Microsoft clarifies Game Pass business model following recent reports

Documents from the CMA's investigation into the Microsoft-Activision merger have been made public for a while and plenty have found interesting details within them. Most recently, a line in one of the documents shows Microsoft confirming that titles on Game Pass do lose a non-disclosed percentage of sales while on the service. However, Microsoft has issued an additional statement today to clarify this.

It sounds pretty obvious that games on Game Pass would see a dip in base game sales, but the reason this quote become such a big deal is due to the fact that back in 2018, Microsoft bragged that titles like Forza Horizon 4 observed increased sales after launching on Game Pass.

In a statement sent to Eurogamer this afternoon, Microsoft explained the quote doing the rounds, saying: “We're focused on helping game creators of all sizes maximise the total financial value they receive through Game Pass. Each game is unique, so we work closely with creators to build a custom program to reflect what they need, ensure they are compensated financially for their participation in the service, and allow room for creativity and innovation. As a result, the number of developers interested in working with Game Pass continues to grow.”

While the document states that a redacted percentage of sales are lost when launching a new title onto Game Pass, it does not include any data on increased DLC or MTX sales, which is an area a number of games have leveraged to improve revenues, including Microsoft's own Forza Horizon games, which offers a DLC bundle for those who are playing the game through Game Pass.

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KitGuru Says: Game Pass is always heavily scrutinised, and that scrutiny has increased following Microsoft's proposed acquisition of Activision Blizzard. 

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