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Starfield Was Planned For PS5 Prior To Microsoft's ZeniMax Acquisition, FTC Says

John Wick

Member
Sony moneyhatted those 2 Bethesda Games prior to the launch of the new generation, locking out Xbox & PC gamers. Games that are now 1st party for Xbox and allegedly tried to do the same with Starfield.

It's likely the only reason Xbox & PC gamers will be playing Starfield this September is because Xbox bought Bethesda. Now Sony gamers are feeling surprised and persecuted that that Xbox has made their big first party game exclusive to their own players. Why wouldn't they?

Like many games that were made by 3rd party multiplat developers that became permanently exclusive to Sony, as first party, I'm sure Xbox helped BGS financially and technically in developing Starfield, also Deathloop and Ghostwire. I can also imagine that Ghostwire & Deathloop were originally planned to be on Xbox and PC day one.

Finally, I've never seen where Starfield was announced for PlayStation 5 can someone please post a link to it.
Beyond help. In denial. Buying 3rd party publishers is very very different to getting timed exclusivity. No one stopped MS from signing exclusive games.
So why do MS keep on giving false lip service and acting the victim?
 
We now have factual information stating that absent of the acquisition the following games would have released on more platforms than they have done or are scheduled to do:
  • Redfall
  • Starfield
  • Indiana Jones
But yet you want to sit there with a straight face and say "nothing is being taken away". Be serious.
'Would have' isn't 'having' is it?

Happy Adam Scott GIF by Sky
 

Ozriel

M$FT
I read it, it doesn't address it. You're sidestepping it.

Explain how them literally taking games in development off of other platforms is consistent with the statement that the deal was "not done to take games away from other platforms".

If they wanted to be consistent with that statement then would the logical thing to do not mean leave anything that's already in development alone instead of going out of their way to cancel games?In some instances they've even had to go as far to renegotiate contracts.

So come on, give it a spin.



Cant See Cheech Marin GIF

It does address it.
The full quote was:
"This deal was not done to take games away from another player base like that. Nowhere in the documentation that we put together was: ‘How do we keep other players from playing these games?’ We want more people to be able to play games, not fewer people to be able to go play games.”

By ‘these games’, he’s talking about all Bethesda games. So for your point to be valid, it wouldn’t really just be about Starfield and Redfall. You’d basically be claiming that MS was promising to make ALL future Bethesda games multiplatform going forward.
And we know that’s not true, because they’d earlier laid down their ‘case by case’ promise.

We also know what they mean when they talk about expanding gaming and ‘reaching more people’

Phil Spencer, CEO of games at Microsoft, said in a video that in the wake of its 20th anniversary the Xbox team is envisioning a different world of gaming over the next 20 years.

The vision includes cloud gaming such as a deal being announced today where Microsoft will launch its Xbox Game Pass games on Samsung connected TVs starting on June 30.


We’re building a platform that can reach billions of players — whether it’s on console, whether it’s on PC, whether it’s through Xbox cloud streaming — where players on any device they want to play on should be able to find the content they want to play,” Spencer said.

Spencer made the remarks in a video released ahead of Sunday’s Xbox & Bethesda Games Showcase, where the company will show off its new games. Spencer said the company will focus on games at the event, but he wanted to offer an update on the company’s progress on its mission of “bringing the joy and community of gaming to three billion gamers on the planet.

At that time (in 2021) Microsoft was way more bullish about Cloud, and had made plans to launch a cloud streaming device until market launch taught them a lesson. I believe the free Fortnite streaming didn’t even get much traction.

None of this is difficult to comprehend. But they say there are none so blind as those who will not see…

Cant See Cheech Marin GIF
 

John Wick

Member
It’s been three years since FF7R Part 1 was released. I’m pretty sure everyone and their dog already knows it’s not coming to Xbox, and they know exactly why 😀



And now the developer has canceled all other versions of Starfield and chosen to focus solely on one console. Same thing, right?



But that’s pretty much how you tried to explain away the Stellar Blade situation, isn’t it?



And now they own the IP and the developer and are perfectly free to set whatever release platform they want. Especially when they made no promises to consumers or regulators to keep the IP multi-platform.
Why do you Xbox fans always blame Sony for Final Fantasy exclusivity?
Nothing is stopping MS to get an exclusive from SE. I'm sure they'll like MS money just as much as Sony’s.
Blame SE for not bringing FF to Xbox. Sony don't own SE or the IP.
FF7 was only available on PS.
 

quest

Not Banned from OT
Why do you Xbox fans always blame Sony for Final Fantasy exclusivity?
Nothing is stopping MS to get an exclusive from SE. I'm sure they'll like MS money just as much as Sony’s.
Blame SE for not bringing FF to Xbox. Sony don't own SE or the IP.
FF7 was only available on PS.
You do know it takes 2 sides to make a deal. Microsoft can't just walk in and say yeah give us the next ff game as an exclusive.
 

Ozriel

M$FT
Why do you Xbox fans always blame Sony for Final Fantasy exclusivity?
Nothing is stopping MS to get an exclusive from SE. I'm sure they'll like MS money just as much as Sony’s.
Blame SE for not bringing FF to Xbox. Sony don't own SE or the IP.
FF7 was only available on PS.

Did you see any blame in my previous comment? I’ve stated a fact. Sony’s bought themselves exclusivity. Microsoft’s doing the same. It’s business.

I’m pretty sure Bethesda would have loved Sony’s money for an outright purchase as much as they liked MS cash too. They certainly were happy to take cash for Deathloop and Ghostwire.
To borrow your own statement, nothing stopped Sony from putting in a bid.
 
Fair assessment.
Everyone's going to be biased in this. That's what shits me the most about all these holier-than-thou arguments about honesty and crap from either side. They're all lying through their teeth, MS, Sony, FTC, CMA ... they've all got an agenda. I just want to see an absolute shit-fight between MS and Sony so they're giving me the best value possible!
 
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Topher

Gold Member
No, not really ... there's a distinct difference. You can't have something taken away from you that you never had in the first place.

MS said they wouldn't take anything away, and so far they've stuck to their word. I still see all ZeniMax titles on my PlayStation at the moment

Matt Leblanc Whatever GIF

Yeah, the result is the same. There was going to be a PlayStation version of Starfield and Indiana Jones but Microsoft said nope.. That's just a fact. And it flies in the face of this good guy narrative that Phil Spencer has been pushing as to their motivations for buying Bethesda. You are right that he didn't technically lie, but that means he is only "technically" telling the truth as well. Put it this way: if Phil Spencer wanted to be completely honest and say "we cancelled the PS version of Starfield" then he could have done that. He didn't. So half-truths and all that implies.


They walked in and offered cash + incentives. Cost them far less than it would have cost MS given their marketshare and regional situations.

Extremely implausible that MS would have been able to secure a deal like that.

Completely plausible for a $2 trillion to outbid Sony. Profitable? Probably not which is why they didn't do it.
 

Gamerguy84

Member
Looks like the good Ol console wars are leaking into the real world, I know an Xbox fan at work. He's always bashing Sony and has no idea I'm even a gamer. He'll never know what's coming.

War is coming gentlemen, prepare yourselves.
 

adamsapple

Or is it just one of Phil's balls in my throat?
i am shocked they did not try to pull death loop and gw away from ps5.

Already announced platforms and release windows when the acquisition happened. And no Xbox builds for either in any state of development at that time.
 
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Yeah, the result is the same. There was going to be a PlayStation version of Starfield and Indiana Jones but Microsoft said nope.. That's just a fact. And it flies in the face of this good guy narrative that Phil Spencer has been pushing as to their motivations for buying Bethesda. You are right that he didn't technically lie, but that means he is only "technically" telling the truth as well. Put it this way: if Phil Spencer wanted to be completely honest and say "we cancelled the PS version of Starfield" then he could have done that. He didn't. So half-truths and all that implies.




Completely plausible for a $2 trillion to outbid Sony. Profitable? Probably not which is why they didn't do it.
As above, lose the 'good guy' 'bad guy' mindset. It's business, they're out to get each other no matter what they say. Honesty is a mugs game in business and Jim tells as many porkies as Phil. Beyond that, even if they do personally feel a certain 'honest' way, there will be business-wide motivations beyond their control. Sony and MS aren't small businesses where a manager from a division here or there calls the shots on organisational strategy.
 

Topher

Gold Member
As above, lose the 'good guy' 'bad guy' mindset. It's business, they're out to get each other no matter what they say. Honesty is a mugs game in business and Jim tells as many porkies as Phil. Beyond that, even if they do personally feel a certain 'honest' way, there will be business-wide motivations beyond their control. Sony and MS aren't small businesses where a manager from a division here or there calls the shots on organisational strategy.

I never had the "good guy" "bad guy" mindset. I've said for ages Microsoft and Sony are equally as bad with this shit. But Phil Spencer is the one pushing this bullshit "good guy" image. Not Jim Ryan. Jim Ryan acts like he barely gives a shit what gamers think of him. And I say that not caring very much for Jim Ryan at all.
 

Three

Member
I agree with this as Microsoft have already admitted that they only have 16-20% of the console market share and I doubt that Starfield being the best game ever released will change that. They need to have a few high quality Starfields under their belt before that happens.
Don't fall for their "woe is me" use of data. Starfield will have a considerable impact in most regions they care about.

They have a far greater percentage in regions they care about than they lead on even though their worldwide numbers aren't as high. They parade around worldwide numbers to regulators while not caring about most regions. They are absolutely terrible at catering to the rest of the world, especially when comes to things like localisation. I'd argue that their massive gap around the world and Europe was due to their own lack of interest in countries that they thought were lower revenue and not worth it. That's why their revenue punches way above their console install base. If anybody remembers the Xbox one they would remember the Tier 2 and Tier 3 countries where they didn't care about those regions and let PS build that worldwide lead.
This image was going round because of the very limited amount of countries they launched in

original.jpg


If they get a sizable lead or monopoly in a few of these priority countries they would be over the moon even if they have lower worldwide console sales. For now they'll just use the worldwide install base to suggest they are disadvantaged when it was their own lack of interest in most regions that caused the gap worldwide.
 
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I never had the "good guy" "bad guy" mindset. I've said for ages Microsoft and Sony are equally as bad with this shit. But Phil Spencer is the one pushing this bullshit "good guy" image. Not Jim Ryan. Jim Ryan acts like he barely gives a shit what gamers think of him. And I say that not caring very much for Jim Ryan at all.
Big deal if Phil pushes a 'good guy' image ... he probably is, but people have to make a buck, especially those in positions like him. Shit, we could have far worse. As for Jim, yeah, he seems a bit disinterested in what people think of him, probably why he's so successful business-wise.

As I've mentioned previously, I couldn't;t care less how much either of them lie ... I don't want to see a monopoly or unfair competition in the market and this deal doesn't create that in any conceivable way possible as far as I can see. So, I say have at it ... let them fight, and give us better value.
 
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Topher

Gold Member
Big deal if Phil pushes a 'good guy' image ... he probably is, but people have to make a buck, especially those in positions like him. Shit, we could have far worse. As for Jim, yeah, he seems a bit disinterested in what people think of him, probably why he's so successful business-wise.

As I've mentioned previously, I couldn't;t care less how much either of them lie ... I don't want to see a monopoly or unfair competition in the market and this deal doesn't create that in any conceivable way possible as far as I can see. So, I say have at it ... let them fight, and give us better value.

You do you then. If I see a guy who is trying to be a leader in the gaming industry and his actions don't match his words then I'll continue to call it out. To each their own, I guess.
 
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You do you then. If I see a guy who is trying to be a leader in the gaming industry and his actions don't match his words then I'll continue to call it out. To each their own, I guess.
Fair enough. I'd say for all their failures they're both pretty good at matching their words, but sometimes they have to play a bit dirty!
 
I have a post history with me being positive about both Xbox and PlayStation. Including some recent ‘ms shill’ posts praising FFXVI 😀

Yours when it comes to Xbox? Dire.

I see these insults for what they are. An inability to offer a sensible, logical rebuttal so you take the easy way out.

Cheers anyway. You tried
Oh wow you sure showed me...

Bragging about post history and how you recently praised final fantasy doesn't mean you can't and dont shill. Get real.

They're not insults; they're facts.

Right now there is alot of negative discussion and discord around Xbox and ms, why? Because their constant blatant lies and double speak have all came out in court. Not that most of us with half a brain needed to see it in court as their actions never aline with their lies.

With that said the die hards have kept quiet, avoid threads/discussion or faux ignorance. A few clowns have played the all corporations are the same and Sony too card.

And here's you defence force out in full force. There's nothing to defend bro. Ms has been caught doing what it always does. Buying out whatever field they're and destroying competition. Literally a Simpson gif on it from the 90s. Nothings changed.
 

Ozriel

M$FT
Completely plausible for a $2 trillion to outbid Sony. Profitable? Probably not which is why they didn't do it.

Not just about cash, is it? Xbox marketshare in Japan and the way the JRPG fanbase is skewed would mean a truly crazy amount to do this, and Square would still have balked at the public backlash in Japan.

Possible? Yes. Plausible? No. Profitable? 1000% not. Which is why nobody at MS would have signed off on it.

Oh wow you sure showed me...

Bragging about post history and how you recently praised final fantasy doesn't mean you can't and dont shill. Get real.

They're not insults; they're facts.

Right now there is alot of negative discussion and discord around Xbox and ms, why? Because their constant blatant lies and double speak have all came out in court. Not that most of us with half a brain needed to see it in court as their actions never aline with their lies.

With that said the die hards have kept quiet, avoid threads/discussion or faux ignorance. A few clowns have played the all corporations are the same and Sony too card.

And here's you defence force out in full force. There's nothing to defend bro. Ms has been caught doing what it always does. Buying out whatever field they're and destroying competition. Literally a Simpson gif on it from the 90s. Nothings changed.

All this vitriol because Microsoft decided to keep some of their own first party games exclusive?

Why should I concern myself with the manufactured outrage of forum bros when pretty much all but one regulator accepts that none of their purchases (or planned purchase of ABK) constitutes anti-competitive behavior in the console gaming space? Or when Jim Ryan himself privately admits that the deal does nothing to PlayStation?
‘Destroying competition’ by keeping Starfield and Indiana Jones exclusive? You can’t be serious.
 
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Topher

Gold Member
Not just about cash, is it? Xbox marketshare in Japan and the way the JRPG fanbase is skewed would mean a truly crazy amount to do this, and Square would still have balked at the public backlash in Japan.

Possible? Yes. Plausible? No. Profitable? 1000% not. Which is why nobody at MS would have signed off on it.

No, I agree. I do think MS would be willing to sacrifice some profitability to make some inroads in Japan, but only so far. At the same time, we know Phil Spencer has been having conversations in Japan and I don't doubt for a second that he would jump at the chance to do a deal like FFXVI.
 
Beyond help. In denial. Buying 3rd party publishers is very very different to getting timed exclusivity. No one stopped MS from signing exclusive games.
So why do MS keep on giving false lip service and acting the victim?
Why do you people keep taking the talking heads so fucking serious, it’s there job to sugar coat, and tell you exactly what you want to hear.

I’m starting think you guys are Phil super fans. It’s like arguing fucking politics. If you lot would set aside your bias of plastic boxes and just enjoyed the games that each console makers 1st party exclusive games (regardless if they were bought or “organically” grown like a fucking crop) then we can all discuss the games without the politics behind it.

Nobody here is changing anything about this industry. We’re all just faceless and nameless entities on the other end of a screen somewhere on this planet that share a common love of video games.
 

Helghan

Member
Didn't Sony even have the marketing rights at first? Or was negotiating this? Or wanted timed exclusivity?
 
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Not just about cash, is it? Xbox marketshare in Japan and the way the JRPG fanbase is skewed would mean a truly crazy amount to do this, and Square would still have balked at the public backlash in Japan.

Possible? Yes. Plausible? No. Profitable? 1000% not. Which is why nobody at MS would have signed off on it.



All this vitriol because Microsoft decided to keep some of their own first party games exclusive?

Why should I concern myself with the manufactured outrage of forum bros when pretty much all but one regulator accepts that none of their purchases (or planned purchase of ABK) constitutes anti-competitive behavior in the console gaming space? Or when Jim Ryan himself privately admits that the deal does nothing to PlayStation?
‘Destroying competition’ by keeping Starfield and Indiana Jones exclusive? You can’t be serious.
Have you heard yourself 😂. The destroy competition was refering to destroying Sony by buying Activision not starfield.

You're not capable of looking at ms history regarding monopolies it seems because the company as a long history of anti competitive behaviour and buying the biggest 3rd party publisher sure is anti competitive, especially when you throw in their bullshit double speak and quotes of destroying Sony.

You can carry on shilling now.
 
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