It’s difficult to understand the decisions made at the highest levels within Microsoft and Xbox. The layoff of 1,900 Activision Blizzard employees earlier this year, followed this week by the closure of four studios, and now also in the process of downsizing Zenimax (and certainly more closures). A disheartening situation that every gamer knows is not good for the Xbox platform or the industry in general.
And if Tom Warren’s new report in The Verge is confirmed, popular support for Xbox will suffer even more. Xbox is reportedly considering increase the price of Game Pass Ultimate membership again. Warren emphasizes that these are just considerations for now, but the decision could be made depending on plans for the launch of the next Call of Duty, which is rumored to be the special event that will take place in June after the Xbox Games Showcase .
Apparently the internal debate over whether Call of Duty – a series with multi-million dollar production costs – viable as a business to launch on Game Pass. “I understand this is a debate that has been going on internally for some time, with some concerned that the revenue Call of Duty typically generates for Activision Blizzard will be eroded by Game Pass.”
It seems like Game Pass isn’t currently generating enough profit to balance the cost of Call of Duty, and Xbox is in a sticky position of its own making. We may know more next month when the Los Angeles events kick off, but one thing is clear: something needs to change at Xbox.
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