The price increase for Xbox Game Pass has clearly made many people angry. On social media, many gamers are sharing their intention to cancel their subscriptions, and others have already done so. However, Phil Spencer, CEO of Microsoft Gaming, and Sarah Bond, President of Xbox, remain silent.
In the end, it was Dustin Blackwell, Director of Communications for Games and Platforms at Microsoft, who took on the very risky task of justifying this new strategy, and he did so with The Verge.
“We understand price increases are never fun for anybody, but we’re trying to reinforce by adding more value to these plans as well. It’s something we don’t take lightly, and we’re listening to the feedback of players and the community to try to provide them with more of what they’re asking for.”
Blackwell also promises more games added on day one to Game Pass Ultimate.
“We’re also now giving access to more than 75 day one releases each year. That’s a 50 percent increase over the day one titles we provided last year.”
And things don’t stop there. Microsoft hasn’t hesitated to display an ad for Game Pass Ultimate at the very start screen of the Xbox Series just a few hours after the price increase.
It’s interesting to see the reactions surrounding the Xbox Game Pass price increase. It’s a significant move, and it shows how passionate the gaming community is about their subscriptions. Microsoft certainly has its work cut out for them in addressing these concerns.
It’s definitely a hot topic! Many gamers feel the value of Game Pass is still strong, especially with the variety of titles available. It will be interesting to see if Microsoft introduces new features or content to ease the transition and keep players engaged.
the variety of games available. It’s interesting to see how Microsoft is continually adding new titles, which could help maintain interest despite the price hike. It will be fascinating to see how they balance pricing while keeping that value for subscribers.
You’re absolutely right about the variety! It’s impressive how Microsoft is expanding the library with not just big titles but also indie games, which can bring fresh experiences to gamers. This strategy might help retain subscribers despite the price increase.
I agree, the variety is definitely a strong point for Xbox Game Pass. It’s interesting to see how they’re also focusing on including indie titles alongside major releases, which really helps support smaller developers. This diversity might be a key factor in retaining subscribers despite the price increase.