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Should Microsoft make Bethesda games only on Xbox and PC or continue to support Nintendo and PlayStation by releasing games on those platforms?

Should they share the games with Sony and Nintendo?

  • Yes they should share it.

    Votes: 137 31.0%
  • No keep it for themselves.

    Votes: 305 69.0%

  • Total voters
    442

odhiex

Member
I don't expect "everything" will come out in platforms outside Microsoft's.

I think some would be exclusive to XBOX (and PC), while others stays multi-platforms.
 
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I fully expect them to be Xbox console exclusive while still releasing on pc and steam because .. I will play elderscrolls on pc through steam with the full selection of mods and BUG FIXES it's the only way to play es ! ... I don't care for any other game Bethesda puts out .
 
Xbox has had an exclusives problem for almost a decade. If they were smart they would not release Bethesda games on Playstation going forward.

Xbox had Mass Effect, Saints Row, Titanfall...and they let them all go. Imagine a world where Saints Rows 3, TitanFall 2 and Mass Effect 2 were Xbox exclusives.
 
It's better for their brand to keep it to themselves. It's better for their bottom line to support all platforms. Ultimately they may do both--publishing on everything but making the Xbox/PC version a timed exclusive, or perhaps locking specific content to their own platform (DLC, maps, characters, etc.)
 

Cornbread78

Member
They should keep all major AAA games exclusive but keep the big GaaS type stuff on all platforms and continue to support them with microtransactions = profit.
ESO will stay multi, but there will be XBox/PC user exclusive perks no doubt.. new games will not be multi though..
 

Sejan

Member
On the one hand, Microsoft is in desperate need of quality exclusives. On the other hand, not releasing Fallout 5 and Elder Scrolls 6 would be a huge hit on their potential sales. I think it would cost them a ton to hold ES6 from the PS5, but keeping it exclusive would likely move XBoxes. There’s good reasons to go with either option.

All in all, i think that ES6 being Xbox exclusive would likely just encourage another company to make a similar world world fantasy rpg that’s similar either as a PS5 exclusive or as a multi platform game.
 
Games made by Bethesda may end up being like MLB The Show.
MLB The Show is both publish and develop by Sony and is now available on Xbox platforms.
It would be wise for Microsoft to do the same as it would bring it more revenue to sustain Game Pass.
rDBfJgE.png

The Show 21 on Xbox is published by MLB
 

FrankWza

Member
Have it both ways. GamePass exclusive for 6 months to a year, then other platforms.
I don’t think this does much either way. They’d if they were considering keeping the games multiplat they would be better off doing it for 6 years and then pulling everything into exclusivity. Once they’ve established enough new IPs enticing that you’d want to buy a system for so you can play the sequels.
The Show 21 on Xbox is published by MLB
that’s rbi baseball. Sony publishes The Show
 

quest

Not Banned from OT
It's better for their brand to keep it to themselves. It's better for their bottom line to support all platforms. Ultimately they may do both--publishing on everything but making the Xbox/PC version a timed exclusive, or perhaps locking specific content to their own platform (DLC, maps, characters, etc.)
If zenimax was not making money and the owners wanted to sell why would Microsoft want to continue the same failed strategy? Timed exclusive would sell zero Xboxes so zero gamepass subs and timed exclusives sell like shit on the other platforms because they are old games when released. Making the games exclusive and selling more Xbox's and gamepass subs is the only real play. It is just a longer term one. For the next decade 75% of Gamepass subs will be Xbox owners. Microsoft needs exclusives to sell Xbox's.
 

Sakura

Member
If they release it on other platforms then what was the point of buying them?
Skyrim has sold what, 30 to 40 million copies. Let's say it sold 40 million copies, and they made 40 bucks off each copy (in reality many of those copies were sold via sale so even less). That's 1.6 billion dollars. The game costs money to develop and promote, so that is not straight 1.6 billion of profit. And it's not like they are putting out Skyrim tier titles left and right. TESV came out 10 years ago and TESVI is no where in sight. Fallout 4 sold a decent amount, but Fallout 76 was a bust.
Microsoft paid 7.5 billion dollars. If the goal was to simply make money off of Bethesda releasing their games on multiple platforms, it would take decades before the acquisition made back the money they spent.
It would make a lot more sense if the goal was to increase sales/appeal of the Xbox.
 
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TLZ

Banned
That's the case for ALL companies, but the disingenuous part is that almost no one ever asks this question WRT Sony or Nintendo's 1P output coming to other platforms. Again, these are all corporations, they just want to get as much money as they can, you would think Sony & Nintendo would know for sure they could get even more revenue and profit selling their games on Xbox and PC platforms, yet Sony barely does and Nintendo outright doesn't.

Do you guys think Sony and Nintendo are charities and want to leave money on the table? Or do you acknowledge that exclusives are important for a platform and if so, why insist that only one company (Microsoft) ignore what you consider a reality? I feel like a lot of people know the answers to these questions but have other reasons for insisting what THEY view as Microsoft's biggest IPs (particularly now, with acquisition of Zenimax) still come to other platforms, particularly PlayStation, and never once discuss about what games Sony should probably consider bringing to Xbox & PC to make the exchange fair (i.e it'd have to be a good bit more than MLB: The Show and Horizon).

And it's not worth saying that Sony and Microsoft's platform models are different; they both want to sell consoles, they have both spent tons of money in R&D and production for these systems, and they both still thrive off of software sales in their ecosystem. Microsoft's business model just has a few more additional levels of flexibility reliant on the cloud and subscription services, that's the only real difference. But it's certainly not enough for them to justify compromising their own ecosystem and services by bringing software that'd otherwise draw people to them as exclusive content, to other ecosystems wholesale such as PlayStation and Switch.
It's not about being disingenuous, but because MS has done it with other IPs. So they give the feeling they're not as fussed about it as we are.

Personally, I prefer exclusives.
 

FrankWza

Member
It's not about being disingenuous, but because MS has done it with other IPs. So they give the feeling they're not as fussed about it as we are.

Personally, I prefer exclusives.
Comparing acquisitions to internally developed IPs or studios is never going to make sense. Them LEAVING these games multiplat is not the same as making Halo multiplat Or Sony making Uncharted multiplat or Nintendo making Mario multiplat. Zeni studios are hired guns that are going to be, for the most part, making established IPs that made their company able to be valued and purchased for 7.5 million. That’s the bottom line on the dumb question of why it doesn’t apply to Sony or Nintendo. None of these games or IPs are even close to being remotely synonymous with Xbox. When Sony or Nintendo pay for a bunch of studios and a bunch of games we can ask that question. Meanwhile they continue to make games from studios they develop or nurture and maintain great relationships with and then purchase.
 

Zannegan

Member
What do I want them to do? Put it on everything, of course.

What should they do for the health if their company and brand? Timed exclusives at the very least.

If you tell people the only place they can get "Skyrim 2" is Xbox, a lot of them are going to run out and buy an Xbox. It may not become their primary console, but like Nintendo with Mario _____ or Wii Sports or Animal Crossing; if people want to play the game bad enough, they'll buy the console.
 
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sainraja

Member
Oh no , I don't think like you at all. Windows is a Microsoft product that now serves the company as a trojan horse to offer countless products. Office, Azure,Gamepass,Skype,Teams and many, many others. It is so clear that indeed we have the Xbox application pre-installed on every Windows ... do you think Sony could do it? I don't understand how you can even think that Ms has no control over theirs operating system, the reality is that Microsoft never was really interested in gaming otherwise I assure you that she would have become as ferocious as Ms has been in many other areas of their interest and we are beginning to see this ferocity with the acquisitions it is making. Anyway, I never said that Microsoft has control of the world of PC gaming. I said that Ms currently has easily lot more user reach through the multiple supported devices than Sony can hope to achieve with the ps5 while selling more than the ps4 it's just the harsh reality of numbers. To be clear this doesn't mean every game but will sell more than Sony's blockbusters !!!! .To conclude I think that Ms will release on PlayStation the mmo and games knows would not promote and push the platform. If you are expecting a hyped by the masses 90+ metacritic AAA developed by Ms (if it will ever be released obviously hehehe) to come out on PlayStation well I think you don't get Phil Spencer's intentions
Oh I am not counting on the fact that Microsoft will be putting games on the Playstation. I am just not ruling it out. I've been wrong on one account already - I really thought Microsoft meant it when they said all games during the first 2 years would be cross generation (but we got The Medium.)
 

Zannegan

Member
What they should do is keep it to Xbox and PC, which for the large majority of major AAA titles, they will. Unless Nintendo and Sony allow Game Pass on their platforms. Phil Spencer has been upfront, that is what they want.

I’m not saying I agree or it’s right, but they own the company. We wouldn’t even be having this conversation if they had been acquired by Sony.
Oh, that's an interesting idea--allow it on the console but not for purchase, only in the form of gamepass?

I mean, I hate the very idea and would refuse to buy in on principle, but it would probably make good business sense. Ugh. That's probably what they'll do.
 

MonarchJT

Banned
Games made by Bethesda may end up being like MLB The Show.
MLB The Show is both publish and develop by Sony and is now available on Xbox platforms.
It would be wise for Microsoft to do the same as it would bring it more revenue to sustain Game Pass.
rDBfJgE.png
like for fifa using real names shirts etc etc forced sony to release on other system probably they would like would happen for fifa lose the license if they didn't.
 
It gone to be full blown exclusive to the Xbox and Microsoft ecosystem of Console and PC it won't come to Playstation i guarantee it.
 

dalekjay

Member
I would say half the way, 1 or 2 years of exclusivity , so people really wanna play would change to a Xbox channel, and people who don’t care are people that wouldn’t change anyway so they buy it and Ms make some more
 

Nitty_Grimes

Made a crappy phPBB forum once ... once.
I don’t care either way but all the thumbs up comments about Fallout 5 coming to other machines then why hasn’t Halo is a pointless argument.

MS purchased Bungie for one precise reason, to have a FPS on the OG Xbox at launch, a platform exclusive.

The purchase of Bethesda on the other hand, an already established multi platform publisher just to close ranks and put everything on game pass makes zero commercial sense.

If they can make the money back with game pass subs then fine but let’s just be hypothetical say Fallout was launching next year and there’s 5 million series x and five million PlayStation 5’s in the wild. You telling me they wouldn’t want another potential million sales to Sony for £/$ 60-80 as well as a million downloading it for £12 month on game pass?

Potential returns, sixty million for one, twelve million for the other? Offer that to the MS shareholders see what they say.
 
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Zug

Member
Microsoft is, and always has been a software company. The Xbox platform only exists to sell more software.
Bethesda games will exist on every console, just like Windows VMs run on ESX, and Office runs on Mac.
 

mxbison

Member
I think the games will be day 1 on GamePass, and then other platforms (maybe delayed) for $80.

They already pulled that shit with Gears Tactics on Steam.
 
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This is exactly what I was thinking when I first heard of the purchased.
It's all about making more money for these companies.
Only fan boys would say otherwise.

If Microsoft do make all those games exclusive, and on game pass to boot.
It would take them ages to turn around to be in the profit margin.
And it also depends on how much console they sell.

Microsoft doesn't need Sony to get their turnaround. Game Pass getting many more subscribers due to those Bethesda games is far more valuable to Microsoft in the long term than multi-platform sales thanks to Playstation releases. Playstation is simply not a bigger value to Microsoft than Game Pass subscribers and a significantly boosted Xbox brand.
 

Shmunter

Member
Yeah MS spends billions on a corp so its games can come out the PS. Listen to yourselfs, will you...
2 years down the line they'll all be on XBox or PC with maybe the odd port to Nintendo HH system if you're lucky
MIcrosoft doesn't see it's future in an plastic box. It's about software sales volumes and subscriptions from here on in.

If gamepass fails, they'll be totally 3rd party. Print, and bury.
 
If there is a business case to share games between platforms from both MS and Sony in addition to supporting a new industry wide standard of all games being cross generation/cross platform across the board then I say FUCK YEAH. YES PLEASE !!!

But this likely won't happen so I'm in the camp of Xbox can keep what they want to keep as exclusive which is good news for everyone. This fierce competiton will push both PS and Xbox to deliver quality games so we all fucking win.

Ya hear me!!! You rabid, cocksucking anal retentive warriors 🤣
 

The_Mike

I cry about SonyGaf from my chair in Redmond, WA
For us as customers, continuing on with the games being multiplatform as they are now is obviously the better choice.

For them as a business, they gain nothing from keeping these releases off Playstation and Nintendo systems.

Xbox is never going to be a serious competitor for the other two, and PC players have zero reason to switch to Xbox.
Sony gains nothing from keeping their games on playstation.

They do? It only works one way?

Read your own post as it was Sony who bought Bethesda, I'm sure it would be very different.
 

Shubh_C63

Member
Not all.
But maybe maybe if ES6 becomes as huge as Skyrim with a successful auction house. Then MS will put it on every platform after 2 years.
 

The_Mike

I cry about SonyGaf from my chair in Redmond, WA
Not all.
But maybe maybe if ES6 becomes as huge as Skyrim with a successful auction house. Then MS will put it on every platform after 2 years.
Whay do you mean by auction house? Why would a single player game have a auction house?
 

shubik

Member
From a business standpoint: yes they should continue to make games for all other platforms. From a brand perspective: This would finally solve Microsoft's problem of not having relevant exclusives.

In the end I think the business perspective will win. Microsoft already said several times that they don´t see Sony as competition. They have a different endgame and soon you will not even need a Xbox to play those games on your TV.
 

KillLaKam

Neo Member
As a PlayStation and PC gamer I’d say keep it to themselves.
Only because of how annoying Sony exclusivities are, like it seems like Bloodborne is gonna be stuck on hardware that was already underpowered last gen since Sony won’t even bring it to PC. If Sony wants to keep every game to themselves then MS should keep every game off of Sony hardware too
 

TonyK

Member
I'm a PS5 owner and I say if they are smart they should maintain Bethesda games only for their game ecosystem. If Bethesda, Arkane and id software games would appear only in XBsex I will buy one for sure.
 

ToTTenTranz

Banned
So how does this logic work with Insomniac? Every other Spiderman game was multiplat until their releases... while SONY does still currently maintain the rights, they don't own the IP. Yet the most recent games are SONY exclusive with no plans for other consoles. I think that there is no legal ramifications and it will be Microsoft's choice, just as Spiderman was for SONY.
Then perhaps Microsoft should have sued for Sony tying Spiderman to the PS4. Or perhaps the MCU Spiderman deals between Disney and Sony Pictures that started in 2015 included a broader range of exclusivity that extends to games, which makes the job harder for an accusation.
Or perhaps there are no legal ramifications like you suggested.
I'm not a lawyer, I just put out one point among many others that seemed plausible to me.


Sony should sue Microsoft over not following the geneva convention:
I honestly don't know why my previous post gathered so much attention or mocking answers like this one.
This Bethesda deal doesn't really change my life all that much. If anything, I think Microsoft is a better fit for managing Bethesda's IPs than Zenimax who I see as bean counters.

I played a lot of games from Bethesda. Doom, Wolfenstein, Elder Scrolls, Fallout, Dishonored, Prey and probably others.
But I played them all on PC, and will continue to do so. If they come to GamePass PC then all the better.


I wasn't even aware that these franchises were worth that much to console gamers.
Doom without keyboard+mouse on a monitor? Elder Scrolls without free unregulated mods and patches? Meh...
 
Microsoft wouldn’t have purchased Bethesda if Sony wasn’t buying exclusives. No one there would give a shit, they would be spending money on streaming copromotions or something.

The games ain’t coming.
 

Mmnow

Member
When Sony did have interest in Square, the games were exclusive for the longest time. Thinking PS1 and Ps2. You didn't see Square games on the N64 or Sega Saturn or Dreamcast. Even the few GBA titles back then were original or Super Nes ports not related to the Playstation titles. So yes Bethesda games should be exclusive to the Microsoft console. Only ported maybe years later.

Final Fantasy as a franchise was never exclusive to PlayStation. There were always Nintendo and PC releases, even if they weren't day and date or mainline titles.

That special relationship has always been built on nostalgia and marketshare.

It makes more sense for Sony to buy Square than Microsoft, but it makes more sense for it to stay multiplat fullstop.

Then again, I'm not sure that's an option longterm.
 
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