Bethesda was just the beginning and Microsoft will continue to purchase more game studios to further grow the Xbox Game Pass.
As the console wars continue to rage, both Sony and Microsoft are putting all their cards to the table. But if there is one card that has stood the test of time for Microsoft, it definitely is its Xbox Game Pass service.
This subscription service gives people access to around 200 games to either download or play on the Xbox console. All of this for just one measly monthly fee. There is no limit to how many times a person can play and download a game as long as they’re subscribed.
Sony doesn’t have a similar service. In fact, it seems like they have no plans to put forward a similar service for the PlayStation in the future. And this is one important area where the Xbox has the PlayStation completely beat.
Growing the Xbox Game Pass service
The Game Pass service is one of the Xbox’s biggest weapons. It makes the console all the more attractive. Since the last generation of the Xbox, however, the lack of first-party story-driven content plagued the Game Pass service. It’s also one of the reasons why the Xbox One failed to achieve the same level of success that the PS4 had.
In September, however, Microsoft made a big move to address that issue. In fact, the company shook the gaming industry when they announced their acquisition of Bethesda. For $7.2 billion, Microsoft managed to bring Bethesda and all its titles such as Fallout and the Elder Scrolls under Xbox.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cU1jOKJNfAw&feature=youtu.be
This is definitely one of the biggest shots they had fired against Sony. More than that, they also managed to solve the Game Pass’ lack of first-party games in one go.
Now, Phil Spencer, the head of Xbox, has revealed that they’re not stopping with Bethesda.
Acquiring more studios
Spencer has revealed through GamesReactor that Microsoft plans to acquire more studios in the future. According to the exec, this is all to further expand its Game Pass subscription service.
“As Game Pass continues to grow, we need to continue to feed that subscription,” says Spencer. “With the growth that we are seeing, I expect we will constantly be in this mode of bringing more creators into the fold.”
It’s obvious that Microsoft has adopted a new strategy of buying up properties to expand their influence. This plan would definitely put Sony on high alert. Because if Microsoft intends to buy up more studios, they may also end up acquiring game titles that are historically linked to the PlayStation.
So far, Microsoft has not revealed any potential acquisitions. But when the Xbox Series X launches, they may put this plan into full gear in order to bring in more titles for the next-gen console.
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