Microsoft acquire ZeniMax Media. Sounds like everything will be exclusive to Game Pass platforms.

Anything to do with games at all.

Where are you playing exclusive Bethesda games in the future?

Poll ended at Fri Apr 02, 2021 8:50 pm

Xbox Console
1
33%
PC
0
No votes
Streaming to a Smartphone
1
33%
Streaming to a Smart TV App
0
No votes
Streaming to a PC
1
33%
 
Total votes: 3
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KK
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PostRe: Microsoft acquire ZeniMax Media, parent company of Bethesda Softworks.
by KK » Mon Sep 21, 2020 2:46 pm

Isn’t there also some precedence for this in that in the ‘90s Sony owned Psygnosis, and even though I don’t think some within Sony were happy about it, various titles were ported to PC, Saturn and N64.

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PostRe: Microsoft acquire ZeniMax Media, parent company of Bethesda Softworks.
by Tafdolphin » Mon Sep 21, 2020 2:49 pm

Reading all these statements, knowing full well that the whole reason this deal was made was because they drove a dump truck of money up to Pete Hines' house. Kinda cringe, especially Todd Howard's.

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PostRe: Microsoft acquire ZeniMax Media, parent company of Bethesda Softworks.
by Moggy » Mon Sep 21, 2020 2:49 pm

captain red dog wrote:All the big releases will be multiformat, there is no way they would spend that money on a studio without having a way to recoup some money.

As Garth says, their games will be Day 1 on gamepass. That will be how they use this to attract people to Xbox.


Obviously it remains to be seen, but they allowed Minecraft to be released on PS4 so it's certainly possible.

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GrinWithoutaKat
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PostRe: Microsoft acquire ZeniMax Media, parent company of Bethesda Softworks.
by GrinWithoutaKat » Mon Sep 21, 2020 2:49 pm

Wow. I was already getting a Series X, but Elder Scrolls are up there with GTA as games I'd absolutely buy new hardware to play.

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PostRe: Microsoft acquire ZeniMax Media, parent company of Bethesda Softworks.
by Venom » Mon Sep 21, 2020 2:51 pm

Venom wrote:Post by Todd Howard.

Highlighted comments about screen could mean there is a plan for games to remain multi-format, or access Xbox Game Pass on multiple devices.

I have been incredibly blessed to spend my entire career at, and help build, one of the best places to make games in the world - Bethesda.

And I’ve had the joy of doing it with some of the most talented, humble, and passionate people there are. They are part of my family, and my good friends. I have also had the pleasure of working with, and partnering with, many of the best gaming and tech companies in the world. But our longest, and closest partner during my career, has been Microsoft. Today we join them, and I wanted to share some personal thoughts on what it means and our shared vision. 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 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. I was dubious Xbox Morrowind would be worth the time, somewhat on a technical level, but more so from taking a hardcore RPG and moving it from a PC desktop experience to a controller-and-sofa experience. If we made it work, would people want it?

Microsoft and their new Xbox crew had a view, that I came to share completely. Shouldn’t we allow anyone to have this experience? Why does it matter where the screen is or what the controller is? There are many people without the same access, and we can bring it to them.

Morrowind would go on to become one of the best-selling Xbox games of all time, behind Halo, another PC style game some said wouldn’t work. Its success paved the way for the growth of our company, and proved the point - people wanted this experience, regardless of device.
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 game, from Fallout 3 to Skyrim, our studio and company grew, adding brilliant and like-minded studios across the globe. All of us sharing in the belief that expanding the reach of gaming was fundamental, whether it was on a pc, console, your phone, or the cloud.
With each new console cycle, we evolved together. From bringing mods to consoles with Fallout 4, now over a billion downloads, to the latest technologies fueling Xbox Series X/S. These new systems are optimized for the vast worlds we love to create, with generational leaps not just in graphics, but CPU and data streaming as well. It’s led to our largest engine overhaul since Oblivion, with all new technologies powering our first new IP in 25 years, Starfield, as well as The Elder Scrolls VI.

Like our original partnership, this one is about more than one system or one screen. We share a deep belief in the fundamental power of games, in their ability to connect, empower, and bring joy. And a belief we should bring that to everyone - regardless of who you are, where you live, or what you play on. Regardless of the screen size, the controller, or your ability to even use one.
We can’t think of a better group of people to do that with than those at Xbox. We have friendships that go back to those original days. From Phil to his senior leaders to developer support, they don’t just talk about putting players first, they passionately live it.

At Bethesda, we’ve been lucky enough to create games we love, and have an audience who loves them as much as we do. I have personally been humbled by the many industry honors I have received, as they belong to the entire studio. But one has always stood out to me for a special reason. When I received the Lifetime Achievement Award at GDC, I joked in my acceptance “I wonder how many achievement points this one is worth?” At the end of the ceremony, some good friends from Microsoft congratulated me and said they’d find out. A few months later I was given a code to a game they had created, named after me and locked to my account. When ran, it unlocks a single achievement - “Lifetime - 1000pts.” It still sits in my list when I check, and I smile every time.
It has been a lifetime. But there’s more to come and achievements to unlock together. We hope you join us.

All the best,
Todd
Todd Howard
Bethesda Game Studios


https://bethesda.net/en/article/4IwKWIj ... ining-xbox

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PostRe: Microsoft acquire ZeniMax Media, parent company of Bethesda Softworks.
by Moggy » Mon Sep 21, 2020 2:53 pm

twitter.com/kazhiraiceo/status/1308038491503308802


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PostRe: Microsoft acquire ZeniMax Media, parent company of Bethesda Softworks.
by Monkey Man » Mon Sep 21, 2020 2:56 pm

I assume Deathloop & Ghostwire will come to PS5 etc then after that all games will be Xbox/PC/Cloud exclusive.

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PostRe: Microsoft acquire ZeniMax Media, parent company of Bethesda Softworks.
by ITSMILNER » Mon Sep 21, 2020 2:56 pm

Well, good timing to drop this news a day before the pre-orders start :lol:

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PostRe: Microsoft acquire ZeniMax Media, parent company of Bethesda Softworks.
by Tomous » Mon Sep 21, 2020 2:57 pm

Monkey Man wrote:I assume Deathloop & Ghostwire will come to PS5 etc then after that all games will be Xbox/PC/Cloud exclusive.



Yep, I think they'll fulfill everything announced and after that, move to the Microsoft model.

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PostRe: Microsoft acquire ZeniMax Media, parent company of Bethesda Softworks.
by Tafdolphin » Mon Sep 21, 2020 3:02 pm

Lot of peeps speculating that MS don't need platform exclusivity: $70 for a game on PlayStation or free on Game Pass. They sell more subs and mop up the rest on PlayStation. Money coming, money going.

Last edited by Tafdolphin on Mon Sep 21, 2020 3:03 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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PostRe: Microsoft acquire ZeniMax Media, parent company of Bethesda Softworks.
by KK » Mon Sep 21, 2020 3:03 pm

I wonder what Sony would buy in retaliation. Rockstar? Square Enix? For PlayStation to lose so many big games would clearly require something major.

Also shows the importance of Sony and Nintendo’s investment in their own studios, because in a world of Microsoft, Google and Amazon, these companies can just come along and buy up any third party studio they want.

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Yoshimi
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PostRe: Microsoft acquire ZeniMax Media, parent company of Bethesda Softworks.
by Yoshimi » Mon Sep 21, 2020 3:03 pm

They could do timed exclusives on Xbox.

Release a Playstation version 6 months later, so gain all that revenue.

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PostRe: Microsoft acquire ZeniMax Media, parent company of Bethesda Softworks.
by Tomous » Mon Sep 21, 2020 3:06 pm

Tafdolphin wrote:Lot of peeps speculating that MS don't need platform exclusivity: $70 for a game on PlayStation or free on Game Pass. They sell more subs and mop up the rest on PlayStation. Money coming, money going.




That would make a lot of sense.

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PostRe: Microsoft acquire ZeniMax Media, parent company of Bethesda Softworks.
by Tafdolphin » Mon Sep 21, 2020 3:06 pm

twitter.com/cvxfreak/status/1308042124743462913



lol

Sony simply don't have the money to retaliate in any meaningful way. Even CDPR or Take Two would require billions of dollars and represent a massive risk.

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PostRe: Microsoft acquire ZeniMax Media, parent company of Bethesda Softworks.
by The Watching Artist » Mon Sep 21, 2020 3:09 pm

Moggy wrote:

twitter.com/kazhiraiceo/status/1308038491503308802


:lol:

Why do I feel like this will turn out to be terrible terrible news? Is it just because we can now have a game where Doom Guy teams up with Halo Guy?

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PostRe: Microsoft acquire ZeniMax Media, parent company of Bethesda Softworks.
by Tafdolphin » Mon Sep 21, 2020 3:10 pm

One positive: no more terrible Bethesda.net launcher

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PostRe: Microsoft acquire ZeniMax Media, parent company of Bethesda Softworks.
by GrinWithoutaKat » Mon Sep 21, 2020 3:11 pm

I know Sony couldn't afford a purchase this big, but not sure they need to either. Xbox has been getting a lot of good buzz lately, but in terms of consoles sold, they were obliterated by Sony this time around, and knowing everything will be playable on a PC or through Xcloud could see even lower console numbers sold in the next generation. This feels like evening things up, even though it is huge news. If Microsoft now have Elder Scrolls, Fallout, Doom and Dishonoured, Sony still have God of War, Uncharted/Last of Us, Infamous/Ghost of Tsushima, Spider-Man/Ratchet and Clank etc.

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PostRe: Microsoft acquire ZeniMax Media, parent company of Bethesda Softworks.
by Tomous » Mon Sep 21, 2020 3:11 pm

The Watching Artist wrote:
Moggy wrote:

twitter.com/kazhiraiceo/status/1308038491503308802


:lol:

Why do I feel like this will turn out to be terrible terrible news? Is it just because we can now have a game where Doom Guy teams up with Halo Guy?



I mean, it's clearly terrible news if it means less people can play Bethesda games.

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PostRe: Microsoft acquire ZeniMax Media, parent company of Bethesda Softworks.
by Cumberdanes » Mon Sep 21, 2020 3:13 pm

KK wrote:I wonder what Sony would buy in retaliation. Rockstar? Square Enix? For PlayStation to lose so many big games would clearly require something major.

Also shows the importance of Sony and Nintendo’s investment in their own studios, because in a world of Microsoft, Google and Amazon, these companies can just come along and buy up any third party studio they want.


Smart money would be on Square Enix I reckon given their history with Sony. I understand it was Sony that bailed them out when Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within flopped.

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PostRe: Microsoft acquire ZeniMax Media, parent company of Bethesda Softworks.
by Tomous » Mon Sep 21, 2020 3:15 pm

Cumberdanes wrote:
KK wrote:I wonder what Sony would buy in retaliation. Rockstar? Square Enix? For PlayStation to lose so many big games would clearly require something major.

Also shows the importance of Sony and Nintendo’s investment in their own studios, because in a world of Microsoft, Google and Amazon, these companies can just come along and buy up any third party studio they want.


Smart money would be on Square Enix I reckon given their history with Sony. I understand it was Sony that bailed them out when Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within flopped.



I don't think Sony could afford Square Enix.

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