Microsoft is buying Zenimax/Bethesda for $7.5 billion

[aceperson]

There is absolutely no way they would make those titles Xbox exclusive. There would be no good reason to.

you forget the fact there is no good reason for exclusives to even exist. the only reason they exist is to attract more customers to their platforms instead of their competitors. making elder scrolls, doom, and fallout exclusives makes 100% sense in that context.

[Edge-]

I feel like microsoft would just be losing revenue from not selling game copies if they make it console exclusive. Microsoft doesn't make the money on the xbox console sale.

That's not the point of exclusives, as they'll always sell less individually by virtue of having fewer possible customers.

It's about moving your hardware and getting people in your ecosystem. Because every additional game you buy for that console, every additional service you sign up for through it etc. makes them a bit more money. First party exclusives move consoles, and with Sony having a very robust lineup that carried them through this generation (it wasn't the only thing) and primed for the next generation Microsoft has a ton of catchup to play if they want to compete with a robust first party lineup in response.

[Zeta333]

There is absolutely no way they would make those titles Xbox exclusive. There would be no good reason to.

I mean playstation fanboys have whined that xbox needs to get better or more exclusives, they buy this and now all the playstation fanboys are quaking with rage saying MS better not make those games exclusives lol

[Kallisto]

Fingers crossed they do some....restructuring. Out with Todd 'it just works' Howard! Tired of paying full price for Beta releases that the modding community have to fix.

Todd doesn't have the power people think he does though. It is not his call on when or how to release. The part of Bethesda he is part of is tier 3 company and even then there were people above him making the true decisions.

[Jtbrig7390]

I mean playstation fanboys have whined that xbox needs to get better or more exclusives, they buy this and now all the playstation fanboys are quaking with rage saying MS better not make those games exclusives lol

You do realize there is a massive difference in making a exclusive like Ratchet and Clank and buying a Exclusive. Then again seeing who I am replying to I'm not shocked not the response.....

[Calfredd]

This will go one of two ways: Microsoft will rush Bethesda even more and we'll get a second helping of bugs along side the release bugs or Microsoft will quality check them extra and we'll get less bugs at launch.

[Jtbrig7390]

This will go one of two ways: Microsoft will rush Bethesda even more and we'll get a second helping of bugs along side the release bugs or Microsoft will quality check them extra and we'll get less bugs at launch.

Can't wait to see Doom Multiplayer E Sports and all the MTX's that come with it.

Just like they did with Gears.

[Zeta333]

You do realize there is a massive difference in making a exclusive like Ratchet and Clank and buying a Exclusive. Then again seeing who I am replying to I'm not shocked not the response.....

How is there a difference, sony has been throwing money at studios for exclusivity and timed exclusivity, they were in the talks of trying to get it for starfield when bethesda was bought. Sorry but after several years of telling MS to get more exclusives you dont get to set terms on how they get it. Im sure every exclusive sony has they payed money to keep them that way, i doubt any studio is gona say, no i dont want to sell more for no fee.

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Can't wait to see Doom Multiplayer E Sports and all the MTX's that come with it.

Just like they did with Gears.

You mean all the cosmetic microtransactions?

[DonChalk]

This has me worried about competition in the future tbh. Microsoft making these kind of acquisitions feels like the beginning of the end of the console war, and then consumers get hit with the anti consumer garbage they tried to pull in 2013 with the Xbox one before they got blasted for it. This gen likely won't have much of an impact, but beyond that...I don't like it.

[Coffeh]

That's not the point of exclusives, as they'll always sell less individually by virtue of having fewer possible customers.

It's about moving your hardware and getting people in your ecosystem. Because every additional game you buy for that console, every additional service you sign up for through it etc. makes them a bit more money. First party exclusives move consoles, and with Sony having a very robust lineup that carried them through this generation (it wasn't the only thing) and primed for the next generation Microsoft has a ton of catchup to play if they want to compete with a robust first party lineup in response.

They won't make these games XBox exclusives. They'll let Playstation release them...at full price. Or you can get the XBox Game Pass and get it (along with hundreds of other games) day 1 for $15/month. It's a win/win for Microsoft.

[Zeta333]

This has me worried about competition in the future tbh. Microsoft making these kind of acquisitions feels like the beginning of the end of the console war, and then consumers get hit with the anti consumer garbage they tried to pull in 2013 with the Xbox one before they got blasted for it. This gen likely won't have much of an impact, but beyond that...I don't like it.

Im sorry but how is this anti consumer than sony paying for timed exclusives or straight up exclusives? MS has tried to bring thier exclusives to playstation in the past and sony would have none of it. This is the biggest pill of irony iv seen people had to swallow after talking big for several years.

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They won't make these games XBox exclusives. They'll let Playstation release them...at full price. Or you can get the XBox Game Pass and get it (along with hundreds of other games) day 1 for $15/month. It's a win/win for Microsoft.

https://twitter.com/jasonschreier/st...62702905044993

[Varvara Spiros Gelashvili]

I'm happy maybe microsoft will fix some of bethesda problems.

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Todd doesn't have the power people think he does though. It is not his call on when or how to release. The part of Bethesda he is part of is tier 3 company and even then there were people above him making the true decisions.

Publisher and anyone with a financial stakes in Bethesda makes those choices.

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you forget the fact there is no good reason for exclusives to even exist. the only reason they exist is to attract more customers to their platforms instead of their competitors. making elder scrolls, doom, and fallout exclusives makes 100% sense in that context.

There is to create a rush to sell consoles and hurt the competition. Than release the later for profit on other devices. Online only and console exclusive titles are a great way to shit on pirates. I have no problem with someone pirating because they're poor but if you have the money. Your a dick.

[Egomaniac]

Doesn't really bother me much..as I typically play Bethesda games on my PC...so as long as they keep their "timed exclusive" shenanigans focused on the Console Wars... I'm good.

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you forget the fact there is no good reason for exclusives to even exist. the only reason they exist is to attract more customers to their platforms instead of their competitors. making elder scrolls, doom, and fallout exclusives makes 100% sense in that context.

It's weird that you start with "there is no good reason for exclusives to exist"...and then follow it up with a good reason that exclusives exist. And you even manage to phrase it in the way that a PR guy would.

[luciano]

If they can just blow $7.5 billion to acquire yet another gaming company, I think maybe we're under-taxing these people.

[Kallisto]

Publisher and anyone with a financial stakes in Bethesda makes those choices.

The publisher being Bethesda Softworks (The parent company of Bethesda Game Studios) and Financial group being Zenimax Media (Parent company of the entire lot).

Todd is second or third place in Bethesda Game Studios. Meaning he doesn't set the release dates or control finances of the overall company. I know people like to poke fun at Todd. But it's essentially pointing at the image and ignoring the man behind the curtain who was the true problem the entire time.

[BeepBoo]

If they can just blow $7.5 billion to acquire yet another gaming company, I think maybe we're under-taxing these people.

"just blow" more like microsoft is one of the wealthiest companies on the planet and also probably has very strong lines of credit they can use to get cash quick. This is a calculated investment, one they plan on getting more than their money back on. You sound like someone who doesn't realize just how much money there is floating around.

[Edge-]

They won't make these games XBox exclusives. They'll let Playstation release them...at full price. Or you can get the XBox Game Pass and get it (along with hundreds of other games) day 1 for $15/month. It's a win/win for Microsoft.

Holy shit that's absolutely not a win for Microsoft. Why on earth lose out on sales revenue by putting it on a subscription service right out of the gate? That would be a monumentally awful idea for Microsoft, when they could be reaping millions of sales at $60 a pop. A huge chunk of which are digital so they ain't paying a cut to nobody.

[kail]

You do realize there is a massive difference in making a exclusive like Ratchet and Clank and buying a Exclusive. Then again seeing who I am replying to I'm not shocked not the response.....

It's all ownership in the end. Sony doesn't make games, the devs they fund do that.

Hopefully this move will improve Bethesda as their game quality has been slipping lately.

[Lahis]

You do realize there is a massive difference in making a exclusive like Ratchet and Clank and buying a Exclusive. Then again seeing who I am replying to I'm not shocked not the response.....

And Sony is not buying exclusives?

[sinilaid]

Well this is even more of a reason to get the PC/PS combo, because all "xbox exclusive" stuff will release on PC as well.