[Xbox Wire] Play Call of Duty Black Ops 6 Day One Game Pass

it's seems the meltdowns on social media were something else.

I think there is a lot of concern trolling coming from Team Blue, similar to what we saw during the ABK acquisition

The fact of the matter is:

This will be the last mistake Phil Spencer is going to make.

I just wonder how quickly and in what way MS will pivot afterward. Everything is against this working out. Not because it couldn't have worked, but because MS didn't get their shit together in time and now they don't have another decade to wait and see.
 
Ozriel said:
The aim is to keep people on the service, consistently paying $17 per month for the next 12 months, in addition to any new subscribers they'll get. Additional revenue from MTX and more 'ultimate edition' players
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Yea I agree, the problem is I don't think consumers are that stupid. Why pay $17 a month when you can just outright buy it for cheaper than subscribing for a year? We are already seeing this with other type of sub services (at least in the states but would figure it's similar world wide), where they are dropping services at a decent rate. I also think a majority of these CoD players are also these Madden, FIFA and GTA players. Seems redundant to pay a sub when you're still gonna need to buy other games.

Idk, I just think the writing it on the wall for gamepass not being a long term play. As mentioned, I know CoD is it's own beast and if there is anything that could turn it around, it's CoD. But gamepass losing subs in between MS officially giving us numbers is pretty damn telling. Especially since during that window, they had a game in starfield which was hyped to the moon. Think the market has made up their mind on what they think of it already.
 
FoxMcChief said:
Yup. I bet they do it with BOps6 as well.
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They have been doing early access already, they would have done with or without game pass this year as well.

MW3 had a full week of early access for the campaign last year too.

www.ign.com

Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3 Campaign Early Access Release Times Confirmed - IGN

Activision has confirmed the global release times for Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3’s campaign early access, available to those who have digitally preordered the game.
www.ign.com www.ign.com



ChorizoPicozo said:
it's seems the meltdowns on social media were something else.

I think there is a lot of concern trolling coming from Team Blue, similar to what we saw during the ABK acquisition

The fact of the matter is:

This will be the last mistake Phil Spencer is going to make.

I just wonder how quickly and in what way MS will pivot afterward. Everything is against this working out. Not because it couldn't have worked, but because MS didn't get their shit together in time and now they don't have another decade to wait and see.
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Since they're killing off the service before CoD comes out, they have a lot of time to think of something new, churro. :messenger_ok:
 
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XXL said:
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Given COD and gamers love for "free" games the first two numbers really should be blown out of the water. If COD continues to juggernaut its way subs realistically should cover this just fine. Just my guess if those numbers are on the money. Whether MS report the influx numbers is another story entirely.
 
Not sure why the negativity, if this doesnt push COD players on the xbox platform, nothing will and we know how many people just buy a console for COD same as people just have it for FIFA or NBA. This is not a bad move at all. I got so bored of COD being half baked for years cant imagine ever giving money for a new game. This just makes my life easier knowing I can get a new COD every year for "free".
 
I can't see those who play cod subbing at £15 a month to play multiplayer. However I do think they will soon launch a new sub service like ubi has with Siege, and this will be the mechanism to upsell that as an additional payment (e.g. gamepass +cod premium for £18-£20 a month). Like a value add. Xbox has been clear that they will broaden the playerbase footprint, then they will lean on value propositions.

These things are planned out well ahead so it may not even happen for another 2 years but I can't see any other endgame, even gta+ is the same model
 
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TropicanaTwista said:
Yea I agree, the problem is I don't think consumers are that stupid. Why pay $17 a month when you can just outright buy it for cheaper than subscribing for a year? We are already seeing this with other type of sub services (at least in the states but would figure it's similar world wide), where they are dropping services at a decent rate. I also think a majority of these CoD players are also these Madden, FIFA and GTA players. Seems redundant to pay a sub when you're still gonna need to buy other games.

Idk, I just think the writing it on the wall for gamepass not being a long term play. As mentioned, I know CoD is it's own beast and if there is anything that could turn it around, it's CoD. But gamepass losing subs in between MS officially giving us numbers is pretty damn telling. Especially since during that window, they had a game in starfield which was hyped to the moon. Think the market has made up their mind on what they think of it already.
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Its not like Gamepass ONLY gives access to CoD during this time.
 
The death of Activision:

Beginning Season 6 GIF by The Masked Singer
 
Ozzy Onya A2Z said:
Given COD and gamers love for "free" games the first two numbers really should be blown out of the water. If COD continues to juggernaut its way subs realistically should cover this just fine. Just my guess if those numbers are on the money. Whether MS report the influx numbers is another story entirely.
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The problem is, the mayority of players are on PlayStation. They are not going to buy a Xbox just to play CoD for "free"
 
Optimus Lime said:
But will earn $0 in buy to play revenue for Microsoft. That's the point. Is there some reason why you're pretending that being able to lease a game as a part of a subscription rather than being forced to buy it at a full retail price doesn't represent an obvious decline in revenue? The point is that Microsoft hopes to cover that revenue shortfall by increasing the number of Gamepass subscribers.
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Earning $0 in buy to play revenue isn't anything new in gaming, especially when there's another revenue stream. This is largely restricted to one platform, with a subset of users. They're counting on adding new subscribers AND keeping people in the service constantly funneling $17 per month to Microsoft. They're also counting on more MTX revenue from increased player numbers, as well as even more 'Ultimate edition' purchasers.


But none of this addresses why you're pretending like there's no revenue stream from GamePass.

Optimus Lime said:
No, the argument doesn't 'fall apart' at all. As with music, once a product is no longer presented as having a tangible, distinct, and accepted dollar value, it ceases to have any value at all. This is what happened with music. This is what happened with movies. 'I won't buy it, I'll just wait for it to show up on Gamepass' is very much a real thing - just as 'why would anyone buy a CD anymore LOL?' is very much a real thing. Subscription media conditions consumers to accept the idea that they no longer have to pay for entertainment products, and instead receive them as part of a larger subscription library.

The problem with that is that it is no longer working, hence the problems that are being faced by Netflix, Disney+, and now, Gamepass. It is absolutely wilful ignorance to pretend that taking a product that used to require a full price purchase and giving it away as part of a subscription isn't a clear and obvious sacrifice of revenue. Again, the revenue shortfall is intended to be made up by a larger subscriber base - that is the model that Microsoft is banking on; continual growth in Gamepass subscribers.
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'Call of Duty will cease to have value' is quite a strange take when it's a product that will continue to sell for premium pricing on all other storefronts. Even GP subscribers will pay for all MTX.

It's been 3 years since MLB The Show started being a regular feature on GamePass. And yet the game continues to sell very well with no sign of being 'devalued'. Rocket League launched into PS+ and still managed to be considered high value enough to sell very well. Sea of Thieves launched into GamePass and still sold an estimated 8-9 million copies on Steam.

You're way off the mark.

Optimus Lime said:
The Adobe and Office 365 services are a completely different situation. They are professional and prosumer tools which have largely cornered the market in their respective spaces. Professionals who work in design require Adobe Creative Suite. Their feelings towards Adobe's monetisation model are entirely irrelevant, since they have no choice but to do as they are told. Same with Office 365. In this situation, Gamepass does not have a monopoly on access to Call Of Duty. You can buy it on a PC. On a PS5. You can buy it on an Xbox. AND you can access it via Gamepass. Your comparison is equal parts irrelevant and dumb.
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Again, you're moving goalposts here. Call of Duty is THE premiere FPS game. Similar to the Adobe or Office comparisons, people will continue to engage with it since there's no real substitute. Arguing that the franchise would lose its lustre with the masses because it's on a sub service is completely inane.

Optimus Lime said:
And, your commitment to the bit, as you insult anyone who disagrees with you in the thread, is commendable.
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The irony 🙄
 
Jibran#one said:
Some seriously salty guys and girls in this thread
Cod is trash
Xbox will die
Hardware will die
Subs are bad
They all are salty because they will buy the game for 70 dollars.
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Does this mean I can be legitimately salty since I haven't bought a COD game in over 10 years?

By your logic, must mean my opinion must be more valid?

So here goes.

- COD is trash (which is why I haven't bought one in 10 years+
- Xbox will die, they are currently 1 in 4... if that was any other company in the world that doesn't have their treasure chest... they did be dead already. ANd anyone that looks at the platform now and cant at least admit its in decline is delusional. I meant that literally.
- Hardware will die... i think this is the same as the one above? Oh, I get it.. you wanted to list out lots of stuff for dramatic effect. Got you.
- Subs are bad... MS/Xbox said it themselves, Subs cannibalize sales. Xbox gamers hardly ever buy games anymore. If that's not bad I don't know what else is. But hey don't take my word for it. Xbox said it themselves. Then again Xbox is always talking out both sides of their mouth so I can see why you probably didn't remember they said it.

Salty enough for ya?
 
thicc_girls_are_teh_best said:
.is because of too many Game Pass subscribers who get the service for cheap and don't buy many games anymore (1P or 3P), deteriorating B2P & MTX revenue on Xbox meaning less profits for MS on Xbox hardware. So basically they are trying to push a service whose existence in part helped facilitate their need to publish on rival platforms to begin with. And if they stop that multiplatform publishing strategy, they have to rely on a sea of Xbox customers who...don't really buy that many games on Xbox.

They (MS) are a rock in a hard place, but they 100% created that problem for themselves.
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But isn't it broadly similar to PS+ Extra and Premium? I have definitely bought fewer games on my PS5, as I am happily making my way through those game catalogues. Similar to GamePass (which I also have). Theres not that much difference in the experience on either platform in that regard. At least, not from my perspective.
There's absolutely an argument about the 'Netfilx/Spotify' style availability changing the value one sees in each individual product - but, in my experience, there's really *not* much difference in the way I use either console.

I can't see many PS only users specifically switching to Xbox to access CoD on gamepass - but then, I doubt Microsoft expect that, either. But tempting more Xbox users to sub, or entice those who don't usually play to try CoD as it's "free" may well draw more in-game spending, and they will still sell gang-busting amounts on other platforms. Perhaps that's the main play with this strategy? CoD is about as mainstream as you can get - but it can still grow a fair way:

e4NoBFg.png

And there will be plenty of money to be made should they succeed, I suppose.
 
TropicanaTwista said:
Yea I agree, the problem is I don't think consumers are that stupid. Why pay $17 a month when you can just outright buy it for cheaper than subscribing for a year? We are already seeing this with other type of sub services (at least in the states but would figure it's similar world wide), where they are dropping services at a decent rate.
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What a lot of these discussions also miss is that paying $17 for GamePass also covers the $9.99 they'd have also had to pay for 'Xbox Live Gold' for online play.

So the true comparison is:

$17 per month for access to COD + library of games + Online play

Vs

$70 for COD (purchase) + $10 a month for online multiplayer.
 
Ozriel said:
So you're saying there's not much expected revenue loss from COD being put on GamePass?
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I don't know what kinda argument you are trying to get me into LOL. So I don't know what you are saying I am saying.

One of the few games Xbox gamers buy is COD. But now MS owns COD. So now how you look at the revenue here has got to change. Simple facts.

So the question goes from, How much revenue does Activision get from selling COD to PS, PC and Xbox gamers? To...

How much revenue does Microsoft get from selling COD to PS and PC gamers and it being on gamepass? Anyone that is saying they know how this plays out right now would be talking out of their ass. Being that this IP is the single biggest IP that has ever come to gamepass.

And this is tricky to track... why? Let us say the last entry of COD sold like 6M copies on Xbox. That is like $420M in revenue, from just the game sales alone. Now you know what's crazy? That should translate to ~25M new gamepass subs to match that kinda revenue. Crazy right? But let's be fair, let's say that of that $420M only like $300M actually translates to "profit" from those sales. You still need 17M new GP subs to match that. And this is subs for at least the month of COD. If you prefer you can look at the yearly sub and calculate that instead. But its somewhat unrealistic to expect everyone getting COD on GP would be paying for a one-year sub... and are ALL new.

See what the issue is? you can't say there is no expected revenue loss from COD being on gamepass, if the new COD generates less overall revenue primarily because it's on gamepass. And the only way it doesn't is if it at the very least, results in a significant uptick in Gamepass subs.

So I will just revert back to what I said last year. Xbox hardware is dying, MS shift must now be to gamepass. However, after games like Starfield, Hellblade 2, and COD come to gamepass, only then would we know what the fate of the platform will be.
 
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Ozriel said:
They're counting on adding new subscribers AND keeping people in the service constantly funneling $17 per month to Microsoft. They're also counting on more MTX revenue from increased player numbers, as well as even more 'Ultimate edition' purchasers.
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Yes, we all know what they're 'counting on'. That's the point. There are many people in this thread, myself included, that are highly dubious that it will happen. Hence, the argument regarding the devaluing of CoD in deference to a streaming pipe dream that isn't going to happen.

Ozriel said:
'Call of Duty will cease to have value' is quite a strange take when it's a product that will continue to sell for premium pricing on all other storefronts. Even GP subscribers will pay for all MTX.
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We are talking about Call Of Duty's access via Microsoft platforms. I would have thought that was patently obvious. Clearly, people who only own Playstations or PCs will not be included in any of this. But, you already know that.

Ozriel said:
Again, you're moving goalposts here. Call of Duty is THE premiere FPS game. Similar to the Adobe or Office comparisons
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You believe that Call Of Duty is the only live service FPS game that matters on any platform, and is comparable to Office and Adobe CS's dominance over their sectors?

There's no goalposts being moved. You're just making a dumb point. I think you were more credible when you were posting GIFs and saying 'LMAO'.

The truth is, I've run out of steam with this argument. I know, I know. You read my post and you're thinking of the sick burns you're going to throw at me, and how Internet Guy you can be as you passionately state your case that this is a great idea on Microsoft's behalf. But, I've kind of checked out. I don't care. I mean, I care in the sense that I'm interested in gaming news, but I don't care about the 20 posts I'm going to have to write to win some kind of stupid internet points, before both of us give up. So, in the interest of sanity, I'm more than happy to say that you've won, you're very, very smart, and you totally owned me with your brain. Well played. Can I go now?
 
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Some sad sad bastards here , it's pathetic at this point. xbox literally got the first good news of the year and they can't even stomach that
It's a shame really.
This is the first ever cod which has full dev time and its from treyarch.
 
Make or break for Gamepass. Really good for current subscribers and those who want to try MP. Also SP. Be interesting to see if GP numbers go up dramatically over the following months after launch.

I'm guessing it won't really as people who are invested in CoD are already in the mindset they are going to be invested in months but who knows. Maybe it could blow up from the younger generation who can't afford $70 plus to enjoy the game.
 
Humdinger said:
I find it hard to believe MS will make up the lost sales through increased GP growth. They don't have much of a ceiling to work with. Where are these roughly 5 - 10 million extra new, sustained subs going to come from? It's not like they have a ton of Xbox consoles out there in the first place. Most people who want GP have already signed up for it. I find it hard to imagine there are 5 to 10 million Xbox owners who both love CoD and yet have not already signed up. There are PC sales, but from what I understand, that's not a big market for GP. Maybe they're banking on PC GP booming, because of CoD?

I'm no business whiz kid, but it doesn't make a lot of sense to me.
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Well in business, Monthly Recurring Revenue is the gold standard. They have probably done the math in how much the AVERAGE consumer spends per year on video games.

Say on software they buy 2 games for $140. If I get you to pay monthly, now said consumer is spending $237 a year, minimum.

Gamepass (or any other service) is far, far from full market saturation, and COD will bring in all those people who do not own an XBOX or Windows PC.

When they feel they have reached market saturation (if they ever do, which seems unlikely with Phil Spencer at the helm), they will raise prices, upsell with another tier that gives consumers skins or God knows what, or both. Meanwhile, the consumer thinks it's a "deal" even though they're spending more and subsidizing crap they don't want.

Welcome to GaaS, where like Netflix, mostly junk is produced with the occasional big hit.
 
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Mr.Phoenix said:
Does this mean I can be legitimately salty since I haven't bought a COD game in over 10 years?

By your logic, must mean my opinion must be more valid?

So here goes.

- COD is trash (which is why I haven't bought one in 10 years+
- Xbox will die, they are currently 1 in 4... if that was any other company in the world that doesn't have their treasure chest... they did be dead already. ANd anyone that looks at the platform now and cant at least admit its in decline is delusional. I meant that literally.
- Hardware will die... i think this is the same as the one above? Oh, I get it.. you wanted to list out lots of stuff for dramatic effect. Got you.
- Subs are bad... MS/Xbox said it themselves, Subs cannibalize sales. Xbox gamers hardly ever buy games anymore. If that's not bad I don't know what else is. But hey don't take my word for it. Xbox said it themselves. Then again Xbox is always talking out both sides of their mouth so I can see why you probably didn't remember they said it.

Salty enough for ya?
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U haven't bought 1 in 10 years but it's the number 1 selling game every year.
And ur here arguing against it
I mean Jesus christ dude,it's just 1 big game release on gp and u have lost it.
 
XXL said:
If this doesn't do some serious numbers (in hardware and/or subs), you can bet your ass Game Pass will be killed or at the very least changed up quite a bit.

Let's be real here....this is it.

If COD can't do it, nothing will.
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I was skeptical, but I think this will add tens of millions of subscribers for GP and also make the Xbox the number one selling console. It'll easily overtake the PS5 now.

Microsoft have basically just killed the playstation.
 
twilo99 said:
The faith of GP hang on Starfield, that failed miserably and GP did not die. Now we move on the CoD, if that fails, GP will die, if the same process is repeated once again, we would move to the next big game that is supposed to kill GP if it fails to "move the needle"..
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True. Xbox (MS) have loads of money to squander.
 
IDKFA said:
I was skeptical, but I think this will add tens of millions of subscribers for GP and also make the Xbox the number one selling console. It'll easily overtake the PS5 now.

Microsoft have basically just killed the playstation.
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I'm trying to figure out if you're joking or not.

I honestly can't tell. Lol.
 
Jibran#one said:
U haven't bought 1 in 10 years but it's the number 1 selling game every year.
And ur here arguing against it
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Don't move the posts.

I was not here arguing about it. And before this day... I have never once said anything about what I thought of the game. Like why should I?

However, you said some shit along the lines of the people talking shit about the game are still gonna go buy the game so whatever they have to say shouldn't be taken seriously.. So I took that to mean that my opinion (the opinion of someone who doesn't even play the game) should be more valid. That shouldn't even be the case.

Seems you still have not seen the flaw in your logic.
Jibran#one said:
I mean Jesus christ dude,it's just 1 big game release on gp and u have lost it.
Click to expand...

Really? So you are one of those... How could I have lost it when since before starfeild even released I predicted this game was going to come to GP and said that it would be the single biggest and best move MS could make for the platform. But that we would have to see what effect it would have.

not even gonna bother addressing your nonsense anymore.
 
ManaByte said:
The extra tier thing was just FUD people are still wildly spreading as if it were fact.
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8s3lit.jpg

We don't know what the changes are, but you can be sure of one thing.... changes are (99.9%) coming.

Shinobi is rarely wrong (as in almost never) and at this point (with his track record) thinking he is wrong is extremely naive.
 
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When it comes to Xbox around here you can go from "speculation" to "99.9% certainty" very quickly

Topher said:
Are you talking about some twitter discussions? The talk here I saw on that was pure speculation.
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XXL said:
8s3lit.jpg

We don't know what the changes are, but you can be sure of one thing.... changes are (99.9%) coming.

Shinobi is rarely wrong (as in almost never) and at this point (with his track record) thinking he is wrong is extremely naive.
Click to expand...
 
We should start a poll thread of how many new subs GP will get from this. And what would be considered a failure for GP or Xbox?

Not like MS will care too much if the thing still goes on to sell like 10M+ on PlayStation alone.
 
twilo99 said:
When it comes to Xbox around here you can go from "speculation" to "99.9% certainty" very quickly
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Did he say an "extra tier" was "factually" going to happen? Nope. Clearly repeating what a known insider has said. That is hardly spreading "FUD".
 
XXL said:
I'm trying to figure out if you're joking or not.

I honestly can't tell. Lol.
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I don't think it'll kill PlayStation.

I do think this will add at least 15 million extra subs by the end of the year and launch Xbox to first place.

This is COD we're talking about here. I'm struggling to see how this doesn't end up wildly successful for Microsoft. This will be a huge money spinner for them.
 
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