Despite Xbox’s Struggles In Hardware, Microsoft Was Reportedly The Top Video Game Publisher In December

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In December 2024, Microsoft held the top spot among video game publishers, an achievement made possible even amid difficulties with Xbox hardware sales. This success can be largely attributed to the popularity of Call of Duty, as indicated by worldwide data.

Based on information from data firm Ampre (via VGC), it was reported that Call of Duty HQ, encompassing Black Ops 6, Warzone, and other games under the COD umbrella, attracted approximately 38 million users in November 2024. Furthermore, around 64% of consumer spending on Microsoft titles in December was done through PlayStation, with a significant portion being spent on Call of Duty games. In addition to its dominance as the top publisher in 2024, Microsoft also saw success from sales of Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, a game released in December.

Ampere observed that during the same timeframe, Electronic Arts earned a substantial $366 million, trailing only Microsoft. EA Sports FC 25 played a significant role in EA’s prosperity, but it didn’t meet their own forecasted performance. Meanwhile, Chinese publishers like NetEase and Tencent showed remarkable results. Ampere predicted that Marvel Rivals attracted approximately 29 million monthly active users and Path of Exile 2 brought in a revenue of $148 million.

Microsoft’s approach of spreading its strategy across multiple platforms appears to be yielding results, but it’s worth noting that Xbox continues to lag behind PlayStation in terms of hardware sales. As per the latest data from the U.S., PS5 sales are outpacing those of PS4, while Xbox Series X|S is still trailing behind Xbox One at a similar stage in their lifecycles. However, it’s important to mention that all three major platform providers have seen a decrease in hardware sales within the U.S.

Microsoft’s Phil Spencer has emphasized that they remain dedicated to the hardware industry, all while encouraging multiplatform game launches. This was evident during the Xbox Developer Direct, where games such as Doom: The Dark Ages were announced for competing platforms. Moreover, there are rumors suggesting that Microsoft plans to back the Nintendo Switch 2 upon its release.

Microsoft runs large-scale mobile games such as Candy Crush and subscription-based games like World of Warcraft, yet these didn’t seem to be part of the Ampere analysis. Although Ampre’s data isn’t official, Microsoft is set to release their earnings today, January 29th. This will provide a more comprehensive understanding of how Xbox fared during the previous year.

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2025-01-29 17:09