Xbox Will Deliver Exclusive Bethesda Games 'Where Game Pass Exists'

Triggered Xbox haters trying to downplay this coming in 3...2..1
🤮🦄💚

@Senua
Lol look over at pushsquare

@LocalPenguin I'm joining ya!

Finally, clear and to the point!

Off course it’s exclusive to game pass.
Exclusives sell game pass and devices including xbox consoles that have game pass.
No brainier.

@TrueAssassin86x saw a couple of posters try to still paint it as "ambiguous" due to the "legacy" bit, but their staff has been doing a good job at just making them see the truth: chances of future Bethesda games on PS are next to none.

Side note: I do wonder if that "legacy" comment is directed at other future acquisitions or planned projects. Only games I can see having such a legacy are the Banjo games on Nintendo platforms... maybe one is finally in the works somewhere and will also come to Switch?

@Tharsman It’s a part of usual boilerplate (legally safe) talk, no reason to look into it except for existing online MMO titles.

The phrase "will deliver exclusives to where gamepass exists" feels like it might be aimed at other platform holders, 'want Elder Scrolls 6 on Switch 2, lets talk gamepass'

I'm no Uber fanboy but this is great as Xbox is my preferred platform. I own a PS4 but outside the Earth Defence Force games I don't really know what to do with it (also can't really be bothered with story narrative games). Also some people are in denial on Push Square😭😭😂🦄

It may take a bit of time, but when Microsoft said they were ALL IN this generation and moving forward with gaming, they really did mean it.

So, sounds like what many suspected. New IPs (like Starfield) will be Microsoft exclusive, and established IPs like (Elder Scrolls) will be cross-platform.

@themightyant I honestly doubt there was any platform notes on the Indiana Jones license. Disney already seems to note they realize exclusivity deals like the Star Wars one with EA were a bad idea. This makes me think that even if Bethesda has the rights to make an Indiana Jones game, does not mean it's an exclusive deal, and someone else might be able to license and make a different game.

Not unlike Nintendo was able to use Spider Man on a game despite Sony also having the rights to make the Spider Man open world games.

@Tharsman well technically Doom 64 is a Nintendo game. There are other games that have that sort of history, so.

@Tharsman and also everyone misses “and games with contracts” right after legacy so there are still contracts we don’t know about Probabaly like Indie

I have no idea what this sentence means. I've read it like 10 times, it makes zero sense:

"much like the will they, won't they couple you see in every single rom-com."

@mousieone I guess that one entry, but that one entry is already on Switch and will stay there. They are not pulling any games away from the storefronts.

The contract bit I am sure is specifically about Deathloop and Ghostwire and any potential DLC for them.

@Tharsman yeah but I suspect it might Indiana Jones because they mentioned Deathloop and Ghost before then in “contractual obligations” so to mention it twice in two different areas...

Doom 64 was one game but there is also the Commander Keen series which has Gameboy entries..

I think Legacy definitely means Nintendo.

@mousieone Doom 64 was one game but there is also the Commander Keen series which has Gameboy entries..

Comander Keen's legacy is on DOS. I dont think any legacy talk is about "game having instances on x platform" and more about it's origins.

Like, Tomb Rider might had always been on PS platforms, but started as a DOS game first, so no cigar. If somehow MS acquired Activision and with it Crash Bandicoot, then that one would get the obvious PlayStation legacy flag (unless they take that back by then.)

Sounds like elder scrolls is still coming to playstation and that is all I need to know

@themightyant couldn't agree more. Sure there are some disappointed folk over there, but most of the disagreements over there seem to stem from XBox fan trying to stir up grief. Really, the worse thing about things like this are the smug fans, be they green or blue.

Regardless, I'm interested to see what the come up with. I might give Evil Within a spin but I really struggle to muster enthusiasm for Bethesda - I looked at the list coming to Gamepass and got excited until I looked at the list and realised I'm not bothered by any of them. Ah well, I've only just started Sekiro so that will be staying in my XSX for the foreseeable future

"There's communities of players, we love those communities, and we'll continue to invest in them. And even in the future, there might be things that have their contractual things or legacy on different platforms that we'll go do"

Now to me this sounds like all current franchises on playstation such as elder scrolls, fallout, dishonoured, rage, prey, doom, evil within and wolfenstein will still come to playstation as they are existimg communities. But brand new ips such as starfield will be xbox exclusive, so it could be atleast 3 years before we see an xbox exclusive from Bethesda

I’ve said this since day one anything contractually obliged will be PS everything else will be Xbox and and been argued with even in comments here on pure Xbox. Even now people will read Phil’s statement and see what they want to see. But it seems very straightforward.

@Tharsman I don’t know in the sense DOS is PC and they’ve made it clear that consider they“Morrowind” a legacy for Xbox. Anyway, I guess it doesn’t matter me waffling about it XD way too much time to just wait and aeee what happens.

@UltimateOtaku91 that's how I read it too to be honest, but every gaming journalist is saying it means everything besides Deathloop and Ghost Wire are exclusive and I'll just assume they know better than me

@UltimateOtaku91 @PapaGlitch ditto here actually. Even the editors at Push are saying it’s origins or history with. So I guess that’s wrong; I dunno. Sounded like “existing franchises”. But I guess I think weirdly.

@PapaGlitch evil within 1 was ok but number 2 was a great game, added an open map with side quests

@themightyant I tried them both because they really seem like games I should like but just couldn't get into them. Might give them another shot though, I really didn't give Prey long enough so now it's back on GPU I'll give it another go.

But yeah, I'm on a Fromsoft bender right now so don't see me playing anything else for a while! I've gone Demon's Souls to Dark Souls to Bloodborne to Sekiro - I think I've got a problem!

@mousieone but what Bethesda games have "origins" with playstation? They've always been multiplat. I honestly think they meant all current franchises but worded it in a way to make people unsure

The first paragraph suggests the exclusives are going to be the new IPs and probably stuff like Indiana Jones where the IP isn't a Bethesda IP. Meanwhile stuff like Elder Scrolls, DOOM, Wolfenstein, etc. are multiplat.

Which leaves Starfield, it may be exclusive or Sony may have done timed exclusivity before Microsoft bought Bethesda.

That's that I guess. DOOM is really all I care about when it comes to Bethesda these days if i'm being honest, but hey, if future DOOM games just hit gamepass day 1 that's the biggest win as far as i'm concerned.

@Grumblevolcano my thinking exactly but we shall see in time to come, I still think current franchises will be maybe a year exclusive instead of total exclusive, plus elder scrolls 6 is most likely already contracted to come out on playstation as surely they are way deep into development

@UltimateOtaku91
That completely goes against what Phil Spencer also said about exclusivity.

What I took the communities about is the MMO games. Those have large communities that will still be supported, regardless of platform.

The contracts bit, I took as obviously the PS5 timed exclusives, but could also be Indiana Jones.

Legacy could be anything to be honest.

But the key thing behind this, is that Phil Spencer wants these games exclusive and to be a driving force for Game Pass.
You want these games? Go subscribe to Game Pass on a platform that supports it. That's the key message here.

@UltimateOtaku91 I don’t think that though I’m saying that’s how everyone else is saying it. So I can’t answer your question when I read it the same way as you lol

I put this in Push Square to try and gamers to see the bigger picture.
“ You all not seeing the bigger picture.
This is not Microsoft having a tiff with you gamers or Sony.
This is Microsoft watching its gaming divisions back. The far bigger picture is Amazon, Google and Apple, any of them could have purchased Bethesda in their possible future plans for mobile and cloud gaming.
This is Microsoft defending and planning its future gaming state and warding of the real big Trillion Dollar companies. “

Oh man as an Xbox owner with gamepass I’m happy about this. Gamepass will be insane value once Bethesda games start dropping.

Too bad for PlayStation owners who are too loyal to even consider an Xbox. They’ll be ok though they all have high end PC’s right 😂

@blinx01 tbh all this can easily be resolved at a very cheap cost because of gamepass, something that I do is connect my phone to my TV and then connect my dualshock 4 and then launch the gamepass app and play the games on my TV, this will save people hundreds on buying a xbox system or pc.

But the majority of the playstation fans won't see this and think that they have to buy an xbox which they refuse to do

Honestly, any playstation fan trying to cling to the meaning of "legacy" will just be extremely disapointed.

The most important quote in this whole statement is the aquisition is about exclusives. They can't say that and then just throw every sequel at PlayStation. This is, after all, about exclusives!

@UltimateOtaku91 the people that feel that way (about buying an Xbox) tend to have an overlap with the ones that also say they will just build a new windows pc, and buy the game off steam to "stick it to the man!"

@Tharsman lol even though building a new pc powerful enough to play the majority of games would cost way more than a series S

@UltimateOtaku91 true, but many of them still believe in console wars and feel buying an Xbox unit would give a point to the competition.

I mean, it's great that MS is finally entrenching into being not an optional console anymore, and honestly, those of you have have tried to play Fallout or TES on a Playstation probably wouldn't repeat the experience anyway, they're a Windows studio that happens to make capable Xbox ports....PS has always been the sloppy seconds for their games. And I buy all Bethesda games on MS platforms for that reason anyway.

But I still don't see this big "win" involved by taking popular games, buying them out, and locking them away as "now you have to buy this other platform you otherwise didn't want to play these series you used to like." Disney+ is not a model we should be endorsing for gaming. Accepting the business necessity/practicality of it is one thing, but cheering it on as a good thing in general, I just don't understand. BUT, now everyone that likes Doom, Fallout, and TES needs to own a PC, Xbox, or subscribe to cloud streaming which even if you're a PS-only fan should be at least somewhat pleasing since now it puts the pressure on Jim "Matrick" Ryan's perceived monopoly and they're going to have to treat PS fans as actual customers rather than subjects more often now. So it's a win for multi-console owners, it's break-even for Xbox owners, it's a loss for PS owners, but with the up-side that Sony's been taking you for a very long ride without a care in the world and now they're going to have to actually try to respect you again, even if just a little.

@abe_hikura I was thinking the same. It's odd wording to say "where game pass exists" considering game pass exists everywhere but PS and Nintendo. I mean technically it's on iOS and Android via cloud.... There's not a snowball's chance Sony supports competing Game Pass unless they merge Now with Game Pass (which technically, since Now is Microsoft hosted anyway now, I suppose it's not impossible if MS agrees to great revenue shares.) But Nintendo's limited hardware, partnerships with MS, and forays into streaming to deliver games still could prove possible for Switch 2, which will never run Skyrim's or Doom's successors natively but now have an audience looking for them. Especially in Japan where TES is extremely popular, along with mobile, Switch, and streaming, and MS wants an in. Even if it's not "FULL" Game Pass, Nintendo has demonstrated they'd be more than open to single-game Game Pass models if MS was willing to bend, they already partner with third parties for Control and Hitman 3 streaming.

Plus it would be worth it to watch the total meltdown at Push Square if Nintendo gamers got TES6 and Doom and Playstation didn't....

I've been saying this since day 1 you don't spend 7.5 billion dollars to put your games on playstation.. I told ya so, You're welcome..

From a business perspective, I understand ringfencing your IPs (especially if you've just dropped 7bill)... It makes total sense.
As a gamer, I would actually like all games to be cross platform (specifically for multiplayer), to keep the active player base for the game broad and for that base to last a long time... it's sad when you revisit an old multiplayer game you love and there's nobody in the lobby 😆

Another good positive of this move is that Sony will have to be even more competitive now.
Throwing the odd game on PS+ will only go so far.
Will they beef up PS Now to rival Game Pass, or will they simply continue as normal and let MS start making up the ground?

@BrilliantBill the biggest threat imo is Tencent. They already have their fingers in so many pies it’s scary and they’re Chinese owned which is bad for everyone. I’d rather Microsoft owns anything rather than them.

FWIW, I'm one of those folks who converted from PS4 to XBSX. After owning the original XB and 360, MS lost my business last generation with the XBONE debacle. They've won me back now with Game Pass and the Zenimax acquisition. Mission accomplished for Phil Spencer.

@abe_hikura That's exactly what this is about, and has been for a long time. The wording isn't vague at all.

MS will happily bring Bethesda games to Switch and PS, but they want these big titles as leverage during negotiations.

"Hey Sony, your fans want these games. By letting us put xbox and game pass on to your console you would be dramatically increasing the value of your console to consumers. Wanna try make a deal?"

@Dezzy70 That is not what he said, as you pointed out that would be obvious. He is saying that these games will be exclusive to GamePass... and leaving the door open for GamePass to come to other platforms like Nintendo and PlayStation... I heard him say once when asked if GamePass would be on the Playstation and his response was "that is more up to Sony".

Hopefully, TheFrenchiestFry and the rest of PushScariers stop posting on every single thread that Bethesda games will be published on PS5 as well so PS fans won't miss out in spite of a 7.5 billion deal.

https://www.purexbox.com/news/2021/03/xbox_has_confirmed_some_new_bethesda_titles_will_be_exclusives#comment6180192

@BlueOcean Franchises that make money will be multiplat. New IPs like Starfield etc will not.

As much as a big win every Xbox fan says it is. Elder Scrolls and Fallout for example make a lot of money. MS make more by letting them go multiplat than ringfencing them to a few platforms hence they dont do that with Minecraft.

Editors on Pushsquare actually trying to be realistic with the userbase. Is Pushscariers really the way you wanna go with that?

So decided to watch the video myself, and got to say, context and tone make a huge difference. That statement about "legacy" was very offhand and seems simply a reference to the computer term for legacy: old software that needs to be patched and maintained, and old deals inherited that need to be honored.

@Jaxx420 what part of "if you're an Xbox customer, the thing I want you to know is this is about delivering great exclusive games for you" makes you think that?

@Tharsman time will tell. Could be as you said in previous post. Existing games already released get support. Anything else is exclusive.

Could be "legacy" meaning franchises that have released on other platforms will still do so a la Elder Scrolls, Doom etc. Any future new IPs will release only on platforms that have Game Pass.

I own all 3 I dont mind either scenario I just dont think the presentation made it any clearer.

@BlueOcean "You know you are wrong" isnt objective either.

I have always given a neutral view. I may be proved wrong but I think they will make a ton of money keeping known IPs multiplat. And they are not a charity after all. Lets see in a year or two down the line.

As for "for once" if you are implying nothing I say is ever objective or realistic. Prove it please.

Done with being attacked for posting simple opinions. Its what other sites do. Hoped it would stay away from here.

@Jaxx420 You are not neutral. Since I know you, you are constantly trying to downplay anything related to Xbox and slyly criticising Xbox games and consoles, answering me condescending a few times.

On topic, Microsoft didn't acquire ZeniMax to put their games on PS5 and Phil is clear now, everything will be Xbox/Game Pass exclusive except for existing games and existing timed-exclusivity deals for future games (Deathloop and Ghostwire Tokyo). There is absolutely zero reason to put anything else on PS5 when they have Game Pass to nurture. Microsoft respected the multiplatform nature of Minecraft after acquiring it and tried a few games on Switch but next Doom, Wolfenstein, The Evil Within, The Elder Scrolls and Fallout will be Xbox/Game Pass exclusive. I don't know what you guys need to hear from Microsoft to accept reality. ZeniMax is part of Xbox Game Studios now. "If you're an Xbox customer, the thing I want you to know is this is about delivering great exclusive games for you".

@BlueOcean If you can find a comment in my comment history where I was condescending personally to you and quote it. I will apologise in this thread (PM function not a thing yet but should be maybe?) But ill be surprised if its there. You didnt like me posting something against a pro-Xbox view. Itll get toxic too quick that I dont want any part of it..

On topic. Like any acquisition its about one thing and one thing alone and that is making money. And lots of it.

Microsoft didnt spend $7.5bil to get good press or please some forum users. Its an investment and shareholders will want a return.

Personally - I think that return would be maximised with existing IPs ie Doom, ES, maybe Wolfenstein being across all platforms. But there absolutely should be an incentive to invest in the Xbox ecosystem from this deal and that is where new IP being exclusive will come into it..

One quote from a press event isnt enough to change my view there. But as an Xbox owner myself if I am proved wrong I will still get to enjoy those games and that is what matters.

@BrilliantBill Google will be back. That's their MO. Sooner or later it'll come back as Youtube Gaming and be pricier as a sub.

For those who was in denial mode and did not believe that Bethesda games will be exclusive to Xbox and Gamepass. It is settled now. They spend 7.5 billion to make the games exclusive to their platforms. The day you see Halo or Gears on PS5, you would also see Doom, Elder, or Wolf on PS5. ))))))))))

By the way, I suggest go to Pushsquare and enjoy the anger of PS fanboys claiming they will not spending a penny buying Xbox or Bethesda games. LOL/

I sympathize with the anger over exclusivity. I wouldn't be thrilled if Amazon bought Ubisoft and made assassin's creed, immortals, and ghost recon exclusive to luna streaming. And I'd be conflicted over not wanting to use their nasty gaming service and missing out on series I enjoy.

But.

The hysterics by some of the meltdowns over there are still pretty spectacular. A mix of mental twister proving the big games won't be exclusive that reminds me of the people that think the number of blocks on mayan pyramids proves the world really ended in y2k, combined with the raving about how evil xbox is and that they'll never buy one, or subscribe. Or play any game not on a PlayStation. It's kinda sad, kinda funny, I'd be upset too if I just wanted to play everything on one console...... But it's the same people that rant and rant about the amazing Sony exclusives....

@NEStalgia It was already explained in cyberpunk literature of 20th century. Corporations provide new ways of selfidentification. In the past people were fighting for their tribe/city state/country and not neccessarily only on the battlefield. Now they are ready to fight, at least on social media, for corporation they identify with. It is plain to see that today we could see Xbox or Playstation or Nintendo 'patriots'.

@NEStalgia well if the shoes were reversed; it’s be worse. It’s fairly easy to stream and there is also PC as an option. MS’s entry point is lot more user friendly and far less wallet busting to enjoy both platforms. Not that exclusivity isn’t a pain.

@lajt true, and still confusing. I really can't comprehend that thinking. At least tribe, city state, nation provides vital systems for survival that benefit all under their umbrella while competing ones harm that stability. Corporations selling consumer products just try to take more than they give, by nature. There's little to identify with. Maybe it's a thing with the people too young to remember the world before the corporatocracy took over....

@mousieone Indeed. Though these are the same people that rail against Sony for porting to PC and not being exclusive only hurts the platform. But when ms puts it on everything EXCEPT PlayStation, that's a problem...

I think what they really mean is anything that changes the status quo where ps is the only platform that matters, and the only way to get the biggest games is bad...

@Hexamex-Tex
One day in the far future maybe we can have just one console that plays all the games and no exclusives, who knows.

@BrilliantBill
For me that is what Microsoft are doing and that is what it is more about. The bigger and future picture and getting one up on the other big Trillion Dollar companies. As for Sony yes they are direct competition in a small gaming space for now.

@BrilliantBill
The thing is they seem to be restricting creativity due to how they operate. They don't want to take risks with big games because Jim Ryan has stated how big the budgets are getting and that's why thee games cost £70 now.
That's one thing I liked from the Roundtable event. Todd Howard stated how Game Pass will now allow them to take more risks without worrying about if a game will sell enough.
On the other side, Sony have had an exodus at their Japan studio since those games didn't sell enough for their liking.

You can subscribe to or buy Xbox games on Xbox and on Windows. You will be able to stream Xbox games to a smart TV. You can buy or you can subscribe. There is free cross-play and cross-save. There is free backwards compatibility with free upgrades, they just introduced FPS boost and these goodies alone makes Xbox the most player-friendly of the three.

The quid is not that ZeniMax games will be available on Xbox and PC exclusively but that if Sony had bought ZeniMax, Sony fans would be proud about it even if it meant PS5 exclusively, without a subscription option since PS Now doesn't include Sony's games until they are old. I wouldn't comment about this deal if I didn't see on every thread since this was announced last year Sony fans saying that ZeniMax games won't be exclusive after all. Phil Spencer cleared the doubts and they still say that they won't be exclusive because, apparently, Microsoft needs Sony.

It's Sony that needs Microsoft to keep their online services running decently. Unlike PS Now, Game Pass gains more subscribers everyday so it doesn't make any sense to release games on PS5 because they have to pay 30% of each copy to Sony and they lose potential subscriptions and purchases, not to mention the marketing hit. It's all about the long-term benefits and customers. Microsoft really needs exclusive games on Game Pass and that is why they have acquired so many studios.

Part of PS4's success was because of the mess that the launch of Xbox One was (I bought a PS4). It wasn't like that the generation before (Xbox 360, PS4 and Wii). This generation Xbox is already closer to PS and it has just begun. Some people jumped from Xbox 360 to PS4 and some people are jumping from PS4 to Series X/S. This generation will be more balanced than last generation and that's good for everyone.

In short, Microsoft won't release ZeniMax games on PS5 except existing games that they'll support and the two PS5 timed exclusives that they will honour because it doesn't make any sense and because Phil Spencer just confirmed it.

"So, obviously, I can't sit here and say every Bethesda game is exclusive because we know that's not true, there's contractual obligations that we're gonna see through as we always do in every one of these instances (...) But, if you're an Xbox customer, the thing I want you to know is this is about delivering great exclusive games for you, that ship on platforms where Game Pass exists".

@Dezzy70 "One day in the far future maybe we can have just one console that plays all the games and no exclusives, who knows."

If MS have their way, this will be the future of games. But instead of one console, it will be one platform across a range of hardware.

I talked about it a while ago. We can see how MS looks at windows and their hardware. Just because they sell Surface Pro laptops and tablets, doesn't mean that those devices are the only ones with windows. This is how they are moving with Xbox. They want Nintendo and Sony hardware about, they just want them powered by the xbox ecosystem.

And quite frankly, with how bad and barebones Nintendo's os are, I'd very much welcome it.

And honestly, if you could buy a Switch and access to both Nintendo's and Xbox's libraries, how cool would that be? Pick whatever hardware suits your needs and budget, and not worry about having access to all the big games, and having cross play/progression?. That is the future as far as I'm concerned.

@Richnj
Cool idea,
But would Nintendo and Sony put their exclusive games on all platforms.
For me they would not as that is all they have for hardware sales etc and income that way.
Sony and Nintendo are worth a good few million but Microsoft are a trillion Dollar company and can be experimental in this way.
Also Microsoft’s trillions come from other sources like PC software, sever banks and cloud the list goes on.

@Dezzy70 Sony and Nintendo likely wouldn't. Not any time soon at least. They have greatly benefitted from the current console models, and likely want to maintain that as long as possible, but they can't hold out forever.

And like you said, MS are massive compared to Nintendo and Sony. They have more money to invest and take this risk, where Nintendo and Sony don't. But that means that MS could be in a more powerful position come the time that the market shifts.

Remember that one of the lawsuits flying around is one where Epic is trying to bypass platform holder controlled store fronts. This could potentially open up PS and Nintendo consoles before they are ready or willingly.

Even if Sony and Nintendo never put their games on other platforms, they may be forced to host other platforms on their hardware. And Xbox is going to be the platform that's first in line for that.

@Dezzy70 doubtful.

I made an account just to say that articles like this are the reason people immediately assume journalists are writing fake news.

You used a journalist's tweet as 'proof' and then try to say "oh well, you shouldn't take it too seriously, because he's not really anyone connected with the game."

And immediately after, you say WHY this same tweet is most likely wrong. You prove yourself wrong in the same article and then link to other articles written by the site that show we don't know the answer yet because employees of Microsoft and Bethesda are saying that they're not sure either.

That's clickbait. Write a feature if you don't have anything to write about the sequel. Don't give out misinformation as headlines just to get clicks.

We should be better than that.