PS5 Dominates UK Black Ops 6 Sales, As Game Pass Causes Xbox Share to Collapse

Up 30% on PS5, down 66% on Xbox

[lukasmain]

"Compared to last year’s Modern Warfare 3, sales of Black Ops 6 are up 30 per cent on PS5 and down “two thirds” on Xbox. Across all platforms, both physical and digital, PlayStation accounts for almost 75 per cent of the sales in the UK.."

Looks like Playstation is helping MS make that money and in turn Playstation is making money on COD like it always has. But Sony didn't have to pay 70 Billion for it lol. But everybody wins here. Well done MS on COD's success

[darthv72]

I guess the trade off is Gamepass has seen an uptick in memberships since the release of BO6. So MS is also making $$ from that as well. They are making $$ at all turns it seems when it comes to this game. Making it from XB sales, from GP subs, from Steam sales, and from PS sales.

[Obscure_Observer]

"They are making $$ at all turns it seems when it comes to this game. Making it from XB sales, from GP subs, from Steam sales, and from PS sales."

That´s was the plan all along.

MS proved both FTC and Sony wrong by continue and release not only COD but other Xbox games on ALL platforms making sh!t ton of money and by consequence reaching even more gamers around the world, while Gamepass Ultimate/PC subscribers will continue to it all day one!

Win Win for All!

[Profchaos]

Stocks paint the bigger picture however

[ApocalypseShadow]

OO, just more ridiculous observations.

It wasn't the "plan." Microsoft wanted to pull gamers away but that wasn't going to happen with gamers locked into their ecosystems. And they found that sales were going to tank without other platform's help. Exclusivity would have killed more developers, games and franchises under them. They had no choice but to be 3rd party.

Sure, the side effect of spending billions will allow them to leech off of Sony. But it also means they'll never win any generation hardware or digital. Because their fan base doesn't buy games anymore. They'll only win the award as the most losing company in the console industry. The most ass kickings ever.

[Obscure_Observer]

@ApocalypseShadow

"Sure, the side effect of spending billions will allow them to leech off of Sony. But it also means they'll never win any generation hardware or digital. Because their fan base doesn't but games anymore."

You don´t get it, do you?

Xbox is making a fanbase out of the Playstation fanbase, while Gamepass subscribers grows bigger by the day! In the US Xbox has the biggest engagement for COD with 52% of its entire player base vs 30% from Playstation.

All Playstation gamers playing Xbox games are counted as MAU for Xbox. And that´s exactly what MS wants!

You might have chosen Playstation as a hardware medium, but when you skip Playstation games like Astrobot, Concord or Horizon Remastered to buy COD instead, you´re making MS proud and happy, my guy.

That´s why Sony didn´t wanted MS to own ABK in the first place. That´s why Sony will never allow Gamepass on Playstation. They don´t want their gamers to be "stolen".

One of the main reasons why Sony is so adamant investing on LS games is because they don´t want Xbox to have the Playstation playerbase under their belt. Or do you think Sony is celebrating MS getting all those *sales and engagement* from Playstation gamers especially after Firewalk´s closure and HZD: Remastered disappointing release?

I think the answer is quite obvious.

[darthv72]

@gravity... this is just one of many articles about the subject:
https://www.eurogamer.net/c...

[Lightning77]

I always question Push Square just like that last Article I questioned them. Considering who they're affiliated with. Where does it say that Xbox shares are crashing when allot of ppl played the game through GP? The only way for GP to crash is if GP saw no growth COD. In which we know it did.

Gotta have that spicy headline even if it's not true I guess, again this is Push Square a PS affiliated website why should I believe anything they say?

[Chevalier]

""Game Pass subscriber adds on launch day."

Yeah, but, this is the first COD to ever launch on Gamepass so any numbers would be a new record! Because it's the first launch. Lol

Which other COD launched to anything on Gamepass really? Lol

[TheKingKratos]

Yeah, Microsoft plans are going as good as Dutch plans trying to go to Tahiti

[S2Killinit]

Looks like this will push MS further into 3rd party publisher.

[Neonridr]

Sony makes less on each copy sold than they did last year though.

[DodoDojo]

Do they? Sony's Cod deal expired this year and we were hearing that Sony was giving a discount to Activision for Cod and not the usual 70-30% split. Id imagine that discount is no longer in place for this years Cod.

[Neonridr]

@DodoDojo - possible, I guess. assuming the deal is no longer in place, that means MS is gonna make 70% of PlayStation sales of Call of Duty? Impressive.

[crazyCoconuts]

None of us have the data to tell whether this was a successful strategy or not. It will take months before even MS knows, and they certainly won't tell us.

[XBManiac]

Yes, we take in account that for every unit sold on PlayStation Sony receives a percentage, not only for physical copies, but for platform royalties.

[MrDead]

Well done MS, you purchased a product that Xbox is the weakest platform for. That Xbox sales drop is crazy, still 80billion spent, thousands fired so MS could sell games that were already coming to Xbox on Xbox.

Keep this up and the dream MS has in banning multiplatform publishers from completing systems won't be able to happen.

[Plague-Doctor27]

I think even MS knew putting this on GP would hurt sales, the question will always be did total revenue go up from putting it on GP. The public will never get those specific numbers but will continue to extrapolate whatever data they can get.

Overall this is a much steeper sales decline than I expected, especially given the reception to Black Ops IIIIII is so much better than it was to MW3

In first week sales of Physical + Digital in the UK, The PS4 version of MW3 outsold the Xbox version of Black Ops 6 63k to 45k

[darthv72]

the loss of any XB sales because of GP is subsidized by the increase in sales on the other platforms. I think MS is pretty satisfied with these numbers. Especially since they have made $$ on each, including GP thanks to increased membership numbers. And those who are new to GP are also finding out about the various sales that members receive through the service... so they make $$ off other titles as a result of new comers too.

this notion that nobody buys games anymore on XB because of GP is a fallacy. People buy games all the time as there are lots of sales through the service. And you get even more discounts on certain games if they are about to leave the service. Its very reminiscent of the early days of PS+, which too was a discount service for members more than a requirement for online play like it is now.

[darthv72]

@gravity... it IS a fallacy. Day one games can be touted, just as people can buy other titles within the service as well. Or do you now know there are plenty more than just day one games?

[S2Killinit]

@Darth
The “increase” in sales? Are you saying putting it on game pass makes more PlayStations buy it? What does sales on other platforms have to do with it?

But, i would say the effect of putting it on gamepass is to some extent subsidized by the increase in game pass price which makes it as if you are buying the games (if not more), so the only question that remains is the actual numbers of subscription.

The rest of what you said is bogus. Everyone knows gamepass has effected sales on xbox, we’ve had hundreds of articles on this. MS itself acknowledged it. Also you are very misinformed it seems about PS+

[Rude-ro]

What Microsoft is testing is seeing who would spend money in a game via season passes and microtransactions per a game through a monthly subscription.
Has absolutely nothing to do with selling the base game.

[neutralgamer1992]

Darth

So now you know better than Phil Spencer?

[darthv72]

@neutral, im not saying I know more than Phil, but when he says sales arent what they expected... they are looking for a certain percentage which many games may still sell but fall below that percentage he is expecting. Again... the games do actually sell in the GP service but many also just use it to rent instead of buy. I do that myself. Certain games i will just play while others i will pay a little bit more and keep.

This also goes back to gravity and their statement about retailers not selling xb games... not many are going to go to a retailer and buy a copy of a game they already have installed to their system. They can just as easily turn it from a rental to a buy with one click.

i can understand there are those who still believe in physical media... but even retailers are seeing the demand is shrinking.

[BoneMagnus]

They used to report attach rate per console - do they still do that? - And could you see it filtered on whether or not the console owner is a GP subscriber (and what level) - and whether they own multiple consoles?

And also - compare to historical numbers - before GP and PS+ were a thing and you had to buy games.

[Profchaos]

They tend to provide some BS made up metric that paints whatever picture they want to tell remember starfield was the most played Bethesda game within 24 hours

[MDTunkown]

They probably expected to sell more Xboxes

[rippermcrip]

That other "analyst" suggesting GP didn't hurt them, while waiting to the very last sentence to admit that sales were down on Xbox only... now this.

Anyone who thought literally giving away a game (and yes I know you have to pay for the service, don't be that guy) wasn't going to lower the sales... riiiighhht.

[wesnytsfs]

LOL, for XBOX its about gamepass they got record numbers of new subscribers. Im sure Microsoft is thankful sony is buying so many of their games and lining their pockets.

[lukasmain]

You're right. That is why more and more Xbox games will be coming over to Playstation lol. Just like Indiana Jones, Sea of Thieves and Grounded. Grounded is awesome by the way

[wesnytsfs]

Awesome, glad you like it. See I dont care where you play your games. I love PC gamepass. I like how sony games are slowly but surely getting that time between release and pc release shorter every year so its great for all gamers.

[ocelot07]

Cool they got loads more subs for this month. Will they stay next month? Or the month after that?

[Obscure_Observer]

"Cool they got loads more subs for this month. Will they stay next month? Or the month after that?"

Assuming those subs will continue interest in BO6 after one month while interest to play both Stalker 2 and Indiana Jones, yes, they will stay.

[darthv72]

...once you get hooked... who would want to leave? With so much to choose from outside of the day one stuff, it practically pays for itself.

[Sonic1881]

@ocelot07

That's what I'm waiting to find out 😂

[derek]

@wesnytsfs, where is this evidence that a record of people have sub to gamepass?

[Chevalier]

The stupid thing is if you read the wording it says record subs to a COD launch. But there's NEVER been any COD launched on Gamepass till now. So ANY numbers would be a new record.

It would be like if you had a new event at the Olympics. It doesn't matter how slow you could have ran that 200 M dash, it's still the 'new' record. Lol

[Hofstaderman]

@Xiah same Satya whose performance bonus is now tied to XBOX and in whose interest it is to sell more games. How do you think he is going to achieve this? Multiplatform.
BTW gamepass growth was cut as a bonus indicator as well.

As usual the writing is on the wall but some people refuse to read it. With COD performing this well on PS....guess he can't ignore the inevitable.....everything on PS. Take note Phil is not making the press release statements.

[Knushwood Butt]

'Xbox Game Pass Launch Of COD Black Ops 6 Benefits Microsoft Without Hurting Sales, Analyst Reports'.

Analyst was wrong.

[CrimsonGuardVII]

not all subs for gp is cash. i just got 3 months for pc gp for Microsoft points. and now I AM playing cod for Free. FREE AS MEANING ZERO CASH OR EVEN POCKET CHANGE.

[Lulz_Boat]

GAMEPASS B1TCH3SSS!!! The worst thing is that since ABK is now a first party company for Microsoft, they don't care if sales are lower on their own platform. But it's a different thing for third party devs, which surely will not like that. Pathetic

[badz149]

yeah...please let us know when Xbox finally make back that $70B

[PhillyDonJawn]

Looking objectively from a business standpoint MS would be better off putting big releases like CoD on GP 1 month after release and offer GP subs to buy the game day 1 at a big discount (30-50% off) they'd keep subscribers while still capitalizing on actual purchases from diehards that can't wait a month. (I know they offer 10% off already). It just seem like the smartest thing to do.

[Petebloodyonion]

1) Why must there be a single winner? Can't Microsoft and Sony both be content with the outcome?
2) It's somewhat amusing that people label Microsoft's statistics as bogus even though they are available in official financial documents, yet they readily accept statistics that are only mentioned in a podcast.

[Bathyj]

In total, sales of Black Ops 6 are down 15 per cent compared to Modern Warfare 3 and 46 per cent compared to Modern Warfare 2.

Is that saying all sales physical and digital across all platforms is down from the disappointing MW3 which was already a huge drop?

Is the Call of Duty bubble bursting.

[badz149]

let's hope so. it has been what...17 years? maybe it's time we get something new on the market, like different FPS from different IPs and other IPs from ABK too like the old days!

[PassNextquestion]

People on Xbox platform still buy games. We have the option of Gamepass but not everyone uses it 12 months of the year.

I think you would definetly get some people who are only interested in the COD campaign subscribe to gamepass for a month to finish COD and some other games whilst their there. But when you have games like EA FC25 or NBA2k people want to play that all year till the next version comes out so they will buy those games.

[InUrFoxHole]

Fake concern in 3...2....1..... Genuine xbox in 3...2...1...

[goken]

Oh i seem to remember 2 days ago a certain OO (initials) calling out people for being naysayers and supposedly changing narratives over an article claiming GP not affecting CoD sales on Xbox.
Suddenly now it’s “this is the plan all along”…
Which i am sure it wasn’t.

[TheTony316]

It wasn't the plan. The original plan was to "spend Sony out of business" and block COD from the platform. That's why the original offer from MS was only a couple of years.

[goken]

I agree with you pal
Star field was even years in developments for PS before MS put a stop to it.
It clearly wasn’t the plan

[ironmonkey]

lol sad cant even grow their own userbase. xbox got the salvation army collapse.

[tagzskie]

ahahaha xboys flexing sony's sale like wtf? its not about games anymore lol.. facepalm

[gold_drake]

its a win win for both, but its still so funny to me that people would eather play tge playstation one ha

[Hofstaderman]

It shows the sales ratio of PS5 to XBOX series. Simply put, XBOX is getting trounced and then some. If my friends have PS5s and I may have both consoles, guess which version of COD I'm buying? These denialists can spin, but spinning can't change reality.

[gold_drake]

i know.

just funny how ms really thought putting it on gamepass would make a difference.
but in any case. ms does make alot of money off the ps sales

[Petebloodyonion]

" Simply put, XBOX is getting trounced and then some. If my friends have PS5s and I may have both consoles, guess which version of COD I'm buying?"

I guess Apple must be screwed if you buy an Ipad from Amazon instead of the Apple Store.

[TheTony316]

Looks like COD needs Playstation more than Playstation needs them.

Sony must be laughing right now. They're still getting the vast majority of sales without having to spend millions on marketing anymore.

[GrmpyolGamer]

Biggest month for GP sign ups since it began. Every sale on any platform is $$ for Xbox

[dveio]

I am on the side that this merger should never have happened in the first place.

I am totally fine with the fact that it got finalized.

But if a 69bn merger did not got already forbidden, which one does then? Only When Microsoft, Disney and Comcast would merge?

I missed that a jury would decide - a jury consisting of a random selection of people from the industry, press and players, in the best case.

ABK had never been disallowed to bring their franchises to all the platforms they wanted even before the merger. So I never understood their argument in court in the first place.

And what did everyone get?

A 10 year deal for CoD and a "case by case" decision with other franchises.

How is that possibly better than it was before for customers? If the courts decision was about the customers.

I don't hate Microsoft.

But I despise their 'low effort always been pushing competition around and buying things out' attitude whenever they can't make an impact on the market on their own.

They now own Zenimax, ABK and have been pushing GP enormously in financial terms. Their MAU grew and yet they still increased subscription prices. AND let off employees in the thousands.

And yet they still couldn't overtake Playstation in terms of revenue numbers. Even BO6 won't be able to catch up to that 10bn figure they are still behind Playstation in annual revenue.

So what does that mean?

That it will only get worse. Microsoft isn't done yet with aquisitions. From now on in the next 5 years, they will go and try again - wether it's Ubisoft, EA or maybe even T2.

[Rols]

Not sure how much COD makes every year but say $5 billion to be generous. It will take 14 years to recover its investment. By then MS will just be a publisher and not making consoles. Their market share is decimated by PSN and Nitendo.

[azzkikr8502]

On twitter which pushsquare was sigthing it's numbers, there was an actual breakdown on units sold. Just the simple loss in sales for Xbox was around 6.3million in revenue. U would need 318k extra gp subs to cover that deficit

[anast]

MS Xbox streaming hybrid box coming soon.

[jwillj2k4]

With this new info, If I were sony I’d go back to a 70/30 split. I think this game shines the light on the direct correlation between ownership and value.

[S2Killinit]

These sorts of numbers show MS will be going 3rd party publisher. Xbox’s future is a service fueled by spending more money to buy activision than MS has made in revenues in 4 generations.

[itsmebryan]

I don't understand why they make a big deal about the sales in they UK ? Is it a bigger market than I realize?

[Rdeal]

For Xbox it is

[Hofstaderman]

Its the third largest market after the States and the rest of Europe. In the 360 gen it was a MS bastion. Now its a MS graveyard.

[Rdeal]

They say Xbox gamers are not buying the game but the vault edition upgrade is number 1 top paid in the UK and that's like £30, it's even beating Fifa and the vault edition is number 3 and that's £99 so all those gamepass subs seem to be buying the upgrade

[hiawa23]

Well, money is money, right, $$$$$.

[z2g]

Ppl seem to forget that while the game sells less, the gamepass subscription sells more… and that’s kind of the goal… MS now owns COD and every gamer should know by now a big chunk of income in this day and age is service. So Xbox is making money off of PlayStation, PlayStation store, Steam, Xbox and other PC services… and then also gamepass. Hardly the L ppl want it to be. It’s just what MS wanted all along and why it said it would still publish it on PlayStation.

Bigger picture guys. Think.

[BoneMagnus]

MS has calculated how many GP subs they need to make the COD initiative profitable - in addition to their other Day 1 offerings, included games etc.

The real tell will be what happens next year. Do they continue to offer it as part of GP or not?