Blog: Inflation

The covid pandemic and associated lockdown dynamic allowed entertainment consumption to reach new heights amongst a temporary surplus of free time. However, after restrictions eased, consumers found the constraints on their newfound time tighten, and had to make sacrifices, often preferring to return to real life activities at the expense of digital entertainment.

When change happens it often takes the perspective of looking back years, or even decades, later to appreciate just how meaningful that change was. Other times, it happens so fast that it can be difficult to appreciate its magnitude because people become desensitised to the perpetual torrent of bad news.

Xbox All Access has been around for a while now, though with a limited reach (currently only available in 12 markets). While it was always going to play an integral part in Xbox’s cross-platform (and ultimately console-less) future, its uptake, or even appeal, may have been lost among flashier news around big acquisitions, as well as developments with cloud gaming or Game Pass.

2022 is proving to be a challenging time for video subscription services. With the D2C big bang moment now in its third year, the initial wave of subscriber adoption is giving way to the challenge of sustainability.