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[Draugoth]

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The launch of Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 into Game Pass will hurt sales of the game, but will see millions of subscribers flock to Xbox's service, leading analysts say.

However, the true success won't be immediately known, as it'll depend on whether Xbox can keep subscribers within the service in the months following the game's launch.

Wedbush boss Michael Pachter believes that putting Call of Duty in Game Pass could result in up to six million lost sales, based on the idea that 25% of Game Pass subscribers may have bought the game anyway. However, he adds that the move could result in between three to four million people signing up to Game Pass to access the title.

"Good overall for Microsoft and for consumers," he told us. "But the headline will say 'Call of Duty sales are down'."

via GI

 

[ReBurn]

Pach Attack

 

[Killjoy-NL]

Getting closer to that 100M sub target for 2027.

MS is killing it.

 

[clarky]

Seems like a reasonable amount. What would that be 10-15%?

I think sales will be down more than that though due to existing sub not picking up the game, like the OP states. I dont think its worth it.

Wait till next year when they change the deal from day 1 to day 60 for Ultimate subs (the only sensible way of doing this, then your like the Cinema exclusive windows)

 

[adamsapple]

 

[Judge Magister]

OT title: "...says analysts"

Ok, I don't believe but let's read
.....
.....
"Wedbush boss Michael Pachter..."

 

[Topher]

I can see that, but then the question is how many stay subscribed. I'd be interested to see analysts look into how subscriptions perform in the months following a big release.

 

[Cornbread78]

Yes, sales numbers will be down.


Sad part is that even though my Gp Ultimate sub is paid through 5/25 (damn 3 year stack is almost gone) I still bought the game to play on PS5 instead and will not d/l from GP. Win /win for MS, I guess

 

[gothmog]

Everyone in my circle is just playing it on GP. Most of them drop it anyways after a month or so.

 

[GudOlRub]

For how long will that increase last I wonder. Personally I'll subscribe this week, play the campaign and probably never touch the game again.
I bought both Cold War and Vanguard (on discount, after many months obviously) and still haven't even played 1 minute of the multiplayer, paying 20$ to play the campaign and be done with these games is my COD dream since forever.

 

[AJUMP23]

It is a big gamble for MS making it part of GP. There are millions on the table if they just maintained the traditional model.

I am actually surprised they didn't delay it 6 months for GP.

 

[adamsapple]

Everyone in my circle is just playing it on GP. Most of them drop it anyways after a month or so.

Yep, its either buy -> resell, or gamefly. This is the ideal solution that meets my needs.

 

[lh032]

ok and then? its not going to kept increase?

 

[adamsapple]

ok and then? its not going to kept increase?

 

[Punished Miku]

paying 20$ to play the campaign and be done with these games is my COD dream since forever.

When's the last time you heard someone else say "pricing on this day 1 AAA game is a dream come true"?

People can show support if they sub and play CoD, Stalker 2, Nine Sols, Indiana Jones, Avowed day 1 and 2 dozen other games (plus the other 300 already on there) over the next 4 months for the cost of 1 game. Or people can brag about paying as little as possible and canceling after a month, but it will eventually just kill the service at some point. No one else is going to offer this so it's going to be up consumers to show that they reward someone looking to offer a good deal, or they can own goal themselves yet again. Guess we'll see.

 

[Gamer_By_Proxy]

Pachter is always wrong, but he might be right here, for a month or two.
People that don't play CoD religiously could pay $12 for PC GamePass and just play the hell out of it for a month.

 

[Jaybe]

Not sure the impact it will have to subs. If you want to just play the COD BO6 campaign it’s better to wait until this, Indiana Jones, Stalker 2, and Avowed have come out. Then play them all with a month of PC game pass.

 

[GudOlRub]

When's the last time you heard someone else say "pricing on this day 1 AAA game is a dream come true"?

People can show support if they sub and play CoD, Stalker 2, Nine Sols, Indiana Jones, Avowed day 1 and 2 dozen other games (plus the other 300 already on there) over the next 4 months for the cost of 1 game. Or people can brag about paying as little as possible and canceling after a month, but it will eventually just kill the service at some point. No one else is going to offer this so it's going to be up consumers to show that they reward someone looking to offer a good deal, or they can own goal themselves yet again. Guess we'll see.

Oh no! Think of the mega-corp!
I truly enjoy playing (most) COD campaigns once or twice, but I'm absolutely not dishing out 60$ or 70$ to play them, so either I'm buying them heavily discounted or, in this case, I'll subscribe GP this month and unsubscribe the next.
As for other games like STALKER 2, if it turns out good and I deem it worthy of my money, then I'll simply buy it instead.
I couldn't care less about whether I'm rewarding Microsoft or not.

 

[clarky]

Not sure the impact it will have to subs. If you want to just play the COD BO6 campaign it’s better to wait until this, Indiana Jones, Stalker 2, and Avowed have come out. Then play them all with a month of PC game pass.

Good in theory but personally I dont have time to play one of those in a month never mind all 4. Its the reason I'm not re subbing when it runs out.

Big flaw in the GP model if you ask me.

 

[Donald mac Ronald]

My plan is to sub on pc for one month to play the zombies and that's it.

There's no reason to stay subbed; the catalogue just isn't good.

 

[clarky]

My plan is to sub on pc for one month to play the zombies and that's it.

There's no reason to stay subbed; the catalogue just isn't good.

COD is an ongoing GAAS though. If Zombies is brilliant then you'll be missing out on all the new stuff over the year with that strat. Best just buying the game used in a couple of weeks if thats your thing IMO.

 

[diffusionx]

If you think you're going to play Black Ops 6 for more than a 2-3 months, it makes way more sense just to buy the game.

This was always the flaw of subscription services, the endless need for more content.

 

[twilo99]

Rookie numbers

 

[fudgybrownie]

And where would they get those subscribers from?

 

[Hrk69]

There's no reason to stay subbed; the catalogue just isn't good.

I think it offers a decent amount of quality games. But maybe I'm just easily pleased

 

[twilo99]

I still bought the game to play on PS5 instead and will not d/l from GP. Win /win for MS, I guess

Why?

 

[Skifi28]

So GP is losing 4m subs, what a disaster. The pach-man strikes again.

 

[clarky]

And where would they get those subscribers from?

COD players who are new to gamepass? Where else?

 

[twilo99]

I think it offers a decent amount of quality games. But maybe I'm just easily pleased

GP catalog is solid, if anything there is too much good stuff on there and not enough time.

 

[Hrk69]

GP catalog is solid, if anything there is too much good stuff on there and not enough time.

Right? What are you playing if you think the games on that list are not good enough? It must be niche genre at that point.

 

[ChorizoPicozo]

im based. that's about what I said.

still it's a shit amount that it's not going to do anything. Xbox is cooked.

 

[fudgybrownie]

COD players who are new to gamepass? Where else?

I feel like a majority of cod players are already on gamepass and the ones that only play Cod will just buy the game. Why spend $20 a month when you can just buy it and have it? Pc gamepass subscribers are very low.

 

[Punished Miku]

Right? What are you playing if you think the games on that list are not good enough? It must be niche genre at that point.

If that was the upcoming PS+ lineup people would be saying its the best lineup in gaming history for a sub. People on here lie a lot, to themselves and everyone else.

 

[EN250]

I'd believe it if other than Michael Pachter said it

Also, numbers sounds nice, but how many are staying after finishing the game and how many of the yearly purchases are going to get lost in order to boost GP numbers?

 

[Loboxxx]

---

 

[clarky]

I feel like a majority of cod players are already on gamepass and the ones that only play Cod will just buy the game. Why spend $20 a month when you can just buy it and have it? Pc gamepass subscribers are very low.

The majority of COD players are not on Gamepass fella.

The ones who only play COD are "only " around a couple of million tops (we only have numbers for playstation @around 1 million ). COD HQ has around 26million monthly active users for reference. Thats almost as many actual GP ultimate subs.

If PC subs are low then there is where the growth could come from.

 

[cormack12]

Almost double the subs?

Unless they create a tier which has something like COD+ (similar to what gta+ is) and has camo's and other stuff included.

 

[fudgybrownie]

The majority of COD players are not on Gamepass

I'm talking about Xbox here.

 

[clarky]

I'm talking about Xbox here.

Ah right. I wasn't. Thats why growth needs to come from PC or new xbox sales.

 

[Jaybe]

Right? What are you playing if you think the games on that list are not good enough? It must be niche genre at that point.

Game of the Year contenders and 90+ Metacritic score games are notably missing from Game Pass’ catalog. If you only have so much time, better to just buy excellent games and play them versus the good/average content that is most of the catalog.

 

[JohnnyFootball]

I have no idea how it will affect Gamepass subscriptions…but how many who own an Xbox don’t subscribe to Gamepass will do it now? Im not sure it will be many and PC Gamepass? Steam or bust, but others could rent for a month and be done.

 

[Insanemaelstrom]

I'd believe it if other than Michael Pachter said it

Also, numbers sounds nice, but how many are staying after finishing the game and how many of the yearly purchases are going to get lost in order to boost GP numbers?

Can you elaborate? What's the deal with Pachter?

 

[NickFire]

It launches in a few hours I think. The press releases about launch metrics can't be too far off.

 

[clarky]

It launches in a few hours I think. The press releases about launch metrics can't be too far off.

Its out already.

This is a prediction by Mike Patcher, not based on actual numbers. We wont know what effect its had on gamepass until MS' Quarterly financials, if they tell us at all. We'll know roughly how much its fucked general sales though next month.

 

[twilo99]

Game of the Year contenders and 90+ Metacritic score games are notably missing from Game Pass’ catalog. If you only have so much time, better to just buy excellent games and play them versus the good/average content that is most of the catalog.

You let metacritic scores dictate what you play?

Anyway this was the narrative 3 years ago

 

[fudgybrownie]

I know everyone was saying Starfield had a chance to increase subs and I didn't. I will say I'm interested to see if COD can increase in gamepass sales or more Xbox sales to get gamepass. But PC users really like steam.

 

[Heisenberg007]

Wedbush boss Michael Pachter

 

[clarky]

Game of the Year contenders and 90+ Metacritic score games are notably missing from Game Pass’ catalog. If you only have so much time, better to just buy excellent games and play them versus the good/average content that is most of the catalog.

There are shit loads of 80+ and quite a lot of 90+ games on Gamepass. The library is great, its MS' own offerings, the day one stuff that is severely lacking.

You've got to remember most people are not like us when it comes to consuming Videogames.

Xbox Game Pass: List of Available Games Plus Upcoming Additions and Titles Leaving Soon

Find an up-to-date list of every game available in the Xbox Game Pass (and PC Game Pass) library at all membership levels, and find out which games are coming soon and leaving soon.

www.metacritic.com

Edit : beaten by twilo99

 

[SJRB]

Michael Pachter, looooooool.

He’s the Jim Cramer of the videogame industry.

 

[clarky]

I know everyone was saying Starfield had a chance to increase subs and I didn't. I will say I'm interested to see if COD can increase in gamepass sales or more Xbox sales to get gamepass. But PC users really like steam.

COD's a whole different level to Starfield. Will be interesting to see this play out for sure.