Microsoft has changed the game for video launches by announcing that the highly anticipated Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 will be available immediately to Game Pass subscribers. Normally, gamers pay upfront for big new releases, but now they can opt for a smaller monthly subscription instead.
Christopher Dring from GamesIndustry.biz told the BBC this is a “significant move” for Microsoft and the industry. Although Microsoft has previously released games on Game Pass at launch, none have been as big as Call of Duty, which is one of the best-selling game series ever.
Microsoft bought Call of Duty’s developer, Activision Blizzard, for $69 billion in 2023. Instead of the usual sales model, Microsoft is betting on boosting Game Pass subscribers with this new approach. Dring believes this is a major test for game subscriptions.
Game Pass, like Sony’s PlayStation Plus, lets players access hundreds of games for a monthly fee, similar to “Netflix for games.” As of early 2024, Game Pass had 34 million subscribers, while PlayStation Plus had 47 million.
With this move, Microsoft is risking traditional sales in hopes of attracting more Game Pass subscribers. Dring suggests this may address a problem with game streaming services where people don’t play as many games as they watch TV shows.
There are questions about whether the new Call of Duty game will be streamable or download-only. Due to regulatory concessions, Ubisoft controls the cloud streaming rights for Activision’s games, which could affect availability.
Microsoft’s strategy might lead to changes in Game Pass tiers or other monetization methods. The specifics of streaming rights are unclear, but it’s unlikely PlayStation users will stream the game at launch.
For more details, you can refer to the original BBC article.
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cneew1weereo