Microsoft Slashes Game Pass Price, Drops Day-One 'Call of Duty' Access

Singapore – CNA reports on a significant pivot in Microsoft's Xbox strategy, marked by price cuts to its Game Pass subscription service and the discontinuation of day-one "Call of Duty" releases. This move comes as a direct response to market pressures, including rising subscription costs, declining console sales, and a perceived lack of compelling exclusive titles, which have allowed rivals Sony and Nintendo to gain ground.

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Starting Tuesday, Xbox Game Pass Ultimate will now cost $22.99 a month from $29.99 while PC Game Pass is priced at $13.99 from $16.49 monthly.

The decision to remove "Call of Duty" from launch-day offerings is particularly noteworthy, reversing a strategy implemented just a few years ago following Microsoft's $69 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard. The hope then was that the franchise's immense popularity would drive Game Pass subscriptions. Now, new "Call of Duty" titles will reportedly be added to Game Pass about a year after their initial release.

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Removing launch inclusions of "Call of Duty" from the service means undoing a decision made just a few years ago after Microsoft bought the game's developer Activision Blizzard for a mammoth $69 billion, hoping that the game's heft would attract users to Game Pass.

This strategic recalibration is happening under the leadership of Asha Sharma, who took the helm of Microsoft's gaming division following a February leadership shake-up. Sharma has reportedly acknowledged internally that Game Pass had become prohibitively expensive for many gamers. The price adjustments and content strategy shift aim to make the service more accessible and competitive.

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New "Call of Duty" games will be added to Game Pass services around a year after their release, the company said.

From a regional perspective, particularly in Asia where gaming is a massive market, these changes could have a significant impact. While Western media might focus on the financial implications for Microsoft or the impact on the "Call of Duty" franchise, local gamers will be keenly watching how these adjustments affect the value proposition of Game Pass. The affordability of gaming subscriptions is a critical factor for many consumers, and Microsoft's move signals a recognition of this reality. The success of this new strategy will be crucial in determining Xbox's future trajectory in a fiercely competitive landscape.

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Sharma admitted that Game Pass had gotten too expensive for players.