Summary
- Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella says the company aims to redefine the Xbox fan experience by leveraging Game Pass and Cloud Gaming.
- The success of Game Pass has led Xbox to prioritize making its games available on more devices, as seen with the “This is an Xbox” advertising campaign.
- Despite this change, Xbox insists on maintaining its commitment to the console hardware business.
Satya Nadella, CEO of Xbox Parent company Microsoft recently highlighted the company's intent to “bring the joy of gaming everywhere” and redefine what it means to be an Xbox fan. Pointing to one of Xbox's latest commercials, he expressed how the marketing campaign was in tune with the console maker's overall vision for the future of the business.
For a while now, Xbox has been making great progress with its subscription service, Game Pass, which first launched in 2017. Over the years, Xbox Game Pass has grown significantly in terms of offerings and base of subscribers, with over 33 million users reportedly paying for the service at the end of 2023. Starting in 2024, the green brand debuted major AAA releases, such as Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 AND Indiana Jones and the Great Circle first day for Game Pass Ultimate tier subscribers. Among various benefits, Ultimate tier users also get access to Xbox Cloud Gaming, a beta feature that allows subscribers to instantly play games anywhere via online streaming instead of having to download them first. By leveraging Xbox Game Pass and Xbox Cloud Gaming, the company has opened up multiple paths to playing Xbox titles, which are also highlighted in the company's new marketing slogan “This is an Xbox.”
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During Microsoft's 2024 annual shareholder meeting (spotted by Game File), Satya Nadella spoke about the tech giant's new approach to its gaming vertical, which involves marketing devices compatible with Xbox Game Pass or Xbox Cloud Gaming as a full-fledged Xbox. Referring to the “This is an Xbox” ad, the Microsoft boss shared how the company is “redefining what it means to be an Xbox fan,” with the central idea being the ability to “enjoy Xbox on all your devices “. Furthermore, touching on the emphatic response to Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 in November, he described the launch as “awesome to see” and emphasized that Microsoft's plans with Activision IPs are now in “full force.”
Microsoft talks about a new strategy for the long-term future of Xbox
In addition to summarizing the status quo on Xbox, Nadella briefly shared his understanding of Microsoft's long-term gaming strategy. He said the company has the potential to bring innovation across AI, cloud, console and PC to “create the best games that can be enjoyed by gamers around the world.” It's worth noting that Microsoft's change of direction with Xbox, which seemingly prioritizes Game Pass over the console's hardware offerings, has been criticized by some fans. In November, Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer specifically addressed these concerns, reassuring fans of the company's commitment to the console business.
Meanwhile, Xbox is constantly improving the products core to its new vision, including Xbox Cloud Gaming. It recently allowed members of the Xbox Insider program to stream a selection of non-Game Pass titles on consoles as long as they owned them, with the hope of officially integrating the feature into the streaming service in the future.
Xbox Game Pass Ultimate
Xbox Game Pass Ultimate is the highest tier of Microsoft's flagship game subscription service that offers over 100 game titles you can play with a single purchase, making it one of the Xbox ecosystem's most exceptional value propositions to date .
