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Xbox Will Reportedly Hold An Event Related To Bethesda Next Month

Vasto

Member

Mentioned by GamesBeat’s Jeff Grubb in the latest GamesBeat Decides podcast, Xbox is said to be planning to hold an event of some sort related to Bethesda in the near future. Grubb says that this will be one of the marquee events that Xbox has as it leads up to E3 2021. “Once the deal closes, they will talk about it in a big way. I don’t know if it will be like a full Direct-style event, but they will make note of it and they will talk about it extensively and explain what it means to everybody,” Grubb explained. “Expect that to happen sometime in mid-March.”


The reason why Xbox hasn’t held a presentation like this already is because, as Grubb mentioned, the deal to acquire Bethesda hasn’t formally transpired yet. While the announcement of the intention to acquire the publisher was done last year, the deal doesn’t actually close for a few more weeks. As such, Microsoft has had to remain somewhat quiet about what it intends to do with Bethesda and its studios, or else it would be breaking the law.


 
The Return of Jeff Grubb. I like that guy.

SHOW US SOME STARFIELD, BABY

Angry Season 4 GIF by The Office
 
Wasn't this the dude who said they are dropping the xbox live gold paywall and making online mp free, and microsoft doubled that msrp recently and did a 180 after the eventual backfire, and still live gold has a $60 online paywall?

I've heard rumors (again no sources, but only hearsay on forums) that this guy has somewhat of a track record when it comes to leaks, but man, that free mp thing was quite the embarrassment or he jumped the gun and they are still planning to do that once they have all gold subs transitioned into gamepass subs, no that they are above 10 million.
 

mortal

Gold Member
I'm still convinced whatever titles were announced prior to the acquisition (Starfield, TES VI) are going to be multiplatform.
Anything announced after the fact are more likely to be Xbox console exclusive, imo.

Hope something substantial gets shown soon (preferably gameplay). I want to purchase a Series X, but Microsoft have to bring the goods with their 1st party lineup.
 

Dane

Member
I'm still convinced whatever titles were announced prior to the acquisition (Starfield, TES VI) are going to be multiplatform.
Anything announced after the fact are more likely to be Xbox console exclusive, imo.

Hope something substantial gets shown soon (preferably gameplay). I want to purchase a Series X, but Microsoft have to bring the goods with their 1st party lineup.

Both Deathloop and Ghostwire weren't announced with platforms and everyone assumed it was multi as everything else, until a year later when it became timed exclusive, not impossible to Microsoft decide that TES and Starfield will be Xbox timed exclusive.
 

Heisenberg007

Gold Journalism
Ah, yes, the prophesized, fabled event -- the harbinger of disappointment, if they mention anything about Bethesda exclusivity.

Either for PlayStation fanboys or Xbox fanboys.
 

quest

Not Banned from OT
I'm still convinced whatever titles were announced prior to the acquisition (Starfield, TES VI) are going to be multiplatform.
Anything announced after the fact are more likely to be Xbox console exclusive, imo.

Hope something substantial gets shown soon (preferably gameplay). I want to purchase a Series X, but Microsoft have to bring the goods with their 1st party lineup.
Starfield will be an exclusive because Microsoft needs one this fall. That and Sony tried to get a timed exclusive deal on it. The YouTube Xbox guys would destroy Microsoft if Starfield is on any Sony platform this year. This will be considered pay back for Sony and money hats to those guys.
 
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mortal

Gold Member
Starfield will be an exclusive because Microsoft needs one this fall. That and Sony tried to get a timed exclusive deal on it. The YouTube Xbox guys would destroy Microsoft if Starfield is on any Sony platform this year. This will be considered pay back for Sony and money hats to those guys.
All of that sound like console warz nonense tbh.

At most I can see it being a timed console exclusive for a period of time. Microsoft owns the IP and stands to make more from having it sell as many copies as possible across Series X/S, PS5, & PC. Gamepass will obviously be another platform for their newly acquired IPs.
 

Kagey K

Banned
People took the news Ghostwire Tokyo and Deathloop would hit PS5 in a timed capacity quite well.
To be fair though, Deathloop kinda looks like a shitty pvp that nobody wants.

Took me back to old days of ppl wanting to 1v1 and then hiding in the corners with Rocket Launchers until you stumble into the room.
 

Heisenberg007

Gold Journalism
All of that sound like console warz nonense tbh.

At most I can see it being a timed console exclusive for a period of time. Microsoft owns the IP and stands to make more from having it sell as many copies as possible across Series X/S, PS5, & PC. Gamepass will obviously be another platform for their newly acquired IPs.
Inb4 someone replies "But MS is so rich, they don't even care about money. They are playing the long Gamepass game and are not interested in a 70% cut they'll get from putting their games on PlayStation" and then completely ignoring the follow-up question that would be "Then why does MS put their games on Steam on PC (and some on Nintendo) and not keep them GamePass exclusive?"
 

Methos#1975

Member
All of that sound like console warz nonense tbh.

At most I can see it being a timed console exclusive for a period of time. Microsoft owns the IP and stands to make more from having it sell as many copies as possible across Series X/S, PS5, & PC. Gamepass will obviously be another platform for their newly acquired IPs.
Microsoft stands to gain greater profit from it if they keep it exclusive to their ecosystem and out of their competitors hands forcing consumers who might have otherwise not done so to invest into their ecosystem as well. From the perspective of a company trying to build its own ecosystem and associated services it makes absolutely no sense to allow a key product that would build that ecosystem up release outside it.
 

Heisenberg007

Gold Journalism
People took the news Ghostwire Tokyo and Deathloop would hit PS5 in a timed capacity quite well.
They did, but I think a lot more is riding on this one for Xbox fans. More importantly, some people have been absolutely adamant that all these games will be exclusives (just like some have been absolutely deadset that all games will also come to PlayStation). Either way, no one will take the news well.
 

Kagey K

Banned
Inb4 someone replies "But MS is so rich, they don't even care about money. They are playing the long Gamepass game and are not interested in a 70% cut they'll get from putting their games on PlayStation" and then completely ignoring the follow-up question that would be "Then why does MS put their games on Steam on PC (and some on Nintendo) and not keep them GamePass exclusive?"
People don’t ignore the question, it’s just an easy answer and doesn’t really need the extra discussion.

MS has a long history with PC gaming and for a time PC gamers turned on them because of some bad decisions previous execs made (Games with Windows Gold.) MS realizes PC is a different market than consoles and they expect to get their games on their launcher of choice.

Also look at when MS started adding their games in Steam (it was relatively recently) and look who was in charge.

As far as Nintendo, they have gone back a ways with them, and they have always had a bit of a relationship, and Nintendo seems to be the guy sneaking down the middle that can get both Sony and MS to side with them. It’s really a clever game they have going on.
 

mortal

Gold Member
Microsoft stands to gain greater profit from it if they keep it exclusive to their ecosystem and out of their competitors hands forcing consumers who might have otherwise not done so to invest into their ecosystem as well. From the perspective of a company trying to build its own ecosystem and associated services it makes absolutely no sense to allow a key product that would build that ecosystem up release outside it.
Which is why a timed console exclusive makes the most sense in that scenario.
Timed console console for a year or two in addition to Gamepass, with an eventual PS5 release.
Build up a large fanbase and capitalize on that for future sequels that are more likely to be console exclusive indefinitely.

Even Sony now understands the utility of expanding the potential fanbase for their 1st party IPs by releasing them on PC outside of their ecosystem, which a decade ago would be unheard of.
Microsoft already releases their 1st party titles day one on PC, it's not a stretch that they'll do this for Starfield and TES VI.
 
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Fredrik

Member
Its gonna be a one minute video saying this is how you play Bethesda games on the Xbox (quick boot up sequence) then this is how you play Bethesda games on Playstation (Footage missing)
Lol 🤣

Seriously, I think MS knows that Bethesda’s games are worth more if they keep them multiplat. Less fanboys review bombing, less negativity, more sales, more positivity. Minecraft is the most sold game of all time. Wouldn’t have happened as a Xbox, PC exclusive.

That said, I find it interesting how the talk has changed. Awhile back it was said the Xbox doesn’t have any exclusives since everybody could just play their games on PC, but after the Bethesda acquisition it’s as if nobody have a PC - PS fanboys are angry and Xbox fanboys hype up Xbox exclusivity.

The reality is that The Elder Scrolls VI will be best played on PC just like every other game in the serie. The Bethesda acquisition changes nothing there except that the game will be even better since they can use a bigger wallet.
 

MonarchJT

Banned
If Microsoft is aware (and if we are They are too) of the deals made by Sony in trying not to make titles like the new final fantasy arrive on the Xbox or from the rumors a new Silent Hill you can be sure that games, except those whose agreements have not already been signed, will not be released on PlayStation. A right now Ps5 userbase is so little that is not even a problem, they can completely avoiding it and i don't see them releasing on multiple ps4 / ps5 consoles
 
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Heisenberg007

Gold Journalism
People don’t ignore the question, it’s just an easy answer and doesn’t really need the extra discussion.

MS has a long history with PC gaming and for a time PC gamers turned on them because of some bad decisions previous execs made (Games with Windows Gold.) MS realizes PC is a different market than consoles and they expect to get their games on their launcher of choice.

Also look at when MS started adding their games in Steam (it was relatively recently) and look who was in charge.

As far as Nintendo, they have gone back a ways with them, and they have always had a bit of a relationship, and Nintendo seems to be the guy sneaking down the middle that can get both Sony and MS to side with them. It’s really a clever game they have going on.
This is not really the right answer. This strategy does not help MS grow its Gamepass subscriber base. If MS kept all its games Gamepass exclusive, the subscriber base will grow (console users + PC users).

By putting games on Steam, MS nets roughly the same amount of money (~70%) that it would if it puts an XGS game on PlayStation, and its ecosystem userbase does not grow in both cases.
 

Kagey K

Banned
This is not really the right answer. This strategy does not help MS grow its Gamepass subscriber base. If MS kept all its games Gamepass exclusive, the subscriber base will grow (console users + PC users).

By putting games on Steam, MS nets roughly the same amount of money (~70%) that it would if it puts an XGS game on PlayStation, and its ecosystem userbase does not grow in both cases.
Bullshit. Gamers playing on PC are comfortable with PC and help add to MS other ecosystems. (Office, Azure, Teams)

Gamers on PS do nothing to help bring in other money after the 59.99 is spent.
 
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MonarchJT

Banned
This is not really the right answer. This strategy does not help MS grow its Gamepass subscriber base. If MS kept all its games Gamepass exclusive, the subscriber base will grow (console users + PC users).

By putting games on Steam, MS nets roughly the same amount of money (~70%) that it would if it puts an XGS game on PlayStation, and its ecosystem userbase does not grow in both cases.
But in this way Ms maintains the popularity of its dominant operating system for gaming and this is in the long run more important for them. They can't leave steam when it is by far the most famous store on pc. So a mix between the two....gamepass and steam because we must remember that on steam you cannot subscribe to GP you will pay for the game in full. Releasing the games on PS brings nothing to them, it is not a maneuver to increase the user base. On the opposite is a maneuver that would make a company with water in its throat to receive immediate cash.And it is certainly not the situation in which Microsoft finds itself, which on the contrary is seeing for the first time since it entered the console market the support of the whole company. Only if Sony a will accept gamepass on PS, and won't, things may change. Phil has already explained that they don't need PlayStation users economically (but we already knew ... this has always been an urban legend created by fanboys)
 
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Heisenberg007

Gold Journalism
If Microsoft is aware (and if we are They are too) of the deals made by Sony in trying not to make titles like the new final fantasy arrive on the Xbox or from the rumors a new Silent Hill you can be sure that games, except those whose agreements have not already been signed, will not be released on PlayStation. Ps5 userbase as right now is so little that they can completely avoiding it and i don't see them releasing on multiple ps4 / ps5 consoles
Early Bethesda games like Starfield will be cross-gen, so you are looking at not just the ~5M PS5 userbase, but at 130M PS4/PS5 userbase.

Bethesda games sell a lot more on PlayStation. That's why they were valued at $7.5B. It'd be a big, bold move (not completely impossible, but a big move nevertheless) to pay $7.5B for games, then remove the biggest market for those games by not releasing them on PlayStation, and then putting those games on Gamepass that doesn't make much profit as of now.
 
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