While Microsoft has been aggressively promoting Game Pass on Xbox and PC, not everyone is subscribed to the service or even a fan of it, despite the value proposition it offers.
Xbox division boss Phil Spencer understands this and even admits that Game Pass isn’t for everybody.
Phil Spencer mentioned this in a new chat with Variety. The division boss was asked how he is viewing Game Pass’ ongoing role in the larger Xbox business currently.
Spencer answered, “I’ll start with just how many people are playing games. And I’ve always thought about Game Pass as just another option for somebody who wants to play. We have many business models for people playing from free to play, buying games, discounted games, Game Pass is an option. So when I’m looking at Game Pass, I want to make sure the hours that people are playing continue to go up, that new people see this as a way for them to find and build their library of games, and we remain focused on that. Our biggest areas of growth right now are PC and Cloud, which makes sense, since consoles, all up, are a good business, they’re an established business, but they’re not really a growing segment in gaming. So we’ve got good growth on PC, we’ve got growth on Cloud, in terms of users and hours. And console continues to be a really healthy part of Game Pass. But there isn’t a unique need for Game Pass to be the only way for people to play. If everybody who’s a Game Pass subscriber instead decided to buy their games, that’s good for the business as well.”
“For me, I look at Game Pass as a healthy option for certain people. It’s not for everybody. If you play one or two games a year, Game Pass probably isn’t the right business model for you, you should just buy those two games, and that would make total sense. But I want you to have the choice. So we remain focused on everything that’s on Game Pass is also available to buy. We’re making those games available to buy in more places. And I look at the overall hours of people who are playing on Xbox, playing our games, and that’s a number that continues to grow fairly substantially, and that’s really the metric I think about for success. And Game Pass has been an important part of that, but I don’t try to solve for Game Pass specifically on its own. It’s kind of part of the equation for Xbox finding new players,” Spencer added.
It’s good to see Spencer be candid about the subscription service’s appeal, and I agree with what he said. If you’re not really looking to play the newest games, or you just buy 1-3 games a year, you’re probably wasting your money on Game Pass. But if you play a lot, then this service is a godsend, and one that can save you hundreds — if not thousands — of money each year.
Speaking of Xbox Game Pass, don’t forget that Wave 2 for April has started, which ushers in new titles, and is highlighted by an upcoming RPG.
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Source: https://www.dualshockers.com/xboxs-phil-spencer-admits-game-pass-isnt-right-business-model-everybody/
