GameStop Keeps Taking Jabs at Xbox, Vows to Continue Offering Game Pass at Previous Price
What has emerged as a marketing headache for Microsoft has become a golden PR opportunity for prominent sellers including GameStop, Amazon, Walmart, Best Buy, and Target. These companies are vowing to sell one-month passes for Xbox Game Pass Ultimate at the price of $19.99, in spite of Microsoft just revealing a price hike to $29.99 per month.
GameStop's Strategic Moves
GameStop, specifically, is leveraging the uproar to motivate customers to purchase disc-based titles. Since the October 1 announcement, GameStop has issued repeated taunts at Microsoft and Xbox through digital channels.
A message recalled people that their choices included paying around 30 bucks a month to possess no games, or investing equally to have lasting ownership at GameStop. The brand also quoted news of the rate hike with the quip, "Welcome to GameStop." Perhaps its boldest move is launching a campaign where it vows to keep selling Ultimate at the lower cost.
"Xbox Game Pass is remaining at $19.99 with us," the announcement states. "You're welcome. Offered at retail outlets and online."
Key Factors
Annoyingly, obtaining twelve months would mean buying twelve of these cards, or several quarterly passes, which are likewise available for the reduced cost right now. But doing so would still be cheaper than paying $360 annually, so it might represent good value for any Xbox fans who don't want to pull the plug just yet or users who aren't prepared to handle increased advertising.
Marketing Strategy Analysis
It's an excellent marketing strategy for GameStop, as a wise corporate action gets posed as benevolence. Drawing logical conclusions, but if all major retailers are adopting identical approaches, it's possibly due to they have to get rid of the old stock that comes printed with the "$19.99" number. This appears to be a while supplies last type of situation, and it's unknown for what duration the discounted supply might be available.
The Company's Reaction
Meanwhile, Xbox finds itself in crisis control. “We understand cost adjustments are never fun for anybody, but we're attempting to strengthen by adding more value to these plans as well,” a Microsoft representative stated. “It's something we approach carefully, and we're paying attention to responses of players and the community to work to offer them with more of what they're asking for.”
