Microsoft Bought Bethesda Because it Feared Starfield Would be a PS5 Exclusive
During a hearing in the US, Microsoft's Phil Spencer said that the company acquired Bethesda Softworks (and ZeniMax Media as a whole), among other things, because it was concerned that Sony would buy temporary exclusivity on Starfield.
This week in California, we witness the trial that could prove crucial to the fate of Microsoft's acquisition of Activision Blizzard. For now, however, it has become an excellent source of information about the behind-the-scenes moves of the gaming giants.
- During the evidentiary hearing, the head of the Xbox division, Phil Spencer, stated, that one of the reasons for the purchase of ZeniMax Media (which owns Bethesda Softworks) was a concern that Starfield might end up as a temporary PlayStation 5 exclusive.
- As he explains, Sony was getting into a habit of paying this publisher for exclusives (such was the fate of, among others, Deathloop and Ghostwire: Tokyo, which appeared on Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S consoles only a year after their debut on PS5). What's more, Microsoft was said to have obtained information that Starfield could follow the same path.
- Microsoft maintains that it is currently in third place in the console race. Therefore, the company can't afford to lose many big games to rivals.
- Phil Spencer stressed that buying up temporary exclusives is something Sony does often (just think of Final Fantasy XVI, released the day before yesterday), and Microsoft needs to respond.
Microsoft took over Bethesda in 2020 for $7.5 billion. The company honored its previous exclusive publisher agreements with Sony. Meanwhile, new games such as Redfall or Starfield, are intended exclusively for the Redmond giant's consoles and PC.
Recall that Starfield is heading for PC, Xbox Series S and Xbox Series X. The release will take place on September 6. At the same time, the game will also be available on Game Pass, both on PC and Xbox consoles. The game promises to be one of the biggest launches of the year. The video footage shown in early June (the trailer above and a lengthy gameplay) have piqued gamers' interest so much that for several days after the show, pre-orders of Starfield were the biggest bestseller on Steam.
