This is what you might call being too honest. The Verge has obtained an internal memo circulating at Microsoft. In the memo, Xbox CEO Asha Sharma doesn’t mince words about the evolution of Game Pass.
In fact, she describes it as “too expensive for players” and acknowledges that the company needs a “better offer” to attract more users.
“Game Pass is essential to the Xbox gaming experience. It’s also clear that the current model isn’t the final one. Short term, Game Pass has become too expensive for players, so we need a better value equation. so we need to reevaluate our offering. Long term, we will evolve Game Pass into a more flexible system which will take time to test and learn around.”
Thus, Sharma seems to be opening the door to a price cut or a less expensive plan, though one that might also include less content. A recent rumor suggests that Microsoft is considering no longer adding new Call of Duty games directly to Xbox Game Pass.
It’s refreshing to see leadership being so candid about pricing concerns. Transparency like this can foster trust within the gaming community. It will be interesting to see how they address this issue moving forward.