Contrary to what Phil Spencer, the director of Xbox, said in 2018, the integration of a video game into Xbox Game Pass does not boost its sales. On the contrary, it would lower them.
The success of Xbox Game Pass is undeniable. It is built on a very attractive price-quality ratio, an ever more generous catalog and compatibility with an ever-increasing number of devices. With this subscription, the Redmond firm always imposes itself a little no longer in every home in the world, but this medal on its reverse.
To read – Takeover of Activision: a new complaint against Microsoft could block the acquisition
It is in a preliminary report from the CMA that the Silicon Valley giant admits that the constantly renewed offer of the Xbox Game Pass and its excellent quality / price ratio ultimately serve the company’s game sales. The latter determined that twelve months after registering a game in the Xbox Game Pass catalog, the actual sales of the title in question had mechanically fallen (the exact percentage is hidden in the report).
Microsoft lures Xbox Game Pass subscribers with exclusive games, but loses money on sales
The UK competition regulator is looking closely at Activision Blizzard’s proposed merger and acquisition. In an email sent to employees, Activision CEO Bobby Kotick says he wants to finalize the transaction no later than June 30, 2023. If the $69 billion deal goes through, it will effectively offer a dominant position to Microsoft in the video game industry. A monopoly that would even allow it to suppress competition.
To read – Xbox Game Pass: James Bond and Age of Empires 2 arrive in January 2023
Although Microsoft is reassuring that franchises such as “Call of Duty” will continue to be offered on Sony’s PlayStation, some sources say that the Redmond company plans to reserve certain titles for Xbox. Phil Spencer, its CEO, even declares that he wants Integrate as many Activision games as possible into Xbox Game Pass. This could distort free competition, a real problem in the eyes of the authorities.
Source: IGN