Microsoft’s Game Plan, Day One of WTF: The Information’s Tech Briefing

Microsoft on Wednesday revealed prices for its new Xbox game consoles going on sale in November. What was interesting, though, was a new plan in which gamers can get the consoles with no money down. Instead, in a model borrowed from the cellphone industry, they will pay over two years—getting both the console and access to Microsoft’s online games service.

It’s a reminder of how much Microsoft is investing in the new service, which looks a lot like a Netflix model in the gaming world. For between $5 and $15 a month, gamers can get access to “more than 100” games, Microsoft promises, including some from games giant Electronic Arts, including “FIFA 20” and “Titanfall 2.” Those prices are for people who own their hardware. People subscribing via the no-money-down deal and getting an Xbox will pay as much as $35 a month.