Xbox Game Pass ‘is not an experiment’ and ‘will be on future products’

Xbox’s Game Pass subscription service is “not an experiment” and will be present on whatever products the platform holder introduces in the future.

That’s according to Microsoft’s gaming services marketing head Ben Decker, who claimed in a Washington Post interview that both small and large games have benefited significantly from being part of the subscription service.

“We’re committed to Game Pass being available on the next gen,” Decker said. “It’s not an experiment on the current generation of consoles. This is a service that our members can count on being on whatever products we introduce in the future.”

He added: “After an [average] Xbox owner joins Game Pass, they play 40 percent more games and they play 30 percent more genres. And the number of games they’re playing goes up not just inside the Game Pass catalogue.”

When Microsoft added Minecraft: Xbox One Bedrock Edition to Game Pass in April 2019, the game’s player base increased by 20 percent, the marketing boss claimed.

Decker went on to suggest that Game Pass has been even more successful for independent developers, claiming that some smaller games have seen their “user base go up by as much as 30 times.”

The service also seems to be fostering growth for live streams, with subscribers to Game Pass Ultimate, which allows players to access the Game Pass catalogue on both console or PC, said to be “seven times more likely to stream gameplay than a standard Xbox user.”

The marketing boss attributed the positive metrics to the fact that Game Pass is designed to provide a frictionless experience, reducing barriers for consumers.

In November Microsoft announced a significant number of new Xbox Game Pass titles coming to console and PC, including The Witcher 3, the Final Fantasy franchise and Tekken 7.