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Game Pass Subscribers Play More Games and More Genres

Subscription service doesn't cannibalize sales, says ID@Xbox lead.

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Xbox Game Pass is actually encouraging players to buy more games in more genres, according to Microsoft. ID@Xbox lead Agostino Simonetta said that the service is dramatically increasing engagement, even outside the ecosystem of Game Pass itself.

GamesIndustry.biz reports that Simonetta's comments came at its GI Investment Summit in London. Among the facts and figures, he said that Game Pass subscribers are playing 40% more game, including those outside the Game Pass offerings.

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"People that join the subscription are way more engaged," said Simonetta. "Well, they have a lot of free games to play -- but actually they're way more engaged outside the subscription. They go out to stores and buy more games than they did before they joined."

The company also found 91% of subscribers polled say they have played a title they wouldn't have without Game Pass. The data shows users are playing 30% more genres than before they subscribed. Simonetta compares this to video subscription services, which gives users a chance to experiment with a new genre they may not have tried before.

Simonetta also echoed the sentiments we've heard from Descenders publisher No More Robots, that Game Pass actually appears to boost sales rather than cannibalize them. He said that on average, a game that goes into Game Pass gets a six-fold increase in usage. He also pointed out that publishers have publicly commented on the trend in regards to their own games, citing both Afterparty and Descenders.

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