The numbers speak out
Xbox Game Pass data reveals gamers are playing and spending more
During its Game Developers Conference 2022 keynote, Microsoft detailed how the Xbox Game Pass business model is benefiting studios.
Xbox Game Pass figures show that Microsoft's plan is working. That is what we can conclude after the Microsoft Game Dev conference held at GDC 2022. The Redmond company's video game subscription platform, available on Xbox consoles, Windows PCs and mobile devices via cloud-based gaming with more than 25 million subscribers, has significantly improved its statistics compared to a year ago, with data that reflect the engagement of players, their greater tendency to spend and to discover video games that they would otherwise overlook.
Xbox Game Pass gamers play 40% more titles
During the presentation, Microsoft revealed the latest data on how Xbox Game Pass has impacted both gamers and development studios, with the common denominator being a maximization of product value. Members of the service, who pay a monthly or annual subscription to access different modes, play 40% more video games once they join Game Pass (a growth compared to 2021 when it was 20% more).
- Members play 40% more titles.
- The number of genres played grows by 30%.
- Already published games joining Xbox Game Pass increase their number of players by 8.3 times.
- Launch indies on Xbox Game Pass jump 15-fold in their number of players.
- Xbox Game Pass has added more than 60 GOTY award-winning games since 2017.
- Launch AAA games grow by 3.5 in their number of players.
- Xbox Game Pass members spend 50% more and spend by 2.8x on post-release monetization (microtransactions).
- Games arriving on Xbox Game Pass add up to 3.5 times more players than when they arrive on Steam (where they have to be purchased).
Likewise, subscribed users play 30% more genres, which opens the door to discover works that may not be on our priority lists. Not surprisingly, being "at the click of a button", curiosity is satisfied much more quickly.
How does Xbox Game Pass benefit the video games that join the service?
Here comes a recurring question: How does joining Xbox Game Pass affect an already published game? According to Microsoft's up-to-date data as of 2022, a video game already available on the market will see its number of players increase by 8.3 after being added to the service.
On the other hand, video games that join Xbox Game Pass from day one experience a 3.5x growth compared to others that are not on Game Pass. New indie video games debuting on Xbox Game Pass soared by x15 in the number of players.
Obviously, it follows that the number of gross sales will decrease significantly, but whether or not it is profitable will depend on the economic pact that the studio has agreed with Microsoft to join XGP. Finally, we come to spending, which, contrary to what one might think, does not have a negative effect, but a positive one: Xbox Game Pass players spend 50% more than other users (in 2021 spending was 20% higher). Post-launch monetization increases by 2.8 after joining Xbox Game Pass; 50% of the total amount comes from new players.
Source | Microsoft Game Dev