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[GI.biz] Black Ops 6 is make-or-break for the Game Pass strategy

Topher

Identifies as young
maybe this is me being ignorant, but I feel like the average CoD player just plays CoD and Apex/Fortnite/whatever. They arent gonna be interested in playing Hellblade 2 and Slay the Spire if it means another monthly sub.

No idea if that is typical or not, but I always seem to have coworkers who only play one game a year whether it is Madden or COD, etc.. For those folks, Game Pass isn't worth it.
 

HeisenbergFX4

Gold Member
maybe this is me being ignorant, but I feel like the average CoD player just plays CoD and Apex/Fortnite/whatever. They arent gonna be interested in playing Hellblade 2 and Slay the Spire if it means another monthly sub.
I think you are right, the average player won't all of a sudden rent COD via Gamepass

GP will likely see a spike though as now people who only play the campaign can do so with one month of GP

I know several people who buy COD yearly on PC most through BNet and they aren't switch to the GP version

I think the only people this will really change for are those who had GP anyhow and always bought COD on mainly Xbox, those people wont buy it anymore imo
 

Karak

Member
No idea if that is typical or not, but I always seem to have coworkers who only play one game a year whether it is Madden or COD, etc.. For those folks, Game Pass isn't worth it.
I always joke about this. BUT being serious. In my life I have never ever known someone who owned a console and had 1 game. They always, somewhere, from some way, had another couple games. Though you did say play. But I think gamepass would allo for instant adjustment if a COD player had say a down server.
I want to point out of COURSE they exist. Of course. But I think the myth negates a hefty amount of investigating into its appearance versus its reality.

Oh also. Our random discord poll did show that of those who play CoD yearly 100% played some other game. Only 500 or so folks. But I am a review channel so being a patron filters them.
 
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Yeah I sub for 3 months getting cod, stalker 2 and Indy. Pretty damn good value especially with how its looking like they put maximum effort with blops 6. Like insane value compared to last years. Lets see if the numbers do the talking.
Fully expect the next cod to not be on gamepass after this year though.
 

Punished Miku

Human Rights Subscription Service
maybe this is me being ignorant, but I feel like the average CoD player just plays CoD and Apex/Fortnite/whatever. They arent gonna be interested in playing Hellblade 2 and Slay the Spire if it means another monthly sub.
Minimum cost on PS, $70 + $80 PS+ = $150 annually.
GP at full price is $204 annually.

Difference of $54 per year to go from CoD only to GPU for a year for someone already purchasing CoD. That's $4.50 a month for an additional roughly 150+ games over the course of a year, many of them being $70 games like Fable and Doom, equaling thousands of dollars annually.

Gamers will likely still reject this, and they'll deserve everything coming their way in the future. Less than the price of renting 1 game a month in 1990 from Blockbuster and you get 150+ rentals annually. Idiots. I blame consumers.
 
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XXL

Member
I always joke about this. BUT being serious. In my life I have never ever known someone who owned a console and had 1 game.
There a ton of people who only play games like 2K, Madden, COD or even GT7.

I've know people who buy a system just for COD Zombies. Lol.

Crazy to me, but they exist.
 

XXL

Member
Minimum cost on PS, $70 + $80 PS+ = $150 annually.
GP at full price is $204 annually.

Difference of $54 per year to go from CoD only to GPU for a year for someone already purchasing CoD. That's $4.50 a month for an additional roughly 150+ games over the course of a year, many of them being $70 games like Fable and Doom, equaling thousands of dollars annually.
Normal people don't break out spreadsheets to decide where they play, the buy what their friend groups are playing and play where they're playing.
 

Punished Miku

Human Rights Subscription Service
Normal people don't break out spreadsheets to decide where they play, the buy what their friend groups are playing and play where they're playing.
It's just basic math.

But yes, I agree people are locked in and nothing is going to move it. Market forces no longer really apply anymore.
 

Topher

Identifies as young
I always joke about this. BUT being serious. In my life I have never ever known someone who owned a console and had 1 game. They always, somewhere, from some way, had another couple games. Though you did say play. But I think gamepass would allo for instant adjustment if a COD player had say a down server.
I want to point out of COURSE they exist. Of course. But I think the myth negates a hefty amount of investigating into its appearance versus its reality.

Oh also. Our random discord poll did show that of those who play CoD yearly 100% played some other game. Only 500 or so folks. But I am a review channel so being a patron filters them.

We've got to separate the folks we talk to regularly on board, twitter, discord, etc. from the other walks of life that do not have a persistent interest in all things gaming. There are a bunch of them and yeah, they don't play a lot of games. They play the one or two they like and that's it. These are not folks who are going to ever be interested in a subscription. It just isn't worth it for them. I know of at least two guys at my work who only play COD. Anecdotal, sure, but I don't think it is uncommon.
 

Karak

Member
There a ton of people who only play games like 2K, Madden, COD or even GT7.

I've know people who buy a system just for COD Zombies. Lol.

Crazy to me, but they exist.
ya like I said before. They do EXIST. But that doesn't at all mean their number is a factor in anyway other than an anomaly and unless they are immune to cost, psychology, and choice, they can also change and change would most likely be outward not inward.
 

HeisenbergFX4

Gold Member
Isn’t it not being advertised at all as on GamePass?
It is showing up on the Xbox PC app

thDGcNb.png
 

dem

Member
It's way too late in the console cycle for this to move the needle. Xbox is getting it's ass pounded.

At the start of a generation.. maybe.
 
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Karak

Member
We've got to separate the folks we talk to regularly on board, twitter, discord, etc. from the other walks of life that do not have a persistent interest in all things gaming. There are a bunch of them and yeah, they don't play a lot of games. They play the one or two they like and that's it. These are not folks who are going to ever be interested in a subscription. It just isn't worth it for them. I know of at least two guys at my work who only play COD. Anecdotal, sure, but I don't think it is uncommon.
Yep thats why I do outside gaming circle polls all the time before I do an article or think piece. That being said, even in those groups. That kind of player is simply not represented in any average way anymore and not something we could say is common unless they break a huge number of normal spending conventions as well outside of that.
Though I should add we do have like say COD streamers and stuff. LOL. If thats what they do I bet they may be one of those smaller segments.
 
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XXL

Member
ya like I said before. They do EXIST. But that doesn't at all mean their number is a factor in anyway other than an anomaly and unless they are immune to cost, psychology, and choice, they can also change and change would most likely be outward not inward.
I think we're the anomaly.

The PS4 had a high attach rate.
The average was 10 games per console.

I probably buy 10 games a year on PS5 (and I own multiple gaming platforms) and there are people even on this forum who buy much more than that.

We're the ones driving up the average, is what it looks like to me.
 
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Topher

Identifies as young
Yep thats why I do outside gaming circle polls all the time before I do an article or think piece. That being said, even in those groups. That kind of player is imply not represented in any average way anymore.

eh.....you'd have to have a pretty broad net to capture data that is representative of the entirety of gamers to come to conclusions like that. Do you have this stuff published anywhere?
 

Karak

Member
I think we're the anomaly.

The PS4 had a high attach rate.
The average was 10 games per console.

I probably buy 10 games a year or PS5 and there are people even on this forum who buy much more than that.

We're the ones driving up the average, is what it looks like to me.
If we find out that WE are the anomaly, that the common is someone spending 500 to a play a single game. Than I would say, that right there might be a sign of a collapse more than anything:)

But again we are going from a 1 to an average. I am discussing the 1 single game owner who is somehow immune to consumerism UNLESS it happens to be about COD.
 

JohnnyFootball

GerAlt-Right. Ciriously.
I don't know what numbers they want, just the term I heard it needed to move the needle
I suspect that it will merely tread water, it won’t be bad enough to kill Gamepass but won’t be good enough to move the needle.

The sooner Gamepass dies, the better.

MS will be much happier as a 3rd party publisher….until the piss off so many Windows user that SteamOS/Bazzite/Linux becomes a much more desirable option.

I setup my 2nd PC as. Bazzite/Linux gaming PC and it works flawlessly.
 

Topher

Identifies as young
If we find out that WE are the anomaly, that the common is someone spending 500 to a play a single game. Than I would say, that right there might be a sign of a collapse more than anything:)

But again we are going from a 1 to an average. I am discussing the 1 single game owner who is somehow immune to consumerism UNLESS it happens to be about COD.

I think that is more stringent that what most of us are talking about. I think we are talking about gamers who spent the vast majority of their time playing Call of Duty, not gamers who only ever buy one game never touch anything but that one game.
 
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TrebleShot

Member
Not sure what people are talking about there being no media presence there was a huge ad during the football here in the UK yesterday claiming this is the "MEDIA EVENT OF THE YEAR".

Hyped me up for sure.

I recon it will be hugely successful for MS and XBOX you can get a Series S with threee months of GP for £250 all in. For dads mums etc for xmas thats hugely appealing.

It will be huge on GP make no mistake.
 

XXL

Member
If we find out that WE are the anomaly, that the common is someone spending 500 to a play a single game. Than I would say, that right there might be a sign of a collapse more than anything:)
The industry will be fine....like all industries it will recalculate and adjust along with technological advancements that are unforeseen.
 

hepfom

Member
Is this available on all tiers of Gamepass? If it is...wouldn't most people who are interested in COD already be paying for Gamepass for the online toll road of it all? How big could the surge of new Gamepass users possibly be?
 

SHA

Member
From the reactions I'm seeing, this game is wanted regardless of the way, it's ms golden child, they toke care of it, and it's running their strategy at %300, it's more than a simple game, this is not even the usual cod game you usually see, it's made intentionally with all that in mind, it has the potential to surpass big games like Skyrim.
 
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rm082e

Member
It does not, but why does that matter?

I'm just thinking of the average person who is looking at the prices Microsoft and Sony are advertising. If Ultimate is advertised at $20 a month, that's $240 a year. PS Plus Extra is $135. If I'm an average joe, I see the PS5 has COD + subscription game library for cheaper than Xbox.
 

Karak

Member
I think that is more stringent that what most of us are talking about. I think we are talking about gamers who spent the vast majority of their time playing Call of Duty, not gamers who only ever buy one game never touch anything but that one game.
Well since we all technically want less stringent for now which is what I was arguing for.

Here is something-

I don't think they ever would but I would love ACTI or whomever to do a poll and straight up ask. MS might as their polls have a tendency to be more to the point than many companies. And it could help MS in understanding the fans they are bringing or attempting to bring in.

James Sawyer Ford James Sawyer Ford the commercial that was on...hmm Hulu maybe, or maybe Youtube had no stinger blurb at all. Sadly I can't for the life of me remember which of the 20 streaming channels that commercial was on.
 
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XXL

Member
Is this available on all tiers of Gamepass? If it is...wouldn't most people who are interested in COD already be paying for Gamepass for the online toll road of it all? How big could the surge of new Gamepass users possibly be?
No. It's not on Game Pass Standard.

It's on PC Game Pass and Ultimate.
 

rm082e

Member
Is this available on all tiers of Gamepass? If it is...wouldn't most people who are interested in COD already be paying for Gamepass for the online toll road of it all? How big could the surge of new Gamepass users possibly be?

No, it's only on Ultimate.
 

Topher

Identifies as young
Well since we all technically want less stringent for now which is what I was arguing for.

Here is something-

I don't think they ever would but I would love ACTI or whomever to do a poll and straight up ask. MS might as their polls have a tendancy to be more to the point than many companies.

James Sawyer Ford James Sawyer Ford the commercial that was on...hmm Hulu maybe, or maybe Youtube had no stinger blurb at all.

Found this....

"In 2021, over [14?] million users (by device) spent 30 percent or more of their time playing Call of Duty, over 6 million users spent more than 70% of their time on Call of Duty, and about 1 million users spent 100% of their gaming time on Call of Duty. In 2021, Call of Duty players spent an average of [116?] hours per year playing Call of Duty. Call of Duty players spending more than 70 percent of their time on Call of Duty spent an average of 296 hours on the franchise."


Of course, doesn't tell us how many devices are being included there.
 
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Karak

Member
The industry will be fine....like all industries it will recalculate and adjust along with technological advancements that are unforeseen.
I use collapse in the simplest of terms. To fall over. It will right itself unless humans are...not here lol.

Topher Topher thats why purchase data is so damned important. But its still SOMETHING at least. Though pre or mid covid. Though I don't know if anyone knows the general ramifications out that has or will cause.

I love that someone did it though.
 
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Punished Miku

Human Rights Subscription Service
They do. You just need to make it compelling enough for the mass of consumers to buy in.
I genuinely don't think this is true. It also has EA Play in there. There's really no way this can't be objectively characterized as compelling enough for the casual consumer. Something else is happening, like the collapse of any market movement and total console consolidation. We can imagine that some other company could come along and compete at this level and show up MS, but the truth is that company will never exist in reality. This is the market.
 
You know what I expect
Microsoft to have the biggest IP out there and continue to fail at explaining to the general public that gamepass is like renting from block buster….without the late fees. The comedy bits write themselves but they continue to have the worse marketing.
 

Karak

Member
Me as 38 year old , this sub culture is too much.
Every entertainment from movies, music , TV shows , and now even games are subs
In fact to watch just a few TV shows I like I have to sub 3 different services.
Then YouTube, google cloud ,gamepass this shit becomes just way too much.
Then they combine or split or move a show to another channel and half your time is spent figuring out if you still or DO have a sub lol
 
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MacReady13

Member
Gamers will likely still reject this, and they'll deserve everything coming their way in the future. Less than the price of renting 1 game a month in 1990 from Blockbuster and you get 150+ rentals annually. Idiots. I blame consumers.
Oh please, do tell. What exactly will gamers deserve in the future for not subscribing to a rental service? Please tell me how gamers are idiots?
 

MacReady13

Member
Me as 38 year old , this sub culture is too much.
Every entertainment from movies, music , TV shows , and now even games are subs
In fact to watch just a few TV shows I like I have to sub 3 different services.
Then YouTube, google cloud ,gamepass this shit becomes just way too much.
100% agree! This sub culture is ridiculous and just seems to be getting worse!

I'm in Australia and retail chains are now asking if you'd like to subscribe for a year to get extra discounts! What the FUCK is going on??? They want me to spend MORE money to get money off? How about you just give me a fucking discount for being a customer?

In regards to subscriptions for tv/movies/music/gaming, it can ALL go in the trash. Problem is, it's convenient and as witnessed in here, so many people don't care to OWN anything anymore! They're just happy to rent what they want to watch/listen to/play and never own it! And all the while, these companies are just robbing us blindly for giving us access to rent this shit. Fuck that. All these sub services are a waste of money and Xbox can go and get stuffed for trying to make a sub service standard in gaming.
 
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