Read How the Xbox Game Pass is a Catalyst of Growth for the Xbox Ecosystem

Unlike Sony’s PS5, Microsoft’s Xbox Series S/X did not roll out with an exclusive launch title. Fans for months had hoped that Halo Infinite might fill that void, but its delay really gutted the fans.

Microsoft, however, is still going strong, reminding the world that not having an exclusive at launch doesn’t mean the world is ending.

Microsoft has kept its Game Pass as a pedestal on which it presented Xbox Series S/X to the world. The Game Pass is probably the finest gaming subscription in the scene right now and boasts over fifteen million subscribers.

More importantly, the acquisition of ZeniMax Media was the cutthroat arrow Microsoft needed in its quiver to cement its existence in the console race.

The acquisition enabled Microsoft to make some game-changing upgrades. The most vital upgrade was the ability to include a magnificent range of Bethesda titles to its venerated Game Pass.

Xbox CEO shed more light on the Game Pass and its future in an interview with The Verge’s Decoder podcast.

Does Xbox Game Pass rely on third party content?

Phil spent a considerable amount of time explaining why third party content is essential to Xbox’s ecosystem. He revealed that Microsoft over the years has created a platform for developers to grow.

He said, “You’re not really a platform until other developers make more on your platform than you do. That’s one of the fundamental definitions of a platform. I think it’s very smart to look that way. I think about Game Pass as a platform. It’s not just a subscription on a platform.”

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It’s true, the Game Pass over the years has attracted a lot of attention. This has allowed the devs to invest in the Game Pass and see it as an outcome of their hard work. Consequently, allowing it to create a segment for its own ecosystem.

When consumers think of online streaming, the immediate image is that of Netflix. With how things are shaping up, it might not be long before the community views the Xbox Game Pass as a blueprint for other gaming subscriptions.

A lucrative business model

The Game Pass has over a hundred games that the fans can access for a mere $10. Unsurprisingly, not every title receives the same commercial success. The Game Pass enables these small and mid-tier titles to penetrate the consumers’ mind as everyone can witness what the other player is playing via Xbox Live.

This way, a title has more chances of getting discovered, creating a viral network that serves as a catalyst for growth. This just reiterates how the Game Pass is a lot more than an ordinary feature.

Just like the Xbox, the Game Pass has a league and an ecosystem of its own that Microsoft has worked hard to sustain. Stay tuned for more updates!