
Earlier this week, we were treated to a massive set of hands-on previews for Bethesda's Redfall, which looks to be another fantastic day one addition to the Xbox Game Pass library, arriving in May of 2023.
At the same time, an interview was published by IGN France in which Redfall creative director Harvey Smith appeared to suggest that Redfall had been cancelled for PS5 following Xbox's takeover of ZeniMax Media. This (unsurprisingly) led to a lot of different outlets covering the story, including us here at Pure Xbox:
Since then, Microsoft has been issuing a statement to various reporters on the matter, stating that the company "[hasn't] pulled any games from PlayStation". Here's a look at the statement in full, courtesy of Eurogamer:
"We haven't pulled any games from PlayStation. In fact, we've expanded our footprint of games that we've shipped on Sony's PlayStation since our acquisition of ZeniMax, and the first two games we shipped after closing were PlayStation 5 exclusives. We did the same thing since our closing of Minecraft as we extended the reach of that franchise."
"All of the games that were available on PlayStation when we acquired ZeniMax in March 2021 are still available on PlayStation, and we have continued to do content updates on PlayStation and PC. We have always said that future decisions on whether to distribute ZeniMax games for other consoles will be made on a case-by-case basis."
It's hard to tell exactly what happened with Redfall - the original interview seemingly pointed towards the game being planned for PS5 at some point in its lifecycle, but that doesn't necessarily mean it was already in development.
As Microsoft says, everything since the Bethesda takeover now has the potential to be an Xbox (and PC) exclusive, and that's obviously what was decided in the case of Redfall, along with the likes of Starfield and even Hi-Fi RUSH.
What are your thoughts on this? Let us know down in the comments section below.
Comments 60
You can't "take something away" if it was never publicly announced for PS5. It's like saying Xbox took Gears 3 away from the PS3.
Xbox owns the Gears IP & they own Zenimax so they can do whatever they want with their stuff. Big difference compared to Sony doing 3rd-party deals with games they don't own.
Besides, Microsoft already honored Sony and gave Deathloop & Ghostwire both 1-year PS exclusivity. Let us have Redfall & Starfield.
Microsoft doesn't have to explain itself unless Sony make one of their exclusives available to xbox then a company can do what they want with their own ips
Sony already had contracts in place for Deathloop and Ghostwire Tokyo, so excluding those what other new games have they put onto playstation? Leaving existing games on playstation doesn't count as expanding their footprint on playstation 😑
Its more about taking future games of existing franchises that's are on playstation now and making them xbox exclusive, that is what is meant by xbox taking games off playstation.
I can't think of an existing IP that playstation has taken away from xbox with one of its acquisitions, other than spiderman which was offered to playstation and rejected by Microsoft themselves. Sonys Biggest owned IP's have never been on an xbox console. Yet Microsofts biggest owned IP's after the Activision deal and Bethesda deal have been on playstation for decades. That's the difference people fail to see.
Microsoft needs to just keep quiet about this particular issue. It doesn't help because there is evidence to suggest the contrary.
Sure, Redfall was never announced for PlayStation and neither was Starfield. But, the game was in development for the console at one time and pulled. That is technically "taking away".
It's just a huge gray area.
And so we return to the media spin BS after Harvey's refreshing honesty. I just wish they would stop treating us like idiots.
@UnusedBabyWipes That's funny because this community was telling anyone with a pulse how playstation blocked Final fantasy 7 remake from xbox without having any proof of a xbox port ever existing.
What Microsoft owns Microsoft can do what it wants with.
When ABK goes through I hope they never release a single title for PlayStation platform again.
And that goes for all existing and future titles and the same with Zenimax studio games.
Business is business and that’s is that.
I don't see how they took anything away when literally no platforms were talked about at Starfield's announcement and they announced Redfall AFTER the acquisition. Officially, neither were coming to PS and both are new IP. Even without the latter point, it never seemed like they took anything away from PS.
It's hard to excuse MS here. They did not take anything away, but they did stop it from becoming available in the first place.
And they potentially did decide, 3 out of 3 times, to keep games exclusive on their platform, on a case by case basis. But it does look rather suspicious ☺️
Not saying Sony is any better, however neither is Sony (while MS is full of "for all gamers" PR nonsense).
The first paragraph reads to me like they are talking about games that were already available to buy not being pulled and not particularly about games that were in development. Vague as ever.
Yeah, don’t give em Redfall it’s your company do what you like.
Poor old CRYSTATION.
Having Series X stock issues now in store last one left and none for home delivery 🚚
Microsoft need to get some more over to us and the other 50 odd stores most of them out of stock.
@Dezzy70 come over to sainsbury's/argos mate, we've got loads for instore pick up tomorrow. Problem is no-one is the slightest bit bothered. Theres more enquiries about the OLED pokemon switch than Series X.
@UltimateOtaku91
not with acquisitions but with exclusive-contracts like for FinalFantasy as a example.
Who knows if all future games from Bungie will still be on xbox?
@Murray I'd expect bunjie games to still be on xbox as that was one of their requirements for Sony to buy them, to stay multiplatform. I'd expect that to be maintained as bunjie can be an handful, they already bought themselves out from Microsoft and Activision due to falling out with them.
@Swirly
Argos do have good stock at the moment
Through they got short a couple of weeks back.
I don’t care I’m happy the ABK deal nearly done
COD and all ABK games day one on game pass.
@UltimateOtaku91
Multiplatform is no garanty for a xbox version, it could be PS and PC, oder PS and Nintendo for example.
Like everything else there is no garanty in life
@Dezzy70 So you want MS to lose money? CoD is worthless if its not on PS as well.
@FenIsMightier MS has also been doing 3rd party exclusives as well, in fact its gone harder on them then Sony. Last week even saw a timed 3rd party release on Xbox.
@WallyWest Xbox has had more timed exclusives than sony this gen so far.
@Murray Well this is what was said about the deal.
"Bungie will be “an independent subsidiary” of the PlayStation firm and remain a multiplatform studio."
So to me that's exactly how it is with Microsoft and Mojang, hence why Minecraft games release on every platform.
@UltimateOtaku91 Exactly and they did last gen as well.
@FenIsMightier It's all about the public optics. It's all technicality.
I personally don't care what Microsoft with games it owns - I have an Series X for that.
But there is so much PR spin on these statements it just causes eye-rolling. I wouldn't say it's digging a hole, it's just facepalm material.
Technically Microsoft didn't "take away" anything...that was already officially announced (and not implied). But, they did stop active development when it took over the studios (neither right nor wrong, mind you), so technically that "took away" from a PlayStation release.
There is no wrong-doing on Microsoft's part, though.
But the public can see the Redfall statements and say "see how M$ does?!" and then see this new statement as poor Damage Control.
@UltimateOtaku91
I can't think of an existing IP that playstation has taken away from xbox with one of its acquisitions
That is incorrect, PlayStation has in fact taken away an existing IP from Xbox, actually a former exclusive to Xbox - its called Sunset Overdrive. It happened when Sony acquired Insomniac and by default the SO ip.
@Sol4ris I actually didn't remember that one, now if that is true I wonder why Sony haven't done anything with that IP. Maybe Microsoft own the publishing's rights so Sony can't really do anything without Microsofts say so.
@WallyWest
I don’t care if it makes financial sense then COD on PS5 it is then.
I just get it game pass day one anyway.
@themightyant
And so we return to the media spin BS after Harvey's refreshing honesty
They did actually try honesty albeit inadvertently, the internet PlayStation fanbase went a bit ape s**t. So we are back to Microsoft trying to sell seagulls as ravens...
@UltimateOtaku91 Not via acquisitions, but they have done so several times via third party deals. Of the top of my head:
Street Fighter V
Final Fantasy VII Remake
Final Fantasy XVI
Knights of the Old Republic
They did take away Sunset Overdrive, didn't just take it away, they set it on fire and buried it away for good.
@Sol4ris Not really. A few hundred or even thousand comments on the internet from some raging fanboys and trolls isn't a good enough reason to treat us all like we're idiots.
Suggesting that they are pro-consumer for putting more games on PlayStation when those titles were were already locked in, while simultaneously cancelling every other future PS5 port is the most transparent BS of all time. Come on now, even the greenest blood can see that right?
Frankly this is one of those times they would have done better to remain silent, instead they just look stupid.
@Sol4ris Sunset Overdrive would only be valid if there was a sequel released and it didn't release on Xbox, otherwise nothing has been taken away. There is no evidence of a sunset overdrive 2 ever being in development to have been taken away.
@Sebatrox I would have bought Redfall if it released on PS. I think it looks pretty cool but at the same time I wouldn't lose any sleep about not being able to play it. I have the exact same feelings towards Starfield.
@StrawberryWave
I can't think of an existing IP that playstation has taken away from xbox with one of its acquisitions
My reply was to @UltimateOtaku91 who wrote the above.
The Sunset Overdrive IP now belongs to Sony and that is a fact. Just like the Hellblade IP is now owned by Microsoft. Yes you can still play HB on PlayStation and SO on Xbox but any future sequels will be exclusive (or at the discretion) the respective IP holders.
The only reason this got blown up is because Jim Ryan is a little cry baby and doesn't like it when someone has a Shiney new toy and he doesn't. Once Sony gets rid of him the better the gaming industry will be.
@Kevw2006
Oh I see, so if Sony decides to green-light a sequel to Sunset Overdrive than Xbox owners can rest assured that it will show on their console. Gotcha 😉
@themightyant
A few hundred or even thousand comments on the internet from some raging fanboys and trolls isn't a good enough reason to treat us all like we're idiots
Why make it so personal, I think by now is pretty clear that regardless of what statements Microsoft release they will always bound to offend one group of console owners. Hence my poor analogy.
Come on now, even the greenest blood can see that right. Again, what are you suggesting here?
@UnusedBabyWipes Yup. Also, GoW released before PS3 launched. I guess they could have had a version ready, but the installed base was zero.
We have to expect some 3rd party exclusives, however, what Sony has been doing is rampant. Talk about "foreclosure strategies" and "anti-competitive" behaviors. The industry was going away from it, and they have sent it surging back.
@Sol4ris Well...no but you never know. But we're talking about a game that has never existed and hasn't even looked likely to exist here. I noticed that you used Hellblade 2 as a very similar example a few comments above. Going by your logic with Sunset Overdrive do you believe that Hellblade 2 should be released on PS?
@Tharsman Interesting as i bought, played and loved Sunset Overdrive on my SS last year so how was it taking away?
@UltimateOtaku91 We are not talking about ID@Xbox games that need funding to keep the lights on. We are talking about the big high-profile 3rd party games. MS pays the entire cost of development and does not block multi-platform release, if there is a delay at all. Even then, the exclusive periods are 6-months for MS versus 1 year-to-never for Sony.
@Kevw2006
Going by your logic with Sunset Overdrive do you believe that Hellblade 2 should be released on PS
Absolutely and I think Microsoft should have released the next gen upgrade of the first game on PS5 too, bit of a poor showing from Microsoft there.
@Sol4ris Much respect for that comment. Although I don't blame them for making it exclusive to be fair as I know it would have been an exclusive if it was the other way around.
@Sol4ris Just because fanboys are going to react isn't ever a reason to stop something. If we make our actions based on the minority of extremists then we've already lost.
Microsoft are treating us like we are all idiots, I find that distasteful. While there is always spin, this is marketing after all, there are level of acceptability within that. Saying one thing with their words while doing the exact opposite with their actions is transparent AF. It's like shaking your hand with a smile, while kicking you in the nuts.
Instead I would much prefer them to just be HONEST. "Yes we are taking games away from PlayStation, deal with it" instead they come up with this two faced spin BS that seems designed to deliberately inflame. I don't like that.
Zenimax relied on sales of their games to fund their Studio's and keep making games so it makes sense that EVERY game they were working in was 'planned' to release on Playstation - just like Deathloop and Ghostwire were 'expected' to release Day and Date on Xbox to 'SELL' as many games as possible to 'keep' making games until Sony stepped in and paid money to keep them from Xbox specifically for a year.
Zenimax as an independent company needing to SELL products in as many places to continue getting revenue to make more 'Products' to sell no longer 'exist'. They are now owned by MS, its MS's money paying them to make games, MS owns their IP's etc etc. They get 'revenue' from ALL games sold on their Platform, get revenue from Sub services, from Hardware/accessories sales etc to 'fund' those games, fund those studios who no longer have to spend time & money on Porting, optimising, manufacturing and distributing games to Playstation to sell to keep making games...
Any NEW IP that has NO platform attached (as Starfield and Redfall are), any Single Player game as they are 'stand-alone' titles without ANY Active ONLINE Community of Gamers playing together with Friends/Family, will be EXCLUSIVE to MS unless MS decide its 'worth' releasing THEIR games on Playstation when the whole objective is to 'compete' with Sony's Exclusives.
You buy a Playstation to play the Games you can't play elsewhere and the multi-platform releases don't matter so much because you can still play regardless of whether you buy Xbox or Playstation. The narrative was that Xbox had 'NO' games - relying on Forza, Halo and Gears to compete. Now they are 'investing' in building up Xbox to 'Compete' with Sony's IP's, that's 'wrong' because its Xbox...
If Sony acquire Square Enix for example, you wouldn't expect Final Fantasy to release on Xbox, it doesn't now thanks to Sony's money but that's OK, a smart move, great for the industry, for Sony, for their Fanboys etc because it's Sony - but if MS bought SE, they'd all be 'crying' about it.
Where are Psygnosis? Sony bought them, changed their name to Sony Computer Entertainment to compete with Sega/Nintendo and have gone on to buy 'lots' of Studio's over the years - some they closed down of course but still bought their Studios. In recent times, bought Nixxes, Bluepoint, Insomniac, Bungie, Firesprite, Haven, Valkyrie Entertainment and Savage Game Studios to 'Grow' their business
I remember when Ocean, Codemasters, Acclaim, Atari and countless OTHER Publishers and/or independent Studios have been bought up, owned by other Companies that got sold on etc etc. Point is, they have ALL bought Studios - even EA, Ubisoft, Activision, Sony, Embracer, TenCent etc so why would that 'stop' now - you lose one, another 10 start-up....
@Dezzy70 Whilst I do agree with you that its MS's money, they own the IP's, the Studios etc, will be WHOLLY funding development from the moment they take over, knowing it COSTS money to port, optimise, manufacture and distribute games to their Competitors platform, so its entirely up to them to have the freedom to choose where to release, I don't think it makes sense to be as 'bad' as Sony and PULL games/support from ACTIVE ONLINE Communities of gamers that are 'ultimately' fans of an MS owned IP.
Minecraft gets 'overlooked' a LOT, but its available EVERYWHERE with a massive ONLINE Community so I do expect MS to continue to support CoD, Minecraft, ESO or F76 for example, but Single Player games and 'NEW' IP's will likely be Exclusive - unless its an ONLINE multi-player game like Minecraft Legends/Dungeons - for that ONLINE community.
Elder Scrolls, Fallout etc Single Player games are completely 'stand-alone' games. They start 'fresh' every-time with a 'new' character you created. Single Player games have a distinct 'end' - not a Cliff hanger ending that suddenly you can't find out what happens until the 'next' game - they stand as 'Complete' one off games, a complete 'story' and NO ONLINE Community of Gamers that played 'together' but are now 'split'. Even Hellblade has a 'distinct' end to that Story and whilst we may get reacquainted with Senua, its a new Story and completely funded by MS to bring players to Xbox.
The Case by Case basis makes sense - Single Player, new IP - better for MS as Exclusive to bring people into Xbox - big Active ONLINE Communities of gamers used to playing and/or still playing on Competitors hardware, DON'T Split up but rather 'grow' to be EVERYWHERE so 'more' can join that 'Xbox owned IP Community' whatever Platform you prefer...
If Sony weren't contractually obliged to release MLB on Xbox, they wouldn't. MS is NOT contractually obliged to keep Minecraft or release those Spin-offs on ANY other Platform but do, are NOT contractually obliged to keep ALL their owned IP's on PS, they could delist them. not contractually obliged to release or keep supporting ANY game - inc any they have given PS5 upgrades either but that's why MS are not a 'bad' company - but like ALL companies, still need to make money. Its more about how you go about your business...
@Sol4ris Yeah I don't think SSOD 2 will ever see the light of day. Insomniac is too busy making all those Marvel games and Ratchet and Clank. Its kind of a shame too, during that brief period when Insomniac stopped being a Sony second party studio and before becoming part of Sony officially SSOD was the only great game they made. However, I'll still take Spider-Man and R&C over SSOD.
@BAMozzy You make a great point and I think it would be interesting and smart if Sony puts some of these (ugh) live service games they intend on publishing on PC and Xbox same time as they release on PS5. They grew the Last of Us brand with the show, imagine if they released their upcoming multiplayer TLOU game on all the platforms. Sure keep the eventual TLOU Part III on PS and then maybe someone gets into that franchise because of the show, then they enjoy the MP game n Xbox. Maybe that person buys a PS5 to go with their Xbox to play the story TLOU games.
Even though MLB The Show is only on Xbox because MLB made Sony do it and a baseball game is pretty niche. I'd love to know what it has done for the financials of the franchise and if it (or maybe Destiny 2 money) will convince Sony to be a little more modern with their ideas of exclusivity.
@UnusedBabyWipes Why not? Sony did this with Deamon Souls and it's human error, with Stellar Blade (Project Eve) were announced to PC, but why they sould, right)
@Serpentes420 To be honest, I would expect Factions to be Exclusive - even if it would probably help to release it everywhere - but PC may get it eventually
They could make their own FPS CoD 'beater' and release it everywhere, do it through 'Bungie' so it doesn't upset their fanbase as they know Bungie retains the 'freedom' to release on multi-platform if they want. They could buy 'Finals' and the team behind it for example, Pump money and talent to 'build it up quickly' into a 'full' package and release 'everywhere' through Bungie.
So many things they 'COULD' do but whether they will or not, time will tell. Its taken them a while to release games on PC and bought 'Nixxes' to make that happen more often and easier - but then potentially pushed because MS does it day and date...
So you never know what may happen once the 'dust settles' but Sony has been getting 'bad' press and some very critical points about they do business in the industry, using that domination to bully and extort, using their money to withhold games/content from other gamers - especially Xbox/Game Pass, keeping certain content away from PC/Xbox etc completely breaking parity and whinging about CoD at the expense of their OWN portfolio (can't exist without CoD - and they could guarantee CoD for the next Gen Hardware too...) - So we will see what the fallout will be from all of this over the next probably few years...
I've lost a lot of respect for Sony this generation... Maybe this will be the 'kick' they need to be much more 'consumer' friendly and more diverse, more pro-active, more open, more appealing, but whilst Jim Ryan is in charge, I can't see it myself...
@UltimateOtaku91 True. But I can’t think of an existing IP today that MS has taken from playstation from their acquisitions either. Minecraft is still getting new games placed on playstation since buying Bethesda. Contracted games still came out yes…but still being supported and updated to the standard of the extra year waited xbox releases.
And live service games like elder scrolls and fallout keep getting the same support.
What MS do in the future with the likes of Doom etc who knows… but as of today we can’t claim they’ve taken away existing ip, can we? Only that they’ve supported existing ip on all platforms.
Sony hasn’t taken anything away yet with their own acquisitions. We have however seen them take away established franchises with their 3rd party deals with the likes of street fighter, and final fantasy. We’ll see the same with silent hill this year.
What they do with destiny in 10years time who knows.
What they do with future acquisitions (as that’s what this will open the flood gates to), who knows.
I don’t think Microsoft needed to comment on this. Maybe they were feeling the pressure since it’s become a topic from the IGN interview. I can see both sides points.
It was in the original plans to develop the game with PS5 being a part of that. Nobody wants to be left out and I can see why PlayStation gamers are upset. They feel lied to.
Xbox gamers remember Microsoft saying in terms of exclusivity, it would be a case by case basis. MS decided to make these games exclusive. They own the companies and are able to do that.
Do I feel like PS gamers were lied to? Tough to say. It was a “case by case basis” and that was said after the acquisition was final. Then there’s the “not pulling games from PlayStation.” These are new IPs so they weren’t on PS before, but they were being developed with PS in mind too…. It’s a tough call. I think MS just shouldn’t have said anything. It’s going to be an argument between gamers that neither side is going to win the argument on.
Microsoft: Dear Sony, "Final Fantasy VII Remake"
@UltimateOtaku91
Sony's purchase of Insomniac means no more Sunset Overdrive on Xbox
To be fair though, that's an IP owned by the studio themselves so I don't see it as being unfair or anything.
Removed - flaming/arguing
As stated - Zenimax and A/B have a very different Business Model - both HAD to sell games on as many Platforms as was 'feasible' for them to maximise their revenue to fund development of their new products.
If they didn't release on PS5, they would only get revenue from Xbox/PC gamers that 'buy' their game. Therefore, it made 'sense' to PLAN to release on Playstation at the time.
However, MS acquired them, acquired the Studios, the IP's, the Publishing rights etc, is their 'boss' now with a 'different' business plan, different strategy for Funding Studios/games etc that doesn't include selling to their Closest rival.
MS gets money from their own game sales - like Zenimax, but unlike Zenimax, get revenue from EVERY game/content sold on their Platform. If its the industry Standard, 30% of the money goes to MS (Zenimax only get 70% of their OWN games so need to release on more platforms) from EVERY digital content they sell, but also get revenue from Sub services, Hardware/accessory sales etc etc so don't 'need' to release elsewhere.
Different Management, different business model, different plans... Point is, these were NEVER announced for Playstation so MS has NO obligation to release THEIR games on their RIVAL platform. its NOT in their best interest to do so - doesn't bring 'people' to Xbox and helps Sony dominate 'more'...
@FenIsMightier everyone has paid for timed exclusives!! The Atari 2600 were the first to do it, Nintendo did it, Playstation 1 did it, when 360 an PS3 were pretty level peggings in sales both Xbox an Playstation did it. People talk as tho Sony invented doing this an they’re the only ones who’ve ever done it.
Where is Banjo??? I miss his hate filled comments!!!
@Jenkinss OK So what you seem to be saying is you would prefer more media spin/BS.
Let’s discuss that
EDIT: To expand, I fully understand WHY Microsoft are framing it the way they are for regulators, but doesn't change the fact it is so transparent. You really think regulators can't see straight through it?
@FenIsMightier there is a huge difference in paying for timed exclusives and buying one of the biggest selling games on the planet an making that exclusive. I’m not saying i’m against Microsoft buying Activision, i do think CoD should remain on all systems indefinitely tho. I just wish Microsoft would improve the devs they acquire an bring new, mind blowing games like Sony do. Microsoft buy devs, continue to make the same games and make them exclusive. They’re kind of trying to buy themselves to the top, Xbox is becoming the Manchester City of video game world.
@FenIsMightier wasn’t Rise of the Tomb Raider an Xbox exclusive?
@Dan1283 there’s a bit of a difference. Sony bought devs and made exclusive games. Microsoft bought devs an turned games that were already in production in to exclusives. Sony made The Last of Us for instance, Microsoft bought Redfall an Starfield.
There is zero question that Bethesda was going to put Redfall and Starfield on PS prior to the acquisition.
PS has the larger console base so unless Bethesda just doesn’t like doing business and wants to make boatloads less money, no reason they wouldn’t.
So saying that MS didn’t take these away from PS because they weren’t announced is a form of mental gymnastics to get around what actually happened I think.
There is nothing wrong with MS doing what they want with the stuff they own, mind you. It’s just the attempt to say they didn’t remove the games from coming to PS that is silly.
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