Microsoft buying Zenimax

[Iceman]

Microsoft buying Bethesda and Zenimax for $7.5bn

In a monumental acquisition that shakes up the gaming landscape, Microsoft has announced it will acquire ZeniMax Media, the parent company of Bethesda, id Software, Arkane Studios, MachineGames, Tango Gameworks and more, for $7.5bn.

The list of games franchises now part of the Xbox family makes for astonishing reading. It includes The Elder Scrolls, Fallout, Doom, Dishonored, Wolfenstein, Prey, Rage, The Evil Within, Quake and the upcoming Starfield.

 

[X Knight]

This is big!!!

 

[Gothamsknight]

as someone whos most anticipated game of all time is Elder Scrolls VI, I'm worried this means they are exclusive to Xbox since I pre ordered a PS5. I do have a relatively decent PC though so its not all bad if true.

 

[DarthSkywalker]

We will see what happens. I am sad about DOOM and Wolfenstein. On the other hand, it is good that Microsoft stay strong.

 

[Gothamsknight]

"Future Bethesda games will be on Xbox, PC, and other consoles on a case by case basis", says Phil Spencer.

At this point, this pretty much confirms stuff like Elder Scrolls VI and Starfield will still be releasing on PS5.

 

[X Knight]

"Future Bethesda games will be on Xbox, PC, and other consoles on a case by case basis", says Phil Spencer.

At this point, this pretty much confirms stuff like Elder Scrolls VI and Starfield will still be releasing on PS5.

I'm not so sure about that. Xbox is in the position where it NEEDS major exclusives, like ES VI and Starfield. IMO, from Xbox point of view, it would be a HUGE miss (and fail) to allow those big franchises to go to other platforms when you now have the chance to make them synonymous with the Xbox grand.

Of course, from a PS5 point of view, it would be great if they were still multiplat. But, if I were in MS' position, I would have made exclusive rights to those big games as part of this deal.

 

[Gothamsknight]

I'm not so sure about that. Xbox is in the position where it NEEDS major exclusives, like ES VI and Starfield. IMO, from Xbox point of view, it would be a HUGE miss (and fail) to allow those big franchises to go to other platforms when you now have the chance to make them synonymous with the Xbox grand.

Of course, from a PS5 point of view, it would be great if they were still multiplat. But, if I were in MS' position, I would have made exclusive rights to those big games as part of this deal.

that's a lot of money lost though. a huge huge portion of the bethesda player base is on playstation.

 

[DarthSkywalker]

"Future Bethesda games will be on Xbox, PC, and other consoles on a case by case basis", says Phil Spencer.

At this point, this pretty much confirms stuff like Elder Scrolls VI and Starfield will still be releasing on PS5.

Does it? I think this might be how they negotiate with Sony. Microsoft is big on cross play and getting rid of exclusives.

 

[Iceman]

I'm not so sure about that. Xbox is in the position where it NEEDS major exclusives, like ES VI and Starfield. IMO, from Xbox point of view, it would be a HUGE miss (and fail) to allow those big franchises to go to other platforms when you now have the chance to make them synonymous with the Xbox grand.

Of course, from a PS5 point of view, it would be great if they were still multiplat. But, if I were in MS' position, I would have made exclusive rights to those big games as part of this deal.

If they’re buying the parent company I wouldn’t have thought they need to make rights deal with anyone. Anyone they would need to make deals with would be already bought as part of the deal, surely? Unlike the WB deal where they were just selling a of a division of the company and also where a bunch of the games had IPs with external ownership.

 

[DarthSkywalker]

that's a lot of money lost though. a huge huge portion of the bethesda player base is on playstation.

For who though? That's the thing. To sell consoles, especially their cheaper one that will be big for their annual pass.

 

[X Knight]

that's a lot of money lost though. a huge huge portion of the bethesda player base is on playstation.

that's true. and I'm sure that played a factor in Bethesda's decision to accept the deal.

It could very well be the case that, to agree to the deal, Zenimax/Bethesda required that big franchises like Fallout, ES, and Starfield will remain multiplat.

However, I just think that would be a weak hand for MS/Xbox given their current position. At the very least, this means those game will be on Gamepass day one, which by itself is a huge get for Xbox. And, at the very least, I think MS should demand some kind of exclusivity deal for those ips, even if it's just timed.

But, to take full advantage of the power of this deal, I think MS should demand those titles be full on exclusives for the Xbox family.

 

[psylockolussus]

The Elder Scrolls, Fallout, Doom, Dishonored, Wolfenstein, Prey, Rage, The Evil Within, Quake and the upcoming Starfield.

I haven't played any of those so this isn't a big deal to me as a PlayStation guy.

 

[DarthSkywalker]

If they’re buying the parent company t
I wouldn’t have thought they need to make rights deal with anyone. Anyone they would need to make deals with would be already bought as part of the deal, surely? Unlike the WB deal where they were just selling a of a division of the company and also where a bunch of the games had IPs with external ownership.

Two games coming out are timed exclusives, but I doubt they have to release anything else with Sony that they don't want to. I do think they might want to though.

 

[Iceman]

that's a lot of money lost though. a huge huge portion of the bethesda player base is on playstation.

This always seems to come up when Microsoft are buying existing studios. It’s certainly true but I don’t see the difference in the money “lost” by God of War, Uncharted and co not making money on other systems. I think they would sell amazingly on Xbox too.

 

[DarthSkywalker]

that's true. and I'm sure that played a factor in Bethesda's decision to accept the deal.

It could very well be the case that, to agree to the deal, Zenimax/Bethesda required that big franchises like Fallout, ES, and Starfield will remain multiplat.

However, I just think that would be a weak hand for MS/Xbox given their current position. At the very least, this means those game will be on Gamepass day one, which by itself is a huge get for Xbox. And, at the very least, I think MS should demand some kind of exclusivity deal for those ips, even if it's just timed.

But, to take full advantage of the power of this deal, I think MS should demand those titles be full on exclusives for the Xbox family.

They have no control over that, nor why would they care? They sold themselves to Microsoft for 7.5 billion dollars. They lost no money. They just got a lot more money, and a honestly a much better boss.

 

[Iceman]

"Future Bethesda games will be on Xbox, PC, and other consoles on a case by case basis", says Phil Spencer.

At this point, this pretty much confirms stuff like Elder Scrolls VI and Starfield will still be releasing on PS5.

The content of all the recently acquired studios prior to this is going to be exclusive apart from Minecraft I believe. I’m not sure what the point of buying them for 7.5B is otherwise.

 

[X Knight]

If they’re buying the parent company t
I wouldn’t have thought they need to make rights deal with anyone. Anyone they would need to make deals with would be already bought as part of the deal, surely? Unlike the WB deal where they were just selling a of a division of the company and also where a bunch of the games had IPs with external ownership.

Agreed.

MS/Xbox is NOT in the power position to be so generous to let other consoles get their ips. Especially big, system selling titles. And especially when Sony is throwing money at devs and publishers for their own exclusive deals (like FF 16).

When your competition is making power plays like that, you're not in the position to be like "Oh hey. You can play with my cool toys. It's fine."

 

[DarthSkywalker]

This always seems to come up when Microsoft are buying existing studios. It’s certainly true but I don’t see thE difference in the money “lost” by God of War, Uncharted and co not making money on other systems. I think they would sell amazingly on Xbox too.

Agreed. Also Microsoft has a lot more money then Sony. A lot more. Like 20 times bigger.

 

[Iceman]

that's true. and I'm sure that played a factor in Bethesda's decision to accept the deal.

It could very well be the case that, to agree to the deal, Zenimax/Bethesda required that big franchises like Fallout, ES, and Starfield will remain multiplat.

However, I just think that would be a weak hand for MS/Xbox given their current position. At the very least, this means those game will be on Gamepass day one, which by itself is a huge get for Xbox. And, at the very least, I think MS should demand some kind of exclusivity deal for those ips, even if it's just timed.

But, to take full advantage of the power of this deal, I think MS should demand those titles be full on exclusives for the Xbox family.

I don’t really know why they would. They’re already multi platform so they could easily just stay that way. To be of benefit to Microsoft for $7.5B there’s got to be something additional up for grabs that is worth that amount.

 

[X Knight]

Also, it's no coincidence that MS dropped this megaton hammer of news on the eve of preorders going live.

MS WANTS to associate future Bethesda games with the Xbox brand. To give consumers another reason (and a big reason) to consider Xbox going into the new gen.

It kind of undercuts the significance of this news, and the incentive to go preorder the new Xbox consoles, if they come out and say that those future big games are still coming to PS5. If so, then what's the point of this deal?

 

[Iceman]

Two games coming out are timed exclusives, but I doubt they have to release anything else with Sony that they don't want to. I do think they might want to though.

I would be quite happy if Microsoft got strong enough exclusives and then started trading them with Sony. Everyone getting to play everything would be ideal.

 

[X Knight]

I don’t really know why they would. They’re already multi platform so they could easily just stay that way. To be of benefit to Microsoft for $7.5B there’s got to be something additional up for grabs that is worth that amount.

It just would be a huge missed potential, imo, if they let those games stay multiplat.

 

[DarthSkywalker]

I would be quite happy if Microsoft got strong enough exclusives and then started trading them with Sony. Everyone getting to play everything would be ideal.

Maybe end stupid stuff like Spidey not being in the other versions of the Avengers game.

 

[DarthSkywalker]

Microsoft needs to go buy EA and Ubisoft and really make this a war.

Honestly, I can see Microsoft playing nice with Nintendo.

 

[X Knight]

Microsoft needs to go buy EA and Ubisoft and really make this a war.

Honestly, I can see Microsoft playing nice with Nintendo.

Well, MS is already cozying up with EA by adding that EA service to Gamepass.

Now, if EA could sell Bioware to MS............