and PS+ deals work a little different to the standard game pass deals. I had assumed the poll was purely for Game Pass deals and similar services like netflix/spotify as per neil's post

              I don't really have a preference if XBLG/PS+ deals stay or not.

              I would agree with the free discord/EA access being a deal because you are getting something bonus/additional that was not previously expected of the service. Plus it also let you extend your subscription for no extra cost.

              • netsurfer on 06/01/2020 - 16:52

                @wangasm: While I get the argument that GamePass is not free, there are and have been too many deals which made it close to being free right now anyway.

                • $1 for 1 month GamePass Ultimate right now + 2 months free if purchased now (for new user, but GamePass Ultimate).
                • Dunno whether you can buy XBox Live Gold for $1 for a month first, followed by GamePass Ultimate to boost the total to 4 months.

                $1 to rent GTA V for 1 month (or realistically 3 months) is a good deal. I was at EB game earlier today and saw a mum just bought GTA V brand new (PS4 version) for her children. The staff was trying to sell her PS Plus (due to GTA V having an online mode), her children weren't interested.

                That's why this thing is tricky to decide. Realistically, in terms of bargain right now, GamePass right now (for $1) is certainly better than PS Plus and XBLG free games this month aren't that great either (but I get that given GPUltimate is $1, that is basically $1 for 3 months as well).

                No doubt those posts are benefiting from the heavily discounted GPUltimate and slightly discounted PS Plus right now.

  • BillyG687 on 06/01/2020 - 15:31
    +3

    Could we just have a once a week or once a month post done listing what's new to each service and pin it to the top of the discussion feed at the bottom of the home page?

    • wendellX on 06/01/2020 - 15:44

      Yes please

    • SlappersOnly on 06/01/2020 - 21:51

      That would be a rush for whoever could submit it first. They’d be half a dozen duplicated each month.

      • wendellX on 07/01/2020 - 01:24

        If it's a forum post there are no points to be won. Just people helping themselves keep track of their subscription updates.

  • Switchblade88 on 07/01/2020 - 01:49
    +1

    Can we not just treat them as targeted deals?

    This had several benefits:

    • Existing labelling mechanism
    • Ability to be hidden by other users
    • Still visible for guests etc who may be interested in subscribing to Game Pass to take advantage of the deal.
  • baldur on 07/01/2020 - 06:28

    Technically, it's no different from a targeted uber deal. But in practice you can post pretty much any newly added Spotify, Netflix content too. So things will be out of control.

  • H E B on 07/01/2020 - 11:11

    Do people feel like there's too many deals posted each day to be limiting the amount of posts like this in the first place though?

  • rumchaser on 07/01/2020 - 15:49
    -5

    All the negs are probably ps4 fans upset they don't have a decent service like gamepass on console .
    Deals for tampons and other things I don't use i'll scroll on by if i'm not interested not waste half a day replying to comments on this poll like some people are!

    • wangasm on 08/01/2020 - 02:21

      No need to turn this into a console war. I myself have Gamepass on PC and it's great but I still voted No to this.

      • rumchaser on 08/01/2020 - 08:19

        I have Xbox switch ps4 and pc .
        Easy to scroll by like everyone does for the other 98% of things they are not interested in .

  • [Deactivated] on 07/01/2020 - 20:56
    +5

    While I think gamepass is itself a bargain, and new additions to it are great to know about, it doesn't really fit the purpose of posting a bargain. I think its more befitting an ongoing forum thread, and it can be updated whenever new games are added. The same should apply to PS+ and Games with Gold games. They're an ongoing benefit of a specific subscription, not themselves a post worthy bargain.

    If there is a particular deal on Gamepass where you can get a membership cheap, then absolutely that should be posted.

  • Wallyt99 on 08/01/2020 - 08:57
    +3

    So will the Mods make a call? There is ample discussion here on the issue.

    • Moderatorneil on 08/01/2020 - 17:42

      Once the discussion has fizzled off in perhaps a day or so, I'll go through all of the different options listed by people and put them in a comment to ensure every option is heard. We'll then discuss internally to how we want to tackle the issue.

  • Maxxiz on 08/01/2020 - 09:59
    +3

    More useful than random supermarket specials… "Rice Crackers are $0.70, down from $1.00 last week".
    Form an orderly line OzBargainers.

    • scuderiarmani on 08/01/2020 - 11:56
      +1

      I eagerly await the Supermarket Catalogue races each week sarcasm

      • SlappersOnly on 08/01/2020 - 19:28

        I’ve either stopped seeing them or people have stopped posting them. I’m pretty sure every Sunday/Monday there was someone that used to post a link to the weekly catalogue as a deal. Now they seem to just post deals of particular sale items they think are good.

  • halil23 on 08/01/2020 - 12:13
    -3

    It blatant obvious this laughable thingy shouldn't be on this site at all. Just a waste of time and space!

  • zombrex on 08/01/2020 - 13:10
    +1

    We should continue to allow them. While they are arguably not deals if you miss on adding them to your account you will not be able to play them in the future without an additional purchase. So in that sense it is saving you money.

    • SlappersOnly on 08/01/2020 - 19:05
      +3

      You are thinking of Xbox Games with Gold. This is Game Pass, a subscription service similar to Netflix that provides you a library of games to play. Also similar to Origin Access and uPlay+

      • zombrex on 08/01/2020 - 19:13
        -1

        Ahh I did not notice.
        Well if that's the case I am against keeping them as posts.
        But PS plus and Xbox Gold games should stay.

  • SlappersOnly on 08/01/2020 - 19:45
    +2

    Since everyone is already here. Here is this month’s Xbox Game Pass games

    • bxpressiv on 08/01/2020 - 20:31

      That's three separate posts right there.

      • SlappersOnly on 08/01/2020 - 20:50

        I’d argue that Frostpunk is the only addition worth a post but people seem to like Tekken.

  • Moderatorneil on 14/01/2020 - 12:58

    I've collected all the suggestions/option made in comments:

    The Ban Camp

    • Xbox Game Pass Deals should be forum posts or alternatively one big mega forum thread.
    • Xbox Game Pass Deals & Playstation Plus Deals should be forum posts.
      and the opposite:
    • Playstation Plus and Games with Gold games as deals as they need to be "bought". But Xbox Game pass not a deal as it's just part of the subscription
    • Free Themes, Avatars, Netflix, Xbox Game Pass and anything else should not be deals.
    • Keep PSN and XBOX Live as deals as need to claim, Ban Game Pass, Netflix, Disney etc.

    Post as deals but…

    • Post as deals and as like all other deals just scroll past.
    • Post as deals but no Netflix, Hulu etc.
    • Post as deals and all other services as well.
    • Post as deals when it's a big title like GTA V or an independent title.

    Alternative

    • Posting Game Pass deals to an alternative section in deals.
    • Tagging deals with [XPASS] so people can filter out the deals from the front page.
    • Have an option to hide Subscription Deals as we do with Targeted and NSFW.

    Thanks for all the feedback. I think I picked everything up.

    My preference based on all the feedback that appears split is to have an option in your account to block Subscription deals. We did have a similarly vocal crowd for those who hated/loved seeing targeted offers and we added it as a block. We ended up putting reminders in all targeted deals for a while and we don't really here any issues with it currently. The downside of this is spending development time initiating this, moderators having to mark deals manually, and clearly defining what services we want to put Gaming/Streaming Subscriptions (Maybe everything except for PSN and Gold?).

    We'll discuss this internally and keep in my preference won't necessarily be the outcome of our discussions as there are technical and usability issues that may be in play.

    • bxpressiv on 14/01/2020 - 14:21
      +2

      Good summary, thanks for the update.

    • SlappersOnly on 15/01/2020 - 04:19

      btw. that forum link is giving me a 403 Access Denied error

      • Moderatorneil on 15/01/2020 - 09:39

        Fixed. Link

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