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As a part of the ongoing FTC-Microsoft trial, Sony’s top gaming executive claimed that Sony is not the only big publisher taking issue with Game Pass.
According to PlayStation boss Jim Ryan’s deposition (via The Verge), he claims to have “talked to all publishers they unanimously do not like Game Pass, because it’s value destructive.” Ryan then continues to say that this opinion is a “very commonly held view by publishers,” and he doesn’t believe that Call of Duty would be on Game Pass if the acquisition isn’t approved.
This isn’t the first time Game Pass has been criticized. Somerville devs stated that Xbox Game Pass hurt its sales earlier this year. The co-founder of Jumpship had this to say about Game Pass affecting its sales:
“I also think it hurts sales. Because a lot of people just go in and try it, and they don’t invest. If they don’t like the first 10 minutes? That’s it. Also, if you don’t make the first 10 minutes amazing, maybe it’s also a problem. I think [Game Pass] is okay. It’s not my favorite. My favorite is the old premium model, where I sell you on some video, on big images and earn your $30. And then after that, I have to deliver. I don’t need to get money out of you later.”
But even though some publishers have been vocal about Game Pass affecting sales, it hasn’t stopped other developers from working with Microsoft. Mike Rose, the found of No More Robots, told GameSpot that the studio has seen its games sell better when they’re on Game Pass or just about to leave. But one of the biggest challenges of being on Game Pass is that it’s hard to tell how many copies would have sold on Xbox if it weren’t on the service.
For more news on the FTC-Microsoft trial, check out our story on Microsoft’s apparently planned strategy to “spend Sony out of business” and how Starfield was supposed to be on the PlayStation 5 before Microsoft purchased ZeniMax.
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