An Xbox Game Pass a price increase to $29.99 a month last year apparently led to “millions” of subscribers abandoning the service, according to the company. Over the last generation of consoles, Xbox Game Pass has become a cornerstone of Microsoft's video game strategy. The subscription service began to include every first-party game released by the company on launch day, as well as offering access to additional day-one games and specific benefits.
Earlier this year, Asha Sharma took over as CEO of Xbox, replacing Phil Spencer. Sharma wasted no time in making changes to the company, many of which have already been well received by users. From changes to achievements to how exclusivity is handled for first-party games, it's clear that Sharma is looking to the Xbox audience to figure out how to move forward and make the company more competitive against PlayStation, Nintendo, and Steam.
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Huge losses for Xbox Game Pass
While Xbox Game Pass has seen several price increases over the years, last year's move seemed to go too far for many users. In an interview with GameSpot, Xbox chief strategy officer Matthew Ball claimed that the service lost “millions” of subscribers in the months following the price increase to $29.99. Xbox Game Pass has seen a drop in price this year, with the caveat that Call of Duty games will no longer be added to the service from day one. Ball went on to say that some of the changes “resonate” with Xbox users. However, he did not mention whether the company has seen invalid users returning to the service.
Who is that character?
Identify the silhouettes before time runs out.
Start
Identify the silhouettes before time runs out.
Easy (7.5s) Medium (5.0s) Hard (2.5s) Permadeath (2.5s)
It's unclear whether more changes can be expected from Xbox Game Pass. Although Call of Duty games don't arrive on day one, subscribers are still treated to big games on release day. Xbox Game Pass just revealed 17 new games on the way, including titles like Halo: Campaign Evolved, Spyro: A Realm Beyondand Fable. Dropping the price of the service is one way to attract users back, but having high-quality games will be another key element.
One of the biggest complaints about the Xbox Series X/S over the past few years is that the systems simply haven't had enough exclusive titles to justify buying one. It's clear that things are starting to shift in this regard, and Xbox is rethinking its cross-platform strategy. The decision to put former Xbox exclusive franchises on platforms like the PS5 and Switch didn't sit well with many fans, and the company's new leadership seems to be well aware of that fact. In the short term, putting big franchises on other platforms helped games recoup development costs, but it could also hurt people's chances of buying an Xbox console or subscribing to Game Pass.
Find the odd one before the timer reaches zero.
Start
Find the odd one before the timer reaches zero.
Easy (15s) Medium (10s) Hard (5s) Permadeath (5s)
During the current generation of consoles, it may be too late for Xbox to attract new users. However, the company has a new system on the way, currently known as Project Helix. Getting people to buy the system will require Xbox to retain its most avid users while also attracting newcomers. It won't be an easy task, and winning back Xbox Game Pass subscribers is part of the battle. It's been a very tough few years for the company, but things seem to be on a better track than they've been in a long time.
