{"id":4764,"date":"2025-04-17T11:41:02","date_gmt":"2025-04-17T11:41:02","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.isshicare.com\/?p=4764"},"modified":"2025-04-17T18:19:30","modified_gmt":"2025-04-17T18:19:30","slug":"xbox-game-pass-downgraded-from-killer-app-to-just-another-option-by-phil-spencer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.isshicare.com\/index.php\/2025\/04\/17\/xbox-game-pass-downgraded-from-killer-app-to-just-another-option-by-phil-spencer\/","title":{"rendered":"Xbox Game Pass downgraded from killer app to \u2018just another option\u2019 by Phil Spencer"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Something tells us Microsoft isn’t as confident about reaching 110 million subscribers by 2030 anymore (Microsoft)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Comments from Xbox<\/a> boss Phil Spencer<\/a> suggest Xbox Game Pass<\/a> is no longer as important to the business as it once was.<\/p>\n

There was a time when Xbox Game Pass was seen as the killer app for Microsoft<\/a>\u2019s consoles. As one of the earliest examples of a subscription service for video games, many thought that it would go on to define the future of gaming.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s certainly influenced other companies, with Sony<\/a> updating its PlayStation Plus service<\/a> in 2022 to operate more similarly to Game Pass. However, as the years have gone on, it’s been clear that Game Pass, and subscription services in general, have not had the impact that was expected.<\/p>\n

The launch of Call Of Duty: Black Ops 6<\/a> on Game Pass did little to boost its subscriber numbers over Christmas<\/a> and now, after years of pushing it front and centre, Xbox boss Phil Spencer has downplayed the service\u2019s significance, describing it as \u2018not for everybody.\u2019<\/p>\n

This comes from a recent interview with Variety<\/a>, the same one where Spencer spoke of the importance of supporting Nintendo Switch 2<\/a> even though no Microsoft published games have been officially announced for the console.<\/p>\n

When asked about how he viewed Game Pass\u2019 role in the larger Xbox business, Spencer touted how Microsoft has \u2018many business models for people playing,\u2019 with Game Pass itself \u2018just another option.\u2019<\/p>\n

\u2018I look at Game Pass as a healthy option for certain people,\u2019 explained Spencer, \u2018It\u2019s not for everybody. If you play one or two games a year, Game Pass probably isn\u2019t 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.\u2019<\/p>\n

This cuts to the heart of the problem, since it’s become clear that many casual gamers have neither the time nor the desire to play more games than they already do.<\/p>\n

This was not obvious before Game Pass existed but has gradually become clear over the years, with the huge number of high quality games available on the service essentially being wasted on many people.<\/p>\n

Spencer still speaks positively about the service, adding: \u2018I look at the overall hours of people who are playing on Xbox, playing our games, and that\u2019s a number that continues to grow fairly substantially, and that\u2019s really the metric I think about for success. And Game Pass has been an important part of that\u2026 It\u2019s kind of part of the equation for Xbox finding new players.\u2019<\/p>\n

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