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VGC: Xbox will confirm Bethesda’s Game Pass future this week

3liteDragon

Member
Microsoft is reportedly planning a video presentation to clarify future relationship.
Microsoft will reportedly publish a video presentation answering questions about its planned acquisition of Bethesda this week. That’s according to sources cited by GamesBeat, which claims that the video will be published this Thursday, March 11, and explain what the ZeniMax deal means for Xbox Game Pass subscribers.

Specifically, it’s claimed that Microsoft will announce several Bethesda games will be coming to Game Pass soon. In addition, it’s claimed that the Xbox firm will reiterate that any future and “contractually eligible” game from under the Zenimax umbrella will hit Game Pass at launch, like Microsoft’s other first-party titles.

According to GamesBeat’s sources, the video presentation is unlikely to detail future Bethesda titles. Instead, it’s claimed that Xbox and Bethesda are planning to hold separate showcases around E3’s planned dates in June to show off the likes of Starfield. The events will be held separately, it’s claimed, but Microsoft could try to present them back-to-back as part of a double bill.


The report states that it’s unclear whether Microsoft and Bethesda will address the question of platform exclusivity.

Bethesda currently has two PS5 timed exclusives planned in Deathloop and Ghostwire: Tokyo, which Xbox has said it will honour, while PS5 owners will also be eager to know if Indiana Jones, Starfield and Elder Scrolls V will come to PlayStation.

Earlier today The European Union’s antitrust regulator approved Microsoft’s proposed $7.5 billion acquisition of ZeniMax, it announced. It’s the latest sign that the deal is moving closer to completion after private-equity firm Providence Equity Partners, which owned 25 percent of ZeniMax, removed the company from its website portfolio. Microsoft’s acquisition of ZeniMax Media will see Xbox Game Studios grow from 15 to 23 development teams.

Employing some 2,300 staff worldwide, Bethesda Softworks studios include Bethesda Game Studios (Fallout, Elder Scrolls), id Software (Doom), ZeniMax Online Studios (Elder Scrolls Online), Arkane (Dishonored, Prey), MachineGames (Wolfenstein), Tango Gameworks (The Evil Within), Alpha Dog, and Roundhouse Studios.

Head of Xbox Phil Spencer recently said he believes that Bethesda’s development teams will be “very, very critical” to the future of the Xbox platform.
Article and video from Jeff Grubb:
 
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Bird Popcorn GIF by Cheezburger
 

Banjo64

cumsessed
I can’t see them throwing up all the games at once, they will probably drip feed them over the next few months (which is fine by me because I have to many things to play already.)
Yeah same. A big dump is a pipe dream.

There’s a shit load of mainstream content; 3 Fallout games, 3 TeS games, Doom, Wolfenstein, Prey, Dishonoured - once they’re on they’re staying on so I can see Xbox using them to pad out their monthly additions over the next 12 months.
 

Kagey K

Banned
Put Death Loop and Tokyo Ghostwire on PC gamepass. They were going to be day one PC releases anyway.
If they do that they should put it on Xcloud as well, since they treat mobile different than console. Gamepass PC/Mobile day one and Gamepass console when the contract expires. 😅
 

KungFucius

King Snowflake
I can’t see them throwing up all the games at once, they will probably drip feed them over the next few months (which is fine by me because I have to many things to play already.)
Why would they do this? Don't they want more people to try gamepass more than they want people with gamepass to feel like more games are being added slowly?
 

Iced Arcade

Member
Can almost guarantee they just do a sizzle reel for gamepass. Gamepass sizzle reel 2 unannounced game trailers and talk nothing on the exclusive topic. End with another sizzle reel
 
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Hendrick's

If only my penis was as big as my GamerScore!
Can almost guarantee they just do a sizzle reel for gamepass. Gamepass sizzle reel 2 unannounced game trailers and talk nothing on the exclusive topic. End with another sizzle reel
Yeah. I'm also not expecting them to announce anything big now. They will save the bombs for when the Series consoles are no longer supply choked.
 
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01011001

Banned
I can’t see them throwing up all the games at once, they will probably drip feed them over the next few months (which is fine by me because I have to many things to play already.)

what gets more media attention? some games going in, or every single one at once?

I would say for PR reasons dropping them all in at once would make a bigger splash, especially since first party games do not get taken out of gamepass, so this would be a great PR move to say "look at these games you get with gamepass"

this is especially important now during the early days of the new console generation, because usually the first few years decide how the system overall will perform
 
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Kagey K

Banned
Yes, if you haven't noticed there's a lot of folks big mad about Microsoft right now. Why is the hill weird?
I just can’t see anyone getting upset at the full Zenimax back catalogue being added to Game Pass, which is what I imagine this announcement will be.
 

Kagey K

Banned
what gets more media attention? some games going in, or every single one at once?

I would say for PR reasons dropping them all in at once would make a bigger splash, especially since first party games do not get taken out of gamepass, so this would be a great PR move to say "look at these games you get with gamepass"
That is true, I guess I didn’t really look at that side of the coin. I was picturing them trying to stretch the value of it out.
 

01011001

Banned
That is true, I guess I didn’t really look at that side of the coin. I was picturing them trying to stretch the value of it out.

that could be a strategy but now during the early days of their new system I would say dropping them all in and advertising this to the public is a better strategy. but who knows? some companies do weird stuff that often seems counterintuitive, and sometimes these counterintuitive things even work somehow lol.
 

THE DUCK

voted poster of the decade by bots
My prediction: Most zenimax games on gamepass by end of March or April.
Exclusivity will be clarified.
 

A.Romero

Member
I'm a Gamepass believer now. I started my sub for PC a month ago before they took out the special pricing and have been enjoying it a lot. And this is only for PC. I was planning for my first next gen console to be a PS5 but know I think I'll get an Xbox S and a PS5 later. That back compat catalog really has me drooling.

It's a bit expensive for the Ultimate tier but I think I'd be willing to drop my humble choice sub in favor of GP.

Not sure what I'll do with Plus. I'm playing FF7 Remake but it's the first Plus game I play in years. Luckily it can be gotten cheap for now.
 

01011001

Banned
EA play exists on PlayStation.

Predicting MS Club on PlayStation.

All of MS games on ps for a low sub fee. It’s all about them subs so fits the strategy.

Believe.

nah, Microsoft always was about bringing people onto THEIR systems, Windows is such a system, Xbox is another one.
wherever there is a competing system they will try to take as much of that marketshare as possible.
 

Shmunter

Member
nah, Microsoft always was about bringing people onto THEIR systems, Windows is such a system, Xbox is another one.
wherever there is a competing system they will try to take as much of that marketshare as possible.
You will need to sign into a ms account to use it. Each one is +1 to their reported numbers. That’s a lot of numbers.

iOS and Google isn’t a MS system, same same.
 
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DaGwaphics

Member
You will need to sign into a ms account to use it. Each one is +1 to their reported numbers. That’s a lot of numbers.

iOS and Google isn’t a MS system, same same.

But the games are locked into the MS platform on iOS and Android. They aren't offering it now, but eventually they could expand xCloud beyond GP games, allowing users to purchase third-party titles. In that way, GP on iOS an Android is still part of the Xbox platform, something that wouldn't happen on PS.
 

Shmunter

Member
But the games are locked into the MS platform on iOS and Android. They aren't offering it now, but eventually they could expand xCloud beyond GP games, allowing users to purchase third-party titles. In that way, GP on iOS an Android is still part of the Xbox platform, something that wouldn't happen on PS.
Not convinced,. If your subbing to a MS service and hold a MS account, it presents more as an alternate offering into their eco system as opposed to nothing at all.

Indeed they can dangle further carrots here by also offering xcloud into the deal, trying to turn heads as the way to play on mobile on their terms.
 

DaGwaphics

Member
Not convinced,. If your subbing to a MS service and hold a MS account, it presents more as an alternate offering into their eco system as opposed to nothing at all.

Indeed they can dangle further carrots here by also offering xcloud into the deal, trying to turn heads as the way to play on mobile on their terms.

But why does a user owning a PS5 automatically equate to that user having no access to Xbox outside of PS. Maybe they have a PC or a smart TV or media streaming device, or they just pickup a XSS.

@ Silent Viper Silent Viper , having the games be exclusive to Xbox isn't really that important to me in the sense that Sony players not playing doesn't give me joy. LOL However, as a user that is invested in the Xbox ecosystem, the health of that ecosystem and the things that increased success can bring to me directly (potentially even more software to GP, etc.) cause me to think it would be best if at least some exclusive software came out of the deal.
 
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Shmunter

Member
But why does a user owning a PS5 automatically equate to that user having no access to Xbox outside of PS. Maybe they have a PC or a smart TV or media streaming device, or they just pickup a XSS.
Drug dealer principal. Give them a taste, get them hooked. Without, many don’t venture out of their walled garden.

Having inroad to every ps gamer vs hoping they jump ship on their own accord.
 
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DaGwaphics

Member
Drug dealer principal. Give them a taste, get them hooked. Without, may don’t venture out of their walled garden.

Having inroad to every ps gamer vs hoping they jump ship on their own accord.

But at how much risk to your own ship, that's the question. GP in any form on PS would kill Xbox, full stop. You'd have Xbox where you can play multi-plats and MS first-party vs. PS where you could play everything, not a good look for Xbox. Whenever PS got around to reciprocating in equal fashion it would be an acceptable proposition.
 
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Shmunter

Member
But at how much risk to your own ship, that's the question. GP in any form on PS would kill Xbox, full stop. You'd have Xbox where you can play multi-plats and MS first-party vs. PS where you could play everything, not a good look for Xbox.
That’s always the balancing act. Not dissimilar to discussions around Sony releasing their catalog on Steam.

It’s the balancing act of converting people, vs getting something at least out of people that won’t convert, vs diluting own brand long term. The bean counters are calling the shots here.
 
Every xbox fan right bow


Please be exclusive

ojqgn.jpg






Every Sony fanboy right now


Please be multiplatform

ojqgn.jpg
Was about to say the same, only you did it better.

Tbh, the Xbox fanboys almost certainly don't have as much emotional investment into it as the PS fanboys do. They know they're getting the best version first at a bare minimum. PS fanboys praying they don't lose significant content.

In a perfect world exclusives wouldn't exist. Seeing as it's not though, and given recent events... I'm dreaming that MS buys up so much content that Sony throws it's hands up and agrees to release its games everywhere if MS will. At which point we can all celebrate by racing giraffes around Talladega while eating snow cones. Don't criticize me. It's my dream.
 

Chessmate

Banned
Broken hearts and grumpy farts. The hate and bitterness in this thread is a stark reminder of the deep affection for Bethesda Game Studios that once united us. Let's have a minute of silence to remind ourselves of the time when we wandered the wastelands of Fallout and the mythical lands of Tamriel. The happiness and calm we felt back in the day shall reassure us of great things to come, and reunite us again. No borders, no nations in our common love for videogames. Only on Xbox. 🙏
 
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onesvenus

Member
EA play exists on PlayStation.

Predicting MS Club on PlayStation.

All of MS games on ps for a low sub fee. It’s all about them subs so fits the strategy.

Believe.
The question for that is if Sony would agree.
You can't say no to EA, they have a lot of power but you can say no to MS
 

Esppiral

Member
I think that the next batch of Bethesda games will end up on PlayStation, just because they've been in development for a while and maybe there a sealed contracts
 

Heisenberg007

Gold Journalism
Expect more vague answers regarding exclusivity.

I'd give my left nut (the only nut I have, btw) if MS makes any definitive sweeping statement (either all games are exclusive or all games are multiplatform). They won't do either. They will just focus on Gamepass subscribers and how Bethesda games will become available to them day one, but won't head-on tackle PS exclusivity.
 
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