Microsoft Bought Bethesda

[demi]

With the addition of Bethesda, Microsoft will grow from 15 to 23 creative studio teams and will be adding Bethesda's iconic franchises to Xbox Game Pass. This includes Microsoft's intent to bring Bethesda's future games into Xbox Game Pass the same day they launch on Xbox or PC, like Starfield, the highly anticipated, new space epic currently in development by Bethesda Game Studios.

https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/microsoft-to-acquire-zenimax-media-and-its-game-publisher-bethesda-softworks-301134492.html

[Stoney Mason]

lulz. The fanboy meltdowns will be delicious

[Raist]

To put into perspective, this is "only" half a billion less than they paid for Nokia, which included a fuckton of essential patents necessary to build mobile phones so uhhhh yeah I think they overpaid

I mean, they blew $2B on Minecraft

[mormapope]

Sony has over 30 billion in cash on hand and of course can do stock deals as well...

They were also rumored to be trying to buy Bethesda earlier this year..

Source?

Google says Sonys net worth is about $45 billion, and their most recent financials say they have about $14.5 billion Cash and cash equivalents at end of the period

https://www.macrotrends.net/stocks/charts/SNE/sony/cash-on-hand

Their market cap is over 90 billion now... not sure where you are getting $45 billion net worth.

https://news.livedoor.com/lite/article_detail/18788644/
What would Sony's Net Cash be?

[Himu]

Imagine playing console wars with a company that is so lost they advertised their shit in top exclusive games on other platforms.

https://metro.co.uk/2020/04/14/xbox-joins-animal-crossing-new-horizons-hype-train-creates-custom-clothing-12556531/



You have to be real smooth brained to think Microsoft is going to make Bethesda games exclusive to their platform. Doom, Skyrim;etc are on every system imaginable and they would loss money by making them exclusive just the same they would if they the did the same with Minecraft.

If you know this, then why do you think MS still cares about console wars? That's dead. It's all about Gamepass subs now.

I just find the reactions by the MS faithful here hilarious

[Nintex]

More studios to run into the ground

In 5 years they will have to bring in John Romero in an attempt to fix DOOM APOCALYPSE 

But yeah Sony and especially Nintendo probably looking at their own purchases now before MS scoops up more.
I expect some smaller devs like Platinum Games will be bought pretty quickly and of course the race to acquire Capcom is on.

[demi]

As Xbox Ambassador we find comments like that not in our best interest. But GamePass be looking HOT HOT HOT

Please understand

[mormapope]

Imagine playing console wars with a company that is so lost they advertised their shit in top exclusive games on other platforms.

https://metro.co.uk/2020/04/14/xbox-joins-animal-crossing-new-horizons-hype-train-creates-custom-clothing-12556531/



You have to be real smooth brained to think Microsoft is going to make Bethesda games exclusive to their platform. Doom, Skyrim;etc are on every system imaginable and they would loss money by making them exclusive just the same they would if they the did the same with Minecraft.

If you know this, then why do you think MS still cares about console wars? That's dead. It's all about Gamepass subs now.

I just find the reactions by the MS faithful here hilarious

Laughing at Sony fucks is the main gist of all this.

[Skullfuckers Anonymous]

Who cares about exclusivity shit, since they own Bethesda and Obsidian that means we have a non zero chance of New Vegas 2 happening!

[Cerveza mas fina]

To put into perspective, this is "only" half a billion less than they paid for Nokia, which included a fuckton of essential patents necessary to build mobile phones so uhhhh yeah I think they overpaid

I mean, they blew $2B on Minecraft

Minecraft has grossed over 500 million on mobile alone since then so

[GreatSageEqualOfHeaven]

https://www.macrotrends.net/stocks/charts/SNE/sony/cash-on-hand

Their market cap is over 90 billion now... not sure where you are getting $45 billion net worth.

Like I literally said: first google result for "Sony net worth".

Ms as a company are operating at an order of magnitude larger than Sony are, which is why the gaming division can be run like a trust fund kid running a bar as a "family business".
As long as Papa MS is writing the cheques, they don't actually have to do things that make actual business sense. Doubly so when they can hide their actual financials among a bunch of unrelated crap.

[eleuin]

yeah ms has been so incompetent for so long now people have forgotten the companies are fighting in entirely different weight classes

[Rahxephon91]

I strangely don’t think this is a good idea or even a big deal.

[demi]

Maybe you should make a video telling us why

[brawndolicious]

I don't think the future releases will be on playstation unless Sony agrees to allow Game Pass. Sony would certainly insist on a 30% cut though since they would be missing out in the distribution and royalty cut. Nintendo might be okay with it since their current and probably future systems have lacking 3rd party support and something like xcloud means developers don't have to port their engine to ARM.

The purpose of this deal is to sell Game Pass, not just individual software sales. Personally, I would have preferred if they expanded GP just through small studios taking chances on new IPs but I can understand the business logic here.

[thetylerrob]

Who cares about exclusivity shit, since they own Bethesda and Obsidian that means we have a non zero chance of New Vegas 2 happening!

 

[Rahxephon91]

I mean this has now made their purchase of Obsidian pretty redundant.

Starfield and the next Elder Scrolls are years out and who knows if they will honestly make them actual exclusives. But this also probably means no main Fallout for years at this point.

You now have the id ips which is a big deal and developers like Tango. So that’s neat though Tango and Arkane’s next games are still coming to PS5.

I don’t know I’m just failing to see why I should care? Good for MS I guess. Guess I’ll have an Xbox to play Wolfenstien 3 if that happens.

[Great Rumbler]

I mean this has now made their purchase of Obsidian pretty redundant.

Starfield and the next Elder Scrolls are years out and who knows if they will honestly make them actual exclusives. But this also probably means no main Fallout for years at this point.

You now have the id ips which is a big deal and developers like Tango. So that’s neat though Tango and Arkane’s next games are still coming to PS5.

I don’t know I’m just failing to see why I should care? Good for MS I guess.

It's probably the biggest developer acquisition in years, if not the biggest of all time.

[Pissy F Benny]

Imagine paying full price for the ps5 versions while us game pass chads get them all included with the sub

[demi]

Man if only you shared this same resentment when FF16 was made exclusive

[Rahxephon91]

I mean this has now made their purchase of Obsidian pretty redundant.

Starfield and the next Elder Scrolls are years out and who knows if they will honestly make them actual exclusives. But this also probably means no main Fallout for years at this point.

You now have the id ips which is a big deal and developers like Tango. So that’s neat though Tango and Arkane’s next games are still coming to PS5.

I don’t know I’m just failing to see why I should care? Good for MS I guess.

It's probably the biggest developer acquisition in years, if not the biggest of all time.

Minecraft was huge and MS kind of did nothing exciting with them. And left them mostly to their own devices.

This is so big and huge and a return on investment is so needed that it’s not gonna be as simple as all Bethesda games are Xbox only.

[Svejk]

Since MS will never have a game that's "console exclusive" like PS likes to rock out with their cock out jargen, people who like games, still win in the end.  This will get me to get GP a few years down the line...  (that is, if the price doesn't get any higher).  Besides the uncertainty of Starfield, I only care for TES...  If I can download/stream it to my PC when it comes in 5 years, I don't see any reason for even Sony fans to get up in arms about this.  Water under the bridge before there was even any water.
 

[nudemacusers]

Imagine paying full price for the ps5 versions while us game pass chads get them all included with the sub

All these games not taking advantage of THE SSD 😭

[Rahxephon91]

Man if only you shared this same resentment when FF16 was made exclusive

FF is nowhere near as big as Elder Scrolls. Elder Scrolls games sell millions more, so much more that I don't think keeping them to just Xbox and PC is gonna really help. FF sales probably aren't as impacted by keeping it to PS and then an eventual PC release. And even if they are locked out of PS, they will still be on PC day one anyway. But you already have them saying coming to other platforms will be a case by case basis. Wolfenstien 3, yeah only on xbox and PC. Elder Scrolls whatever, yeah maybe not.

spoiler (click to show/hide)

I also don't give a shit about ES and think Bethesda main is a pretty bad developer

[close]

What I'm saying is that a purchase this big does not simply mean the same thing as buying a relatively small developer such as Obsidian or say Tango by themselves. So big that I honestly am not sure this simply means every Bethesda game is now xbox console exclusive.

spoiler (click to show/hide)

I also await MS running them into the ground

[close]

[Cerveza mas fina]

Rax you are crazy. This aquisition is killing it.

Doom, Wolfenstein, Elder Scrolls and Fallout, day 1 gamepass, xbox console exclusive.

[Svejk]

Rax you are crazy. This aquisition is killing it.

Doom, Wolfenstein, Elder Scrolls and Fallout, day 1 gamepass, xbox console exclusive.

But it's on PC too, right? No need to buy an xbox for this service.

If this was made to end the console wars, it sure did... PC defeats them both with no contest. lol

[Nintex]

smart move for Zenimax Bethesda to sell the joint though

- Rage 2 lmao
- They could no longer coast on Skyrim
- They already ran the Wolfenstein reboot series into the ground with Young Blood
- Their current line-up (Death Loop / Ghostwhire Tokyo) had bomba written all over it and were timed PS5 exclusives to boot
- DOOM Eternal didn't chart for long
- Fallout 76 was a dud
- They didn't know when if ever Todd would finish the next Elder Scrolls and Starfield
- Bethesda.net wasn't a really popular storefront that could compete with Steam or EGS

[Bebpo]

The only negative about this is I wish MS bought IOI first because they need the $$$ a lot more.

Hoping IOI will be next MS purchase!


/also if MS changes management in 5-10 years and starts shuttering all these studios like their past history that could be bad (like a Zenimax the first studio they'd kill would be Arkane for sure), yeah. But at least in the short-term they are supporting them.

[GreatSageEqualOfHeaven]

- Bethesda.net wasn't a really popular storefront that could compete with Steam or EGS

Huh, yeah, good point.
I don't see the point of an ongoing bethesda.net launcher / storefront now (which is from a baseline of not seeing the point before, just even more so now)

[Bebpo]

But yeah, they better not fuck with mod support on Elder Scrolls/Fallout or PC gamers will eat them alive.

[Great Rumbler]

- DOOM Eternal didn't chart for long

It's estimated to have sold 3 million digital copies in just the first few weeks.

[Nintex]

The only company participating in a console war is Sony.

Yeah it's kinda weird to see how the big 3 have a totally different focus now.

Xbox -> Cloud gaming / Netflix of gaming

Nintendo -> IP entertainment company like Disney

Sony -> Exclusive high-end cinematic video game productions

[mormapope]

https://twitter.com/ID_AA_Carmack/status/1308069857913720832?s=20

John Carmack working on a reboot of Quake
 

(Not happening yet, but the door is now open for his return)

[Rahxephon91]

smart move for Zenimax Bethesda to sell the joint though

- Rage 2 lmao
- They could no longer coast on Skyrim
- They already ran the Wolfenstein reboot series into the ground with Young Blood
- Their current line-up (Death Loop / Ghostwhire Tokyo) had bomba written all over it and were timed PS5 exclusives to boot
- DOOM Eternal didn't chart for long
- Fallout 76 was a dud
- They didn't know when if ever Todd would finish the next Elder Scrolls and Starfield
- Bethesda.net wasn't a really popular storefront that could compete with Steam or EGS

I mean honestly this is kind of all true. I also believe Bethesda was kind of a dud this gen as well. Outside of Skyrim re-releases and I guess Fallout 4 which feels like years ago, it's not like their games have been smashing successes. Some critical and commercial success, but also a lot of of just medicore sales with things like Prey and Evil Within 2. And yeah while Young Blood was awful, not like Wolfenstein 2 was a smash hit with fans or with sales. I don't know, feels like their biggest hits this gen where Skyrim rerelease and Doom 2016.



I look at this and I just don't care.

[thisismyusername]

This also means MS now has an MMO.

Um, Sweaty: They already had an MMO. They're the ones that brought it over to the West even if Sega is tooting their horn on developing/"publishing" it in the west.

Microsoft is gonna sell you game pass on PS5 and Switch too.

I can see what Nintendo get out of that deal and what would get them to greenlight it (doubly so if its the streaming via Xcloud option included) but I can see Sony not wanting that

Sony denied EA Play/EA's "gamepass" for so fucking long. Same with cross-play. So they'd be eating some folks that care about that for sure.

[Coffee Dog]

Who cares about exclusivity shit, since they own Bethesda and Obsidian that means we have a non zero chance of New Vegas 2 happening!

New Vegas from the developers of The Outer Worlds 

No Sawyer no sale

[Bebpo]

Who cares about exclusivity shit, since they own Bethesda and Obsidian that means we have a non zero chance of New Vegas 2 happening!

New Vegas from the developers of The Outer Worlds 

No Sawyer no sale

Did I miss something? I thought Sawyer is still there, just he's not on Unavowed or Grounded and is working on a 3rd project at the studio.

I also agree that at Obsidian the Sawyer games are the only ones that matter anymore. Outer Worlds was ok popcorn entertainment and I'm guessing Unavowed will be similar.

[thisismyusername]

I mean this has now made their purchase of Obsidian pretty redundant.

Starfield and the next Elder Scrolls are years out and who knows if they will honestly make them actual exclusives. But this also probably means no main Fallout for years at this point.

You now have the id ips which is a big deal and developers like Tango. So that’s neat though Tango and Arkane’s next games are still coming to PS5.

I don’t know I’m just failing to see why I should care? Good for MS I guess. Guess I’ll have an Xbox to play Wolfenstien 3 if that happens.

Obsidian is at it's best cleaning up other RPG houses shit, see: KotOR2 (Bioware->Obsidian), New Vegas (Bethesada->Obsidian, who turned the Elderscrolls with Guns mod into an actual FALLOUT title</aside>)

It hasn't made them redundant in anything other than their new IPs, which generally are flops.

[Nintex]

I look at this and I see a bingo card of studio closures 

Has that smug asshole Jim Ryan responded to this yet? We need his insight on this.

[thisismyusername]

- Bethesda.net wasn't a really popular storefront that could compete with Steam or EGS

>Origin/EA throwing in the towel
>Beth throwing in the towel



2K, Blizzard/Activision (on Epig), Uplay next?

[Rahxephon91]

I guess if you like wrpg you need an xbox.

They buy CDProject Red then I start shooting.

[Svejk]

“We’ll take other consoles on a case-by-case basis,” Spencer told Bloomberg.

This tells me TESVI is coming to PS5 still.  As mentioned a few times before, why would they not want more money?  Especially on the install base PS will have by then.

[Bebpo]

I guess if you like wrpg you need an xbox.

Yup, though why you wouldn't have a gaming PC if you like wrpgs  especially with gog and modding.
Lotta of indie stuff not on consoles or comes years later.

[demi]

Life too short for chintzy $1 humble bundle indie games, Xbox giving the meat and potatoes

[MMaRsu]

Now Obsidian can get to work on that New Vegas 2

[BisMarckie]

Can’t wait to play the next TES in 2027 on my Xcloud Series One X 

[brawndolicious]

Rahx, games like Doom and ES actually sold about the same or better on xbox consoles than PS consoles:

https://www.resetera.com/threads/xbox-plans-to-honor-ps5-exclusivity-commitment-future-bethesda-titles-will-be-on-xbox-pc-and-other-consoles-on-a-case-by-case-basis.291500/page-13#post-46199762

spoiler (click to show/hide)

[close]

Obviously the best place to play these games is on PC with kb/mouse and mods but xbox is a good fit for these series so I can see fans just getting a non-PS hardware play them.

The only company participating in a console war is Sony.

I'm hoping that's what this means. Consolidation is definitely bad but there was a real fear a few years ago that Sony could become the only console left, so at least now there's always going to be competition in the industry. On one hand, I don't think it's ever been easier for a small independent to have a big hit. On the other, big game developers are probably going to be more and more risk averse.

[nudemacusers]

Consolidation bad, marvel studios good tho 

[BisMarckie]

And there is me, buying an Xbox Series X mainly to play upscaled 360 games.

[Rahxephon91]

Rahx, games like Doom and ES actually sold about the same or better on xbox consoles than PS consoles:

Yeah I get that and in general think it makes sense for them to be xbox exclusive. It's not going to surprise me when Wolf 3 and Doom Whatever are Xbox Console exclusive. They are a nice boon to MS first party. But I also wouldn't be surprised since Elder Scrolls is so big if it also still came to PS5. I also think we are years out before things like SF and ES come out so it's going to be a while before we even see the impact.


But it's also hard to get out of my bias of not giving a shit about Bethesda and Xbox.

[paprikastaude]

And there is me, buying an Xbox Series X mainly to play upscaled 360 games.

Can you pop an old disc into a bone and play or do you just unlock the licence for the digital remaster? I prefer to keep consoles offline.

[BisMarckie]

The disc triggers a download. The license is tied to the disc though. 99% sure you can play it offline after the initial download.

[BIONIC]

And there is me, buying an Xbox Series X mainly to play upscaled 360 games.

Can you pop an old disc into a bone and play or do you just unlock the licence for the digital remaster? I prefer to keep consoles offline.

 

[brawndolicious]

Rahx, games like Doom and ES actually sold about the same or better on xbox consoles than PS consoles:

Yeah I get that and in general think it makes sense for them to be xbox exclusive. It's not going to surprise me when Wolf 3 and Doom Whatever are Xbox Console exclusive. They are a nice boon to MS first party. But I also wouldn't be surprised since Elder Scrolls is so big if it also still came to PS5. I also think we are years out before things like SF and ES come out so it's going to be a while before we even see the impact.


But it's also hard to get out of my bias of not giving a shit about Bethesda and Xbox.

Bethesda RPGs are like wine. Terrible, janky aftertaste but a lot of depth to the experience. Personally, I don't like wine but I like janky WRPGs. I blame my genes.

ES6 probably is a couple years away but I wouldn't be surprised if we see Star Field in a year

[paprikastaude]

And there is me, buying an Xbox Series X mainly to play upscaled 360 games.

Can you pop an old disc into a bone and play or do you just unlock the licence for the digital remaster? I prefer to keep consoles offline.

 

Constant updates and visual clutter.

[Cerveza mas fina]

Man I totally forgot EA is also bringing all its stuff to gamepass

Hot damn

[Let's Cyber]

Is this the biggest industry news since Sega went 3rd party? I'm struggling to think of anything bigger.

[who is ted danson?]

smart move for Zenimax Bethesda to sell the joint though

- Rage 2 lmao
- They could no longer coast on Skyrim
- They already ran the Wolfenstein reboot series into the ground with Young Blood
- Their current line-up (Death Loop / Ghostwhire Tokyo) had bomba written all over it and were timed PS5 exclusives to boot
- DOOM Eternal didn't chart for long
- Fallout 76 was a dud
- They didn't know when if ever Todd would finish the next Elder Scrolls and Starfield
- Bethesda.net wasn't a really popular storefront that could compete with Steam or EGS

-Let Saber Interactive kill Quake (and they blew $1million on a lmao-beta-game tournament  )

[Baiano19]

ONE GAME
I DON'T KNOW WHY
I BOUGHT A PS5 WITH NO GAMES TO BUY
KEEP THAT IN MIND THEY DESIGNED THIS DRIVE
TO IMPROVE LOADING TIMES
AND THAT'S ALL I KNOW
IN CONSOLE WARS, EXCLUSIVES ARE KEY
WATCH IT FLY BY AS IT PORTS TO PC
LOSE MY EXCLUSIVES AT THE END OF THE GEN
I HAVE NO GAMES TO PLAY
IT'S SO UNFAIR
DIDN'T LOOK OUT BELOW
THROW MY PS5 RIGHT OUT THE WINDOW
TRY TO HOLD ON BUT I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW
WASTED IT ALL JUST TO WATCH MOVIES
I SPENT ALL MY TIME INSIDE
OF MY OLD GAMES I'M TIRED, ALL I GOT IS PORTS
JUST LIKE THE PS3, IT'S REMINDING ME, OF A MEMORY, OF A TIME WHEN
I CRIED SO HARD, FOR LAUNCH TITLES
BUT IN THE END, IT'S JUST GOT, NO GAMES
I PAID SO MUCH, BOUGHT PS PLUS
BUT IN THE END, IT'S JUST GOT, NO GAMES

[Svejk]

Is this the biggest industry news since Sega went 3rd party? I'm struggling to think of anything bigger.

Now if MS bought Sega, that would sting me right in the plums.