Xbox has announced it has ambitious plans for its first-party releases. The gaming giant says it wants to release a new first-party game every quarter, and that it will be making those games available on Xbox Game Pass on day one.
What has Xbox said about its first-party releases?
In an official Xbox blog post, Xbox Wire editor-in-chief Will Tuttle sets the agenda for the company's future. Making reference to an interview with Xbox head Phil Spencer and Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, Tuttle reiterates that Xbox is "all in" on gaming. Xbox says its goal is to "release at least one new first-party game into Game Pass every quarter". These titles will include RPGs, shooters, adventure games, and strategy titles, all of which are currently in the works at some of Microsoft's first-party studios. Spencer says Xbox is building "value proposition" through its focus on Game Pass and first-party studios.
What about Xbox Game Pass?
Xbox also revealed some fun stats about the Game Pass subscription service. Game Pass subscribers apparently play 30% more genres than they normally would, and try out 40% more games. In addition, over 90% of Game Pass subscribers said they've played a game they wouldn't have played if it wasn't for the service. Game Pass members spend 50% more than non-members on both additional content or games via the Microsoft Store, and devs whose games are on Game Pass see "engagement go up by more than 8x" when they make their games available via the service.
It seems like third-party studios are doing pretty well from Xbox Game Pass, too. EA's Play subscription service has seen usage on Microsoft platforms skyrocket by over 200% since the service was integrated with Game Pass, while Outriders was the number one digital game on Xbox in its launch week. MLB: The Show 21, which marks the first time the iconic baseball franchise has been available on any platform other than PlayStation, was the biggest sports game in the last year on Xbox, and the second biggest sports game of all time on Microsoft's platform. That's pretty impressive, and it points to something Spencer says in the interview: that Game Pass is "transforming how our entire industry thinks about Xbox".
Xbox and Bethesda will be showcasing their upcoming slate of games on June 13th as part of E3 2021. We don't know what we'll see during the presentation, but we're hoping for more details on The Elder Scrolls VI and Starfield. There will almost certainly be a few surprises in store as well. We'll bring you more on Xbox's future plans as soon as we get it.
Are you an Xbox Game Pass subscriber? What first-party games would you like to see Xbox release in the next year? Let us know in the comments below!
