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[Thick Thighs Save Lives]

Update:

In an official Xbox podcast today, as part of an announcement that some Xbox exclusives are coming to the PS5 and Nintendo Switch.

It’s the first time Microsoft has disclosed fresh Xbox Game Pass subscriber numbers since announcing its Activision Blizzard acquisition in January 2022.

Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer previously admitting he had been seeing growth slow on Xbox Game Pass for consoles. “We’re seeing incredible growth on PC ... On console, I’ve seen growth slow down, mainly because at some point you’ve reached everybody on console that wants to subscribe,” said Spencer in a Wall Street Journal interview in October 2022.

It’s clear that Microsoft is a ways away from hitting its ambitious goal of 100 million Xbox Game Pass subscribers by 2030. Microsoft targeted a 73 percent growth rate for Game Pass subscriptions for a single fiscal year that ended in June 2022, but only managed 28 percent. The company then dropped Xbox Game Pass growth as a target for Satya Nadella’s executive compensation last year, after first exceeding its ambitious Game Pass internal targets in 2020 and then failing to meet compensation targets for two years in a row.

The 34 million figure is reflective of the fact Xbox Series S / X consoles haven’t been selling as well as PS5 hardware, and that consumers aren’t flocking to Game Pass for Xbox Cloud Gaming on mobile devices.

Microsoft’s goal isn’t to convert everyone into a Game Pass subscriber, though, according to Spencer. “Our goal is not to make everybody a game pass subscriber,” says Spencer in an interview with The Verge. “I’ve said many times that maybe 10-15 percent of our content and services revenue is subscriber revenue. It’s a good business for us today, Game Pass, but in no way is there a plan that says ‘Okay, everybody needs to become a Game Pass subscriber.’”

That said, Microsoft is still hoping to eventually grow Game Pass, particularly on mobile. The company is building an Xbox mobile gaming store to take on Apple and Google, but Apple’s recent App Store changes haven’t gone the way Microsoft was expecting. “Apple’s new policy is a step in the wrong direction,” says Xbox president Sarah Bond.

There’s also refreshed hope that we might see a native Xbox Cloud Gaming app on iPhones and iPads, thanks to Apple’s policy changes. It doesn’t seem like that’s going to happen just yet, though. “There’s not room for us to monetize Xbox Cloud Gaming on iOS,” says Spencer. “I think the proposals that Apple put forward ... don’t go far enough to open up competition on the world’s largest gaming platform. We will continue to work with regulators, and Apple and Google, to create a space for alternative storefronts.”

Update, February 15th 4:35PM ET: Article updated to confirm the overall subscriber count includes Xbox Game Pass Core subscribers.

 

[Cyberpunkd]

The company then dropped Xbox Game Pass growth as a target for Satya Nadella’s executive compensation last year, after first exceeding its ambitious Game Pass internal targets in 2020 and then failing to meet compensation targets for two years in a row.

LOL.

"Here's your target"

Target not reached.

"You know what, forget about it"

 

[dotnotbot]

Core included?

 

[Maddoxswe]

Core included?

yes

 

[LectureMaster]

It's gonna be much more when it's available on Playstation and Steam

 

[dotnotbot]

yes

So it didn't grow.

 

[Maddoxswe]

So it didn't grow.

Exactly

 

[Self_Destructive]

yes

Where is that confirmed?

 

[Crispy Gamer]

That's not good it slowed considerably

 

[SEGAvangelist]

Not good considering this includes Xbox Live Gold conversions to Core. I was expecting 40m.

 

[Maddoxswe]

Where is that confirmed?

Source: Trust me bro.

Of course they count the core members too, if i'm wrong i will eat a shoe. Save this post for later

 

[Cyberpunkd]

It's gonna be much more when it's available on Playstation and Steam

Sony:

 

[LordCBH]

Now we know why they rebranded Gold to GP Core.

 

[Crayon]

What were peak xbl subs before they called it gp?

 

[adamsapple]

 

[Sanepar]

Always a lie... bringing core number included, probably subscribers numbers are down.

 

[dotnotbot]

What were peak xbl subs before they called it gp?

If Xbox Live Gold is now Xbox Game Pass Core, Microsoft is likely to count that as “Xbox Game Pass Subscribers,” boosting those subscription numbers further (we have not gotten any new subscription numbers from then since the 25 million that were announced all the way back in January of 2022). In May of 2020, Microsoft reported that Xbox Live Gold had 46 million subscribers, outstripping Game Pass by far, if there’s no overlap considered. Even if there is, that’s an extra 20 million subscribers from the last data.

Xbox Live Gold Is Dead, Long Live Xbox Game Pass Core

Microsoft is finally killing off a remnant of its past, Xbox Live Gold, previously the uh, gold standard in online multiplayer when it debuted.

www.forbes.com

 

[graywolf323]

haven’t you been touting that estimate from some firm that claimed it was 45+ million for the last several months?

 

[TrippleA345]

What were peak xbl subs before they called it gp?

i think round about 10 mil

 

[bender]

Xbox Live Gold Is Dead, Long Live Xbox Game Pass Core

Microsoft is finally killing off a remnant of its past, Xbox Live Gold, previously the uh, gold standard in online multiplayer when it debuted.

www.forbes.com

 

[efyu_lemonardo]

That's not good it slowed considerably

For Microsoft this is good news, isn't it? It means they get to sell their games at full price to more people. I am so confused.

 

[Raonak]

For Microsoft this is good news, isn't it? It means they get to sell their games at full price to more people. I am so confused.

Nobody is buying xbox games at full price, which is the reason why they're going multiplatform

 

[ByWatterson]

yes

Then that's not growth. Like at all.

 

[MisterXDTV]

THE NETFLIX OF GAMING....

AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

 

[Elios83]

Ummm with core included or not?
Former is a tragedy, latter disappointing.

 

[efyu_lemonardo]

Nobody is buying xbox games at full price, which is the reason why they're going multiplatform

Right. So minimal growth in game pass subscriptions is a good thing. Isn't it?

 

[mejin]

I thought they would beat 40M with Core.

GP really estagnated.

 

[Crispy Gamer]

For Microsoft this is good news, isn't it? It means they get to sell their games at full price to more people. I am so confused.

They aren't selling more games though this means their platform isn't growing

 

[Tsaki]

So it didn't grow.

yes

Personally I'd like an explicit confirmation for "it includes Core". If it's true then Game Pass saw contraction, never mind not growing.

 

[efyu_lemonardo]

They aren't selling more games though this means their platform isn't growing

None of it makes sense to me. Do they want game pass to succeed so more people own an Xbox who then purchase fewer games?

 

[Nydius]

Industry insider “best estimates” of GP subs last year were between 28-32M so announcing 34M today isn’t exactly what I’d call “growth” worthy of boasting over.

 

[Iced Arcade]

Corny.... Including "core" into that count is the same misleading thing Sony did with its PS+ counts.

guess it should be expected.

 

[Kikorin]

If this include people that subscribed for Palword (and will not renew next month), is a painful number.

 

[Magic Carpet]

Few if any gamepass games get OT's or talked about on Neogaf.
It truly is a dead service on this forum at least.

Meanwhile I keep playing. Neogaf just isn't a good forum for gamepass anything.

 

[Moses85]

they spent billions and never get their Investment back

 

[Jaybe]

Xbox Live Gold was somewhere in the mid 40 million in early 2010s I believe. So with Core + Game Pass this shows how far they have fallen from their peak.

 

[lucbr]

I don't think core is included. Wasn't she talking explicitly about games arriving day 1 for the 34 million Game Pass users?

Also, if I am mistaken, in 2022 they had 40 million Gold + Game Pass. Did they lose 6 million in 2 years?

 

[DeepEnigma]

Then that's not growth. Like at all.

It's clear in the first reply in the thread.

 

[jm89]

Amphere analyst.

 

[Mowcno]

"As of April 2022, Microsoft had 11.7 million Xbox LIVE Gold subscribers. If these users are recognized as Game Pass subscribers, then Microsoft's latest XGP figures could jump by 10-11 million, pushing the total to around 36 million."

Xbox Game Pass made $230 million revenue in one month, most users pay for full subscriptions

Microsoft reveals a rare look at concrete Xbox Game Pass earnings, with the subscription breaking $230 million in subscriber revenues in a month's time.

www.tweaktown.com

Article from 2023.

 

[twilo99]

Gamepass is so ded

 

[Ozriel]

Nobody is buying xbox games at full price, which is the reason why they're going multiplatform

 

[Mowcno]

Omdia: Game Pass Currently at 41.7m Subs - Half on Ultimate Tier by end of 2023

Omdia = independent analysis firm based out of London. Most analysts agree that Xbox Game Pass will be impacted the most by Microsoft acquiring Activision Blizzard, thanks to the expected injection of its back catalogue and future releases. Omdia notes that PlayStation Plus is actually ahead...

www.neogaf.com

41.7m eyyy?

 

[dotnotbot]

I don't think core is included. Wasn't she talking explicitly about games arriving day 1 for the 34 million Game Pass users?

Also, if I am mistaken, in 2022 they had 40 million Gold + Game Pass. Did they lose 6 million in 2 years?

It's possible, some users could be moving from Xbox to PC and then subing there. So either Xbox as a console is seeing massive exodus or the growth is a lie.

 

[lucbr]

Industry insider “best estimates” of GP subs last year were between 28-32M so announcing 34M today isn’t exactly what I’d call “growth” worthy of boasting over.

So they announced a number above the best estimate from the insider? I'd call worthy of announcing. And probably they did because of that.

 

[aliadiere25]

Another lie. They're probably counting the Xbox Live Gold and people buying Game Pass at discounted prices for like a dollar or something. If they had 34 million current subscribers, they wouldn't be in this mess.

 

[Crispy Gamer]

None of it makes sense to me. Do they want game pass to succeed so more people own an Xbox who then purchase fewer games?

Microsoft's goal is to have 100 million gamepass subs the platform for over a decade has declined in software sales it's the reason gamepass was created to get more games on the platform they thought it would drive software sales but it did the opposite by cannibalizing sales. This generation software sales are at their lowest because of gamepass and less interest in the platform it's been a trend for years they should be over 50 million subs by now.

 

[Angry_Megalodon]

I'd swear it's the 5th or 6th time that I have seen this news over the past years. It grows despite reporting the same amount of subscribers each time. I'm in awe.

 

[Jesb]

What are the numbers for their competition?

 

[lucbr]

It's possible, some users could be moving from Xbox to PC and then subing there. So either Xbox as a console is seeing massive exodus or the growth is a lie.

Subbing on PC is also a growth for them as a whole. I don't think they care if it comes from console or elsewhere. If they did, they wouldn't put games there day 1.