Microsoft revealed today that the number of Xbox Game Pass subscribers has officially reached 15 million. Not only is this an impressive number in its own right, but it becomes even more so when considering how much Microsoft has bolstered the service in the lead-up to the release of its next-gen Xbox consoles. Looking at the recent growth of subscribers, it’s clear that the company is finally reaping what it began sowing long ago.
Microsoft has historically been notorious for never officially disclosing the number of Xbox Game Pass subscribers. Although this has led to some suspicion that the service was not doing as well as hoped, Microsoft finally disclosed in April that the service had 10 million subscribers – significantly more than PlayStation Now, EA’s subscription services, and Nvidia’s GeForce Now could boast. Many predicted that this disclosure meant that Microsoft was finally comfortable with Game Pass’ performance and confident that it would continue to grow. As of today, those predictions certainly seem accurate.
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According to The Verge, this 50 percent increase in roughly five months is due to several factors. First, one of Microsoft’s latest promotions grants users the first month of Xbox Game Pass for $1. The addition of Destiny 2 also resulted in additional subscribers, and the recent news of Microsoft’s acquisition of ZeniMax Media is likely to attract fans of Doom, Dishonored, Fallout, Elder Scrolls, and other games published by Bethesda Softworks. Also, from a purely statistical standpoint, the Xbox Game Pass is available on console, PC, and Android devices, meaning that the overall number of people who can use the service is significantly higher than many of Microsoft’s competitors. The effects of quarantine can also not be understated, as many people around the world have simply found themselves at home more often and looking for new ways to pass the time.
Finally, there is the matter of the next-gen Xbox consoles. One of the biggest deciding factors for new console releases is which titles players can enjoy if they choose to pre-order or purchase the console on day one, and Microsoft’s heavy investment in Xbox Game Pass is a brilliant solution to that problem. Although one of Sony’s library of exclusive games is one of the PlayStation’s biggest selling points, the implementation of Microsoft’s streaming service on both the Xbox Series X and S means that both next-gen consoles will have over 100 titles at the player’s disposal when they purchase one. While these may not necessarily be the newest games, the modest price of $10 per month for the Xbox Game Pass is a great value for the sheer amount of content it gives the subscriber.
Microsoft’s handling of these factors – excluding COVID-19 – is the result of its methodical assessment of the playing field and smart decision-making. Since the introduction of the Xbox Game Pass three years ago, the service is now available in over 40 countries and has been instrumental in boosting the number of Xbox Live users and console sales overall. With the Xbox Series X releasing in just over a month, Microsoft has positioned itself to be a force to be reckoned with, and it’s likely that the number of Xbox Game Pass subscribers will only continue to rise after the next generation consoles hit shelves.
Source: The Verge
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