MS will talk about Bethesda deal on Thursday

[the-pi-guy]

Regulators in the United States and Europe approved Microsoft's acquisition of Zenimax Media, and that means Bethescda is now an Xbox studio. But what does that mean for the companies involved and for fans of games like Fallout and The Elder Scrolls? Well, Microsoft is going to start answering those questions with a video presentation on Thursday, March 11, according to sources familiar with the plans.

Microsoft is unlikely to get into the specifics about Bethesda's upcoming projects. Details about the previously announced sci-fi role-playing adventure Starfield will likely come this summer, so Xbox and Bethesda won't talk about that now. Instead, they will explain what the deal means for Xbox Game Pass subscribers.

In particular, a number of Bethesda games should make the leap to Game Pass soon. Microsoft will also use this time to reiterate that any future (and contractually eligible) game from under the Zenimax umbrella will hit Game Pass at launch.

Xbox and Bethesda are also not planning to mash together their summer showcases. Both companies are preparing announcements for around E3 (the Electronic Entertainment Expo trade show), but they will hold them separately. Microsoft, however, may try to present them back-to-back as part of a one-two punch for Xbox.

Finally, it's still unclear whether Microsoft and Bethesda will address the question of platform exclusivity. PlayStation fans want to know if Bethesda releases like Starfield, Indiana Jones, or The Elder Scrolls VI will also launch on PS5. The Thursday presentation may provide a black-and-white answer, or it might keep things gray — especially if its plans are more nuanced and conditional from game to game.

Microsoft will likely confirm the event in the next day or two.

Sauce

[kitler53]

games will go exclusive and it will be a bloodbath for playstation. 

[Legend]

Existing franchises and announced games will stay multiplat. New ip xbox eclusive.

Or they go nuclear and everything is exclusive, with a statement that "Microsoft wants all these games on PlayStation, but Sony refuses to allow gamepass."

[the-pi-guy]

Existing franchises and announced games will stay multiplat. New ip xbox eclusive.

I feel like they might do this just to look like the good guy.

[kitler53]

you guys are setting yourself up for disappointment. 

I agree if a game has been announced specifically for ps5 it will come.  so that is what,.. deathloop and tokyo.  anything else?   starfield has been teased but nothing definitive on platforms. 

existing franchises are going exclusive. 

[Xevross]

Existing franchises and announced games will stay multiplat. New ip xbox eclusive.

Or they go nuclear and everything is exclusive, with a statement that "Microsoft wants all these games on PlayStation, but Sony refuses to allow gamepass."

My prediction is this as well.

you guys are setting yourself up for disappointment.

I agree if a game has been announced specifically for ps5 it will come.  so that is what,.. deathloop and tokyo.  anything else?   starfield has been teased but nothing definitive on platforms.

existing franchises are going exclusive.

I've never once liked a bethesda game and on the off chance I really want to try any in the future I have a good PC. So I don't think I'll be disappointed

[kitler53]

My prediction is this as well.
I've never once liked a bethesda game and on the off chance I really want to try any in the future I have a good PC. So I don't think I'll be disappointed

I'm not particularly into there games either but there is no doubt they have some huge selling and thus popular franchises. 

if those gamers buy xboxs instead of playstation sony loses money. since games are a top line industry if their market shrinks enough sony is forced to cut back on the games I do like or even exit the industry.  

moneyhatting MS scares me a lot.  I don't want to be a part of their shaming GaaS vision for the industry. 

[the-pi-guy]

This is the next step in building an industry-leading first party studios team, a commitment we have to our Xbox community. With the addition of the Bethesda creative teams, gamers should know that Xbox consoles, PC, and Game Pass will be the best place to experience new Bethesda games, including some new titles in the future that will be exclusive to Xbox and PC players

Woah

[kitler53]

Woah

i'm calling it now.  some of the low teir games will get ported to switch.  nothing for playstation.

[BananaKing]

Guys Bethesda will have games like fallout shelter and or some of these spin off games. Those will be released on ps and switch

Elder scrolls, starfield, doom and such will be on xbox and pc. They sell more than enough there to be profitable.

[Dr. Pezus]

games will go exclusive and it will be a bloodbath for playstation.

Nah I doubt it. Today is all about selling as much as possible. They'd lose out on too many sales

[kitler53]

Nah I doubt it. Today is all about selling as much as possible. They'd lose out on too many sales

there is more to 1st party value then unit sales.  it attracts customers to your ecosystem which drives market share on 3rd party sales and online subscriptions.

i mean, for those that think bethesda's software will go multi-plat,.. why is it that hellblade or forza or gears or halo isn't also multi-plat?

[Legend]

I bought a series x so exclusivity doesn't matter to me from that point of view, although I of course care about the health of the industry and other players.

I'm more interested to see what happens to the quality and quantity of games produced. Will Elder Scrolls 6 and Starfield be relatively glitch free or will things get even worse? Will less popular franchises get new entries, or will they only have room for mega hits?

Doom 3 seems obvious. Same for Fallout+Starfield+Elder Scrolls. Everything else feels like it'll be cancelled and replaced with new ip. Maybe they'll revive an old Microsoft IP.

[Dr. Pezus]

there is more to 1st party value then unit sales.  it attracts customers to your ecosystem which drives market share on 3rd party sales and online subscriptions.

i mean, for those that think bethesda's software will go multi-plat,.. why is it that hellblade or forza or gears or halo isn't also multi-plat?

MS releases everything on PC and Sony is trending there too. Its only a matter of time until everything is on most of the platforms.

Minecraft is the counter to what you named. They kept it multiplat after they bought the company, even released a new game that was still multiplat.

[kitler53]

minecraft isn't much of a counter.  

ms can't revoke a license a customer purchased.  they are legally required to honor all contracts from the company being purchased and purchasing a game is a legally binding transaction. 

ms can't revoke fallout 76 either and they are basically bound to supporting it since it is an online game.  fallout 5, however, is going exclusive.