Xbox Game Pass revealed an advertisement bearing a statement that sounded quite unbelievable, “you’ve never felt power like THIS,” considering that the advertised product was no other than Power Wash Simulator. And honestly, the responses of the gamers were widely different, really all over the map.
First of all, let us dissect the issue more deeply. Xbox Game Pass is promoting what seems to be Power Wash Simulator, a game where you use a high-pressure washer to clean things until they are spotless. The game is probably not for everyone but it certainly works for some people. The advertisement’s melodramatic assertion of “power,” however, has at least, sparked some debate among the gamers.
The first reactions from the gamers were… more or less mixed signals. PlayStation Studio came out with “Power levels off the charts! Time to feel it firsthand” and sounded very positive. But on the flip side, players like swipe were making complaints about Xbox’s management, Sarah Bond, and Matt Booty going off on these sudden and huge rants about how “exclusives don’t matter” according to the latest statements. One user is completely and utterly dissatisfied with Xbox’s current course, accusing them of “pricing out fans” and offering “crappy remasters of remasters” only.
I was caught in a whirlwind of thoughts. Oh yes, Power Wash Simulator was the subject? The opinions are divided and some are even in favor – Lavallée Julien’s proposition for the next installment, “In Powerwash sim 3, make it open world & I wanna drive the Van,” is very nice and maybe a little like GTA or fun but with cleaning instead of crime.
However, at the same time, the complaints about pricing were very loud and clear. One user simply stated “30 bucks a month people” and another, who was Brazilian, posted a screenshot that showed the price in Brazil being the same as $30 USD which is very hard for players from other countries. The term “Xbox tax” was brought up again, with gamers discussing whether Game Pass Ultimate remains a bargain after the recent price increases.
Quality of games on Game Pass was another issue that was pretty much the same as the hot topic. Maurice King said, “This crap belongs in Roblox not in my premium subscription,” and oh that’s really brutal but one can see his point. If you are paying for a deluxe service, the least you could expect are deluxe games, not what some consider to be minor indie titles.
Then comes one gamer’s complaint about the controller’s sensitivity who said “You guys need to take it easy on controller stick sensitivity. My controller is fine but it’s hard to control when even the slightest touch will move me”. What an accurate complaint but it does make sense for a game that needs perfection like Power Wash Simulator.
One very interesting thing about this ad is that it has quickly become a major issue for gamers to express their grievances concerning Xbox’s future plans, more cake H-1B visa controversies or comparisons with Windows Mobile. One user even went so far as to say, “You’re ruining Xbox. I have seen Microsoft doing the same thing to Windows Mobile! You’re driving the brand to the losing side until people give up on it”.
Conversely, Chesi Fox was the one who referred to the whole PC vs console divide issue by saying that Rog Ally X players are not bearing the cost of online multiplayer while “console Xbox slaves” still have to. The conflict has been raised among gamers for a long time.
However, it is not the end of the world; Louise’s response was “I am loving gaming”, which is nice and effective. Moreover, PoolBoy314 turned it into a musical note saying “🎶 No, we’ve never felt power like this!!” which to say the least indicates that the atmosphere is being enjoyed by someone.
To tell the truth, Power Wash Simulator has been marketed successfully and has a faithful following. It is one of those games that one may not be really interested in but once you give it a try, you will find yourself cleaning the backyard patio and feeling strangely accomplished after three hours of that. Nevertheless, if you try to promote it as a grand power fantasy game, you are still going to get skeptical looks from gamers because they expect power fantasies like dragons or space marines or something.
All these comments make it very easy for us to conclude that Xbox Game Pass is at a crossroads and players have more than enough opinions about the direction the service is going, the pricing, and the games available. A small advertisement for a non-controversial cleaning game has turned into a platform for airing all these grievances concerning the broader Xbox ecosystem.
And frankly? That’s the scenario in gaming today. You are not only reacting to specific games or advertisements – you are reacting to the whole platform strategy, management decisions, pricing models, and the company’s direction. Every tweet from an official account is an opportunity for people to express their concerns regarding the big picture.
