Before buying Activision, Microsoft was aiming for 100 million Game Pass subscribers by 2030
, by Thibaut
The Information website has revealed quite a crazy figure for Game Pass. We're talking about a target that Microsoft set itself before the acquisition of Activision Blizzard.
It seems the American manufacturer wanted to reach the 100 million subscribers to its service by 2030, which would mean that the current subscriber base would have to be tripled in just five years, or grow at an annual rate of 40%. Suffice to say, this is a very difficult goal. Furthermore, analyst Gus Zinn stated in that same article that "the majority of the video game market doesn't want Game Pass".
Last but not least, The Information reveals that in 2021, Microsoft was very close to shutting down Xbox altogether. CEO Satya Nadella had to choose whether to bury the gaming division or invest heavily in it to get better results. Obviously, he chose the later.
Source: theinformation.com