Microsoft’s Xbox Game Pass platform provides players on Xbox consoles and PC platforms with a very economical game service. With a small monthly fee, you can play unlimited games of all sizes on the platform. It even includes key masterpieces from Microsoft and Bethesda, such as “Fast Speed: Horizon 5”, “Last Battle: Infinite”, and “Starry Sky” which will be released at the end of 2022. The game lineup has been steadily increasing. middle. However, this platform, like Netflix in the game industry, actually has another completely different look in the original plan. According to Microsoft, Xbox Game Pass is almost about to become a “game rental platform.”
Just when the Xbox One console was officially launched in 2013, Microsoft also began to think about how to take the brand in a new direction. At that time, Microsoft saw the potential of this console in the digital market, and planned to make Xbox One a game platform that is connected to the Internet all the time, and even planned to completely terminate the second-hand game market. However, fans and the media are very concerned about this. The plans are all very dissatisfied. Since then, Microsoft has continued to work hard to escape the pit they dug, but they have not given up on their concept of the Xbox brand, and have fully expanded from game consoles to digital game services. Xbox Game Pass is one of the products in the project, allowing players to play digital games on the Xbox and PC platforms.
The Xbox Game Pass platform was originally planned as a “rental platform”
In an interview with British GQ magazine, Microsoft shared with players some details related to the original Xbox Game Pass plan and another form they were almost about to adopt. In an interview, Sarah Bonds, head of the Xbox gaming ecosystem, talked about the size of the Xbox Game Pass and revealed their initial concept for the service in 2013. At that time, this platform adopted the development code “Arches” (Arches), and had the original concept of “game rental service”. It was only later changed to a monthly subscription streaming service platform. According to Sarah Bonds, this decision is actually based on time considerations of game revenue.
“Sometimes, about 75% of game revenue comes from the first 2 months of the game’s launch. Now, such revenue will extend to 2 years.” She said
For Microsoft at the time, the Xbox Game Pass project was undoubtedly a gamble, and many game publishers were also quite repulsed by this method of distribution at first. Sarah Bonds also mentioned in this interview that they were promoting this service in the industry at that time. Microsoft hoped that they would allow Xbox to put their new games on this platform, but they were often rejected. However, many publishers are still willing to let Xbox put some old games on it to reduce the risk and try the water temperature. But when this platform caused an unexpected reaction among players, Microsoft was also ready to put up its own masterpiece, and the first key work was “Sea of Thieves” (Sea of Thieves).
“From that moment on, Xbox began to be willing to put its latest and valuable products, as well as a luxurious lineup of existing games, and players only need to pay 7.99 pounds a month to enjoy unlimited play.” Sarah Bonds said
The number of subscribers has exceeded 25 million, and the game lineup continues to grow
Today, the number of Xbox Game Pass subscribers has reached 25-30 million, and this data continues to climb every day, even competitors Sony and Nintendo have begun to provide similar services. Technically speaking, Xbox Game Pass is still a kind of “rental service.” After all, subscribers do not actually own any game on the platform. As long as the player’s membership is still there, they can enjoy unlimited play. In addition, subscribers can also directly purchase games or DLC content on the platform at a discounted price. If Microsoft had chosen the form of loan, then Xbox Game Pass may not be able to achieve the achievement it is today.
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