Microsoft has never disclosed financial information about Game Pass offers. However, a gaming industry expert said the company could have paid between $5 million and $10 million to bring guardians of the galaxy to its subscription service.
David Gibson, Principal Analyst at MST Financial shared information during the Twitter discussion of Sony’s upcoming subscription service named Spartacus.
He noted that Spartacus won’t be taking on Game Pass, given that first-party games won’t appear on PlayStation’s first day of service.
“Keep in mind that [Microsoft] paid about $5-10 million for guardians of the galaxy be on Games Pass,” Gibson wrote. “That equates to $2 per game while the retail price is $29. Ok, that’s quite a profit, but not many publishers will do that given Game Pass’ low profitability.
Keep in mind that MSFT paid around US$5-10 million for Guardians of the Galaxy to be on Games Pass… that’s like $2 per game when the retail price is $29. Ok, that’s just profit, but not many publishers will do that considering Game Pass’s low profitability.
—David Gibson (@gibbogame) March 26, 2022
Although these figures have not been officially confirmed, the MST analyst says that he’s been covering Square Enix data for 15 years. This estimate is therefore based on “discussions with Square Enix and others”.
guardians of the galaxy, developed by Eidos Montreal, was released in October 2021. Despite warm reviews, it fell short of Square Enix’s expectations. However, adding the game to Game Pass boosted its popularity and helped him take 12th place among the most played Xbox titles.