Microsoft continues to increase the value of Xbox Game Pass by regularly adding new and exciting games to the lineup. 2022 already saw severalday one releases on Xbox Game Pass, includingRainbow Six ExtractionandHitman Trilogy. This month, Microsoft offered the critically acclaimed indie titleTunicas a part of Xbox Game Pass.Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxywas also added to Xbox Game Pass on March 10. It received several awards at the end of 2021, with most of the praise being directed towards the story and characters. Most AAA single-player games are set in an open world, butMarvel’s Guardians of the Galaxyoffered a completely linear experience, and many players considered it to be a much-needed change of pace. A new report now reveals how much Microsoft may have paid to getMarvel’s Guardians of the Galaxyon Xbox Game Pass.RELATED:EA Play on Xbox Game Pass Ultimate Gets New FeatureAn industry analyst named David Gibson claimed that Microsoft paid $5-10 million to getMarvel’s Guardians of the Galaxyon Xbox Game Pass. He mentioned that the game sells for around $29 at retail, and Square Enix reportedly receives only $2 per game as a part of this deal. In a follow-up Tweet, Gibson stated that he has been covering Square Enix as an analyst for around 15 years and maintains regular contact with the company. He then confirmed that he has based these estimates on talks with Square Enix and other developers.
David Gibson revealed this information while discussing the economics of Project Spartacus, which is set to be announced this week. Spartacus is a multi-tier subscription service that will reportedlycombine PlayStation Plus and PlayStation Now, and it will also offer a selection of classic games. However, unlike Xbox Game Pass, fans will not get access to Sony’s biggest first-party games on day one.
In its financial report, Square Enix stated thatMarvel’s Guardians of the Galaxyunderperformed in sales, and several reasons could be attributed to its disappointing performance. The audience was already disappointed by the release ofMarvel’s Avengersthe year before, and the initial reveal ofMarvel’s Guardians of the Galaxydid not seem to grab many gamers' attention. While subsequent trailers were well received, the game’s marketing was nearly non-existent, which was surprising given the draw of theGuardians of the Galaxyname. Square Enix had to reduce the price for sales to catch up, but word-of-mouth has been extremely positive, and fans can hope that Eidos-Montreal will be able to work on a sequel.
Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxyis available now on PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.
