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Phil Spencer further clarifies the nature of Bethesda exclusivity

Xaero Gravity

NEXT LEVEL lame™
Well the same logic would apply to Minecraft, and that's not been the case. I don't blame people for asking questions, considering how unusual MS's strategy has been in terms of exclusives hitting other systems.
The PS4 version of Minecraft was released before MS purchased Mojang though. None of the games released on PS4 and Switch, namely Minecraft Dungeons and the two Ori games are anywhere near the significance of an Elder Scrolls or Fallout in terms of a console's exclusive line up.

The biggest MS published release on another console after the purchase of Mojang, was Minecraft on the Switch. But I'm not sure MS views Nintendo as the same kind of competition as they do with Sony.
 
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Hey Blinkin

Member
I'm making the move to Xbox this gen mostly because of this acquisition, and Fable.

In a few years when the PS5 gets a mid gen upgrade, I'll buy one for their exclusives.

This isn't hard. I get that people want these games on their platform of choice, but it ain't going to happen. At least not any time soon.

Just enjoy the PS5 experience until you can save up for an Xbox to play Bethesda games.
 

Sweep14

Member
It's a boss move and the exact deal that Xbox needed. Sony fans are gonna have some tough choices to make in a couple of years. Can't hate on Xbox here for this.

And if Sony buys Capcom and/or Square Enix, MS fans are also gonna have though choices ? Don't know your opinion but those kind of Boss Moves will ineluctably hurt the whole gaming community when all is say and done. Had MS spend those 7,5 billion dollars in creating new studios or expanding their existing ones, they would have gain a lot more of respect.
 

Krappadizzle

Gold Member
Thank you. You just proved my point by just mentioning Skyrim and Fallout 3 as your claims of why they bought Bethesda.

They are only swimming in money because of their software company.
You made the bullshit claim and can't back anything up because you are an emotional juvenile that can't understand the world doesn't revolve around your feelings. Either provide some evidence to how
Bethesda is a dying company in any case.
or stop spreading bullshit.
 
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The_Mike

I cry about SonyGaf from my chair in Redmond, WA
Sony players:
"lmao I would buy an Xbox if it had games. But it has none"

Also Sony players:
"ree why is Doom, Elder Scrolls and Fallout not on my PS5. I can't play them anymore cus I never intended to buy an Xbox"
Or:
"it's cool though I have a PC with a raid cabinet consisting of 3090s.

I can understand it sucks. But the amount of comedians right now is funny as hell. The amount of delusional is insane.
 
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Warablo

Member
Mucosoft can change they mind

They might allow gamepass on playstation someday

Who knows what future hold
Microsoft would absolutely love Game Pass on Playstion, the only thing holding that up is Sony allowing it, not Microsoft.
Looks like ghost wire is the last Bethesda game I'll play. I'm ok with that.
That would be nothing but your choice, you have a choice of a phone/smart devices, PC or Xbox to play Zenimax studio games on.
 
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😅 Bless ya. If that's all you've got, your in trouble 😅 80 euro games..you kids go to far with the stupidity...
Well, only sony fanboys are always low on money in the end. Those cries of millions how they can afford only 500$ once per 7 years

Though as soon as somebody mentions "kids" you can safely bet he is in his 20s.
 
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Sweep14

Member
He shouldnt have to even give an answer to this question, most people know its not going to happen. The reason why he isnt giving a 'firm' answer to this question is becaue he wants as little negativity surrounding Xbox as possible, leading up to release. In fact i doubt we will get a conclusive answer until E3 next year, when Starfield is revealed with the 'Only on Xbox and PC' tag.

Doesn't matter, he will get all the negativity and backlash when the exclusivity is confirmed.
 

InDaGulag

Member
Iam sure this will turn out to be a bad deal for Bethesda. If they start doing Elder Scrolls exclusive for one console that never had huge install bases of the PS 4 size they will reduce their whole revenue.

You don't get it. Bethesda's revenue will now include all of Microsoft's revenue. While they will maintain their current organizational structure and studios they will become 100% a division of Microsoft. Any lost revenue from PS sales will be made up for by Game Pass subscriptions and getting the full cut of a sale on Xbox and the Windows Store. Microsoft is a $1 trillion dollar company, Bethesda will be fine.

It's over. After the two paid exclusives end, no more Bethesda games will be coming to PS consoles.
 
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Iam sure this will turn out to be a bad deal for Bethesda. If they start doing Elder Scrolls exclusive for one console that never had huge install bases of the PS 4 size they will reduce their whole revenue.

Huh? Why would Bethesda care? Are you talking about Zenimax or the actual game studios? Zenimax board members are probably on cloud nine right now dreaming of the stacks of cash MS will deliver them.

Why would the game studio care about a specific platform? They will have access to MS tools, other teams and more resources. You think Bungie cared about Xbox when they fucked their decade long fans over with timed bullshit? Or Remedy? It's just business for them. Howard got a 150M$ bonus. He don't give a flying fuck about PS4.
 

Redlancet

Banned


You are so full of absolute shit. Skyrim is still one of the best selling games of ALL time. Not just it's generational release, ALL time. On top of the crazy long legs that Oblivion, Fallout 3, NV, 4 have. They are swimming in money. Just a brief glimpse of your history shows how much FUD you like to spread about MSFT. It's really sad and pathetic. I foresee you not lasting long here on GAF.

I challenge you to provide a modicum of evidence. Just a smidge.
its not a secret they where bleeding money and in not a good state, so maybe you are the one who ls wrong
 
You don't get it. Bethesda's revenue will now include all of Microsoft's revenue. While they will maintain their current organizational structure and studios they will become 100% a division of Microsoft. Any lost revenue from PS sales will be made up for by Game Pass subscriptions and getting the full cut of a sale on Xbox and the Windows Store. Microsoft is a $1 trillion dollar company, Bethesda will be fine.

It's over. After the two paid exclusives end, no more Bethesda games will be coming to PS consoles.

Shhh. Just let them keep going.
 
What's interesting to me is people go on and on about how games like Skyrim and fallout 4 aren't even very good without mods. then there are the Doom fans who say you have to play it with mouse and keyboard. I would in no way deny the size of the audience these games would have on a PS5 but it's a weird issue to get hung up on in a gaming forum. If the games matter this much to you I'm sure you'll find a way to play them.
 

MrS

Banned
And if Sony buys Capcom and/or Square Enix, MS fans are also gonna have though choices ?
Yes of course. Lets be real, Xbox fans already have tough choices to make given the undeniable quality of PS exclusives. The launch day line ups of both consoles say a lot about the preparedness and appetite for competition of both platform holders imho - one is clearly much better than the other.

Don't know your opinion but those kind of Boss Moves will ineluctably hurt the whole gaming community when all is say and done. Had MS spend those 7,5 billion dollars in creating new studios or expanding their existing ones, they would have gain a lot more of respect.
My opinion on it is that as a massive PS fan, the more AAA exclusives Xbox can bring to their console, the greater their chance of getting me to buy a console will become. Bethesda games + a slew of Xbox exclusives I missed last gen + new games this gen by the other studios they own + game pass all combine to make Series X an attractive proposition for somebody who was already a little interested in their next gen offering.

Regarding creating studios vs buying them, Sony fans didn't complain or talk about anti-competitiveness when Sony bought Insomniac. One can't be hypocritical about these things. Takeovers are simply part of business, as you well know. If Sony bought a new studio tomorrow, no Sony gamer would spare a thought for Xbox gamers. There's no respect in potentially wasting money creating a studio when you can buy tried and tested IP with existing, loving fanbase like DOOM, TES and Fallout have.
 
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The_Mike

I cry about SonyGaf from my chair in Redmond, WA
Microsoft would absolutely love Game Pass on Playstion, the only thing holding that up is Sony allowing it, not Microsoft.

Explain to me why Gamepass is not on Switch. It would be logical given how open Nintendo was with cross play and xbox login on Switch, long before Sony even considered it.

I need to understand why Microsoft wants to destroy their own platforms, because I'm too stupid to understand it apparently.
 

Tmack

Member
All that gamepass talk and i still can`t figure out from a industry stand point, how this can a viable model.

From a consumer, short term POV, it`s great, of course.
 

Mobile Suit Gooch

Grundle: The Awakening
Microsoft would absolutely love Game Pass on Playstion, the only thing holding that up is Sony allowing it, not Microsoft.

That would be nothing but your choice, you have a choice of a phone/smart devices, PC or Xbox to play Zenimax studio games on.
I guess.
 

petran79

Banned
Microsoft would absolutely love Game Pass on Playstion, the only thing holding that up is Sony allowing it, not Microsoft.

That would be nothing but your choice, you have a choice of a phone/smart devices, PC or Xbox to play Zenimax studio games on.

Would Microsoft allow psnow on xbox?
 

Blond

Banned
Lol my stance remains the same: This entire generation everyone hated them till they became a weapon in the console war. Still gonna miss Evil Within 3 if that ever happens but Tango and ID still remain the best acquisitions in this deal.
 
So Phil made a boss move and Xbox have signature exclusives outside of halo, Forza and Gears. I know I’m new here, but is this really controversial? I thought people just liked to shitpost about Bethesda games coming to PS, ya know in jest.

if anything wouldn’t this just push PS to explore more games outside of TP story games?
 

S0ULZB0URNE

Member
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Don't see him saying it wasn't happening.
 

The_Mike

I cry about SonyGaf from my chair in Redmond, WA
MS likes money. Shocking.

And Sony is that friend that acts like he wants whats best for you if you buy them things, which in this case means if you buy their platform.

TLDR: Sony likes money as well as any other company. Shocking.
 
All that gamepass talk and i still can`t figure out from a industry stand point, how this can a viable model.

From a consumer, short term POV, it`s great, of course.
Well it’s not without precedent you just have to look at Netflix’s model.
 

Komatsu

Member
And if Sony buys Capcom and/or Square Enix, MS fans are also gonna have though choices ?

If my dog had hooves, it’d be a horse.

As of today, Sony is not buying Square Enix (of which they divested themselves of 47MM worth of stock not five years ago) or Capcom.
 

M1chl

Currently Gif and Meme Champion
So is MS anti-consumer now? And is Phil Spencer officially a liar? Didn't he say they didn't believe in doing video game's business this way?
No, because most people aren't their customer.

The bias continues, why do Sony fanboys want Microsoft to release Bethesda games on PlayStation when if Sony had bought out Bethesda they would not be asking the same thing on if Xbox should get the games when in reality they would be bragging about it and Sony would not release anything other than PC. I mean let’s be real, Microsoft didn’t buy out Bethesda for 7 billion just to continue adding Bethesda games to PlayStation. It doesn’t make any dang sense.
RE 5 and what ever was that weeb shit, which came with "shot themeselfs in the foot copy-pasta"...
 
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BlackM1st

Banned
MS never gonna recoup the investment, but looks like they don't care. Unlike Sony they can afford it.

Hell, they still keep going with an XBOX project, so it shows that they are ready to spend money without any hope of ever getting them back.

Looks like MS executives believe that having a gaming platform even if it is in red is more important than having a couple of billions in cash laying around.
 

Redlight

Member
What about Minecraft coming to PS4? Minecraft on Switch? Didn’t that acquisition cost them 2 billion dollars? What do they gain? HOW COULD THIS BE!?

Answer: Profit. Microsoft are a business first, they don’t give a fuck about your fanboy tantrums. And no, they won’t bring smaller games like Hellblade 2 to PS5, but it’s extremely likely games like Fallout and Skyrim will land on those platforms — whether that’s day 1, or a year later.
Unlike Zenimax, Minecraft was announced as multi-platform by MS the very moment it was acquired.

They needed that money to pay for Zenimax, so thanks Sony fans! :)
 
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J____Av

Member
I wonder what kind of spin the media will give this to tell themselves the games will still come to PlayStation.

IF it ever did come to PS (and i really doubt it ever will) Phil and Microsoft wouldn't say it was until the game was at least announced. Especially before a console launch where they are trying to steal some of PS's user base
 

Alebrije

Member
Better options than current Bethesda IPs :

Fallout : Cyberpunk , yep even just with demos this new CDPR looks and feels better than Fallout 4 and 76.

Elders Scrolls : Withcher 3 and maybe in the future 4.

Doom : Do no think PS5 will have somehting similar unless they develop something.

Rest of Behesdas IPs as average not game changer.

But again as a PS5 user Iam fine with exclusives ....I will miss Elder Scrolls but have options. Also think sony should invest on a wrpg and fps developer.
 
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J____Av

Member
And if Sony buys Capcom and/or Square Enix, MS fans are also gonna have though choices ? Don't know your opinion but those kind of Boss Moves will ineluctably hurt the whole gaming community when all is say and done. Had MS spend those 7,5 billion dollars in creating new studios or expanding their existing ones, they would have gain a lot more of respect.

Its a boss move for Microsoft and helps their brand. Is it good for gaming? Obviously not. They didn't gain any games they were not getting anyway.
 

J____Av

Member
So Phil made a boss move and Xbox have signature exclusives outside of halo, Forza and Gears. I know I’m new here, but is this really controversial? I thought people just liked to shitpost about Bethesda games coming to PS, ya know in jest.

if anything wouldn’t this just push PS to explore more games outside of TP story games?

Its more Xbox fans didn't gain any games they were not getting anyway. They just took games away from others. It is good for game pass though
 
MS never gonna recoup the investment, but looks like they don't care. Unlike Sony they can afford it.

Hell, they still keep going with an XBOX project, so it shows that they are ready to spend money without any hope of ever getting them back.

Looks like MS executives believe that having a gaming platform even if it is in red is more important than having a couple of billions in cash laying around.
They'll probably recoup. Maybe not in the first decade of owning it, but I'm sure by some point.
 

MrFunSocks

Banned
Liar!!! We all know that MS bought zenimax purely for revenue, not to try and grow the Xbox brand and game pass subscriber base. Microsoft have been really struggling for revenue lately, they’re only worth some pittance like a trillion dollars. They’re really hurting and they need the might of the PlayStation 5 to prop them up.

Just to make sure people understand, as it seems to confuse some people, that was all sarcastic. Of course MS first party studios won’t make games for Sony. When was the last time Sony’s first party studios released games on the Xbox? It’s astounding that people have it in their head that Microsoft need PlayStation game sales lol.
 

CamHostage

Member
He kinda said two things at once there.

Whatever that means.

Well, he's got a win-win situation going; whichever way the whims of the market take him, he can use Bethesda products the way that works out best. If it's in the best interest of the Xbox brand to contain the full force and fury of these brands within the Xbox ecosystem, he can do that. (The only concern is if these will make $7.5b back, but we're talking big, big brands here.) If, however, the market continues this trend of franchises being their own platform of userbase and the Bethesda brands are best served launching as wide as possible, he can make that choice too. Microsoft has even explored Option B with Minecraft, so he's got the data already (and continuing to come in from the competitor's platforms) to help him make the choice easier. And, he doesn't have to choose any time soon, and he doesn't have to choose for all the brands at once, and he STILL wins by not making a choice immediately. Right now, the message is, "If it matters to you to play Elder Scrolls, Fallout, Doom, & Starfield, there is a brand new Xbox that you must choose to own. If you're wishing to play any of these games and more but still can't convince yourself to trade over, well, don't spend all your money in one place because maybe just maybe we'll be coming for you there too..."

All roads lead to Xbox.
 
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...and in all of that, still nothing to simply say “these games will be exclusive to Xbox”. His statements are chock-full of deliberate ambiguity. The possibility of bringing these to other platforms is left hanging there.

“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.”

So... the intention was not to take the games away from other platforms?

“we have xCloud and PC and Game Pass and our console base,”

GamePass listed separately from PC and the Xbox “console base”? What other platforms is it available on?

“I don’t have to go ship those games on any other platform other than the platforms that we support in order to kind of make the deal work for us. Whatever that means”

What it means, dear reader, is that he wants to offer these games to everyone, taking money from everyone, by turning PlayStation into a “supported platform” for GamePass.

The possibility is definitely being left open. The wording is deliberately vague but still broadly inclusive. React away, Xlads and Xlasses.

He's a used car salesman and is full of it, xcloud, gp, xbox etc is all their platform so all they have done is take these games away from other platforms unless they decide to keep making the big Bethesda titles multiplatform.
 
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