- An analyst has stated that Xbox Game Pass can hurt game sales by up to 80%.
- He pointed to releases like Starfield, Hellblade 2, and Indiana Jones as examples of this trend.
- The analyst does not see subscriptions as the future of gaming.
Xbox Game Pass has proven to be quite beneficial for Microsoft, providing a new strategy for the gaming giant’s survival in this industry. However, it also comes with various problems of its own.
According to a renowned analyst, the service can notably impact sales. In fact, titles that launch day one on the service suffer about 80% sales losses on the Xbox platform.
Why it matters: Microsoft has put all its eggs in one basket, so the gaming giant has no option but to commit to this service and day-one content delivery.
Responding to a recent question about the service, Chris Dring noted that day-one Game Pass titles lose up to 80% of their potential sales on Xbox.
He pointed to examples like Hellblade 2, Indiana Jones, and Starfield, which quickly dropped off the best-selling charts after their release. Hellblade 2, in particular, ended up disappointing across all platforms.
Chris Dring noted that Xbox Game Pass could benefit multi-platform releases, which most of Microsoft’s first-party titles will be moving forward. However, he continued to emphasize that there is definitely money lost when AAA releases are made available through the service.
I believe it can lead to lost revenue. Games can expect to lose around 80% of premium sales on Xbox.
-Chris Dring
The analyst also believes that Xbox Game Pass may not be all too big in the future. He pointed to the popularity of free-to-play releases as one reason why this may be the case.
Fortunately, for Xbox Game Pass, all hope has not been lost yet. A recent launch like Black Ops 6 has been encouraging for the service, and Indiana Jones, despite its disappointing performance, has seemingly impressed Disney enough to warrant a sequel.
Therefore, it will be interesting to see how the subscription shapes up in the future. What do you think about the potential hit to sales for titles released on the service? Let us know in the comments, and share more of your thoughts on the Tech4Gamers Forums.
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[Senior News Reporter]
Avinash is currently pursuing a Business degree in Australia. For more than 5 years, he has been working as a gaming journalist, utilizing his writing skills and love for gaming to report on the latest updates in the industry. Avinash loves to play action games like Devil May Cry and has also been mentioned on highly regarded websites, such as IGN, GamesRadar, GameRant, Dualshockers, CBR, and Gamespot.
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