Alright, so Microsoft dropped some numbers about FY23 Q3 on Wednesday. And guess what? Gaming is up 5% year-over-year. Yeah, didn’t see that coming. It’s probably because Xbox content and services jumped 8% — thanks a bunch to Call of Duty and Minecraft. Who’s not playing those? Plus, Xbox Game Pass is getting all the love. But hold on, hardware revenue slipped 6%. Oops?
Anyway — where was I? Oh right, overall Microsoft’s raking in $70.1 billion this quarter. That’s an 11% bump from last year. And net income? That’s $25.8 billion, up 18%. Crazy numbers, right?
Now, let’s chat about why Call of Duty and Minecraft are making bank. Yeah, that stuff matters. Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 dropped last quarter and it’s still blowing up sales and pulling in microtransaction dough. And Minecraft? Oh, it’s buzzing ’cause a movie hit the theaters on April 4, 2025. Weekly Minecraft users are up 75% since then. Coincidence? I doubt it.
Xbox Cloud Gaming hit 150 million hours for the first time this quarter. Wild. And did you hear PC Game Pass revenue popped 45%? No kidding.
Oh, and Obsidian’s Avowed came out. A fantasy RPG in the world of Eora. Pillars of Eternity fans are probably loving it. I think.
Looking ahead, FY25 Q4 should be a riot for Xbox. April alone has new games like Compulsion Games’ South of Midnight, plus The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered. Nostalgia trip, anyone? And don’t forget Stoic’s Towerborne available through Xbox Game Preview. Meanwhile, Forza Horizon 5 and Indiana Jones and the Great Circle showed up on the PS5. Can’t wait for May, though. DOOM: The Dark Ages by id Software is coming. Buckle up, gamers!
Okay, maybe I missed something, but that’s enough numbers and nerdiness for today. Catch ya later!
