Microsoft’s $75 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard is a big move to change gaming. It plans to offer “Call of Duty: Black Ops 6” on Game Pass. Users can pay $19.99 monthly or $69.99 for a one-time purchase. This setup aims to make games accessible without needing a console.
As of early 2022, Game Pass had 34 million subscribers, a small fraction of the 3.1 billion global gamers. This shows the tough job ahead in shifting people from buying games to subscribing. Analysts and gamers are skeptical. They worry about streaming quality and whether the subscription model works, especially with many top games being free.
Still, if Microsoft can overcome these challenges, it could make gaming more accessible, aiming to create a Netflix-style service for games.