Microsoft plans to release the coming installment of the “Call of Duty” videogame to its subscription service, in a departure from its longtime practice of only selling the title independently, a source familiar with the matter said on Friday.
The move is expected to be announced at the company’s annual Xbox showcase, scheduled for June 9, the person said on the condition of anonymity as the plans are private.
Microsoft did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. The Wall Street Journal first reported the news on Friday.
Microsoft acquired “Call of Duty” through its buyout of Activision Blizzard in a $69 billion deal, which closed late last year.
The first-person shooter video-game is among the most successful entertainment properties and has generated more than $30 billion in lifetime revenue.
Activision has long released new editions of the game annually priced at around $70 each in recent years.
The development comes just days after Xbox President Sarah Bond said in a conference the company plans to release all first-party Xbox games on Game Pass on the day of their launch.
Microsoft manages a subscription service called Game Pass, which offers access to games from Xbox and other developers for a fee.
The Redmond, Washington-based company has tried to build out the Netflix-style game subscription services aggressively in recent years as part of its efforts to break the dominance of PlayStation consoles made by Japanese rival Sony Corp.
Microsoft said in February Game Pass had 34 million subscribers, up from the 25 million it reported in 2022.
Analysts said the launch of “Call of Duty” — a franchise with a large and loyal fan base — would help draw more people to Game Pass but could affect the overall sales generated by the title.
“Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III”, released in November 2023, is the second-best selling game so far this year. It trails Sony’s “Helldivers II”, according to industry tracker Circana.
—Peter Frontini and Yuvraj Malik, Reuters
Aditya Soni and Zaheer Kachwala contributed to this report.
Accedi per aggiungere un commento
Altri post in questo gruppo
As AI evolves, the world of work is getting even better for the most c
It has, to date, been a calm hurricane season in the state of Florida, but any resident of the Southeast will tell you that the deeper into summer we go, the more dangerous it becomes.
T
TikTok has become obsessed with an alleged shoplifter who spent seven straight hou
Apple says the upcoming iOS 26, expected in a polished “release” version in September, will support devices back to the iPhone 11 from September 2019 and second-generation iPhone SE from April 202
“India is on the moon,” S. Somanath, chairman of the Indian Space Research Organization, announced in
Good news: Vine might be coming back. Bad news: in AI form, courtesy o
