Game Pass Will Get to 200 Million Subs in 10 Years, Bets Michael Pachter; Exclusivity Model Is Wrong

In the latest episode of Pachter Factor, Wedbush Securities Analyst Michael Pachter made some interesting statements on Game Pass, starting with the reported subscriber figure. According to him, Microsoft is not actually counting Game Pass Core (formerly Xbox Live Gold) members in the 34 million subscribers.

Pachter also made a bet with any viewers that the subscription service would go all the way up to 200 million. That's twice his previous prediction, albeit this time he specified he is referring to a time frame of ten years.

Related Story Xbox Reportedly “Flatlining” in Europe, Publishers Question Support, More PS5 Ports Coming

Their Xbox Live Gold membership was 50 million. Their Game Pass subscription number was 25 million, and then when they changed how they reported Core, the number went to 34. Why didn't it go to 75? Why didn't it go to 50? It didn't because whoever reported that they are counting Xbox Live Gold members as part of Game Pass is reporting it wrong. Sorry. It's just not right. Xbox Live Gold membership has not gone down. That's not how they count it.

When we start to get Activision Blizzard games I expect subscribers to pick up. I do think that Game Pass is going to become huge. I do think the number is going to be 200 million plus subscribers. I've been saying that in the next 10 years, I think it'll get to 200 million and I'll make that bet with anybody. I promise I'll pay it will be 200 million in the next 10 years. They are that committed to it

I don't think new subscribers have dried up. The huge acquisitions were really just Bethesda which is starting to show some traction and then Activision, which has no traction yet because the first title hasn't shown up. Come back and ask me that question a year from now once they have Call of Duty on there.

Do note that the episode was evidently registered before the launch of Diablo IV on the subscription service. We have since learned that Xbox is now the biggest platform for the game, thanks to