Microsoft's Big Xbox Game Pass Bet is Starting To Pay Off

Microsoft now has 10 million subscribers to its Xbox Game Pass service, the company said during an investor call yesterday. It's the first time Microsoft has publicly disclosed Xbox Game Pass numbers, and it's a sign that the company's ambitious bet on subscription gaming is starting to pay off. From a report: Microsoft has been trying to build a "Netflix for video games" for years, and it looks like it's taking an early lead before a significant expansion to game streaming later this year. 10 million Xbox Game Pass subscribers is a significant milestone. EA's competing subscription services, EA Access and Origin Access, hit more than 5 million subscribers last year, and Sony's PlayStation Now subscriber base reached 1 million in October, five years after its debut. Apple and Google haven't disclosed numbers for Apple Arcade or Google Play Pass, and Nvidia's GeForce Now service reached 1 million users shortly after its launch. Microsoft is also sharing some additional Xbox Game Pass statistics today. "Since March, Xbox Game Pass members have added over 23 million friends on Xbox Live, which is a 70 percent growth in friendship rate," explains Xbox chief Phil Spencer. "Game Pass members are also playing twice as much and engaging in more multiplayer gaming, which has increased by 130 percent."

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[bloodhawk]

They aren't ultra cheap, sure if you are purchasing 10 games a year before this then yeah they are cheap for you. For the majority of people it is an increase in spend not a decrease, so slight increase for large increase in games.

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[Solandri]

Most people don't realize,, but buying physical releases and a subscription are directly comparable. Their purchases of physical game copies are also a rate, since they grow tired of old games and buy new ones. Xbox Game Pass looks like it's $10/mo. So if you normally spend more than $120/yr on games (and the pass includes the types of games you like), then the subscription is actually cheaper.

It's more stable than Netflix too. Occasionally I want to watch a 20-30 year old movie on Netflix, only to

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[Randj Herdle]

Be it luck or be it smarts, looks like MS has caught a wave once more. Lots of people with time on their hands right now.

Found some excellent games there

[stikves]

During the quarantine, I started cleaning up the dust from my consoles. I am not sure this is a good thing, but I realized I no longer had to pay full price for games, thanks to Game Pass (and PS Now) that I bought last year.

I found out there were many highly rated, top-tier games, already available.
For example, on PlayStation:Spider Man, and Horizon Zero Dawn
and then on the Xbox: Doom, Batman Arkham, and Gears 5.

Even some recent releases (which still retails for full price) like the Outer Worlds were available.

Given these services cost less than that of two games per year, I do not know how much retail / full pricing can continue.

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[tlhIngan]

Given these services cost less than that of two games per year, I do not know how much retail / full pricing can continue.

It will continue just fine as long as people want to own the game.

Game Pass and all that can remove games at the drop of a hat depending on licensing and all that, so there's always a risk a game you were playing stops being available. You can buy it at a discount digitally, but that risks well, digital - the store may be unable to host hte game anymore or a decade down the line the comp

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[gravewax]

very few people actually want or care about owning the game, they care about playing the game.

Re: Found some excellent games there

[BAReFO0t]

But you don't "own" the game. You never did! ... Did you ever evem read a license?

Yeah, sure, the button says "buy (the game)". But the license says you bought license to limited usage rights. Since they know perfectly well, that words like "buying", "ownership", "renting" or "stealing" don't make sense for mere information. As information works like a secret. Once it's out it's out. The assumption that you could tell the whole world a secret, and at the same time keep it a secret, is absurd. So they make

$1 upgrade from Gold

[blahbooboo]

I suspect a lot of this is that you can convert your existing Gold membership (up to 3 years) to Gamepass for $1. Great deal for bunch of games (even if most aren't good)

Isn't that socialism? ;?

[BAReFO0t]

I mean are we sure that it's actually the best games that get the most of that subscription money? Instead of just everyone... or the most clickbaity addictive ones?

Wait a minute..

[SuperDre]

It says Playstation Now, but Playstation Now is a completely different type of service, it's a games streaming service like what Microsoft is only releasing now as xCloud (which at this moment isn't part of the xbox game pass (but will when it gets out of beta, but not yet known in which tier).