Xbox Game Pass has proven to be an incredible success for Microsoft, with subscriber totals continuing to increase since the release of the Xbox Series X/S consoles. It's not just Microsoft benefiting from the service's success, either. Game developers across the industry have lauded their partnerships with Xbox Game Pass. Just how lucrative these deals are has rarely been discussed publicly. Now one indie, the developer of Cooking Simulator, has revealed just how much Microsoft paid it to join Xbox Game Pass.
Cooking Simulator, developed and published by Big Cheese Studio, was first released in 2019 exclusively on PC. It was then released for Xbox and other platforms in August 2020. It has found moderate success since its launch but wasn't a viral hit by any means. Nevertheless, this past week Xbox Game Pass announced Cooking Simulator would be joining the platform. It's currently offered for PC, Cloud, and Xbox consoles.
As part of its financial reporting in Poland, where Big Cheese Studio is based, the Cooking Simulator developer shared some financial information regarding its deal with Microsoft. According to this reporting, Microsoft delivered an up-front payment of $600,000 to secure Cooking Simulator's release on Xbox Game Pass. The payment makes up for approximately 22% of Big Cheese Studio's net profits for the past financial year, showing that it was a significant benefit to the company.
In the years since Cooking Simulator's release, Big Cheese Studio has focused on capitalizing on the game's success rather than working on other full releases. Between 2019 and now, Big Cheese Studio has released five premium DLCs as well as a virtual reality version of Cooking Simulator. This likely played into the studio's decision to go to Xbox Game Pass, too. Since the DLC isn't included in the Xbox Game Pass release, players on the subscription service will likely spend money for the additional content that's already available.
Exactly why Cooking Simulator was chosen for Xbox Game Pass over other titles isn't clear. It also isn't clear how the $600,000 payment for Cooking Simulator compares to what Microsoft has paid for other games. With the news now public, however, the number should help other indie game developers with their negotiations in the future.
Cooking Simulator was officially released for Xbox Game Pass on August 11. It was one of three games released on the same day, with Cooking Simulator joining Expeditions: Rome and Offworld Trading Company on the subscription service.
Source: Twisted Voxel