Microsoft announced on September 21, 2020 its plans to buy ZeniMax Media Inc. in a $7.5 million deal. ZeniMax is the parent company to a variety of well-known video game publishers, including Bethesda Game Studios, Alpha Dog, Arkane, Tango Gameworks, and Roundhouse Studios. The deal is expected to close by the second half of 2021. This means that some of the biggest franchises in the industry will soon belong to Microsoft, which will give the company a huge competitive edge compared to Sony, especially since the confirmed list of Xbox Series X games has been somewhat disappointing to some, at least in comparison to Sony's PS5 reveals.
Microsoft and Sony are gearing up to release the Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5 ahead of the holiday season. The two companies have been engaged in neck-in-neck competition as a result, with each trying to make their next-gen consoles seem more attractive than the other. Both the Series X and PS5 have a comparable price at $499. Microsoft offers a cheaper alternative, the Xbox Series S, for $299, whereas Sony’s less expensive model, the PS5 Digital Edition, is higher at $399. But that’s also because gamers will be sacrificing storage and processing power with the Series S, whereas the Digital Edition’s main difference is its lack of a disc drive.
It doesn’t just stop at the introduction of the new consoles. Microsoft and Sony have also revealed new exclusives to entice consumers. Sony, for instance, announced its PlayStation Plus Collection, which will provide gamers on PS5 access to 18 of the biggest PlayStation 4 titles. The Plus Collection is included in the PS Plus subscription and will come at no extra cost to gamers. It’s been hailed as Sony’s answer to Xbox’s Game Pass, but whereas Game Pass may have hundreds of titles, many of them are lesser known, especially in comparison to what the Plus Collection will offer, which will include God of War, Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End, and Final Fantasy XV.
Xbox Will Now Have Exclusives Needed To Compete With PS5
However, the reveal that Microsoft is acquiring ZeniMax Media Inc. may be exactly the edge they need to get ahead of Sony, which is especially time-sensitive given the release of the next-gen consoles this November. Some of the biggest franchises will soon be under Microsoft’s name, such as Elder Scrolls, Fallout, Prey, and Starfield, as a result of the acquisition. The fact that Microsoft announced the news the day before pre-orders began isn’t a coincidence. Given how long deals such as this take to organize and finalize, it was clearly a calculated move to reveal the acquisition at such perfect timing. Microsoft likely hopes the news will encourage gamers to sign up for its Xbox Game Pass, thereby encouraging a higher profit, especially given that it’s been confirmed that future Bethesda games, such as Starfield, will debut on Game Pass the same day they’re available on Xbox or PC. Existing popular Bethesda franchises will also be added to Game Pass, too.
However, it remains to be seen how the move will impact the playability of big-name franchises on the different systems. While the move is bound to give Microsoft a step up in terms of title exclusivity, it could be a huge blow to players committed to PlayStation. For instance, it was already revealed that two upcoming Bethesda games, Deathloop and Ghostwire: Tokyo, would launch on the next-gen PS5 instead of the Xbox. They’ve been described as “timed console exclusives,” meaning they would only be available on the PlayStation for a certain amount of time.
With that being said, in a post made to Bethesda’s blog, Bethesda Executive Producer Todd Howard implied that they’ll remain committed to accessibility. "Like our original partnership, this one is about more than one system or one screen. We share a deep belief in the fundamental power of games, in their ability to connect, empower, and bring joy,” he wrote, “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."
Although many details are still unclear, what is known is that the news that Microsoft is acquiring ZeniMax Media Inc. gives a huge advantage to the Xbox, which may be exactly what it needs to surpass Sony's PlayStation 5 in the race to become the most successful next-gen console this holiday season.
Source: Bethesda