Microsoft saw huge success last year with its Xbox Game Pass subscriptions no doubt largely thanks to social distancing regulations amid the COVID-19 pandemic, but as the world begins to recover, the company has been hit with a massive decrease in subscriber growth.
According to a new financial statement from the tech and gaming giant, Xbox Game Pass subscription numbers grew by just 37.5% over the course of 2021, falling significantly short of the originally expected 47.8%. The figures look even more dire when compared to last year’s performance, which saw almost 86% growth despite a 71% internal target.
While the relaxation of social distancing rules may have played a part in the decline in subscription rates, IGN points out that the main appeal of Xbox Game Pass is day-one access to first-party titles, which due to COVID-19’s impact on development and production has been reduced to just Age of Empires remasters, Microsoft Flight Simulator and Psychonauts 2 this year. Massive AAA titles such as Halo Infinite and Age of Empires 4 have all been delayed.
At the same time, while Microsoft has been struggling, Sony has triumphed with its PlayStation 5, which recently became the best-selling console in the U.S., ending a 33-month reign by the Nintendo Switch.
Elsewhere in gaming, Halo co-creator Marcus Lehto has joined EA as game director for a new studio.
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