Just when we thought the slew of megaton Xbox news was starting to die down, multiple new reports hit the web, including one from The Verge that talks about Microsoft’s internal struggles regarding its Game Pass subscription.
According to the tech outlet, Microsoft has considered raising the price of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate once again. The subscription’s cost was increased last summer, and now, the team seems to be having internal debates about whether to bump it up even more.
However, while the last price jump seems to have been a general reaction to tough market conditions, The Verge believes the current Game Pass Ultimate pricing debate is about the integration of Call of Duty into the library. Again, none of this is official right now, but it seems like the acquisition of one of gaming’s biggest franchises is sparking internal debate at Microsoft about the price of Game Pass Ultimate.
In fact, the report also says that Microsoft is considering other options as well – options such as not including the newest Call of Duty releases in Game Pass at all. Here’s what The Verge has to say on the matter as things stand:
“Microsoft has also had internal debates about whether to put new releases of Call of Duty into Game Pass. I understand this is a debate that has been ongoing internally for quite some time, with concerns from some that the revenue that Call of Duty typically generates for Activision Blizzard will be undermined by Game Pass.
I’m told that Microsoft has also considered increasing the price of Game Pass Ultimate again. These are only considerations, so a final decision could mean we still see a future Call of Duty release appear in most versions of Game Pass. The debate internally reflects the fact Microsoft’s Xbox strategy has shifted from just delivering its games exclusively into Game Pass to considering bringing more Xbox games to multiple platforms.”
We’ll be keeping a close eye on this situation as it develops, with these reported changes seemingly still in the decision making process over at Microsoft HQ. We haven’t heard anything official from the Xbox owner just yet, but there appear to be some big changes going on right now behind the scenes.
Laura Adams is a tech enthusiast residing in the UK. Her articles cover the latest technological innovations, from AI to consumer gadgets, providing readers with a glimpse into the future of technology.
