All articles tagged with #subscription service
Former Forza Horizon 5 director Mike Brown says Xbox Game Pass was a well-meaning, ambitious subscription idea that didn’t attract enough paying customers at the required price, contributing to studio layoffs and restructurings, though Game Pass remains central to Xbox’s strategy.
WSJ reports Xbox Game Pass has about 30 million subscribers, well below the 77 million goal Microsoft set for 2026, a target surfaced during the Activision Blizzard deal proceedings. The last official count was 34 million (Sept 2024). CEO Asha Sharma acknowledged the broader Xbox restructuring and price changes that affected growth, saying the company must reset and outwork the path to durable growth.
A reported, but unconfirmed, insider claim says Microsoft has frozen new third‑party deals for Xbox Game Pass and begun a broad reorganization, signaling a shift away from aggressive growth and likely resulting in fewer day‑one and third‑party titles; officials have not confirmed the changes, and details may still change.
Apple Arcade adds four new games—Mini Football Legends, My Talking Tom 2+, Coffee Inc 2+, and FreeCell Solitaire: Card Game+—bringing its catalog to over 200 titles, with five additional games arriving in the coming weeks: Family Feud Pocket on June 30; Dungeon Clawler+, Creatures of the Deep+, Pocket City 2+, and Draw It+ on July 2. The service costs $6.99/month and remains ad-free and microtransaction-free, with Arcade included in the Apple One bundle.
Only two games have been announced for Xbox Game Pass in January 2026 so far, with more titles expected to be revealed by Microsoft in early and mid-January. The service will also see some games leaving in January, with additional updates expected later in the month and throughout 2026.
The attorneys general of D.C., Virginia, and Maryland, along with 18 other states and the FTC, are suing Uber for deceptive subscription practices with Uber One, alleging charges during free trials, false savings promises, and difficult cancellation processes, violating consumer protection laws.
SpongeBob Patty Pursuit 2, a highly anticipated sequel to a popular Apple Arcade game, will be released on December 4, offering new gameplay on various Apple devices as part of the subscription service, which costs $6.99/month with a free trial and is included in Apple One plans.
Microsoft announced the Xbox Game Pass November 2025 Wave 1 lineup, featuring major releases like Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 on November 14, along with several indie and popular titles launching throughout the week. The lineup includes games like Dead Static Drive, Sniper Elite: Resistance, and Lara Croft and the Temple of Osiris, with some titles leaving the service on November 15.
Microsoft is adding 8 new games to Xbox Game Pass, including The Outer Worlds 2 and PowerWash Simulator 2, with release dates from October 23 to November 4, along with updates to subscription tiers and new features like shared online co-op progress.
CNN is launching a new all-access subscription service on October 28 for $6.99 per month, offering live and on-demand content, CNN Originals, and exclusive events, as part of its digital evolution to complement traditional cable offerings.
Microsoft has increased the prices of its Xbox Game Pass subscription tiers, citing expanded offerings and added benefits, while some users report issues when trying to cancel subscriptions online. The price hike follows recent console price increases and highlights the company's efforts to provide more flexibility and value to gamers.
Xbox is raising its Game Pass subscription prices ahead of the launch of new Xbox handheld consoles, with tiered plans now costing more and offering varying game libraries and benefits. This follows recent price hikes for Xbox Series S and X consoles, which were attributed to macroeconomic factors. The new handhelds, developed in partnership with Asus, are set to release on October 16, with prices starting at $599.99 for the standard model and $999.99 for the Xbox ROG Ally X.
YouTube Premium Lite is a new subscription option that offers an ad-free viewing experience on YouTube for a fee, providing an alternative for users who want to avoid ads without subscribing to the full Premium service.
Apple Arcade is releasing four new games in October, including NBA 2K26 Arcade Edition with a new NBA Eras feature, along with three other titles on October 2. The service continues to expand its game library with both indie and big IP titles, offering over 200 ad-free games for $6.99/month or via Apple One.
Xbox has announced its largest investment in Game Pass this year, signing deals with over 150 partners to expand its game catalog and counter recent criticism about the service's value and sustainability, emphasizing its focus on diversity and developer relationships.