Yesterday’s bombshell announcement of Microsoft buying ZeniMax for so much damn money and by extension, Bethesda and all of its delicious game studios, was nothing short of pure big dick energy from the house of Xbox. For $7.5 billion, Microsoft has now purchased outright ownership of the likes of Doom, Fallout, and The Elder Scrolls, transforming their gaming brand into a powerhouse for western RPGs…right?
The concern here, is that Bethesda’s good work will soon receive a knock on the door from a Microsoft-branded pencil counter, demanding changes be made to beloved games. “Why aren’t you charging players a dollar per glory kill and offering them 20 gory finishers for $15 in DOOM Eternal,” the bean counter will demand. Another will rock up in an Xbox Series AT-AT, demanding that Elder Scrolls 6 feature more horse armour. More. MORE!
If those are the random thoughts that you’ve been having because you eat a brick of Gouda cheese before going to be, fret not! Xboss Phil Spencer recently appeared on CNBC via GameSpot to talk about the major acquisition, and when asked if Microsoft would be making some cha-cha-changes, Spencer replied, “Our plan is to leave it alone.”
ZeniMax has an amazing track record of building great games. Our goal is to make ZeniMax the best ZeniMax they can be. Working individually with their studios on the great platform technology that we have and getting their creators’ feedback into the things we need to go build, that’s just a critical flywheel for us.
For now, it’s business as usual for Bethesda. Deathloop and Ghostwire: Tokyo will still appear on PlayStation 5, with Spencer commenting that “the commitments we’ve already made with the gamers out there, for games people know about, we will continue with those commitments.” Beyond those deals, the future looks bright.
Not only will Starfield and The Elder Scrolls 6 be Xbox Game Pass day one downloads, but Microsoft now has the likes of Arkane, Id Software, and MachineGames on its payroll. That, and I am legitimately excited about being able to grab the remastered version of Skyrim on my Xbox One soon, when the Game Pass library updates itself.
Last Updated: September 22, 2020
MechMachine
September 22, 2020 at 11:29
So when they were talking about exclusivity being anti consumer, I hope they remember this when the next big games come out. But I somehow don’t see this happening.
konfab
September 22, 2020 at 09:18
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/4015546524b581a9c9bcaab654c79923ea0f17cdf8897816a31d9dfd44804008.jpg
I’M SORRY, DID I HEAR YOU DIDN’T WANT TO BUY SKYRIM FOR THE PS5?
Incubus
September 22, 2020 at 09:29
So now you’ll have to by an XBox to play ESO VI? https://media4.giphy.com/media/2UFy4PWwe4Rqw/giphy.gif
cloudzn
September 22, 2020 at 09:50
They said it would be looked at case by case process, I’m pretty sure that games would be continuing to be multiplatform, given that they still support minecraft on ps4 long after purchasing it
For the Emperor!
September 22, 2020 at 10:14
Possibly timed exclusivity? Like XBox gets it first, then PC, then PS5 months later? I would still be OK with that. Let them fix the game before giving it to PS5 hehe
cloudzn
September 22, 2020 at 11:49
Most likely yes, they are a business after all, they have to make money. I think this could be Phil Spencers way of having Xbox games on other platforms without GamePass
cloudzn
September 22, 2020 at 11:49
Most likely yes, they are a business after all, they have to make money. I think this could be Phil Spencers way of having Xbox games on other platforms without GamePass
I_am_Duffman!
September 22, 2020 at 11:59
Xbox and PC would get it the same time. Microsoft is still selling the play anywhere dream
HvR
September 22, 2020 at 13:42
Looks like from now PC Game Pass get it at the same time as Xbox, not bad for the low price of 5 lockdown entjies or a Big Mac medium meal a month.
Insomnia is fun
September 22, 2020 at 13:05
Also cheaper, because that’s how you get people to play your game even though you shunned them with exclusivity
WhiteRock
September 22, 2020 at 10:01
Yeah. not really worried – this isn’t EA or Blizzard we’re talking about…Microsoft has really turned themselves around in recent times.
Pieter Kruger
September 22, 2020 at 10:01
I really hope they keep all games multiplat and I believe they will. They don’t need to make them exclusive, if you want to pay full $70 per game on PS or get them all for free on Game Pass, it’s up to you, MS is happy either way. What they should do is force cross play onto Sony for the multiplayer games though, that shouldn’t be optional. Let’s all play together! Meanwhile, Sony is still hogging Spiderman DLC on multiplat games…..Break down this wall Mr. Jim Ryan!
MechMachine
September 22, 2020 at 11:48
I see you down-voting everyone who isn’t pro Xbone. Break down this wall…..What the hell are you talking about ? Stop watching Dealer. That guy knows nothing about technology, he just regurgitates the latest marketing gibberish he hears and takes it as truth. They made fun of Bugsnacks right up until it the moment it was made clear it is also coming out on the series X.
Pieter Kruger
September 22, 2020 at 11:49
Wanna buy my Xbone One X maybe? You can play Bugsnax on it as well?
MechMachine
September 22, 2020 at 12:24
Oh snap…I have one. It’s practically brand new. I just use it as a glorified twitch watching device. There just don’t seem to be any games for the dang thing. Good news is I am selling it to accumulate the funds for my PS5.
Pieter Kruger
September 22, 2020 at 14:09
Dang it….also selling mine to accumulate the funds for my XSX, I can’t wait to watch Twitch on it….and maybe play Stalker 2 on it…meh, I’ll see how I feel…
MechMachine
September 22, 2020 at 18:09
The dream is dead. I can’t buy a PS5 because if you don’t pre-order ( No credit card ) you are given the finger. And I see Game has no stock.
Pieter Kruger
September 22, 2020 at 19:06
I didn’t get the XSX either….had my finger on the trigger a couple of times today, but resisted. Just not the right time, will wait a bit until after release, maybe December or early 2021, damn they’re expensive! I know Xbox All Access is rolling out to more countries early next year, that would be perfect so let’s see….but sad I didn’t secure today…
For the Emperor!
September 22, 2020 at 12:57
Fanboys be banboys yo 😛
For the Emperor!
September 22, 2020 at 10:10
Wow, the XBox Pre Orders still have supply. Either nobody wants them, or MS gave us a LOT more than Sony did…
OddSockZA
September 22, 2020 at 10:40
It’s the second one.
For the Emperor!
September 22, 2020 at 10:57
Figured. *tinfoil hat on * Just because I decided to switch over.
*Saw a report now where BT Games said they got a lot more stock from MS than from Sony, so yeah, just my luck*
Mabenito
September 22, 2020 at 12:57
Q1: Can games designed for XboxSX run on PS5 = Yes, but without make up.
Q2: Can games designed for PS5 games run on XBoxSX = I don’t know
Discussion: what ya’ll think?
Son of Banana Jim
September 22, 2020 at 14:20
I don’t know Microsoft, you can do a lot of good fixing Bethesda. They aren’t called bugthesda for nothing.
Get in there and swing your hammer.
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