The year is coming to a close and Microsoft may have one more surprise up its sleeve as it seems that may leave soon. Some players have received notifications that the game will be one of three due to leave the service on December 31, but only two of those have been confirmed by Microsoft.
Microsoft spending over $1 billion annually on third-party Xbox Game Pass titles
04.12.2023 - 18:49 / gamedeveloper.com / Phil Spencer / Tim Stuart / Xbox Game
Xbox boss Phil Spencer says Microsoft spends over $1 billion a year bringing third-party titles to Xbox Game Pass.
Spencer revealed the figure during an interview with Windows Central and stated that Xbox Game Pass is "financially viable, meaning it makes money," despite that outlay.
Elaborating on what Xbox Game Pass adds to Microsoft's repertoire, Spencer added that simply keeping players engaged on Xbox platforms represents a win for Microsoft.
"Because we have a platform, and we have a subscription service, having people play more and stay engaged on the platform, frankly, regardless of the types of games they're playing, is a very viable part of our strategy," he said.
"The diversity of business models allows us to invest in different kinds of content and still have financial success with that content. When we look at the back catalog of games from Bethesda, we get really excited. We look at the back catalog from Activision and Blizzard, we get really excited about the things we can do."
It's a reality that, for Spencer, will enable investments in "different kinds of games [and] different sizes of games," largely because there's an acknowledgement internally that not every Xbox Game Pass title has to be the sort of experience that "takes up all of your time."
"What we see in Game Pass is a service that supports all kinds of games, from the biggest games, to the unknown indie games that you didn't know you would love until you played it," he continued.
During the same interview, Spencer quashed the idea that Microsoft is actively pushing to bring Xbox Game Pass to rival platforms such as the Nintendo and PlayStation.
Those remarks come shortly after Xbox CFO Tim Stuart told Wells Fargo summit attendees the company wanted to bring its video game subscription service to "every screen that can play a game. That means smart TVs [and] mobile devices, that means what we would have thought of as competitors in the past like PlayStation and Nintendo."
Spencer seemed to indicate that Stuart was making more of a philosophical point about Microsoft's long-term ambitions for the Xbox platform and how customers might be onboarded into the ecosystem without needing to buy a console.
"We have no plans to bring Game Pass to PlayStation or Nintendo. It's not in our plans," said Spencer, adding that Microsoft will continue throwing its weight behind console hardware to repay existing customers. As for Xbox Game Pass, he suggested its purpose is twofold, letting Microsoft expand beyond the conventional confines of a hardware ecosystem while simultaneously providing value to Xbox owners.
"Game Pass was one of the things you know that over the last five years we built, and we continue to grow, it's on PC, it's on cloud. It's
The website gametalkz.com is an aggregator of news from open sources. The source is indicated at the beginning and at the end of the announcement. You can send a complaint on the news if you find it unreliable.
Top Authors
Popular Topics
eurogamer.net
15.12.2023 / 15:11
Don't expect to see Baldur's Gate 3 on Xbox Game Pass, developer says
Baldur's Gate 3 will not be coming to Game Pass, even now the game is available on Xbox.
theverge.com
14.12.2023 / 15:19
Microsoft exec hints at free ad-supported Xbox Cloud Gaming
By Tom Warren, a senior editor covering Microsoft, PC gaming, console, and tech. He founded WinRumors, a site dedicated to Microsoft news, before joining The Verge in 2012.
gamesindustry.biz
12.12.2023 / 16:17
Microsoft may enter new markets with ad-supported game streaming
Microsoft could expand to new markets with ad-supported game streaming.
gadgets.ndtv.com
12.12.2023 / 15:19
Microsoft Is Reportedly Exploring Free Xbox Game Pass Access in Exchange for Watching Adverts
Microsoft is reportedly planning to offer free game streaming in exchange for advertisements. As per TweakTown, Xbox Gaming CFO Tim Stuart suggested during the recent Wells Fargo TMT Summit that to expand geographically, it would be ideal to leverage the company's xCloud service, allowing players to cloud stream games at any ‘endpoint' via a simple Game Pass Ultimate subscription. He further added, “For models like Africa, or India, Southeast Asia, maybe places that aren't console-first, you can say, ‘Hey, do you want to watch 30 seconds of an ad and then get two hours of game streaming?'”
techradar.com
12.12.2023 / 11:23
Xbox Game Pass streaming could get a free option where users watch ads to play
Microsoft is considering ad-based business models for its Xbox Game Pass streaming service, according to chief financial officer Tim Stuart.
videogameschronicle.com
11.12.2023 / 20:41
Microsoft is exploring offering free Xbox Game Pass streaming with ads
Microsoft is exploring the possibility of offering access to Xbox Game Pass in exchange for viewing advertisements.
pushsquare.com
06.12.2023 / 23:02
Microsoft Still Wants to Put Xbox Game Pass on PS5, PS4 | Push Square
Xbox Series X|S maker Microsoft has once again expressed a desire to release its membership service Game Pass on to PS5, PS4, allowing first-party titles like Starfield and Forza Motorsport to become available to a wider audience. Xbox CFO Tim Stuart made the comments during the Wells Fargo TMT Summit, stating it to be a «bit of a change of strategy».
gamingbolt.com
03.12.2023 / 14:19
Xbox is Spending Over $1 Billion Per Year on Third Party Game Pass Titles
With Game Pass being as central to Xbox’s strategy as it has become over the years, it goes without saying that Microsoft has pumped a massive amount of money into the service, especially given how many third party titles the service features in its catalog (many of which launch day and date). How much money exactly, though?
gamingbolt.com
02.12.2023 / 02:05
Xbox Has No Plans to Bring Game Pass to PlayStation or Nintendo – Phil Spencer
Despite indications and rumours that Xbox might be keen on expanding its Game Pass offerings to also be available on PlayStation and Nintendo platforms, Microsoft Gaming boss Phil Spencer has revealed that the company doesn’t have any current plans to do it.
gadgets.ndtv.com
01.12.2023 / 16:59
Xbox Game Pass December 2023: Far Cry 6, Remnant I and II, and More
Xbox Game Pass is adding 12 new titles to its December catalogue, including two day-one releases. The standout here has to be the Remnant franchise — both From the Ashes and its newly launched sequel Remnant II, celebrated for its souls-like shooter experience that pits players against tough-as-nails fantastical monsters, across procedurally-generated levels. Its challenges can also be tackled in co-op, so it's best advised that you check out the sequel because it will have a larger active player base. Another major addition this month is Far Cry 6, setting you against the vibrant tropical island of Yara to topple its ruthless dictator Antón Castillo (Giancarlo Esposito), who is hellbent on using the Viviro, an unstable form of cancer treatment, to restore his land to former glory. It arrives December 14 on Xbox Game Pass.
destructoid.com
01.12.2023 / 16:37
Xbox wants Game Pass everywhere, even other consoles
Considered by many to be more than worth the monthly cost, Xbox Game Pass is the front-runner in gaming’s fast lean towards subscription-based services. On top of Microsoft CEO Phil Spencer expressing interest in an Xbox mobile gaming store, the company’s Chief Financial Officer is now keen on bringing Game Pass to… well, just about everything.