Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 lanserades på Xbox Game Pass, och många frågade sig hur det beslutet skulle påverka spelets försäljning. Nu börjar bilden klarna, åtminstone delvis.
Circana-analytikern Mat Piscatella delade idag några viktiga datapunkter som talar för effekten av Black Ops 6:s lansering på Game Pass i USA. Han sa att det ledde till en “prenumerationsutgiftsökning”, eftersom människor valde att köpa en Game Pass-prenumeration istället för att köpa spelet direkt. Tidigare hade Microsofts VD Satya Nadella sagt att Black Ops 6:s lansering på Game Pass ledde till de största singeldagsregistreringarna för en ny Game Pass-lansering genom tiderna.
Piscatella tillade att Microsofts beslut att lansera Black Ops 6 på Game Pass “försköt” andelen fullständiga försäljningar till PlayStation. Medan Black Ops 6 kanske har hjälpt Xbox att bli den mest populära Call of Duty-plattformen på ett decennium, förblir PlayStation högst (igen, åtminstone i USA, enligt Circana) när det gäller fullständiga försäljningar.
Black Ops 6’s launch on Xbox Game Pass raised questions about how it would impact the game’s overall sales. Recent data shared by Circana analyst Mat Piscatella sheds some light on the situation, showing that the Game Pass release led to an increase in subscription spending as players opted to purchase a Game Pass subscription instead of buying the game outright. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella previously stated that the launch of Black Ops 6 on Game Pass resulted in the highest single-day registrations for a new Game Pass release in history.
Although Black Ops 6 may have helped Xbox become the most popular Call of Duty platform in a decade, Piscatella noted that Microsoft’s decision to launch the game on Game Pass “shifted” the share of full sales to PlayStation. Despite Xbox’s success, PlayStation remains the leader in full sales, at least in the US according to Circana’s data. This indicates that Black Ops 6’s availability on Game Pass impacted the distribution of game sales between Xbox and PlayStation, ultimately benefiting both platforms in different ways.
In conclusion, the release of Black Ops 6 on Game Pass has had a significant impact on the gaming industry, leading to an increase in subscription spending and reshaping the distribution of game sales between Xbox and PlayStation. While the decision may have favored Xbox in terms of player engagement and registrations, PlayStation still holds the top spot when it comes to full game sales. This shift in the market dynamic demonstrates the evolving nature of gaming platforms and the importance of strategic decisions in maximizing game reach and profitability.