Microsoft Admits Xbox Game Pass Lowers Game Sales
Microsoft has got itself into a bit of a muddle by admitting that games added to Xbox Game Pass do in fact sell fewer copies.
As GamesIndustry.biz reported(Opens in a new window), Microsoft made the admission as part of its discussions with the UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) over the Activision Blizzard acquisition. However, as Eurogamer reports(Opens in a new window), this contradicts what Xbox boss Phil Spencer claimed back in 2018.
At the time, Spencer said:
"When you put a game like Forza Horizon 4 on Game Pass, you instantly have more players of the game, which is actually leading to more sales of the game ... You say, 'Well isn't everyone just going to subscribe for $10 and go play this thing?' But no, gamers find things to play based on what everybody else is playing."
In its provisional report last week the CMA stated, "Microsoft also submitted that its internal analysis shows a [redacted]% decline in base game sales twelve months following their addition on Game Pass."
The actual percentage is not shared publicly, but it still counts as a clear admission that games appearing on Xbox Game Pass will sell fewer copies for the first year they are on sale.
As you'd expect, Microsoft has been quick to try and clarify its position by releasing the following statement to Euorgamer today:
"Xbox Game Pass offers gamers and game creators more choice and opportunity in how they discover, experience, and deliver games ... For gamers, that means providing another option for them to discover games and play with friends at a great value. For developers, that means creating another option for how they monetise their games.
We're focused on helping game creators of all sizes maximise the total financial value they
Read more on pcmag.com
