Microsoft’s gaming arm, Xbox, has announced that its subscription-based video game platform, Game Pass, has grown to 25 million members. The service allows subscribers to download and play as many games in the platform’s library as they want each month and costs just $9.99 per month. The library contains over 150 titles from Microsoft Studios and third-party game developers and publishers, with new titles added on a regular basis as part of Xbox Game Pass’ Games with Gold program.
What is Microsoft Game Pass?
If you’re unfamiliar with Microsoft’s Xbox Game Pass, it’s a subscription service that grants access to over 100 PC and console games. In other words, instead of having to buy an individual game at $60 or more when it releases, you can pay $10 a month for unlimited access. This is an increasingly popular concept among video game developers: Sony launched PlayStation Now in 2015; Nintendo offers access to a variety of classic games through its virtual console services; and Ubisoft sells select titles as part of its Uplay+ program.
What makes it different?
An online subscription service was thought to be a poor choice for games with high install bases, which were expected to drive in-store sales. However, as Microsoft (Xbox) has learned through its Xbox Game Pass program, offering an all-you-can-eat buffet of games can actually be beneficial for both parties. Since launching in late June 2017, Xbox Game Pass subscriptions have nearly doubled year over year. That might not seem like much on first glance; however, it still means that around one out of every 10 people who own an Xbox One signed up for Game Pass within six months of launch – at no cost to them. For those keeping score at home, that’s more than twice Apple Music’s conversion rate within its first six months. These results are impressive given how few people play video games regularly enough to ever reach a point where they need a subscription service like Game Pass.
