Microsoft Responds To FTC Over Xbox Game Pass Price Increase

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Responds To FTC Over Xbox Game Pass Price Increase

After the ******* States Federal Trade Commission (FTC) publicly stated that the recent price increase and tier changes to Xbox Game Pass would inflict “consumer harm”,

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has come back with a message of their own.

In a new filing (via

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),

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says that the FTC’s letter is “misleading” and gives an “extra-record account of the facts.”

“It is wrong to call this [Xbox Game Pass Standard] a “degraded” version of the discontinued Game Pass for Console offering,”

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says.

“That discontinued product did not offer multiplayer functionality, which had to be purchased separately for an additional $9.99/month (making the total cost $20.98/month). While Game Pass Ultimate’s price will increase from $16.99 to $19.99/month, the service will offer more value through many new games available “day-and-date.” Among them is the upcoming release of Call of Duty, which has never before been available on a subscription day-and-date.”

The letter adds that the FTC “barely mentioned” during the trial surrounding

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’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard. The focus of the trial as that

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could keep Call of Duty off of PlayStation consoles. That,

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says, has nothing to do with the price and tier changes to Game Pass.

“While the FTC has now tried to shift focus to its alleged subscription market, its letter does not map onto its arguments below,”

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said. “Setting aside that it is common for businesses to change service offerings over time, the FTC’s case in all of its alleged markets has always been premised on vertical foreclosure, i.e., that

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would withhold Call of Duty from rivals and therefore harm competition. But even in the alleged subscription market, Call of Duty is not being withheld from anyone who wants it.”

The letter closes with the company saying that there is “no evidence” to harming competition.

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’s response to the FTC’s letter surrounding the Xbox Game Pass price increase? For more Insider Gaming, read about the early sales numbers for College Football 25.

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#Responds #FTC #Xbox #Game #Pass #Price #Increase

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