Thanks to Xbox Game Pass, gamers are playing more but buying less, Microsoft notes

Since its initial release in 2017, Xbox Game Pass has continued to be an extremely popular service for gamers to enjoy some of the biggest games Xbox has to offer. However, developers may not be as excited about the future service as gamers, as it has been found that adding games to Xbox Game Pass has a noticeable impact on game sales, essentially affecting the earnings of those titles.

Related: The British CMA deals a serious blow to Microsoft’s deal with Activision Blizzard

This information comes from the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), which recently released a preliminary report on Microsoft’s attempt to buy Activision Blizzard. The report states that Microsoft submitted its internal analysis for the report, admitting that games on the service had a decline in base game sales in the 12 months following their inclusion in Game Pass. However, the exact figure has been redacted. Essentially, this supports the idea that developers will lose money and potential full retail sales of their games due to the cheaper and more convenient Xbox Game Pass option.

Elsewhere in this report, Activision Blizzard’s rather murky view of bringing its own titles like Call of Duty and Overwatch to the service, or any game subscription service, is detailed, citing the same belief that to do so would “seriously cannibalize B2P.” [buy-to-play] Sales, especially on newer releases.”

Related: Bobby is going nowhere if deal with Activision Blizzard falls through, new reports say

This is all part of the ongoing back-and-forth between the two companies and several regulators over Microsoft’s proposed $69 billion deal to buy Activision Blizzard. Since its announcement, there have been numerous setbacks and obstacles to the deal with regulators, including the CMA, who opposed the deal and either attempted to block it, filed lawsuits, or offered pre-approval concessions such as: B. A guarantee that Call of Duty would remain on PlayStation systems for at least ten years.