By “Agreements ranging from $50k to over $50m”
- by Ben Kerry
Microsoft’s proprietary first-party titles serve as a significant attraction with Xbox Game Pass — especially these days, considering the plethora of studios it owns — but that doesn’t imply that extensive collaborations with external teams aren’t also essential. In fact, some of these collaborations are quite substantial, with contracts reaching up to $50m to bring specific titles onto the platform.
Following the unfortunate termination of his position in Microsoft’s recent wave of job cuts, the former business development manager at Xbox, Iain MacIntyre, has refreshed his LinkedIn profile with information about this specific role – revealing some intriguing figures regarding Xbox’s third-party Game Pass strategy.
MacIntyre states that he has “negotiated 500+ agreements ranging from $50k to over $50m” to secure “indie sensations and AAA hits for Game Pass”. Although MacIntyre doesn’t specify how Microsoft allocates those funds or the precise nature of these agreements, it is evident that the corporation has invested significantly to acquire content for Xbox Game Pass over the years.
In earlier discussions, we learned that certain Game Pass collaborations are more straightforward transactions, while in other scenarios, Microsoft will actually finance the game – launching it on day one into the service. We would speculate that some of the larger arrangements include actual development financing from Xbox, but ultimately, we are unaware of the exact structure of these partnerships – and likely never will be.
Nonetheless, this is a fascinating little insight as it’s rare to hear about precise figures concerning Xbox Game Pass collaborations. We would be interested to know how much is being invested these days, especially with Microsoft showcasing a much more robust first-party offering on the platform in recent months.
What do you think about these XGP numbers? Share your thoughts with us in the comments.
Ben is a News Writer at Pure Xbox and enjoys action, racing, and straightforward shooting games on any Xbox title he can find. When he’s not holding an Xbox controller as if his life depended on it, Ben occupies his time listening to music that’s far too vintage for him, watching football on screen, and likely dining somewhere.