Former id Software producer Andrew Willis has strongly criticized Xbox Game Pass, arguing that Microsoft never established a clear way to measure the subscription service’s success and that DOOM: The Dark Ages should never have launched on it.
Willis, who was affected by the Xbox layoffs at id Software earlier this year, discussed Game Pass during a new interview with Kiwi Talkz.
DOOM Producer Criticizes Xbox Game Pass Strategy
Willis described Game Pass as:
“Poorly managed. Extremely poorly managed.”
He believes Microsoft approached the service without enough understanding of the gaming market and attempted to apply a Netflix-style subscription model without establishing what success should actually look like.
“I don’t think Microsoft was ever able to figure out exactly how to measure the success of Game Pass.”
Willis said developers were never given clear targets regarding whether Microsoft valued hours played, installations, retention or another metric.
DOOM: The Dark Ages ‘Should Not Have Been on There’
Willis was particularly critical of the decision to release DOOM: The Dark Ages on Game Pass, arguing that a major franchise like DOOM would have been better served by traditional sales.
“Doom should not have been on there. That was a stupid idea.”
Bethesda previously announced that The Dark Ages reached three million players seven times faster than DOOM Eternal, making it the biggest launch in id Software history by player count.
However, Willis said he knows the game’s sales failed to meet expectations and suspects Game Pass may have contributed by reducing the number of players purchasing the game outright.
“I know that sales didn’t do as well as they were expected to, but I would suspect that’s probably a huge part of Game Pass.”
Willis stressed that this remains speculation. He was never told that The Dark Ages’ commercial performance was responsible for the subsequent cuts at id Software and said he does not know why the studio was hit so heavily.
His comments nevertheless add to the continuing debate around whether launching major first-party Xbox games directly into Game Pass can generate enough value to offset lost traditional sales.
