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Microsoft limits Xbox Game Pass subscription extensions in certain countries (likely to deter cheap membership stacking)

Thick Thighs Save Lives

NeoGAF's Physical Games Advocate Extraordinaire
Xbox-Game-Pass-header_DHJR7u9.png

Microsoft is limiting Xbox Game Pass subscription extensions in certain countries to deter players from stacking their membership at a cheaper rate.

Using digital codes or gift cards, Game Pass subscriptions can be extended to a maximum of 36 months to ensure players are covered without needing to pay each month.

However, a select number of countries are now excluded from this due to the lower cost of the subscription based on exchange rates.
Those countries are: Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Singapore, Taiwan, and Turkey.

Here the limit is instead 13 months. This is for Game Pass Core, Game Pass for Console and PC Game Pass, and does not impact Game Pass Ultimate.


EA Play can also be extended to a maximum of 36 months except in Argentina and Turkey where the limit is 13 months.
According to Xbox-Now, a price comparison for Game Pass shows it costs significantly less in these countries.

For instance, where Game Pass Core costs $9.99 per month, this equates to $8.78 in the UK. In Turkey, though, that's just $4.92, while in Argentina it's $4.97.

This change, therefore, is likely to stop players outside of these countries from extending Game Pass by purchasing subscriptions at these lower rates.
 

adamsapple

Or is it just one of Phil's balls in my throat?
Well it is
the "cheap" way was to stack Gold / Core until the max and convert it to Ultimate.
This way it was possible to get Ultimate for 3 year for around 80-120€

They're only disabling it from regions like Turkey, Argentina etc where a lot of us (myself included) have utilized the cheaper conversion to stack for cheaper.

I've switched to using Rewards now, but this Turkey conversion was pretty helpful when I first started stacking years ago.
 

Antwix

Member
Well it is
the "cheap" way was to stack Gold / Core until the max and convert it to Ultimate.
This way it was possible to get Ultimate for 3 year for around 80-120€
Oh yeah that's true. Forgot about that somehow. That slipped my MS Rewards-rotten mind.
 

RaZoR No1

Member
They're only disabling it from regions like Turkey, Argentina etc where a lot of us (myself included) have utilized the cheaper conversion to stack for cheaper.

I've switched to using Rewards now, but this Turkey conversion was pretty helpful when I first started stacking years ago.

Oh yeah that's true. Forgot about that somehow. That slipped my MS Rewards-rotten mind.
I need to start using MS Rewards too
Any good tutorials, how to maximize the points?
 

Pelao

Member
Membership stacking doesn't even get you the best deal at these stores. I renew month to month and take advantage of different promotions. Sometimes a month costs me 7 dollars, sometimes 50 cents.
 

Antwix

Member
I need to start using MS Rewards too
Any good tutorials, how to maximize the points?
There's a thread here on Rewards and also there's the subreddit if you want to capitalize on everything but I'm just doing the basics nowadays after the nerfs. All I do is the 20 searchs on mobile, 30 searches on desktop, and the daily set. Doing that daily nets me about 13k/month which is like $15. It's quick and easy and anything more than that feels like a job.

Worth it for me imo since I don't really buy too much stuff anymore. Just a few games a year, usually on sale.
 

AJUMP23

Parody of actual AJUMP23
Can you just go within a month or two of expiring and stack again for another year. I mean I would do that.


Already stacked
 
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analog_future

Resident Crybaby
Membership stacking doesn't even get you the best deal at these stores. I renew month to month and take advantage of different promotions. Sometimes a month costs me 7 dollars, sometimes 50 cents.

Depends. Many have been able to renew 3 years for under $100. And you don't have to go through the hassle of trying to find a new deal every month.
 

Chukhopops

Member
Guess it’s either that or kill regional pricing entirely, which would lock out most customers from those countries.

Seems like the better option.
 

Panajev2001a

GAF's Pleasant Genius
There's a thread here on Rewards and also there's the subreddit if you want to capitalize on everything but I'm just doing the basics nowadays after the nerfs. All I do is the 20 searchs on mobile, 30 searches on desktop, and the daily set. Doing that daily nets me about 13k/month which is like $15. It's quick and easy and anything more than that feels like a job.

Worth it for me imo since I don't really buy too much stuff anymore. Just a few games a year, usually on sale.
I am glad it does not feel like a job, but if part of this was any mandatory feedback on the daily set of tasks you did or to report issues.. congrats you are a very very cheap QA (QC actually) analyst 😂.
 

Killjoy-NL

Gold Member
Doubt it affects then much forǰ most subs, the average Joe is month to month. It's just preventing the stacking.
But if they intend to limit cheap stacking and are also planning to increase sub prices, it can only lead to a decline is subs.
 
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THE DUCK

voted poster of the decade by bots
But if they intend to limit cheap stacking and are also planning to increase sub prices, it can only lead to a decline is subs.

Well perhaps, lots of people are lazy and or won't notice or forget to cancel. If they raise the price 20% and they lose 5% of subs, they still come out ahead. So I guess it depends on how many leave.
 

Killjoy-NL

Gold Member
Well perhaps, lots of people are lazy and or won't notice or forget to cancel. If they raise the price 20% and they lose 5% of subs, they still come out ahead. So I guess it depends on how many leave.
Either way, it doesn't really matter. GamePass isn't going to grow significantly, if at all.
 

THE DUCK

voted poster of the decade by bots
Either way, it doesn't really matter. GamePass isn't going to grow significantly, if at all.

Not at this point, unless they suddenly start releasing games as good as thlou or spiderman, or get gamepass on some other system.

I'm still surprised they haven't launched a "steaming" console for $99 with controller, now that's a way to get more gamepass in the hands of people without xboxes......

Is it as good as a regular console? No.
Do the huddled masses care? Maybe not.
 
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