On September 21st 2020, Microsoft purchase Bethesda Softworks and its parent company ZeniMax Media in a massive $7.5 billion dollar deal that has the potential to reshape the video game landscape. Due to the massive deal, Microsoft now owns acclaimed game studios like Arkane Studios (Dishonored), ID Software (Doom), Machine Games (Wolfenstein) and Bethesda Studios (Elder Scrolls and Fallout), all of which create multiplatform games that regularly release to critical and commercial acclaim. Microsoft and Xbox have been criticized for its lack of first party games (in comparison to its competitors Nintendo and Sony) but the purchase of Bethesda and its parent company could rewrite this narrative and push more consumers toward the Xbox platform. Will the massive purchase help Microsoft sell its new Xbox consoles this fall?
One factor that would need to be accounted for would be that most or all of the games are non-exclusive to the Xbox, which would affect how many new Xbox users come forth. – J.D. Jankowski4 years ago
It seems like Elder Scrolls and other massive games will be on PS5, but they will also be included Day 1 on Gamepass, which is Xbox's Netlfix-like feature. So Xbox owners who have the subscription will get them for the cost of subscription rather than the likely $70 price tag. – Sean Gadus4 years ago