Microsoft has stated that at some point in the future they want all Bethesda games to “be either first or better or best” on the Xbox family of consoles.
Earlier this year Microsoft made the groundbreaking move of purchasing ZeniMax Media, the parent company of Bethesda Softworks.
This acquisition means that Microsoft has every right to make Bethesda titles first-party exclusives on Xbox, though such a move hasn’t outright been confirmed by the company.
When Microsoft purchased ZeniMax Media for $7.5 billion, many were worried that IPs such as The Elder Scrolls, Doom, Fallout and more would be exclusive to Xbox.
While there is every chance that Microsoft might make certain titles exclusive to Xbox, it’s something which they haven’t completely ruled out.
When speaking at the Jefferies Interactive Entertainment conference last week, Xbox chief financial officer Tim Stuart said [via VGC/Seeking Alpha]: “We don’t have intentions of just pulling all of Bethesda content out of Sony or Nintendo or otherwise.”
Yet Stuart did say that he intends the Xbox brand to perhaps have timed-exclusivity and the best experience for any particular Bethesda game being played on Xbox.
“What we want is we want that content, in the long run, to be either first or better or best or pick your differentiated experience, on our platforms,” said Stuart. “We will want Bethesda content to show up the best as — on our platforms.”
In fairness why wouldn’t Microsoft want Bethesda titles to have certain perks on the Xbox brand? After all, that’s why they purchased ZeniMax Media.
“That’s not a point about being exclusive,” said Stuart.
Tim Stuart went on to talk about the benefits of Xbox Game Pass and the added value that Bethesda will bring to the table with its games.
“If you think about something like Game Pass, if it shows up best in Game Pass, that’s what we want to see…we want to drive our Game Pass subscriber base through that Bethesda pipeline,” he said.
Looking for great deals on the latest Microsoft games? Head to the GameByte Shop!
Want to see more from GameByte?
- Manor Lords: The Rise of a New Indie Sensation
- Erling Haaland Joins Clash of Clans: A New Era for Gaming and Football
- Esports World Cup 2024: A New Era in Competitive Gaming
- Delta Emulator: Revolutionizing Retro Gaming on iPhone
- Abu Dhabi’s Pioneering Venture: The World’s First eSports Island
Featured Image Credit: Microsoft