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Microsoft bought ZeniMax Media (Bethesda and iD) for 7.5 billion

the8thark

the8thark

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news.xbox.com

Welcoming the Talented Teams and Beloved Game Franchises of Bethesda to Xbox - Xbox Wire

Critically acclaimed creators of The Elder Scrolls, Fallout, Wolfenstein, DOOM, Dishonored, Quake, Starfield and more join Team Xbox Today is a special day, as we welcome some of the most accomplished studios in the games industry to Xbox. We are thrilled to announce Microsoft has entered into...
news.xbox.com news.xbox.com
"We are thrilled to announce Microsoft has entered into an agreement to acquire ZeniMax Media, parent company of Bethesda Softworks."


Bethesda, iD, Arkane Studios, Machine Games, Tango Gameworks, Alpha Dog Games and Roundhouse Studios
That's everything Zenimax used to own, but now Microsoft owns it all.

Lets hope Bethesda/iD doesn't suffer the same fate as Bungie and RARE did post Microsoft buyout.
 
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Taustin Powers

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Woah. That's pretty big. Wonder what this will mean for all those franchises. No more releases on Playstation? Or maybe just a year after XBox release?

This is not good for consumers.
 
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Macalicious2011

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Taustin Powers said:
This is not good for consumers.
Click to expand...

Microsoft is betting big on subscription. The only way to fuel growth is by offering the biggest and most compelling library of content/games. The long term goal is probably for Gamepass to become the Disney Plus of gaming, and the strategic aquisitions or partnerships won't stop here.

The movie/TV and music industries are already highlights consolidated since years ago. Gaming will now follow suit and enable microsoft to leverage their Azure cloud division.
 
maflynn

maflynn

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Wow, I'm shocked

Today is a special day, as we welcome some of the most accomplished studios in the games industry to Xbox. We are thrilled to announce Microsoft has entered into an agreement to acquire ZeniMax Media, parent company of Bethesda Softworks.
Click to expand...

news.xbox.com

Welcoming the Talented Teams and Beloved Game Franchises of Bethesda to Xbox - Xbox Wire

Critically acclaimed creators of The Elder Scrolls, Fallout, Wolfenstein, DOOM, Dishonored, Quake, Starfield and more join Team Xbox Today is a special day, as we welcome some of the most accomplished studios in the games industry to Xbox. We are thrilled to announce Microsoft has entered into...
news.xbox.com news.xbox.com
 
JagdTiger

JagdTiger

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Heat_Fan89

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JagdTiger said:
Worse thing that could happen to gaming.

www.digitaltrends.com

Microsoft Will Acquire Bethesda in Blockbuster $7.5 Billion Deal | Digital Trends

Microsoft has agreed to acquire video game giant Bethesda, securing the rights to huge franchises like Elder Scrolls, Fallout, Dishonored, and Doom.
www.digitaltrends.com www.digitaltrends.com
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And you are 100% wrong. This is all about Game Pass and making it essential.

https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2020 ... -game-pass

Also Microsoft has not said they are shutting out other platforms. Phil Spencer said it will be on a case by case basis. Minecraft is playable on all current platforms and Halo, and a few other IP's are now available on Steam including Microsoft Flight Simulator.

Microsoft seized on a niche which is where TV, News and playing games going....via subscriptions. Microsoft is doing what Apple, Amazon, Netfilx, Disney and others are doing, selling subscriptions. Microsoft just decided to commit to making sure gamers buy their Game Pass subscription.

In the beginning I was skeptical about Game Pass even with a sweetheart deal 3 yrs of Game Pass and XBOX Live for a $1. Now i'm sold and will gladly spend $180 year to get Game Pass Ultimate. Now EA Play is also part of Game Pass which makes a Game Pass subscription even better.
 
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AndyMacAndMic

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maflynn said:
Wow, I'm shocked



news.xbox.com

Welcoming the Talented Teams and Beloved Game Franchises of Bethesda to Xbox - Xbox Wire

Critically acclaimed creators of The Elder Scrolls, Fallout, Wolfenstein, DOOM, Dishonored, Quake, Starfield and more join Team Xbox Today is a special day, as we welcome some of the most accomplished studios in the games industry to Xbox. We are thrilled to announce Microsoft has entered into...
news.xbox.com news.xbox.com
Click to expand...

Shocked in what way? Positive or negative? It is a big thing for sure. If Microsoft plays their cards right they are going to be the Netflix of games.... I don't know yet if that is good or bad ;). It has to sink in first.
 
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maflynn

maflynn

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Macalicious2011 said:
This makes me feel even better about replacing my PS4 Pro with an Xbox instead of PS5.
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I'm mostly on a PC at this point though I have the xbox game pass. I don't think we'll see doom, fallout, skyrim, etc will turn into exclusives but you never know.

AndyMacAndMic said:
but still, nobody saw this coming.
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Yeah, that's my point its quite surprising. Heck, I was surprised when MS bought Obsidian, especially when they cut Bungie loose all those years ago.
 
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Macalicious2011

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maflynn said:
I'm mostly on a PC at this point though I have the xbox game pass. I don't think we'll see doom, fallout, skyrim, etc will turn into exclusives but you never know.
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Microsoft is a more open organisation than it was 15-20 years ago. Next gen games are developed using a framework that makes it easy to deploy across xbox one, series x/s and PC.

Long term I think they will be fewer new xbox games that won't be available to install on PC or stream to PCs/Android devices.

They will want gamepass to be so generous that a subscription is considered a no-brainer utility payment for xbox and PC gamers.

Even PS5 owners might end up buying a cheap or used Series S to access PC/Xbox games.

Going forward gamepass will be at the centre of Microsoft gaming with Series S and X as two of several ways to access gamepass.

I wonder if MS would ever consider buying Nintendo for access to the Holygrail of gaming brands, Mario!
 
AndyMacAndMic

AndyMacAndMic

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Macalicious2011 said:
Even PS5 owners might end up buying a cheap or used Series S to access PC/Xbox games.
Click to expand...

They don't even have to buy a used Series S or X. Microsoft offers a subscription model for 2 years. $24,99 per month (2 years game pass including a Series S) or $34.99 per month (2 years game pass including Series X). Basically you pay off your XBox in those 2 years (just like a phone subscription). I think lots of people are inclined to do that even if they have a PS5.
 
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Heat_Fan89

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vertical smile said:
It didn't really work out well for the Rare acquisition...

No doubt it is about Game Pass, but I wonder if it will end up like Rare.
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I agree and it didn't for many reasons one of which was the original founders eventually left, leaving Rare a shell of itself. But it did produce a few real good games for the Xbox 360 and Sea of Thieves has received good reviews and the critics love that it was a fresh idea.

Game Pass though is a different monster and there are no negatives with the Bethesda's founder saying he is 100% aligned with Microsoft. Hell I would be too if I was given $7.5 billion. It appears Microsoft is leaving Bethesda alone just moving the developers and games houses under the Microsoft umbrella to make Game Pass Ultimate essential.

And again, Microsoft has not closed the door to Bethesda's games going to the Nintendo Switch and the PS4 and PS5. Phil Spencer says they will be treated on a case by case basis. I see that as nothing more than a timed exclusive and gamers will probably have to cough up $70 to play the game on the PS5.

Btw, I am an agnostic gamer who buys every system since 1996. I like what Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo brings to the table but I don't for a minute see this as a terrible day for gamers. Because in today's entertainment environment it's all about gobbling up IP's to lure people to buy into your subscription service.

tranceking26 said:
Could be worse, EA could have bought them.
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They are now part of the Game Pass umbrella.
 
velocityg4

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Hopefully this won't mean the end of Elder Scrolls. Specifically offline, single player with heavy modding ability. I have zero interest in MMO and all the mod unfriendly rules that entails.
 
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Taustin Powers

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Khalanad75 said:
It's funny you say that, when it's been Sony who keeps shooting for more exclusivity and paying companies for timed releases.
Click to expand...

How is it funny? It’s bad for consumers when Sony does it, too.

Restricting access to popular games is always bad for us gamers. And we will very likely see more (timed?) exclusivity now.
 
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garnerx

garnerx

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Taustin Powers said:
How is it funny? It’s bad for consumers when Sony does it, too.

Restricting access to popular games is always bad for us gamers. And we will very likely see more (timed?) exclusivity now.
Click to expand...
Well at least it wasn't Sony that got Zenimax, otherwise the only way anyone would be playing any of those games is on Playstation, and the PS5 versions would come with that consumer-friendly $10 markup.

Microsoft put their stuff out on PC, same day as on Xbox, it's on Steam if that's where you prefer to buy from, and across two generations of consoles for the price of a Netflix sub. I know which one sounds like the better deal to me.
 
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