Activision Blizzard once more helped drive Microsoft’s gaming division in its newest monetary outcomes, regardless of a major decline in Xbox {hardware} gross sales.
For the three months ended June 30, 2024, gaming income was up 44% year-over-year, Microsoft stated on Tuesday, which incorporates 48 factors of web influence from Activision. With out the acquisition, gaming income would have been down 4 p.c.
Xbox {hardware} income declined 42% year-over-year, however Xbox content material and companies income, which incorporates Xbox Recreation Go, was up by 61 p.c this quarter. Once more, the vast majority of this (58 factors of web influence) got here from Activision Blizzard.
Talking throughout an online name following its earnings launch, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella claimed its gaming division now has over 500 million month-to-month energetic customers throughout platforms and units.
“Our content material pipeline has by no means been stronger,” he stated. “We previewed a document 30 new titles at our showcase this quarter. 18 of them, resembling Name of Responsibility: Black Ops 6, can be obtainable on Recreation Go.
“Recreation Go Final subscribers can now stream video games instantly on units they have already got, together with as of final month, Amazon Fireplace TVs. Lastly, we’re bringing our IP to new audiences.
“Fallout made its debut as a TV present on Amazon Prime this quarter. It was the second most watched present on the platform ever, and hours performed on Recreation Go for Fallout elevated almost 5 instances.”
Earlier this month Microsoft raised Xbox Recreation Go costs and introduced plans to introduce a brand new Commonplace subscription tier that doesn’t embody day one releases.
Fashionable Warfare 3 additionally grew to become the primary Name of Responsibility recreation to be added to the subscription service, whereas Black Ops 6 would be the first Name of Responsibility title to launch day one when it’s launched on October 25, 2024.
The primary Activision Blizzard recreation to be added to Microsoft’s Recreation Go subscription service was Diablo 4 on March 28.
Based on the newest gross sales information from analysis agency Circana, Xbox Collection consoles are monitoring 13% behind the place Xbox One was throughout the identical interval of its lifecycle within the US market.
Microsoft has already confirmed it’s engaged on new Xbox {hardware} and claimed that it has “some thrilling stuff popping out in {hardware} that we’re going to share this vacation”.