Microsoft is buying Zenimax/Bethesda

They haven't tainted Elder Scrolls, but they ruined Fallout... and that had to lower expectations for the next Elder Scrolls.

That being said, when you throw in Doom and Wolfenstein and the rest of the id Catalog those are some good IP's to own. Maybe now the technical level of these Bethesda games can be raised, sadly MS actually hasn't been great on a technical level (look at the junk MS is peddling with Halo). So even that isn't exactly a given, but there's no excuse now for them to use the same old crappy engine. MS should get all their studios on the same page using better development engines.

Yeah, I have no idea if they'll also release on PlayStation.

But, the future for Microsoft really is Gamepass.

$70 on PlayStation vs $10 / month on Xbox / PC / Mobile makes Gamepass more appealing than owning a PlayStation.

@regnaston: to everyone playing MS cheergirl right now, you get what you pay for. Devs aren't going to put out quality products for what 10 bucks a month will give. That's the difference from TLOU2 and Crackdown 3. Should be a fun generation to see play out.

@Sushiglutton: The point is money. You may not think so now, but the future will show you I’m right. Microsoft already puts games like cuphead, Ori, Hellblade, Minecraft , etc.. on multiple systems. These games won’t be any different. 7.5 billion is a significant investment for them. They aren’t going to keep them first party when there’s money to recoup

I understand that would net them more money in the short run. But their goal seems to be to totally dominate the market and they are prepared to pay a ton of money to do so.

Time will tell. I’m just not convinced either way.

It all depends. With Gamepass allowing gamers to game on their phones/tablets and possible on their TVs in the future, exclusive may switch to excluded as in specific platforms maybe excluded.

That's a significant IP acquisition.

Why would it attract more people to xbox to release those games on Ps5?

Seems like some Sony fannies have gone into hiding.

Now that would be an acquisition that could benefit the xbox.

Can I borrow your crystal ball? I want to get the lottery numbers for Friday.

Todd Howard on Joining Xbox: https://bethesda.net/en/article/4IwKWIj174Cb2QNTTtBAEb/todd-howard-on-joining-xbox?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Community

It wouldn't but if you keep releasing new games on GamePass at launch its just a matter of time before more people buy into it. Microsoft cant get 3rd party on gamepass at launch so they need more 1st party or at least more control on 3rd party.

Microsoft really going for the subscription model.

Lol well he got his Japanese studio

So you are saying that they don’t need to exclude Playstation, because gamepass is such a superior deal that people will migrate to Xbox anyway?

@Pedro: either way, it’s a good acquisition for Microsoft. I just don’t believe these major franchises won’t appear elsewhere when Minecraft cost them a third of this deal, and it’s on every device known to man. Time will tell, but who knows at this point.

I'm not sure if this is good or bad, but, it's interesting. I've been disappointed with Bethesda's lackluster handling of recent releases. Fallout 76 was awful, Doom Eternal failed to live up to the 2016 release, and honestly, Skyrim is far from my favorite elder scrolls. Fallout 4 and Skyrim added a lot of generic, copy and paste quests to inflate the number of hours of content and decreased the overall quality of gameplay to the point I got bored before completing either. Maybe that'll change. Maybe it'll stay the same and the money will just go to someone else. Time will tell.

I mean, maybe this will make the next Elder Scrolls actually decent? I doubt it, but it's a hopeful wish. Bethesda hasn't really done anything good in quite a while, so hopefully it will have an impact on game quality.

No Elder Scrolls VI or Starfield or new Fallout on Playstation? That's HUGE!

TES6 instantly becomes a high tier exclusive for MS, no way it comes to PS5. You use an IP like that to move consoles and get subs to services.

Minecraft was already on every device known to man though

I do not see MS pulling existing games from other platforms but I can see them publishing future games with exclusivity

I have been incredibly blessed to spend my entire career at, and help build, one of the best places to make games in the world - Bethesda.

And I’ve had the joy of doing it with some of the most talented, humble, and passionate people there are. They are part of my family, and my good friends. I have also had the pleasure of working with, and partnering with, many of the best gaming and tech companies in the world. But our longest, and closest partner during my career, has been Microsoft.Today we join them, and I wanted to share some personal thoughts on what it means and our shared vision.The trajectory of Xbox, and the trajectory of Bethesda, in many ways have gone hand in hand.From our beginning, we had primarily been a PC developer. In 1999, two things happened. One, Bethesda became part of a brand-new startup - ZeniMax Media. And Microsoft started development of their first video game console - The Xbox. I can remember my first trip to Redmond to discuss the new system and bringing our next game, Morrowind, to the Xbox. I was dubious Xbox Morrowind would be worth the time, somewhat on a technical level, but more so from taking a hardcore RPG and moving it from a PC desktop experience to a controller-and-sofa experience. If we made it work, would people want it?Microsoft and their new Xbox crew had a view, that I came to share completely. Shouldn’t we allow anyone to have this experience? Why does it matter where the screen is or what the controller is? There are many people without the same access, and we can bring it to them.Morrowind would go on to become one of the best-selling Xbox games of all time, behind Halo, another PC style game some said wouldn’t work. Its success paved the way for the growth of our company, and proved the point - people wanted this experience, regardless of device.Microsoft quickly let us in on their next system, the Xbox 360. More than a PC port, our aim with our next game, Oblivion, was to usher in the next generation of gaming. With each game, from Fallout 3 to Skyrim, our studio and company grew, adding brilliant and like-minded studios across the globe. All of us sharing in the belief that expanding the reach of gaming was fundamental, whether it was on a pc, console, your phone, or the cloud.With each new console cycle, we evolved together. From bringing mods to consoles with Fallout 4, now over a billion downloads, to the latest technologies fueling Xbox Series X/S. These new systems are optimized for the vast worlds we love to create, with generational leaps not just in graphics, but CPU and data streaming as well. It’s led to our largest engine overhaul since Oblivion, with all new technologies powering our first new IP in 25 years, Starfield, as well as The Elder Scrolls VI.Like our original partnership, this one is about more than one system or one screen. We share a deep belief in the fundamental power of games, in their ability to connect, empower, and bring joy. And a belief we should bring that to everyone - regardless of who you are, where you live, or what you play on. Regardless of the screen size, the controller, or your ability to even use one.We can’t think of a better group of people to do that with than those at Xbox. We have friendships that go back to those original days. From Phil to his senior leaders to developer support, they don’t just talk about putting players first, they passionately live it. At Bethesda, we’ve been lucky enough to create games we love, and have an audience who loves them as much as we do. I have personally been humbled by the many industry honors I have received, as they belong to the entire studio. But one has always stood out to me for a special reason. When I received the Lifetime Achievement Award at GDC, I joked in my acceptance “I wonder how many achievement points this one is worth?” At the end of the ceremony, some good friends from Microsoft congratulated me and said they’d find out. A few months later I was given a code to a game they had created, named after me and locked to my account. When ran, it unlocks a single achievement - “Lifetime - 1000pts.” It still sits in my list when I check, and I smile every time.It has been a lifetime. But there’s more to come and achievements to unlock together. We hope you join us. All the best,Todd

Todd Howard

Bethesda Game Studios

Sorry for the double post guys. I can not figure out the formatting changes on this site. I was trying to edit a post and add the article as a quote but I find the formatting on here to be very difficult to work with.

Is there still a forum to discuss PC gaming? It feels like these forums are less populated than I last came here.

Microsoft now has a real engine in house they can use in ID Tech 6. Use that in everything.

To answer the question everyone is asking: Phil Spencer tells @dinabass that Xbox plans to honor the PS5 exclusivity commitment for Deathloop and Ghostwire: Tokyo.

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

Sony gamer will probably still be able to play Deathloop and Ghostwire: Tokyo at $70 a pop, but Xbox gamers will now probably get both day one on Game Pass Ultimate.

If you think that EA Play and the acquisition of

• Bethesda Softworks
• Bethesda Game Studios
• id Software
• ZeniMax Online Studios
• Arkane
• MachineGames
• Tango Gameworks
• Alpha Dog
• Roundhouse Studios

Isn't going to make a difference then your are in denial. Right now you are doing damage control. MS is setting up Gamepass to be a long term service that is the Netflix/Disney+ of gaming. There is currently NO one competing in this space. If you also think it was a desperate move then you are too caught up with System Wars nonsense.

MS to Sony

@Kell_the_Gamer: yes there is. The forum dropdown should show it - but you now have to click "see all forums" in the dropdown to get away from SW and the Games Discussion

According to the other site I go to, (am I allowed to name it on here?), Phil Spencer has confirmed that all Bethesda games can be sold on other consoles such as the PS5 and Switch. It will be decided on a game by game basis.

It makes sense as Sony customers will also be Microsoft customers now. They will be getting money from them for games such as the next Elder Scrolls.

@fedor:

cows best get a SS or the sleepless nights wondering what bangers the might/might not get will have them demented

hah

No, its not desperate. Its only desperate to someone who thinks that deals like this are done overnight. Stop being silly.

I would love to see these companies barter games for more multiplatform games. 😁A win for gamers.

i wanT a DREAMCA$T

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Sega-Dreamcast-System-Console-w-Controller-Cables-Model-HKT-3020/333728354659?hash=item4db3c29163:g:BFsAAOSwsR5fZ-42

The bigger news is that Freedom Fighters has released on Steam and GoG. I'm not seeing it on Steam yet, but it is on GoG.

Best part for MS is this probably didn't cost them anything really. That $7.5 billion is likely part of a larger pool of money where if they didn't invest in some kind of acquisition tax write-off that they'd have to pay to Uncle Sam at end of the year, so good to know they're not blowing the opportunity away on TiKTok and WeChat and shit.

Wow... That would be a Megatron acquisition. Pardon the pun.

Do people actually think that? Like "oh shit we're in trouble, quick let's buy Disney!"?

Id Tech 7 baby...but it's Vulkan so MS will definitely force them to have DX renderer. Good for Carmack that he left ages ago.

Bethesda's upcoming games (such as the next Elder Scrolls) will launch on Xbox, PC and "other consoles on a case-by-case basis", the outlet was told by Xbox boss Phil Spencer.........(From Eurogamer)

That's definitely a more worthwhile investment than FFXVI

let's assume bethesda game studios pull their finger out and don't have a shocker of a gen again and therefore es6, starfield and f5 will actually be decent games, plus arkane, plus id... if these were to become xbox exclusive games / studios, that would definitely halt me in my tracks of starting this gen with a ps5.

i'm sure they'll have to honour their deathloop agreement with sony but still, could be a powerful weapon should they choose to wield it and not go the game pass route