The fate and future of Xbox rests on Black Ops 6

Yesterday, we heard some opinions from industry analysts who considered that Black Ops 6 will increase Game Pass subscriptions by 2.5-4 million new subscribers, and that Microsoft may be willing to sacrifice game sales in exchange for a larger number of Game Pass subscribers. But will this strategy be effective? What will happen to Xbox if Black Ops 6 fails to attract players to the service?

Journalist Rob Fahey published an article on GamesIndustry website discussing this situation and informing us of the potential fate of Xbox in case of failure. He mentioned that Microsoft and Xbox are facing the biggest test in the history of the gaming sector after an expensive acquisition, and if one of the biggest game franchises cannot save Game Pass, then nobody can.

The report states that Xbox is facing a tough test that will determine the platform’s future and the business model it will adopt in the future. Success simply means the growth of the Game Pass service and more major titles coming to it. Failure means reconsidering putting profitable franchises like Call of Duty on the service.

“Rob” says that the company needs millions of subscriptions coinciding with the game’s launch, and will also monitor how Sony is affected by the presence of the game on Game Pass because Microsoft expects that many will prefer to play Call of Duty on Game Pass “for free” rather than buying it for $70 on Playstation.

He also added that Microsoft has prepared well for the launch through some steps: firstly, adjusting the prices and categories of the Game Pass service. Secondly, removing the 14-day trial feature for only $1.

The journalist also mentioned that not bringing the game to Game Pass from day one as a trial was not a logical decision for the company, as the expensive acquisition should benefit them in some way. Either by restricting the game to their platform, and losing profits from the franchise on Playstation, or by releasing it on Game Pass and thus leveraging it to significantly grow the service which Microsoft has chosen to try, but failure will cost them a lot according to the journalist.

What are your expectations? Do you think Black Ops 6 will succeed in attracting millions of new subscribers to the service?