Sony says Xbox Game Pass is not a rival to PlayStation

Ever since Microsoft announced the purchase of Activision Blizzard, sony was the main voice against the completion of the agreement. Publicly, the Japanese have said the acquisition is anti-competitive and jeopardizes the presence of key franchises such as call of Dutyin Game console. However, inward-facing doors would look very different. Up to the point that from an Asian firm they didn’t even consider Xbox Game Pass as competition.

So I would let you know Jim RyanCEO of Sony Interactive Entertainment, during a Q&A session with his staff (via Insider Games). When asked about competition in the market and Xbox Game Pass in particular, the head of PlayStation would be straightforward.

“When we look at Xbox Game Pass, [sus cifras] they seem to be decreasing. […] For two years we sold more PS5s than we got subscribersand they have been doing this for 6 or 7 years,” the executive said, according to the leak. But he wouldn’t stop there. “We’re just under 50 million subscribers and they’re in their 20s, but there’s more work to get that number up,” Ryan said, comparing to PlayStation Plus users.

Xbox Game Pass is one of the pillars that Microsoft wants to benefit from buying Activision Blizzard. From the very beginning, the Redmonds have declared their desire to take possession of the intellectual property of the Bobby Kotick firm, including call of Dutyto the subscription service.

But from PlayStation, they’ve said time and time again that with Microsoft controlling the Activision Blizzard franchises, nothing will stop them if one day they decide to close access to their games on platforms other than Xbox or PC. Nevertheless, Jim Ryan’s statements will prove that beyond any sincere concern, Sony reportedly overreacted, voicing concerns about the acquisition..

Xbox Game Pass still doesn’t scare Sony

The fight for the fate of Activision Blizzard is a long one, and we’ve talked about it almost endlessly. From Sony, they accused Microsoft of offering an “inappropriate on many levels” agreement to maintain call of Duty on your console. Representatives of Redmond denied this, assuring that they promised to keep the franchise’s releases on the PlayStation on equal terms for 10 years. And the dart crossing has become more intense in recent weeks.. To the point that Phil Spencer, CEO of Microsoft Gaming, said that Sony wants to grow by shrinking the Xbox.

However, speaking of Xbox Game Pass, Jim Ryan’s statements will not be so far from reality. Let’s not forget that the Microsoft Subscription Service fell short of growth expectations set for fiscal year 2022. The platform was expected to increase the number of subscribers by 73%, but in the end it only happened by 28%.

Although Microsoft has seen a significant increase in their PC offering, the truth is that they have come a long way from their prediction. Does this mean Xbox Game Pass is a bad product or not enough to attract gamers? Of course not. In fact, the Redmonds have taken a big leap this year by expanding access to Xbox Cloud Gaming to more territories and promising to add a long-awaited feature: keyboard and mouse cloud gaming support.

The biggest issue with Game Pass is the same as Xbox as a whole in 2022: no new exclusive AAA games. With Halo Infinite, which appeared at the end of 2021, Microsoft has not released any new top-level exclusive games for their platforms. and delays Starfield D red waterfall They have been one of the biggest disappointments of the last 12 months. Phil Spencer has hinted that history will turn around in 2023, but players will see rather than believe.

2022 has not been a good year for PlayStation Plus either.

That Jim Ryan thinks Xbox Game Pass is not a rival to PlayStation is interesting for a variety of reasons. But mainly because it adds spice to the dispute between Microsoft and Sony over the purchase of Activision Blizzard. However, 2022 has not been an exceptional year for the Japanese when it comes to subscription services either..

The launch of the new PlayStation Plus, which combined the old PS Plus and PS Now, turned out to be much less rosy than Sony expected. In fact, the revamped Asian platform lost almost two million users in the first month.

It’s true that PlayStation Plus and Xbox Game Pass have more differences than similarities. But Sony’s approach to its new subscription did not arouse passions among users. Not only because the levels are now they are more expensivebut also because of the difference between the content available by region and the refusal to include exclusive games since its launch.