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Matt Booty confirms Bethesda/Xbox combined E3 conference

Starfield

Member
source: https://www.lefigaro.fr/secteur/hig...ft-savoure-son-mariage-avec-bethesda-20210519

Article is in french but they've talked directly with Matt Booty himself.

Translation of most important subjects:

I got to talk to Matt Booty, director of Xbox Game Studios. Regarding the Bethesda buyout:
- joint Microsoft-Bethesda conference in a few weeks
- objective: Bethesda new features in Game Pass from the day they are released
- Microsoft does not touch Bethesda's "publishing" services (marketing, sales, communication, overseas offices, etc.) and does not want to impose its own teams.
- Priority: leave studios their creative freedom (this applies to all other studio acquisitions by Xbox)
- Microsoft doesn't want its studios to create games based on what might work best on Game Pass. A priori, Xbox should therefore not follow the path of Netflix and the advanced analysis of viewing data.
It's not in the article but I obviously asked Matt Booty if other acquisitions were in sight: "I can't share anything!". But it did not smell of a firm and definitive no, so we stay on the lookout Eyes


Also, absent from the article: there was a "Covid impact" on the production of Xbox Game Studios games, which slowed down, the most impacted being those working on original creations (and not sequels). --> Starfield am Cry (I still #believe tho)
 

AV

We ain't outta here in ten minutes, we won't need no rocket to fly through space
Well yeah, why would they split it out and not remind people up-front that they own them now? Now they have have way less padding in the Xbox conference by rolling in all the heavy Bethesda hitters, no way they were ever gonna do otherwise.
 

jhjfss

Member
The booty has spoketh!
wrestling humiliation GIF
 

Clear

CliffyB's Cock Holster
Ummm, it would be really, REALLY weird if they made two separate conferences. Bethesda's studios are now part of MS, so obviously all their games should be shown on MS' conference.

That they keep emphasizing how they are leaving a lot of Bethesda's (i.e. Zenimax) back-end alone should tell you all you need to know about how things are going to shape up in the near-term.

Expect first, or better, or best on Xbox. They can't just turn the tap-off or expect massive blow-back. Starfield as a proper exclusive I can buy, but beyond that... I still say timed exclusivity will be the norm.
 
E3 is gonna hurt the PS5 owners, all the Bethesda goodness is going to be hard to miss out on.
It's only going to hurt fanboys, and i say that as a PlayStation guy. If you love Bethesda games, you can always get a PC/Series S/X or in worst case just stream it. PC + PS5 (+ Switch if you care about Nintendo games), and you are not going to miss out on any game. I'd imagine a few people already bought a second console along to their main one, since they were intersted what the other platform had to offer. If anything, this will drive more people to do the same, but i doubt that the majority of people are going to abandon their main platform due to that.

The only thing that truly sucks as a Playstation guy is that there will be no more Platinum Trophy runs for Bethesa games, but the majority of PlayStation users don't care about them anyway (and you can still 100% games on other platforms too).
 
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Schmick

Member
- Priority: leave studios their creative freedom (this applies to all other studio acquisitions by Xbox)
- Microsoft doesn't want its studios to create games based on what might work best on Game Pass. A priori, Xbox should therefore not follow the path of Netflix and the advanced analysis of viewing data.
That... right there... needs to be remembered for eternity whenever Gamepass is discussed on this forum. This counters a lot of naysayers comments about MS controlling what type of game goes on Gamepass.
 

kuncol02

Banned
That they keep emphasizing how they are leaving a lot of Bethesda's (i.e. Zenimax) back-end alone should tell you all you need to know about how things are going to shape up in the near-term.

Expect first, or better, or best on Xbox. They can't just turn the tap-off or expect massive blow-back. Starfield as a proper exclusive I can buy, but beyond that... I still say timed exclusivity will be the norm.
HOLY FUCKING SHIT
Phill literally said himself that Bethesda games will be available only "on platforms where GamePass is available".
It's time to accept that Bethesda games will not be available on PS5.
 
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Markio128

Member
HOLY FUCKING SHIT
Phill literally said himself that Bethesda games will be available only "on platforms where GamePass is available".
It's time to accept that Bethesda games will not be available on PS5.
* MS announces Game Pass will be on PS5 at E3

Never going to happen, but it would be a massive lol moment if it did
 

SLB1904

Banned
HOLY FUCKING SHIT
Phill literally said himself that Bethesda games will be available only "on platforms where GamePass is available".
It's time to accept that Bethesda games will not be available on PS5.
Just out of curiosity. Do you have a direct quote?
 

kuncol02

Banned
Just out of curiosity. Do you have a direct quote?

<<Head of Xbox Phil Spencer noted that there are certain contractual obligations for titles to still come to other platforms, undoubtedly referring to Deathloop and Ghostwire: Tokyo, which are timed PS5 console exclusives.

Outside of these contractual exceptions, Spencer offered a statement that seems pretty clear moving ahead."...if you're an Xbox customer, the thing I want you to know is this is about delivering great exclusive games for you that ship on platforms where Game Pass exists, and that's our goal," Spencer said.>>

I have no idea how anyone can have any doubts after that statement.
 

Schmick

Member
Just out of curiosity. Do you have a direct quote?
Where are you going with this?



 
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Bernkastel

Ask me about my fanboy energy!
That they keep emphasizing how they are leaving a lot of Bethesda's (i.e. Zenimax) back-end alone should tell you all you need to know about how things are going to shape up in the near-term.

Expect first, or better, or best on Xbox. They can't just turn the tap-off or expect massive blow-back. Starfield as a proper exclusive I can buy, but beyond that... I still say timed exclusivity will be the norm.
At this point your posts sound like praying to hopefully get the outcome you desperately wanted. You literally ignore the direct quote from Phil about delivering exclusives only to platforms where Game Pass exists and use some old out of context quotes from an interview.
 
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Bernkastel

Ask me about my fanboy energy!
Where are you going with this?




There still people who will say this is "extremely vague statement by MS" and instead rap "first, or better, or best on Xbox".
 

SLB1904

Banned
Where are you going with this?




Hey I'm just curious. The amount of spin since Bethesda aquicsision is weird. But will se. One month they will have to say what they are doing anyway
 

Schmick

Member
Hey I'm just curious. The amount of spin since Bethesda aquicsision is weird. But will se. One month they will have to say what they are doing anyway
The thing is, regardless of the "spin" that has been occurring you only need to watch that YouTube video to know that Bethesda games will be exclusive to Gamepass (except those contractually agreed otherwise prior to the acquisition).
 
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Bernkastel

Ask me about my fanboy energy!
Hey I'm just curious. The amount of spin since Bethesda aquicsision is weird. But will se. One month they will have to say what they are doing anyway
There was no spin. They could not give a definite answer because the acquisition was not finished.
First of all, I would like to say that we haven't acquired ZeniMax. We have announced our intention to acquire ZeniMax. It is going through regulatory approval and we don't see any issues there. We expect early in 2021 the deal will close. But I say that because I want people to know, I'm not sitting down with Todd Howard and Robert Altman and planning their future. Because I'm currently not allowed to do that, that would be illegal. Your question is completely inbound, but I get a lot of questions right now: "is this game exclusive? Is this game exclusive?" And right now, that is not my job in regards to ZeniMax. My job is not to sit down and go through their portfolio and dictate what happens.
After the deal was closed, they posted the Bethesda Round Table clarifying exclusivity.
 
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