An analyst already claims that Microsoft paid a lower than expected amount for Zenimax Media that also owns Bethesda.
Last week, we already wrote about how Microsoft opened its wallets to pay for something. Back then, we had no clue what they are up to. Yesterday, the bomb exploded, and we wrote about it: Microsoft outright acquired Zenimax, meaning Bethesda, all the studios under it, as well as their IPs, are now at Xbox, and it is possibly the biggest move in the gaming industry for the past decade. Until now, Microsoft and Sony only bought studios and not publishers. This move could change a thing or two.
„The company has a wide range of classic IP that has significant long-term potential. However, Bethesda Softworks had been struggling with some poorly received releases such as Fallout 76. […] Overall the acquisition is further signs that while Xbox hardware can not compete with the PlayStation brand in the short term, Microsoft is better equipped to focus on a long-term vision. Bethesda adds a large library of titles for both Game Pass and cloud streaming services across both Xbox and PC. Key Bethesda franchises include the Fallout and The Elder Scrolls RPG series. These are games that do well on both console and PC and include major online components. These two franchises alone may be worth the purchase price,” DFC Intelligence wrote.
Microsoft will respect Bethesda’s previous deals, meaning Deathloop (Arkane) and Ghostwire: Tokyo (Tango Gameworks) will remain on the PlayStation 5. And to quickly overview what the key people behind the deal said, Phil Spencer, the head of Xbox, wrote „Bethesda were early supporters of Xbox Game Pass, bringing their games to new audiences across devices and have been actively investing in new gaming technology like cloud streaming of games. […] Like us, Bethesda are passionate believers in building a diverse array of creative experiences, in exploring new game franchises, and in telling stories in bold ways.”
Pete Hines, the head of marketing at Bethesda, added „the key point is we’re still Bethesda. We’re still working on the same games we were yesterday, made by the same studios we’ve worked with for years, and those games will be published by us.” It could mean that not all future Bethesda titles, such as The Elder Scrolls VI, might immediately skip the PlayStation 5, but since Microsoft is the boss now, they COULD pull this move. Todd Howard wrote „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 the 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. […] 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 new console cycle, we evolved together.” The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind was one of the best-selling titles on Xbox, and The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion was developed with the Xbox 360 in mind,
We’re not doubting that Microsoft’s move will change the gaming landscape.
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