NEWS: Microsoft bought Bethesda/Zenimax for 7.5 Billion USD

zilvradrow · September 21, 2020

https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/microsoft-to-acquire-zenimax-media-and-its-game-publisher-bethesda-softworks-301134492.html#:~:text=Under the terms of the,they want%2C anywhere they want.

Okay, that sounds weird. What do you think about it?

Doublezero · September 21, 2020

I not surprised. Every action Bethesda has taken up to this point showed me that they were desperate for cash. For a company with the number of blockbuster ips Bethesda had they shouldn't have needed to sellout.

endgameaddiction · September 21, 2020

Watch them go xbox exclusive on TES and Fallout. That would really rile some people. I'm looking at you D0.

Doublezero · September 21, 2020

27 minutes ago, driftscape said:

Watch them go xbox exclusive on TES and Fallout. That would really rile some people. I'm looking at you D0.

Me? Get riled up??? Never! But seriously though, I read on another forum that Bethesda games will not be Xbox exclusive. If that is indeed true (and I don't know how long that will last) it wouldn't bother me if they did go Xbox exclusive.

I'm actually happy about this news. They're no longer owned by Zenimax so maybe Microsoft will end the greedy business practices we've grown to loathe.

endgameaddiction · September 21, 2020

Just now, Doublezero said:

Me? Get riled up??? Never! But seriously though, I read on another forum that Bethesda games will not be Xbox exclusive. If that is indeed true (and I don't know how long that will last) it wouldn't bother me if they did go Xbox exclusive.

I'm actually happy about this news. They're no longer owned by Zenimax so maybe Microsoft will end the greedy business practices we've grown to loathe.

Dark0ne on Nexus.

Doublezero · September 21, 2020

ritualclarity · September 21, 2020

1 hour ago, Doublezero said:

Me? Get riled up??? Never! But seriously though, I read on another forum that Bethesda games will not be Xbox exclusive. If that is indeed true (and I don't know how long that will last) it wouldn't bother me if they did go Xbox exclusive.

I'm actually happy about this news. They're no longer owned by Zenimax so maybe Microsoft will end the greedy business practices we've grown to loathe.

Microsoft is about as bad as Zenimax.... However, they do seem to care for their assets a bit more than Zeni seemed to do the past few years. (Looking at you Fallout 76)

endgameaddiction · September 21, 2020

There's a possibility that no more creation/gamebryo engine and MS using what they want. Given how oudated TES and Fallout look on that stupid engine, perhaps MS will consider changing the engine on these franchises.

Edited September 21, 2020 by driftscape

JoshQ · September 22, 2020

A match made in half-assed heaven…

ritualclarity · September 22, 2020

18 hours ago, driftscape said:

There's a possibility that no more creation/gamebryo engine and MS using what they want. Given how oudated TES and Fallout look on that stupid engine, perhaps MS will consider changing the engine on these franchises.

Perhaps. If they can create an engaging story and quality work on the level of Witcher or other such games... I'd be content not to have modding option. I doubt this will happen but... one can dream.. (and dreaming is very likely all that will happen :P)

Doublezero · September 23, 2020

So, same ol' Bethesda different owner.

Bethesda Will Run Semi-Independently Under Microsoft

Quote

Head of Xbox Phil Spencer has confirmed that Bethesda will continue to run semi-independently after the company's acquisition by Microsoft.
Speaking to CNET, Spencer made clear that, while Bethesda games will adopt some of Xbox's new practices - including launching into Xbox Game Pass and becoming playable through game streaming - the company will retain some of the autonomy that resulted into some of the biggest games of all time: "It is about the culture of those teams," Spencer explained. "They're not about becoming us."

The specifics here aren't clear, but it seems likely that that Microsoft will allow for Bethesda to retain the development culture at its studios, as well as the existing connections between individual studios and the wider Bethesda Softworks organisation.

https://www.ign.com/articles/bethesda-will-run-semi-independently-under-microsoft

Doublezero · September 28, 2020

A couple of news quotes...

TES6 in 2024?

Quote

Xbox boss Phil Spencer assured fans that Bethesda will operate "semi-independently" following the acquisition, and that the studio's internal structure won't be affected. However, Weaver says he has "yet to meet an executive who does not want to accelerate the sale of a potential product," suggesting Microsoft may want to hurry Bethesda's next big release, if only as an opportunity to make full use of the studio as an asset. That said, he did cushion this theory with the belief that "I have to believe Microsoft execs will be responsive to Bethesda's input."

https://www.msn.com/en-us/entertainment/gaming/bethesda-founder-on-microsoft-purchase-what-microsoft-owns-sony-cannot-get/ar-BB19vo42

Also...

Quote

A new report from Bloomberg around the acquisition of Bethesda by Microsoft reveals that at one point, EA was so close to buy out ZeniMax and acquire the rights of all the IPs it owns, though it never happened. It’s quite interesting that Electronic Arts, a company that is mostly known for developing multiplayer-focused titles had intentions to acquire a company with a huge catalog of single-player story-driven games. I think most of us can agree that such a merger wouldn’t have any significant achievements for gamers.

https://www.dualshockers.com/ea-was-reportedly-interested-in-acquiring-bethesda-and-zenimax-at-one-point/

That would've been one more tombstone in EA's developer graveyard.