Monthly round-up: More games added and removed from services than in April 2021

From April to May 2021, the overall number of titles included in our tracked games content subscription services decreased by a little under 1%. The Sunrise Game Cloud catalogue grew by 11%, the largest relative increase witnessed in May but from a small base. Notable additions include three games from the Saints Row franchise. The EA Play on PC catalogue reduced by 8%, the largest relative decrease observed in May, noteworthy removals include three games from the FIFA franchise.

There was an overall rise in catalogue activity from April to May, with more games both added and removed from the services tracked. Xbox Game Pass Ultimate accounted for the largest share of total new games added at 21%, and the largest share of total games removed at 26%. Note, Xbox Game Pass Ultimate includes games (and removals) from both EA Play on Xbox and EA Play PC as they are bundled into the service.

Blacknut launches on iOS via a progressive web app and forges a new partnership

Blacknut forged one new partnership in May with CHK Innovations Opportunities Development. The company developed a white-label cloud gaming service for mobile telecommunications subsidiary Drei Austria - Drei HomePlay is currently available for free with selected 5G tariffs. Cloud gaming is key to Drei’s 5G strategy, as it incentivises uptake of premium plans and showcases streaming capabilities.

Announced on May 12^th, Blacknut outlined its soft launch onto iOS via a progressive web app (a website that behaves like an app). The Apple App Store continues to restrict cloud gaming services via strict rules that require services to individually link each game in their catalogue to a unique app on the App Store. However, operating via an internet browser removes the need to do so and as such, makes Blacknut more accessible to a larger consumer base. This directly benefits Blacknut’s D2C offering and partner companies that provide a white-label service or offer Blacknut as an add-on/perk. Similarly, Orange Jeux launched its service on Android via the Google Play Store and iOS via a progressive web app to support the deployment of its 5G packages.

Xbox Game Pass Ultimate offers 4 months of free Spotify Premium and Ubisoft Plus introduces a rewards programme

Across all platforms, Xbox Game Pass services gained the most titles in May 2021, accounting for 33% of all titles added. Notable additions to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate include FIFA 21, and Knockout City: both of which were included via EA Play, which is bundled into the base subscription.

Each month Xbox Game Pass Ultimate offers a new selection of perks to its subscribers. In May the service offered 4 months of Spotify Premium (to new Spotify Premium members only), highlighting the growing integration of gaming with the broader entertainment sector. Ampere’s consumer research (Q4 2020) demonstrates that 71% of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscribers believe that the service provides good video game discounts, suggesting that the inclusion of perks increases uptake and satisfaction.

From May 2021, Ubisoft will begin rolling out its rewards programme for Ubisoft Plus on PC globally, following a soft launch in Australia, New Zealand, Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden. Consumers move up a ranking system to receive rewards, whereby the rank is dictated by the number of months subscribed. Redeemable software includes customization items, boosters, and other in-game perks for a selection of Ubisoft games. As rewards are time-based, it adds a further layer of long-term stickiness to the service.