Let me show you a reason why I don't even think Microsoft could get more than a few 100 thousand Game Pass customers without free or heavy discounts. What you will find is Sony numbers actually match up with Microsoft in other subscription areas i.e. Playstation Plus/Xbox Live Gold subscriptions.
So... Microsoft stopped reporting XBLG subscription counts many years ago. In 2012, they report around 67m Xbox 360 units and 26m Xbox Live Gold subscribers, for around 38.8% attachment for the service.
So... pull up Sony's last quarters... reporting 96.8m units sold and they had 36.3m PS+ subscribers.... what do you think the percentage is? 37.5% attachment rate for the service.
My guess is Microsoft couldn't get subscribers so they went back to the free and $1 deals to get subscribers for GP, very similar to what Sony has been doing with PS Now. You don't sell a service for free or $1, if you can get $10. My guess is Microsoft might have gotten a few 100 thousand people to sign up during different deals, and probably has a good amount that come in when its free or $1. Completely possible they got a few million people to sign up for free or $1, duhhhhh, but as far as real paying customers - I seriously doubt they have many at full rate. This is going to be a tough business, which is why Sony doesn't really promote it much -
its a loser business, generally speaking. Phil can't say this is a failure as he has only one direction i.e. SERVICES, without services Uncle Satya cancels the whole fucking thing.
My guess Microsoft currently has somewhere in the 15-20m XBLG subscribers range based on 43m units of Xbox One, plus a few Xbox 360 stragglers. At $9.99 for GP, I doubt they have anyone at all at those prices, generally speaking... none of this is sustainable.
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