We seem to have moved in a different direction for video game consumption. There are more services popping up that allow players to pay one single fee a month or a year to gain catalog access. Microsoft, for instance, has a very popular subscription service with its Xbox Game Pass. This subscription service allows players to gain a massive catalog of video game titles right away, and it even adds new games into the mix each month. But on top of that, there are first-party Microsoft games that will be added to the Xbox Game Pass service at launch.
So those of you who are interested in games like Starfield, Fable, or Forza Motorsport, those games are being added to the service at launch. That has some individuals wondering just how well B2P does for Microsoft. For those unsure of what B2P stands for is Buy-To-Play, which is the act of purchasing a video game title to enjoy. While Microsoft doesn’t seem to be hurting with this subscription service model, it has revealed that this is hurting B2P sales. This comes from a recent CMA report that unveiled that there is a decline in B2P sales, although the specific details on how much of a decline Microsoft is seeing have yet to be unveiled to the public.
There is plenty of attention on Microsoft right now. Their current move is to acquire Activision Blizzard, a company that Microsoft has bid for $68 billion. That’s a massive number, and it’s worth it for one particular IP. The hold-up from Microsoft going through with the purchase is the Call of Duty franchise. Sony has been trying to pump the brakes on this deal to ensure they don’t lose out on this IP, but Microsoft is looking to safeguard its acquirement through whatever means.
In fact, there was a push to have a contract deal that would allow Microsoft to purchase the company while Call of Duty games would release on competitor platforms for years to come. But again, it’s a waiting game to see if Microsoft is successful in the purchase of this company. Whatever the case may bring, it’s at least allowing some new insights into services like Xbox Game Pass’ effect when it comes to consumers actually purchasing the games outside of enjoying them on the subscription service.
