Xbox was not wrong to acquire Activision Blizzard, thanks to Call of Duty

Xbox’s cross-platform strategy is a success

In August, Phil Spencer, CEO of Microsoft Gaming, anticipated that there will be more changes in Xbox’s strategy, as they realized that launching their video games on multiple platforms was being profitable.

“We have to anticipate that there will be more changes to some of the traditional ways games are created and distributed. That is going to change for all of us, but the result has to be better titles so that more people can play,” he commented at the opening of Gamescom.

In this sense, it was announced that Indiana Jones and the Great Circle It will also arrive on PlayStation 5 in the first half of 2025, an announcement that upset the oldest Xbox fans, considering that their console no longer has value without exclusives.

However, from Microsoft management, this has become one of the most successful strategies for its gaming division, since Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 It has also had considerable performance in sales within other platforms.

“Unit sales on PlayStation and Steam also increased 60% year-on-year. This speaks to our strategy of reaching gamers where they are, allowing them to play more titles on the screens they spend their time on,” Nadella said at the meeting with shareholders.

Black Ops 6 is the first game in the Call of Duty franchise to be launched under the Game Pass model, which offers users a wide catalog of titles for a monthly subscription, which has around 34 million users. monthly.

While the figure is considerable, it is still not enough to fund big-budget games that could attract new audiences to the service. However, Amy Hood, Microsoft’s chief financial officer, noted that these types of games can boost Xbox Game Pass sales.

“The game requires an online connection to play, so even for those who bought the standalone game they will also provide income,” he commented at the earnings call, referring to the fact that all users who want to play online must pay monthly.