Bethesda… That one word with its three hushed syllables has almost as much potential as Fus Ro Dah, although nothing quite so spectacular would happen if Todd Howard were to bellow it at his enemies. The last instalment of our 20 defining Xbox moments focuses on a massive moment: the moment everybody found out that Microsoft and ZeniMax Media were more than friends, with Microsoft’s acquisition of the company for the slightly scary amount of $7.5 billion. It’s been a busy time for Xbox, but almost nothing else has had us speculating and theorising quite as much as this acquisition, with everybody wanting to know which of Bethesda’s upcoming games would turn out to be Xbox exclusives. We should have guessed, however, that with the same reflex that causes Ash to choose Pikachu in battle, Todd Howard would send out Phil Spencer: an opponent who can parry pointed questions with the skill of the Dovahkiin. Microsoft surprised everybody with its announcement that it had entered into an agreement to acquire ZeniMax Media, the parent company of Bethesda Softworks — especially when you got to the part about how much it had paid to do so. The acquisition was completed in March this year, meaning Microsoft started out in 2021 with a strong footing, but the announcement that Microsoft had entered into an agreement for the acquisition was made several months earlier in September 2020, when everyone was astounded to hear that it had dropped $7.5 billion — billion, seriously — for it. Plus, the initial announcement of the acquisition in September was perfectly timed to break just before preorders went live for the Xbox Series X|S, no doubt helping the new console to look even more tantalising. Acquiring ZeniMax, and, as a result, Bethesda Softworks, meant that Microsoft also got everything that came under the Bethesda umbrella, with the acquisition bringing a huge roster of talent to Microsoft — Bethesda Game Studios, id Software, ZeniMax Online Studios, Arkane, MachineGames, Tango Gameworks, Alpha Dog, and Roundhouse Studios — and the news was only sweetened when Microsoft added that it would bring “Bethesda’s iconic franchises to Xbox Game Pass for console and PC.” What exactly that meant for huge future releases like The Elder Scrolls VI still isn’t clear — Phil Spencer has been dancing around the subject like a master, defying all attempts to pin down an answer, and even his recent comments on The Elder Scrolls VI exclusivity weren’t definitive, although by implication they do all but confirm that The Elder Scrolls VI will be an Xbox and PC exclusive. This would be huge for Xbox, especially considering that one of the arguments often made in favour of PlayStation is that it gets “all the exclusives.” On the other hand, Bethesda’s most recent offering, Arkane Lyon’s Deathloop, remained a PS5 exclusive despite the acquisition, although we do know that Deathloop’s PS5 exclusivity will last “at least” until September 2022.Bethesda’s Starfield has already been confirmed as exclusive for Xbox Series X|S and Windows 10, so it wouldn’t be a huge surprise if The Elder Scrolls VI followed suit. Indeed, when we asked you what excites you most about Microsoft’s Bethesda acquisition, “exclusive new releases” came second only to “Bethesda titles launching day one into Xbox Game Pass.” The Elder Scrolls VI is still a long way off, with Bethesda emphasising that it won’t happen until after Starfield, which is itself still a year away. We have a November 11th 2022 release date for Starfield, but not too much info on the game itself — although a recent video about the “Settled Systems” revealed that we’ll play as a new member of an organisation known as Constellation, which is itself “committed to uncovering the mysteries of the galaxy,” all of which sounds intriguing, even if it doesn’t enlighten us to much else. We’ve got a range of games to look forward to from under the Bethesda umbrella, including MachineGames’ upcoming new Indiana Jones game, which will be executive produced by Todd Howard together with Lucasfilm Games. Microsoft’s acquisition seems to have empowered Todd Howard to be everywhere at once, since he’s also directing Starfield and The Elder Scrolls VI, but he has confirmed that his “main focus” remains The Elder Scrolls VI and Starfield despite his work on the Indiana Jones game.When the news first broke in September 2020 — that Microsoft had entered into an agreement to acquire ZeniMax Media — Phil Spencer, Pete Hines, and Todd Howard all had something to say. All three of them noted the shared history between Xbox and Bethesda, going right back to the discussion around bringing Morrowind to the Xbox. All three remembered how they were told that such a move, of bringing a complex RPG to consoles, would never work, and how the resulting success of the decision — Morrowind would “go on to become one of the best-selling Xbox games of all time” — impacted the industry, with Hines also going so far as to draw a link between that and the success of RPGs as a genre on consoles. All three also emphasise a shared goal. “We share a deep belief in the fundamental power of games, in their ability to connect, empower, and bring joy,” said Howard. “And a belief we should bring that to everyone – regardless of who you are, where you live, or what you play on. Regardless of the screen size, the controller, or your ability to even use one.” All-in-all, Microsoft’s acquisition of ZeniMax Media can only mean big things for the future and for Xbox. It represents more than just an acquisition; it’s another major milestone for Microsoft and, coupled with Phil Spencer’s comments about the future of Xbox and his hopes for its portfolio, shows that Microsoft is actually willing to act on those promises of “building a diverse array of creative experiences” by emptying out its piggy bank and spending on some major names. With this one acquisition, Microsoft has shown itself willing to go big, leaving us all wondering where it will turn its attention to next, and just how the landscape of Xbox will change in the future. Microsoft’s acquisition of ZeniMax Media just had to be the subject of our last entry into the defining moments of Xbox series — as Phil Spencer said, it marks a “landmark step” in Microsoft’s history. What do you think? What do you expect from Microsoft’s acquisition of ZeniMax Media? Could you defeat Todd Howard in a Pokémon battle? Let us know in the comments!
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