Microsoft buys Zenimax

[fishbowlhead]

Well thats a megaton I didn’t expect or see coming.

https://news.xbox.com/en-us/2020/09/21/welcoming-bethesda-to-the-xbox-family/

Ok then so thats happned.

[MartyG]

Hmm, perhaps they got a discount because of all the bugs in Fallout 76.

[nonny]

Hmm, perhaps they got a discount because of all the bugs in Fallout 76.

I'm sure the discussions went "we want all of your IP,..... except for that one".

This is typical though. I just bought Doom Eternal a few month back and I'll bet you they'll stick it into game pass free from November.

I'm never buying anything again...

[Deuteros]

Regarding the PS5, I'd say the question now is:

- "But will it run Doom?"

[Brad]

Bethesda shareholders told them they must reduce the number of bugs in the next elder scrolls. Hmmm, what if we shipped on less platforms, less bugs’

[tonyk100]

feels like xbox game studios gone full circle, had some left some , and now back to a impressive sized roster, all on GP, and all timed exculsives before hitting other platforms, doesnt seem a bad strategy to me.

[dataDave]

Imagine a technically superior Elder Scrolls VI on Game Pass (with mod support).

Then on GAME's PS5 rack for £70.

[nonny]

The most amazing thing about this is the fact that practically everything in the run up to these consoles launching has been leaked and yet a huge merger of this magnitude came from nowhere and they've kept it under wraps to hit 12 hours before the preorders open... Impressive.

[hudson]

Microsoft will have the power to release the to PS5 much later after Xbox and sabotage them to be inferior ports

[CMcK]

I really can't imagine MS will even bother with PS5 ports. That would defeat the point of console exclusives after all.

[Wools]

Or maybe, like Minecraft, all games are released on suitable platforms and aren’t exclusive to Xbox & PC? As just like Minecraft, all money comes back into Microsoft.

As others said, never saw that coming.

[Neon Ignition]

I suppose part of it will depend on how long term MS plans to wait to recoup the outlay. It's a very, very long term plan and based purely on known projects they're 2-3 years from any Xbox exclusive-esque content arriving on the platform. Like others have said, back catalogue on Game Pass will presumably be the first step. Hell, if they stick to their original word it could be end of next-gen before ES6 launches, presumably Arkane will be the real darkhorse who might come up with the first proper Xbox title.

[nonny]

Case by case basis...

I think at this stage MS isn't really into exclusives as they are aiming for a different angle with game pass... Therefore exclusive really means any platform that is within the realm of game pass.

So Xbox, Cloud, PC... Switch is a pretty safe non-competitor really but then of course PS5 is the big question and I think MS will discuss keeping some of the AAA stuff like ES6 exclusive (to Xbox and PC) at just until they have expired their ability to tie-in hardware and subscribers.

Doom, Quake and all that I think might see releases on PS5 inline as it'll still be a big market and revenue back.

[fishbowlhead]

Only things in their stable i’m fussed about,

Dishonoured, done 1&2 to death, can’t say ill go through a 3rd.

ES6, which by the sounds of it is MILES off, like end of gen its so far off.

So year, bit of an odd purchase this, huge expense for a publisher that has zero system sellers in its stable.

7.5b to just dump it all in gamepass? Year ok MS. All sounds more like a tax write off to me rather than something that will propel the Xbox brand in any way.

[Digfox]

Some people are going to get even richer off this deal. Zenimax Media has some interesting Board members.

There are probably good arguments on both sides aside from the industry consolidating as a whole; long development cycles on Starfield and Elder Scrolls, some recent releases that have struggled and this deal may overvalue the company. But Microsoft gains 8 new developer studios, a ton of IP to add as exclusives and a company that has shown it can successfully run Live Service games with it's biggest IPs.

As an aside The Elder Scrolls Online has become one of my favourite surprises of this generation but is far from perfect. I hope this takes some pressure of monitisation but also helps Zenimax Online Studios to look at cross-play in the future.