Xbox Game Pass: Has the boss of Take Two revealed the number of subscribers inadvertently?

As we know, since the failure of the Xbox One against the PS4, Microsoft has set itself a golden rule: no longer communicate numbers around its consoles and other services. If the American manufacturer allows himself a few small sprains when it comes to inflating the pecs, it remains overall quite discreet. Regarding the Xbox Game Pass, we have to go back to last January to obtain official figures. Eighteen million subscriptions is what Microsoft announced for its subscription service, which proves the success of the latter. But since then, nothing. We had to wait for a round table at Wrap’s The Grill 2021 between Phil Spencer, the boss of Xbox and Strauss Zelnick, CEO of Take Two (the parent company of Rockstar Games and 2K Games) to have any news. The latter indeed seems to have inadvertently revealed the latest figures for Xbox Game Pass, putting Phil Spencer in an uncomfortable situation …

Phil Spencer: Actually, we had our biggest year last year as our subscriptions continued to grow.
Strauss Zelnick: It seems to me that the last time we checked there were 30 million subscribers, are you confirming Phil? Is it something like that?
Phil Spencer: The last public figure we released was 18 million …

Mistake or ball on the part of Mr Zelnick? When we listen to the intervention of Phil Spencer, there emerges a feeling of embarrassment which seems to prove that the boss of Take Two would have leaked information that Microsoft would have preferred to keep confidential. Still, going from 18 million subscribers to 30 million in nine months is a very good performance. It must be said that Microsoft has been able to impose its service on the general public, with formulas that adapt according to the portfolios (€ 12.99 / month for the Ultimate version, or € 155.98 per year). This allows access to hundreds of games to download, without having to buy any of them in stores. A considerable saving of time and money. If the consumer comes out growing and winning, on Microsoft’s side, the service is still far from being profitable. But as we know, the fight will be played out over time …

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