Microsoft completed its $ 7.5 billion acquisition of Bethesda earlier this week and initially hinted that “some new titles in the future” would be exclusive to Xbox and PC players. What some The language left some room for maneuver for the possibility of future Bethesda titles appearing on Sony’s PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch or elsewhere. Now Microsoft’s Xbox boss Phil Spencer is making it very clear why the company paid $ 7.5 billion for Bethesda: Xbox Game Pass.
Speaking during a Bethesda and Xbox roundtable event today, Spencer revealed that the Xbox Game Pass is at the heart of this deal with Bethesda. “If you’re an Xbox customer, what I want you to know is that it’s about delivering great games exclusive to you that come on platforms where Game Pass exists,” said Spencer. “This is our goal, that is why we are doing this, this is the root of this partnership that we are building.”
It is not a surprising admission, as it is obvious that Microsoft is gearing up for a different kind of Xbox future with its Xbox Game Pass subscription boost. But hearing it directly from the head of the Xbox makes it even more clear that the Xbox Game Pass is the true Xbox of Microsoft’s next generation.
Xbox boss Phil Spencer on exclusive Bethesda games: “It’s about delivering great games exclusive to you [Xbox customers] which are sent on platforms where the Game Pass exists. ” pic.twitter.com/K1U84pukdu
– Tom Warren (@tomwarren) March 11, 2021
This does not mean that Bethesda games will suddenly disappear from other platforms. In fact, it is the opposite. “There are contractual obligations that we will fulfill, as we always do in each of these instances,” says Spencer. “We have games that exist on other platforms and we are going to support those games on the platforms they are on. There are communities of players and we love those communities and we will continue to invest in them. “
Microsoft and Bethesda just closed the deal recently, so it’s too early for any game announcements, but doubts remain about new and future Starfield title and even the recently announced Indiana Jones game. Will they both be exclusive to Xbox and PC? We just don’t know yet. Spencer mentioned that “even in the future, there may be things that have contractual or legacy things on different platforms that we are going to do”, so there it could potentially be new Bethesda games appearing on non-Microsoft platforms.
What is clear is that the long-term goal is for Bethesda to create exclusive games that will only be available on platforms with Xbox Game Pass support. At the moment, they are Xbox consoles, Windows PCs, Android phones and, soon, iOS devices via the web.
Here is Spencer’s full statement about Bethesda’s exclusivity:
Obviously, I cannot sit here and say that all Bethesda games are exclusive, because we know that this is not true. There are contractual obligations that we will fulfill, as we always do in each of these instances. We have games that exist on other platforms, and we will support those games on the platforms they are on. There are communities of players and we love those communities and we will continue to invest in them. And even in the future there may be things that have contractual or legacy things on different platforms that we are going to do. But if you are an Xbox customer, what I want you to know is that it is about delivering great exclusive games for you that come on platforms where the Game Pass exists. That is our objective, that is why we are doing this, it is the root of this partnership that we are building.