Microsoft’s admission that Xbox Game Pass detrimentally affects game sales isn’t as surprising as the company’s commitment to having things stay this way.
As part of its continued defence to the UK Competition and Markets Authority regarding why its intended $69 billion acquisition of Activision should be approved, a report by GI.biz some weeks ago revealed Microsoft’s acknowledgment that Xbox Game Pass means eating into software sales. The objective of this admission was clearly to play down the company’s influence within the gaming industry in the hopes that the CMA won’t further block the deal (which didn't end up working). By stating this publicly, however, Microsoft has also confirmed what many of us already knew: subscriptions aren’t good for the future of games.
It's not necessarily a surprise to learn that, where possible, players prefer to enjoy newly released titles via Xbox Game Pass as opposed to purchasing them outright on day one. With costs seemingly going up everywhere on a daily basis, it no longer makes sense to pay £59.99 / $69.99 for a AAA game when you could subscribe and gain instant access for just £10.99 / $14.99. But Xbox owners aren’t the ones at fault here. Through Xbox Game Pass – and by making first-party Xbox games available on it – Microsoft has conditioned its players to expect more for less.
