How Much Microsoft Needs to Pay to Have Games on Day One on Gamepass (Leak)

[anonpuffs]

They got at least some form of marketing with Suicide Squad too, didn't they? Leave it up to them to pick literally the worst option. And it also got delayed, killing its original purpose as an early year Starfield replacement.

No, I think the Suicide Squad marketing is partnering with Sony. that's why they had a state of play for it earlier this year

 

[Would_you_kindly]

The really shitty thing about this is when Microsoft wants this to be the model knowing only they can afford to keep losing money on it & that they complain about having to pay more for exclusivity because they have a smaller install base but the opposite is true with this & Sony would actually have to pay more to get AAA games on ps plus day one because they have the larger install base & publishers would more than likely lose more sales because of it

 

[Bryank75]

No, I think the Suicide Squad marketing is partnering with Sony. that's why they had a state of play for it earlier this year

Totally forgot about that. What a huge disappointment that game was compared to the older Arkham games.

 

[Zzero]

No, I think the Suicide Squad marketing is partnering with Sony. that's why they had a state of play for it earlier this year

Oh right, I forgot which of the two was putting the turd on a pedastal. Makes you wonder how much bang they really get for their buck on those marketing deals.

 

[John Elden Ring]

Major video game publishers may want $100 million to $300 million to put their games on Game Pass on the day they also go on sale, according to leaked internal estimates by Microsoft.

For example, this leaked document reveals that it would take upwards of $300 million to nab Star Wars Jedi: Survivor — and apparently, that's with the expectation of the deal falling through.

A $250 million figure is mentioned in relation to Mortal Kombat 1 and Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, while $100 million would be appropriate for Assassin's Creed Mirage. These numbers are obviously being considered by Microsoft — and we are specifically talking about AAA titles here — but it's highly likely that Sony will be paying similar fees whenever it pulls something to PS Plus.

State of play: In a May 16 email, Xbox corporate vice president Sarah Bond broke down 18 possible third-party games to pursue for Game Pass, noting the expected cost for getting them.

• Bond's team estimated that securing Ubisoft's "Assassin's Creed Rift," which would later be named Assassin's Creed Mirage, for a day-and-date Game Pass debut would cost $100 million.
• Bond described that option as one of Microsoft's most cost-effective paths, though that was when the game was expected in early 2023. It was later delayed to October and is not launching on Game Pass.
• Microsoft estimated that EA would ask for $300 million for a Game Pass day-and-date launch of Star Wars Jedi Survivor. Bond said it would be a "crown jewel," but at that cost "would not be a good [return on investment]

Below you'll find MSFT cost estimations of getting various 3rd party games day one on Game Pass (info has surfaced via the recently (un)redacted FTC doc):

Star Wars Jedi Survivor - $300M
Suicide Squad - $250M
Mortal Kombat 1 - $250M
Assassin's Creed Rift - $100M
Dying Light 2 - $50M
LEGO Star Wars - $35M
Gotham Knights - $30M
Dragon Ball: The Breakers - $20M
Return to Moneky Island - $5M
Wreckfest 2 - $10-$14M
Just Dance - $5M
Blood Runner - $5M
Glitch Busters - $5M
Baldur's Gate 3 - $5M (before the popularity of the game exploded)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
GTA V - $12-$15M/mth
Red Dead 2 - $5M/mth

 

[Evilms]

Star Wars Jedi Survivor: $300M
Mortal Kombat 1: $250M
Suicide Squad: $250M
Assassin's Creed Rift: $100M
Gotham Knights: $30M
Dying Light 2: $50M
Lego Star Wars: $35M
Dragon Ball The Breakers: $20M
Wreckfest 2: $10~14M
Baldur's Gate 3: $5M
Return to Moneky Island: $5M
Just Dance: $5M
Blood Runner: $5M
Glitch Busters: $5M

GTA 5: $12~15 million / month
RRD2: $5 million / month

 

[Cool hand luke]

Duuh gamepass is profitable duuuh

 

[KnittedKnight]

Just crazy all around.

 

[Dr Bass]

That's not what they paid for those games, that's the expectation they had. Those games have not / won't be releasing day 1 on gamepass.

It's what they are willing to spend. And notice that a lot of those say "more than" the number listed.

It's a completely misguided use of funds. MS is just trying to buy off everything and everyone.

 

[John Elden Ring]

300 million, that explains why we get these titles at release.

 

[Nimrota]

The issue isn't so much this but the mindset behind these policies. It's also why so many people cheer GP, or scorn Sony for "gatekeeping" their products away from your platform of choice. Trying to grow the industry by inflating the userbase with people who wouldn't usually play games because they don't want to pay the entry costs. Xbox knows they are incapable of offering new ideas at a fair price, nor are they capable of creating products that people can enjoy, so their only method to success is parasitism. No $250m spent on a new game, but $250m spent to let people pay $10 a month to consume the product with little engagement. Completely cheapens and undermines the entire idea. Reminds me of the FF16 video where the person equipped the cheese ring, pressed the one button to attack, and complained the game was too easy. How much damage did that do? All because games need to be "accessible" to people who don't want to put the time in to learn, who want benefits with zero cost. That's the Xbox approach to gaming as a whole. The fact that their only first party games are sequels (Halo, Forza, Gears) also indicative of this.

 

[Darth Vader]

It's what they are willing to spend. And notice that a lot of those say "more than" the number listed.

It's a completely misguided use of funds. MS is just trying to buy off everything and everyone.

Yeah, absolutely, but they didn't actually spend for those, that's all. It is insane that they would consider those values though.

 

[Airbus]

Star Wars Jedi Survivor - $300M
Suicide Squad - $250M
Mortal Kombat 1 - $250M
Assassin's Creed Rift - $100M

Just to make it appear on gamepass

Money that can be used to make their own game

Only microsoft can afford this

 

[Box]

The way they treat gaming is disgusting, there is no care for the health of the industry.

If they can't be number 1, they want to burn it down or don't give a crap if it is in ruins due to their careless actions.

From day 1 Microsoft has been a cancer on the industry

 

[ToTTenTranz]

Other potential deals included an estimated $5 million for a day-and-date launch of Baldur's Gate III. The role-playing game was a break-0ut hit that summer that back in May 2022, the Microsoft team labeled as a "second-run Stadia RPG."

Whomever calculated $5M for Baldur's Gate 3 is woefully incompetent, regardless of whether it happened before the game's release or not.
Larian would absolutely never have accepted that amount for the game. They had sold like 2.5 million copies (~$125M) before release and were counting on at least another $2 million ($100M) after release. Why the hell would they accept $60M to kill the sales on PC?

 

[Yurinka]

100M for Assassin's Creed is fucking wild. That's gotta be like half the dang budget.

No, it's way less than half than its budget. AAA games are more expensive.

Whomever calculated $5M for Baldur's Gate 3 is woefully incompetent, regardless of whether it happened before the game's release or not.
Larian would absolutely never have accepted that amount for the game.

Nobody guessed or could guess that the game was going to be that good and successful.

 

[flaccidsnake]

No, it's way less than half.

I'm only going by Last of Us 2 costing > 200M. No clue what these games cost to make.

 

[AllBizness]

Interesting that their strategy is to outspend Sony via Gamepass lol.

 

[Yurinka]

I'm only going by Last of Us 2 costing > 200M. No clue what these games cost to make.

As a reference, that $220M were TLOU2 developent costs only. You have to add the marketing costs, which traditionally are pretty similar to the development costs.

We're talking about a total budget of over $400M for TLOU2, and that was for a linear AAA game. The open world ones are more expensive. And if like in the AC games they have seasons of DLC content, even more.

This case AC Mirage will be shorter than the traditional recent big ass AC games, and may not have DLC, but make sure it will have required a shit ton of work.

 

[Old Gamer]

See? That's why some indies give up their namesake independence in exchange for welfare from a corporation.