Update, 20th July, 2024: Xbox has hit back at the FTC, saying it is “wrong” and “misleading” to call its revised Xbox Game Pass tiers “degraded”, and stating the Commission “barely mentioned [concerns about] subscription[s] at trial”.
“Earlier this month, Microsoft announced changes to its gaming subscription service, Game Pass, to provide consumers valuable options at different price points,” Xbox said, in court papers filed yesterday, Friday 19th July.
“Microsoft is offering a new service tier, Game Pass Standard, which offers access to hundreds of back-catalogue games ‘and multiplayer functionality for S14.99/month.
“It is wrong to call this a ‘degraded’ version of the discontinued Game Pass for Console offering. 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).