Microsoft acquires Bethesda/Zenimax

[Tacgnol]

Microsoft confirms future Bethesda games will be exclusive to Xbox Game Pass, PC.

cc Decado Danikas

This is not unexpected. I'm saying that they'd be crazy to do this with established franchises like Elder Scrolls, Fallout, etc. These games have install bases across 2-3 consoles, and PC.

What I would expect is Bethesda group studios to start making exclusives for the Xbox/Windows, to use my From Software analogy again. But not exclusively, and not on established properties. Or if they do, kind of like how Monster Hunter has a fucking boatload of games and some are cross platform, some are console specific, etc. So, I wouldn't be surprised to see (for example) a Fallout-themed FPS that is an Xbox exclusive, or something like that. Also, I could see them taking less popular franchises like Dishonored or The Evil Within, and doing something similar.

If I'm wrong I'll buy the Codex a pizza party.

I think you're right about the bigger franchises, at least in the short term.

I could see them pulling exclusivity for bigger franchises in a few years for a new console generation. Good way of forcing people to choose.

 

[FUDU]

Maybe it will be for a limited time. 1/3/6 months.

 

[whydoibother]

Microsoft just remembered that they make Windows too, and they can have Xbox+Windows as their platform. This way they can claim its totally not exclusive to us, its on multiple platforms!!!1 and avoid industry killing accusations that Sony gets for their exclusives.
Also, just in general:

Spoiler

consoles lol

 

[Infinitron]

 

[Infinitron]

 

[ferratilis]

Not gonna lie, I was expecting:
♫ Here's to you, Nicola and Bart
Rest forever here in our hearts
The last and final moment is yours
That agony is your triumph ♫
while Skullface is entering Bethesda's HQ with a briefcase of money.

 

[vortex]

https://wccftech.com/phil-spencer-teases-idtech-engine-usage-by-xbox-game-studios/

The other thing that we haven't really talked about is the future of idTech and what could that mean inside of Xbox. Obviously, you know, we've got a ton of studios doing a bunch of different work. I love the way Marty Stratton talked about how they've collaborated with our Bethesda studios on idTech and I just think about that to the next level. Like, what can we do inside of our organization with idTech, which is one of the world's best game engines out there, and just make it a tool that so many developers can use to realize their vision.

Inb4, Obsidian may finally get a good tech for Pillars 3, fingers crossed.

 

[J_C]

https://wccftech.com/phil-spencer-teases-idtech-engine-usage-by-xbox-game-studios/

The other thing that we haven't really talked about is the future of idTech and what could that mean inside of Xbox. Obviously, you know, we've got a ton of studios doing a bunch of different work. I love the way Marty Stratton talked about how they've collaborated with our Bethesda studios on idTech and I just think about that to the next level. Like, what can we do inside of our organization with idTech, which is one of the world's best game engines out there, and just make it a tool that so many developers can use to realize their vision.

Inb4, Obsidian may finally get a good tech for Pillars 3, fingers crossed.

Tech was never the problem with Pillars.

 

[Tacgnol]

https://wccftech.com/phil-spencer-teases-idtech-engine-usage-by-xbox-game-studios/

The other thing that we haven't really talked about is the future of idTech and what could that mean inside of Xbox. Obviously, you know, we've got a ton of studios doing a bunch of different work. I love the way Marty Stratton talked about how they've collaborated with our Bethesda studios on idTech and I just think about that to the next level. Like, what can we do inside of our organization with idTech, which is one of the world's best game engines out there, and just make it a tool that so many developers can use to realize their vision.

Inb4, Obsidian may finally get a good tech for Pillars 3, fingers crossed.

Another competitor to Unity and UE4 is no bad thing tbh.

Though god knows what their licensing would be.

 

[Butter]

Tech was never the problem with Pillars.

Unity was always a problem.

 

[prengle]

golly gee i just can't wait to digitally upload and transfer an ounce of my nft-verified gay thin covid-free virgin blood to our omnipotent overlord William Gates using Windows Hello™so i can drink my Mountain Dew Verification Can™ and finally play the epic long-awaited Skyrim 2™ on the Microsoft Store™ using the latest and greatest version of the Windows 10™ operating system (this post was brought to you by Microsoft Azure™, the premier flexible, scalable cloud provider that empowers YOUR local Amazon™ warehouse)

 

[Trans-Financial-Man]

I hated Wasteland 2 but quite liked Wasteland 3. I wouldn't mind a return to form isometric RPG Fallout from InXille. Even if it's just a spin off. I'd say bring back MCA but even though those me toos were proven bullshit he seems to have compelled himself to lay on a cross for sins against whores.

 

[Tacgnol]

I hated Wasteland 2 but quite liked Wasteland 3. I wouldn't mind a return to form isometric RPG Fallout from InXille. Even if it's just a spin off. I'd say bring back MCA but even though those me toos were proven bullshit he seems to have compelled himself to lay on a cross for sins against whores.

He made the double sin of apologising for something unrelated (which looked like an admission of guilt) and then going silent straight after.

If he'd stayed silent from the start, or stood his ground, he'd have probably have come out less dinged up.

 

[Jenkem]

fucking snoys leave. this is a pc forum.

 

[abija]

Inb4, Obsidian may finally get a good tech for Pillars 3, fingers crossed.

Why exactly do you think idtech is a good fit for that kind of game?

 

[Wirdschowerdn]

https://wccftech.com/phil-spencer-teases-idtech-engine-usage-by-xbox-game-studios/

The other thing that we haven't really talked about is the future of idTech and what could that mean inside of Xbox. Obviously, you know, we've got a ton of studios doing a bunch of different work. I love the way Marty Stratton talked about how they've collaborated with our Bethesda studios on idTech and I just think about that to the next level. Like, what can we do inside of our organization with idTech, which is one of the world's best game engines out there, and just make it a tool that so many developers can use to realize their vision.

Inb4, Obsidian may finally get a good tech for Pillars 3, fingers crossed.

It's a good graphics engine. Fullstop.

Good tech is something like Unreal Engine.

 

[DeepOcean]

This is not unexpected. I'm saying that they'd be crazy to do this with established franchises like Elder Scrolls, Fallout, etc. These games have install bases across 2-3 consoles, and PC.

This argument has a wrong assumption that Microsoft sees the gaming market the same as game publishers and Sony do. Those companies like Bethesda care about sales because they need them to survive. The only reason why Sony is releasing some of their exclusives on PC is not because they think exclusives are a thing of the past, nope, it is because they dont have infinite money like Microsoft does, so dont expect the same behavior from Microsoft. Microsoft bought those games to serve their platform, not the contrary.

You guise dont understand, see what Phil Spencer said and pay attention, he made that clear, he is more than happy placing those games on PS 5 and switch IF they are a gamepass platform, when he mentions exclusives, he isnt talking of Xbox but gamepass, consoles on themselves arent interesting anymore for Microsoft. However, Sony and Nintendo would be extremely retarded of allowing that, that would mean giving to Microsoft ALL the streaming/game as a service market and basically pushing themselves out of that market, surely Microsoft would love that, problem is that isnt a good deal for either Sony or Nintendo. Sony is building their own game as a service platform and Nintendo as well, they wont allow GamePass on their systems, they arent retarded.

If GamePass becomes the main way Sony or Nintendo users buy their games, they basicaly become hostages to Microsoft. Sure, maybe smaller titles, maybe new Ip like Avowed will end on the PS5 but any game that have a stabilished brand name, forget it. Any title that generates FOMO for gamepass will be exclusive.

 

[prengle]

https://www.gamespot.com/articles/z...d-after-xboxs-bethesda-purchase/1100-6488918/

ZeniMax Board Of Directors Dissolved After Xbox's Bethesda Purchase
Following the $7.5 billion sale to Microsoft, ZeniMax's board of directors has been dissolved.

Microsoft's $7.5 billion acquisition of ZeniMax (and its subsidiaries at Bethesda) has now been completed, which means ZeniMax's board of directors has been dissolved.

Pete Hines, the senior vice president of global marketing and communications at Bethesda, told GameSpot in an email, "The prior ZeniMax Media Board of Directors has been dissolved."

This is not an unusual or troubling development but instead a standard practice for an acquisition like this.

ZeniMax's board was composed of a variety of executives and celebrities from multiple industries, including Pirates of the Caribbean producer Jerry Bruckheimer, big-name entertainment attorney Ernest Del, former MLB superstar Cal Ripken Jr., former CBS CEO Leslie Moonves, and former MGM CEO Harry Sloan. Private equity executive Michael Dominguez was also on the board. Former US President Trump's brother, Robert Trump, sat on the board until his passing in 2020.

Hines previously spoke to GameSpot about the importance of the media and entertainment background of ZeniMax's board of directors. He said Bethesda had been approached many times over the years to make Fallout and Elder Scrolls movies, but the company rejected every proposal thanks in part to the advice of its board members like Bruckheimer, Moonves, Del, and Sloan.

"We have a lot of folks who really know that space really, really well," Hines said in 2015.

Bethesda is now making a Fallout TV series at Amazon with Westworld's Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy attached to produce it.

One of ZeniMax's board members has already found a new board position, as Bruckheimer has landed at the mobile game company Skillz's board of directors.

The $7.5 billion buyout of ZeniMax is the second-largest video game acquisition in history, only behind the $8.6 billion that Tencent paid to acquire Clash of Clans developer Supercell.

With the acquisition, Microsoft takes ownership of gigantic gaming franchises such as The Elder Scrolls, Fallout, Doom, and many others, while the company also gets all of Bethesda's studios. Looking ahead, Xbox boss Phil Spencer has said Bethesda will release games on any platform that supports Game Pass, and right now that excludes PlayStation.

Following the completion of ZeniMax's sale to Microsoft, a whopping 20 more Bethesda games have been added to Game Pass, including Skyrim.

 

[Nephilim]

As far I understood, they fucked up in many ways and deserve to be gone. Zenimax has a worse reputation than Bethesda.

 

[prengle]

a lot of the company's management and higher-ups (including pete hines, of course) seem to be alive and well under microshit, they're just shedding off the remaining zenimax board members like les moonves

 

[TheDiceMustRoll]

a lot of the company's management and higher-ups (including pete hines, of course) seem to be alive and well under microshit, they're just shedding off the remaining zenimax board members like les moonves

The board members just seem to be people that make money from having a stake in the company and nothing else.

Edit: I just wanted to add that there wasn't likely any drama behind the scenes. I don't know how much the 7.5 billion was split amongst them but I'm sure it was a profit regardless. I doubt they'd want to keep the job once they took the money and ran. Minor formality, you know

 

[Testownia]

I hated Wasteland 2 but quite liked Wasteland 3. I wouldn't mind a return to form isometric RPG Fallout from InXille. Even if it's just a spin off. I'd say bring back MCA but even though those me toos were proven bullshit he seems to have compelled himself to lay on a cross for sins against whores.

Bring back Avellone... why? So he can write his super-special-meta-snowflake character?

 

[Decado]

Microsoft confirms future Bethesda games will be exclusive to Xbox Game Pass, PC.

cc Decado Danikas

This is not unexpected. I'm saying that they'd be crazy to do this with established franchises like Elder Scrolls, Fallout, etc. These games have install bases across 2-3 consoles, and PC.

What I would expect is Bethesda group studios to start making exclusives for the Xbox/Windows, to use my From Software analogy again. But not exclusively, and not on established properties. Or if they do, kind of like how Monster Hunter has a fucking boatload of games and some are cross platform, some are console specific, etc. So, I wouldn't be surprised to see (for example) a Fallout-themed FPS that is an Xbox exclusive, or something like that. Also, I could see them taking less popular franchises like Dishonored or The Evil Within, and doing something similar.

If I'm wrong I'll buy the Codex a pizza party.

So I was wrong. They are gonna do this. And it is fucking crazy.

I owe the Codex a pizza party. How do I manage this?

 

[Decado]

This is completely fucking nuts, btw. The install base for PlayStation 4 was more than double that of XBox for the last generation. Worldwide, PS4 is simply the more popular console.

Do they really think they're going to drive XBox purchases for TES 6? Especially since TES6 isn't slated for a few years, at least? Are they bonkers?

I'm not going to pretend I understand this. It's fucking crazy. It's a money loser and will likely be hugely unpopular. The last time they did this was Morrowind, when nobody gave a shit.

 

[Alienman]

Walled PC garden I think is the play here.