Xbox Game Pass turns 1, and Microsoft has bigger plans for Netflix-like service

Microsoft sees its future as a platform and services company, and nothing is a better example of that on the Xbox One console than the Xbox Game Pass subscription service. The company introduced its Netflix-like all-you-can-play program a year ago, and now it is reflecting on the first 12 months as well as looking at what Game Pass means for its future.

In a blog post, Xbox Game Pass engineering boss Ashley Speicher recapped some of the improvements that have come to platform. It is now available in more than 40 countries, and Microsoft brings all of its first-party games to the service the same day they hit retail. Speicher says the company made this change to serve more big-budget blockbuster games to subscribers. Thanks to Game Pass, Sea of Thieves surged to 2 million players in its first few weeks  and State of Decay 2 had 1 million after a single week. Microsoft reiterated that it is commitment to do the same with Halo, Forza, Gears of War, and more.