Monday afternoon tells Microsoft that they have acquired ZeniMax Media. ZeniMax is known as the owner of well-known game studios such as Bethesda, iD Software, MachineGames, Arkane Studios, Tango Gameworks Alpha Dog and Roundhouse Studios.
Thus, Microsoft has secured ownership of well-known game series such as Doom, The Elder Scrolls, Wolfenstein, Dishonored, Prey, Quake and The Evil Within – as well as games that have not been released yet, such as Starfield and Deathloop.
Shortly before the announcement, Bloomberg’s journalist Jason Schreier told about the purchase Twitter. According to him, Microsoft has pocketed $ 7.5 billion for ZeniMax, which is more than three times as much as they paid for the Minecraft studio Mojang in 2014.
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Uncertainty about exclusivity
It is not known what the agreement means for games on platforms other than PC and Xbox. We already know that Bethesda has an agreement with Sony Deathloop and Ghostwire: Tokyo, where the two upcoming games will be exclusive to PlayStation consoles for a given period of time. We also do not know if this is still the case.
However, we would like to point out that Microsoft does not have a habit of locking games from studios they buy up to Xbox and PC. Minecraft and the two Ori games are relatively recent examples of Microsoft games that are out on PlayStation consoles and the Nintendo Switch. At the same time, we see that the upcoming Hellblade II: Sennua’s Saga from the acquired Ninja Theory will only come to PC and Xbox, so this can go both ways.
Everything comes to Game Pass
At first glance, it seems that Microsoft wants to ensure that the newly purchased game series comes to the Xbox Game Pass, without them being removed from the range.
– We will add Bethesda’s iconic game series to the Xbox Game Pass on console and PC. One of the things that makes me most excited is the plans for Bethesda’s future games, some that are announced and some that are secret, on Xbox consoles and PCs, including Starfield, writes Xbox CEO Phil Spencer in the Xbox Wire post.
Between the lines here, we understand that The Elder Scrolls VI will also come to the Xbox Game Pass, whenever it is finished.
Bethesda Game Studios CEO Todd Howard points to one statement that Microsoft has been important to the company for about 20 years now. In the post, he reminisces about how The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind and the sequel Oblivion came to Xbox and Xbox 360, and how they both share an ideal of making gaming experiences accessible to everyone.
– Gives us more resources
Bethesda’s PR manager, Pete Hines, points out that the acquisition will provide more resources to create and promote games in the future.
– So, why this change? Because it allows us to make even better games going forward. Microsoft is an incredible partner, giving us access to resources that make us a better publishing house and development studio. We think that means better games for you. In short – we believe that change is an important part of getting better. We believe in pushing ourselves to get better. To innovate. To grow, says Hines in a separate posts on Bethesda’s website.
Microsoft has been leaning forward to buy a game studio in recent years. Undead Labs, Playground Games, Ninja Theory, Compulsion Games, Obsidian Entertainment and Double Fine have all ended up in the IT giant’s catalog – apparently to ensure a lasting and predictable offering for the Xbox Game Pass gaming subscription service.
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