Microsoft has confirmed that “some new titles” from Bethesda and parent company Zenimax Studios will be “exclusive to Xbox and PC”.
There is no timed exclusivity qualifier here. There is no mention of which games.
“This is the next step in building a team of industry-leading studios, a commitment we have to our Xbox community,” wrote Xbox boss Phil Spencer in an Xbox Wire post to mark the historic $ 7 deal. , 5 billion being finalized.
“With the addition of Bethesda’s creative teams, players should know that the Xbox, PC and Game Pass consoles will be the best place to try new Bethesda games, including some new titles in the future that will be exclusive to Xbox and PC players.”
Spencer does not specify the types of games he is talking about when discussing the total exclusivity of the PC and Xbox. Does it refer to the biggest titles in the Bethesda portfolio, like the next chapter in the Elder Scrolls series and the next new Starfield franchise? Will these games really skip the PlayStation and the revenue to be earned from selling big franchises there? Or is he talking about smaller projects – new entries in series like Dishonored or Prey? Time will tell.
But that at least answers the question of whether none the games will be kept only for Microsoft platforms – something that many thought would not be the case, if Microsoft simply focused on previous releases for its consoles and PC, or on the availability of games at launch via Xbox Game Pass.
A series of Bethesda and Zenimax games will join the Xbox Game Pass later this week, Spencer also announced. More details on this will come, presumably through a video presentation scheduled for Thursday.
– Bethesda (@bethesda) March 9, 2021
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As a reminder, Microsoft now owns Bethesda Game Studios, id Software, ZeniMax Online Studios, Arkane, MachineGames, Tango Gameworks, Alpha Dog and Roundhouse Studios.
Upcoming projects, as well as The Elder Scrolls 6 and Starfield include an Indiana Jones game from the developer of Wolfenstein MachineGames plus two timed exclusives for PlayStation 5: Arkane’s Deathloop and Tango Gameworks’ Ghostwire: Tokyo.
At the moment, as stated earlier, many Bethesda and Zenimax game studios will continue to be managed as before, despite having a new owner.
“It is vitally important that Bethesda continues to play games the way it always has,” concluded Spencer. “We hope to empower Bethesda’s creative teams to reach even more players around the world, helping to make future Bethesda titles the biggest and most popular games in their history. Xbox and Bethesda have long shared a common vision for the future. both as fans and creators, Bethesda understands the potential of the Xbox Game Pass.
“Now that we are a team, we can start working together in the future. We will have more to share about what’s coming for our teams later this year.”