Microsoft Announces Acquisition of Bethesda Parent Company ZeniMax Media

[dragontamer5788]

The Elder Scrolls ... the crap of all times that Bethesda asked apologies from all it customers including me, that game level-up was poorly designed and a painful experience.
This got sold ?
Microsoft you just lost your money.

I think you're underestimating the size of this company.

Zenimax Media owns not only Bethesda (Elder Scrolls, Fallout), but also id Software (Wolfenstein, Doom, Quake). Almost the entirety of their list of published games comes from companies that Zenimax Media owns. (ex: Machine Games is a studio under Zenimax Media)

 

[kiriakost]

I think you're underestimating the size of this company.

Zenimax Media owns not only Bethesda (Elder Scrolls, Fallout), but also id Software (Wolfenstein, Doom, Quake). Almost the entirety of their list of published games comes from companies that Zenimax Media owns. (ex: Machine Games is a studio under Zenimax Media)

Good to know I will avoid them all from now and on.

 

[FreedomEclipse]

You do know that Fallout 1, 2, and Tactics was the acual born from game, correct?

Elder scrolls started in 1994, Fallout didnt start until 1997

 

[LiquidTrance]

M$ need to just fix what's wrong with Bethesda. Basically everything.

This was literally my first thought after reading the thread title. I feel bethesda has drained most of their IPs. Microsoft has A LOT of work to do.

 

[EatingDirt]

Creation engine is awesome. Except the crash, alt tab, and fps limit weirdness bugs and the plastic NPC movement, but all of these they can fix/change without a complete overhaul. It's not cutting edge, but Skyrim looked amazing in it's time and FO4 wasn't bad either.

FPS limit exists because the physics are tied to the FPS. This is an engine limitation that cannot be overcome, or if it can be fixed, not without a massive rewrite. Why would they rewrite an engine that's 20+ years old?

No doubt there's a limitation on animation in the engine that creates the stiff NPC movement.

Crashes are from a giant mess of code from multiple different people reprogramming the code for 20 odd years.

Alt-Tab difficulties come from an engine that was used before alt-tab and multitasking was a common occurrence.

These are all symptoms of an overused, outdated engine. It's time Bethesda created a new engine or uses an existing one that isn't smothered with code 20 years out of date.

 

[Paganstomp]

another nail in PC Gaming's coffin.

 

[DeathtoGnomes]

well this mean more games dumbed down to play them on a controller

 

[Splinterdog]

A large number of games developed under the Bethesda umbrella are using Vulkan which is portable.

I hope Microsoft won't make them switch to DirectX12 which will make things worse for the consumer.

I also hope they will rework/rewrite the Bethesda launcher because it just sucks. It doesn't suck as much as the Epic Games Launcher, which is just atrocious, but it's nowhere near Steam in terms of performance.

Microsoft should redesign its own launcher, never mind anyone else's. It's worse than atrocious and has no facility to move games from one PC to another, as we all know ad nauseum.

 

[Ravenas]

Elder scrolls started in 1994, Fallout didnt start until 1997

Different developers. Interplay IP picked up, and then the game was copy pasted.

To say Fallout was born from ES doesn’t make sense. Fallout was changed when purchased from Interplay to ES format.

 

[Chomiq]

Elder scrolls started in 1994, Fallout didnt start until 1997

Wasteland (video game) - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

The original Fallout 1 and 2 have nothing in common with Elder Scrolls games. The post Bethesda acquisition Fallout's naturally have some things in common with modern ES games.

As for "more like a cheap Far Cry rip off" - Jesus people, when were you born?

 

[Deleted member 177333]

Happy to see this. If they could get rid of a bunch of the douchebags at the top of Bethesda, that would certainly be a positive move for the gaming industry.

 

[FreedomEclipse]

Different developers. Interplay IP picked up, and then the game was copy pasted.

To say Fallout was born from ES doesn’t make sense. Fallout was changed when purchased from Interplay to ES format.

Doesnt matter -- It still eventually led to the birth of fallout thus Elder Scrolls came first

 

[Vayra86]

Bethesda now has the PR ammunition available (as in: they don't have any say in it, 'wir haben es nicht gewusst', whatever they like) to toss a thermonuclear device on that shit open world engine they got.

Best acquisition 2020

Maybe now we'll get a Minecraft Fallout and TES, they'll probably run better and be mod friendly to boot. As someone else said, Obsidian writes some quests, bombshell ready to launch. (I prob won't play it )

 

[hardcore_gamer]

another nail in PC Gaming's coffin.

How? All the games will be coming to PC anyway. As a game pass for PC subscriber, I'm excited.

 

[Octopuss]

We're fucked. Fucked.
But someone gaming/economically educated please explain why would anyone sell out like this. You own a company like that. Why would you sell it to Microsoft?

Who owned Bethesda until now anyway? Must be gaming Bill Gates or something.

 

[silentbogo]

Lol. Never-ever have I expected to catch myself on a thought that Microsoft buying someone out like that may be a good thing )))
Maybe TES and fallout will finally get a proper engine upgrade after decade and a half, and decent studios like id and Arkane will get more leeway and better timelines to get their job done instead of rushing out half-assed sequels/prequels/DLCs.
Though, I'm still not sure whether Zenimax killed Bethsoft or Bethsoft killed Bethsoft

 

[dragontamer5788]

But someone gaming/economically educated please explain why would anyone sell out like this. You own a company like that. Why would you sell it to Microsoft?

Based on this deal, I can count roughly $7.5 Billion reasons why someone would sell out.

 

[Totally]

Wasteland (video game) - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

The original Fallout 1 and 2 have nothing in common with Elder Scrolls games. The post Bethesda acquisition Fallout's naturally have some things in common with modern ES games.

As for "more like a cheap Far Cry rip off" - Jesus people, when were you born?

I don't think think that person plays video games...or have functional eyes for the matter.

 

[timta2]

This goes along with what I've been saying about Microsoft's mentality since they bought Bungie: if you're not talented and creative, but have plenty of money, just buy it.

 

[RoutedScripter]

And eating id Software with it .... FAIL ?!?!??!

Shakes up the balance eh, right, and let's be more specific that it greately imbalances the indstury ... don't you people see a pattern, all of this consolidation will lead to a single corporation controlling everything.

 

[bug]

Didn't take long for this to show up: https://9gag.com/gag/aD4Obr7?ref=9g.wsa.mw

 

[sprach]

Perhaps they can bring back Wolfenstein 2009 to the Steam / MS Store.

 

[RoutedScripter]

I also hope they will rework/rewrite the Bethesda launcher because it just sucks. It doesn't suck as much as the Epic Games Launcher, which is just atrocious, but it's nowhere near Steam in terms of performance.

Performance of a game launcher ... are you kidding me

All the gimmicks associated with a launcher is another story, but EPIC launcher not being up to par with Steam is like a effing no brainer, ofcourse it's worse if it's brand new made from scratch and was released as v0.05 beta, but it still launches the game, that's the most important part everyone's missing, that's what it's all about. The dumb haters have no brains, if EPIC was clearly being serious then the whole thing should have been expected to be built up and be something like Steam, but in the end of the day, why does it have to be exacty like steam.

/rant

The hammers and sickles of anticapitalism are fiercely at work here with you...

You know what, I don't give a rats behind about that either, because both of the systems SUCK A**, same poop, different splatter.

 

[JAB Creations]

M$ need to just fix what's wrong with Bethesda. Basically everything.

Bethesda did this to get sold out, my sources say they wanted to retire with ridiculous amounts of wealth.

Microsoft has a track record of over-blowing things with their extreme-mega-ultra-maximum "marketing" and then they get bored and walk away two years later.

On the bright side there are plenty of other game developers and not all of them are interested in selling out.

 

[Ashtr1x]

This big M&A is bad for industry, EA is already a proof of the dead IP and so many games ruined by that company, Microsoft couldn't make shit ffrom their IP Halo, since Halo 5. And they also ruined Gears of War past Epic's involvement. Then you have the cancer called Bethesda which reeks of that FO76 disaster, their IP of Dishonored got hold because of the far less sales due to many issues of the game being not upto the mark of first then Arkane's collusion with Anita Sarkeesian and co for the sociopolical shoveling onto games, spread to Machinegames as well, Youngblood. That spread throughout their IP and all of them are on ice by Zenimax due to less sales, and created that disaster called Fallout76 to try out some new paid mods and other garbage as a Service, only left is DOOM which is due to id Software.

Microsoft with it's cash disposal for shit couldn't do anything but watch in shame on how Sony is going to steamroll over them again except to purchase this on exactly one day before the Pre-orders they do not have any plan to make new games off and their own IP is rotting (Halo Infinite, 343i under Bonnie Ross). This doesn't do shit for their Xbox crap, except Gears of War and Halo (which is now on PC as well, probably the only thing which MS did something fantastic, someone ordered that MCC on Win32 which is really superb but all that was for Halo Infinite, nothing for Gears of War sadly) there's no single reason to buy Xbox, unless they are not into PC. Still many will go to Playstation, Sony even though that new Dad of War (garbage game is not God of War) gaining super popularity due to reboot and their prized excl. Japanese dev talent for Bloodborne, and other games such has Shadow of Colossus, etc even without back compat was able to stomp Xbox. & now Demon Souls Remake, Ratchet and Clank, whole Konami, Kojima and other Japanese studios.

This one gives them some base to stand, making more studios under Bethesda as probably Bethesda administration will not change mostly. And the biggest piece of pie, Xbox Gamepass, the ultimate cancer, Games as a Service. In the age of Denuvo which is having online activations but eventually gets removed sometimes be it getting cracked or not, this GaaS is pure cancer, which gives more scope for games being as a platform, Halo Infinite garbage for eg. then the UWP, ultimate DRM built into the OS, it's a shame to see so many people buy that Gamepass not to own and play again at a later point to time to experience that pure immersion of these old fantastic games but to rent, and add that Fortnite style of BR madness with MTX, Halo Infinite garbage again. MS is always into this as a Service, zero ownership and zero control, mods also now we do not know how they will be in the future, Xbox bloat in Win10 dependency (XBLive), Win10 version requirements, what not. Also that Gamepass and Xcloud are the key here as well, it will be on PC and Xbox not on PS, that's the card MS wants to play.

This is bad, very bad for us. The only good thing I see from this is Zenimax IP getting sequels but with their top studios making garbage even that is not inspiring. Sony will raise an eye definitely, but this excl. B.S will even make Sony to not release their games on PC platform, Bloodborne is getting a release on PC as per rumors, now they might even axe it or any IP for instance. This console war, I hope MS fails again harder.