Company News Bethesda acquired by Microsoft

[MajorMace]

Imagine being a stakeholder of Bethesda right now.
Ka-fucking-Ching motherfuckers.

 

[TT1]

So... Wasteland led to Fallout. Fallout led to New Vegas and Outer Worlds.

Skyrim led to Avowed.

And now they are in the same place.

Planescape Torment 2 is coming, and it will be developed by Bethesda as an action-RPG. :D

 

[lukaszek]

deterministic system > RNG

 

[Azdul]

Anything goes as long as they hook more people on Gamepass. That's why they will release exclusives on PS5 and so on. They don't care about that.

There is no reason to release exclusives on PS5 in 2021 - install base won't be there yet. "Other consoles on case by case basis" probably means Fallout Shelter 2 on Switch.

 

[Van-d-all]

Netflix for games 100$+ per year forever and ever.

Except it won't last, like every method of money milking entertainment before it, because it's not about maintaining a stable revenue, but about constant stock growth, which simply requires newer and newer ways to earn more. Even when this gaming as service becomes the new normal, they'll just switch to something new, like premium memberships and platform exclusive currencies.

 

[a cut of domestic sheep prime]

Except it won't last, like every method of money milking entertainment before it, because it's not about maintaining a stable revenue, but about constant stock growth, which simply requires newer and newer ways to earn more. Even when this gaming as service becomes the new normal, they'll just switch to something new, like premium memberships and platform exclusive currencies.

And don’t forget ads. Commercials in your games, yes, even when you’ve paid for them.

 

[J_C]

being too focused on exclusives that didn't matter for microsoft even on previous gen

Didn't matter for Microsoft, and their console sold like shit. Exclusives sell consoles, end of line.

 

[TT1]

being too focused on exclusives that didn't matter for microsoft even on previous gen

Didn't matter for Microsoft, and their console sold like shit. Exclusives sell consoles, end of line.

Yes, exactly. This was not true in the past, when you could use your console as a media center/ blu ray player, but this does not matter anymore.

Zenimax has some pretty powerful IPs and can help to bring Xbox back to the game, with top seller exclusives. I will not be surprised if Microsoft buys Paradox, Blizzard or some other big companies in the next months.

 

[Nifft Batuff]

Netflix for games 100$+ per year forever and ever.

Except it won't last, like every method of money milking entertainment before it, because it's not about maintaining a stable revenue, but about constant stock growth, which simply requires newer and newer ways to earn more. Even when this gaming as service becomes the new normal, they'll just switch to something new, like premium memberships and platform exclusive currencies.

Agree, this is the likely scenario. Games as a service is what it is happening, it is what they want to be happening. The future of fallout, the elders scrolls, of even the western RPG in general, is a second approximation problem, an appendix.

However, sincerely I don't care, because I am not interested in games as a service any bit. It will their problem (Microsoft or Tencent or whatever) how to survive in this scenario they created themselves. Maybe in the far far future, after the inevitable crunch of the games as a service market, they will return to the "games as a good" market, just because they will need to change again and find new revenues. But I think clever people will likely have abandoned this kind of digital entertainments by a long time at this point.

 

[TT1]

This is me, knowing that a liar like Todd is filthy rich now

Spoiler

 

[PrettyDeadman]

Huge if true.

 

[Taka-Haradin puolipeikko]

The optimism people have about Microsoft buying up things and "fixing/reviving" them is wholly unwarranted and makes me laugh in MechWarrior

MechWarrior 4: Mercenaries was good for what it was.

Fixed that for you.

Spoiler

They also had Close Combats, Myths, Rise of Nations, Crimson Skies and Freelancer.

 

[Van-d-all]

Games as a service is what it is happening, it is what they want to be happening.

They're giving those game passes for pebbles now, because it's important to get people hooked in the first place. Even when prices will rise and all the annoying shit will start popping up, some of people will stay because loss aversion is one hell of a factor. This trend is very unlikely to get reverted to games as product, for the same reason why major devs don't give a fuck about their old audience when it comes to simplification - the influx of new, easy to sway players is larger than the number of old, demanding ones. Complexity is perceived as audience divisive at this point, and at best will become the domain of indie titles trying to distinguish themselves among the sea of mediocre sameness.

 

[NJClaw]

Very low effort, please fix this

 

[lukaszek]

deterministic system > RNG

 

[J_C]

being too focused on exclusives that didn't matter for microsoft even on previous gen

Didn't matter for Microsoft, and their console sold like shit. Exclusives sell consoles, end of line.

aaaand... is microsoft console company? Are you aware what is driving their stock for past 5 years?

If we look at it this way, why are we having this conversation at all? Consoles don't matter to them.

 

[DeepOcean]

Seems to be a pretty logical move from Microsoft - given they can't seem to come up with any AAA games themselves to compete with Sony's exclusives they're going to swallow up as many studios as possible to add value to Gamepass/starve Sony of those titles.

Microsoft is no longer competing with Sony because this could be the last generation of physical consoles.

Their master plan is Gamepass + xCloud (games as a service) also known as Netflix for games 100$+ per year forever and ever.

Anything goes as long as they hook more people on Gamepass. That's why they will release exclusives on PS5 and so on. They don't care about that.

They will buy everything until most people will be left without options except of using Gamepass. This is the nuclear option for Microsoft.

They also just triggered another wave of consolidations in the industry which means that the landscape will be completely different in a few years.

I can only hope that they fail miserably but I doubt it. They are really throwing their weight behind this push.

Exactly, Microsoft doesnt care about consoles anymore, the only reason the Series X exist is because they dont wish to commit the same mistake that Google did and want to boil the frog slowly, the series X is just a transition platform for xCloud and that is their exit strategy of the console market. If you have 10 million players paying you 100 dollars a year, that is alot of moneys a year of revenue. Microsoft is following the same strategy that other media companies do with streaming, exclusive content for their platforms is what sells.

I hope they lose and xCloud is a failure, it isnt that losing Bethesda and Nu-Obsidian will be a tragedy anyway, nothing of value will be lost and I also dont trust a megacorporation controlling gaming that way. Gabe isnt a saint but I prefer to buy my games at his store than be completely dependent of Microsoft.

 

[toro]

Netflix for games 100$+ per year forever and ever.

Except it won't last, like every method of money milking entertainment before it, because it's not about maintaining a stable revenue, but about constant stock growth, which simply requires newer and newer ways to earn more. Even when this gaming as service becomes the new normal, they'll just switch to something new, like premium memberships and platform exclusive currencies.

It will last because of the herd mentality. People pay for Netflix even if they don't really use it or they don't like the content because they are easily duped by one or two good shows.

 

[Ol' Willy]

And don’t forget ads. Commercials in your games, yes, even when you’ve paid for them.

More like product-placement up to the eyeballs.

- No. I wanted Fanta. It gave me Sprite.
- The machine would not make a mistake...
- It's the maintenance man. He knows I like Fanta!

 

[Flou]

MSM actually reported it.

I love that negative stock ticker. The market knows what just happened LOL.

INCLINE

Stocks were going down yesterday left and right. Not sure if the trend has continued today, but at least yesterday it was reported quite widely and that the 2nd wave of corona virus is plummeting stocks.

Better grab those Microsoft stocks if they are cheaper now!

 

[AW8]

With Avowed being made in the same umbrella, Todd doesn't need to feel the pressure to make TES VI anymore. Phew!

For real, though. Feargus always wanted Avowed to be their Skyrim, and Microsoft was obviously supportive of the idea. Are they still supportive after this aquisition, though? No point in having two Skyrim successors in production, unless TES VI is very far off. Depending on how close Obsidian modeled Avowed after Skyrim, I wouldn't be surprised if there are currently discussions to change the direction of the game to make sure it's distinct from TES.

 

[Flou]

Doubt it gets cancelled, but it would be funny if they go "Fuck it, let's make it in Gamebryo" now. It's probably too late though.

If Obsidian are allowed to play with Fallout IP, at this point it would make more sense if Outer Worlds 2 was pushed back by a year or two. There's already Starfield coming out by Bethesda.

 

[Potato Canon]

Microsoft now is in the MMO business. They own Elder Trolls Online.

 

[MajorMace]

It'd be deliciously ironic if Avowed gets rushed in order to make room for the future release of TES VI. Even when they don't work for Bethesda, Obsidian works for Bethesda.

 

[Shitty Kitty]

Microsoft now is in the MMO business. They own Elder Trolls Online.

Apparently everyone forgot about Asheron's Call

(including Microsoft)