By Even though COD has provided a lift to Game Pass
- by Ben Kerry
There has been an ongoing discussion within gaming circles regarding subscription services and their viability in the market, particularly considering that Xbox Game Pass has plateaued on consoles in recent times. While there has been some expansion on PC and Cloud platforms, the core XGP has surely decelerated, and Circana’s Mat Piscatella has shed some intriguing light on the future of such services.
It’s crucial to acknowledge that Piscatella / Circana concentrates exclusively on US data only, yet the analyst mentions that spending on subscription services in that area has “essentially remained stable” since the surge during the pandemic in 2020-21. He notes that only the recent inclusion of Call of Duty in Xbox Game Pass has offered a slight uplift in subscriptions.
As highlighted in the earlier post, Piscatella further claims that, ultimately, subscription services aren’t the future of gaming as we once imagined. However, pay attention to the emphasis on “THE” in that statement, with the analyst asserting that they can persist as an essential component of the industry alongside full game sales and other revenue avenues.
Dissecting the financial dynamics of these subscription services is always tricky, primarily because major platform holders can be quite reticent about such matters. Nevertheless, we can assess the quality of these services from a user’s standpoint. And, Microsoft’s Xbox Game Pass subscription has been exceptionally impressive recently – providing hits one after another in what has been a bustling start to 2025 for the service.
What do you think about these insights from the Circana analyst? Share your views on the matter below.
[source bsky.app, via pushsquare.com]
Ben serves as a News Writer at Pure Xbox, and enjoys action, racing, and straight-up shooting games on Xbox. When he’s not gripping an Xbox controller as if his life depends on it, Ben can be found enjoying music that’s far too vintage for him, watching football on TV, and likely dining somewhere.