Xbox Boss Says 'Excited' About Having GameStop As Partner, Retailers 'Integral' To Providing Customers With Choice

Microsoft Corp.’s MSFT Xbox boss Sarah Bond said she is “excited” about having videogame retailer GameStop Corp. GME as a partner to her company.

What Happened: Bond, the Xbox head of game creator experiences, said in an interview with Bloomberg TV that Microsoft’s partnerships with retailers like GameStop are “integral” to providing customers the choice to be able to play or buy the games the way they want them.

“Having a retail partner and working with all our retail partners is integral to giving people the experience they want,” Bond said.

Why It Matters: In October, GameStop announced a new multi-year partnership with Microsoft that enables the videogame retailer to offer Xbox All Access, a plan that includes the Xbox console and 24 months of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate for no up-front cost.

GameStop’s ability to sell the Game Pass Ultimate allows it to gain customers and split the lifetime revenue value of the deal with Microsoft.

Last week, GameStop reported better-than-expected earnings results for the first quarter and announced the appointment of Amazon.com Inc. AMZN executive Matt Furlong as its CEO.

It was reported last week that Microsoft is working with global TV manufacturers to enable hardware-free Xbox games to be played through internet-connected televisions. The plan will enable Microsoft to move to a cloud-based gaming future and shift away from its dependency on gaming hardware.

Price Action: Microsoft shares closed almost 0.8% higher in Monday’s trading at $259.89, while GameStop shares closed almost 1.7% lower at $229.44.

Read Next: How Did Ryan Cohen Get Matt Furlong To Move Over From Amazon To GameStop?

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