Microsoft's Acquisition of ZeniMax Media Has Been Approved by Regulators

[Uskompuf]

Microsoft announced their plans to purchase ZeniMax Media last year in a deal valued at 7.5 billion dollars which would give them 8 new game studios including Bethesda, id Software, Arkane Studios, and MachineGames. The deal is the largest acquisition by Microsoft yet increasing their game studio count from 15 to 23 and are adding several notable game series to their collection including The Elder Scrolls, Fallout, DOOM, Prey, Dishonored, and Wolfenstein. Microsoft has announced that all these titles will be made available as part of Xbox Game Pass which will make the service even more compelling to gamers. The European Commission has approved the purchase without conditions and pending approval in the US the acquisition looks likely to complete in the coming months. Microsoft has confirmed that the existing Deathloop timed PlayStation exclusive deal will continue and major leadership changes within the company are not expected.



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[JAB Creations]

MICROSOFT DOOM

*sigh*

 

[s3thra]

MICROSOFT DOOM

*sigh*

It’s weird, huh.

 

[BSim500]

"The deal is the largest acquisition by Microsoft yet increasing their game studio count from 15 to 23 and are adding several notable game series to their collection including The Elder Scrolls, Fallout, DOOM, Prey, Dishonored, and Wolfenstein. Microsoft has announced that all these titles will be made available as part of Xbox Game Pass which will make the service even more compelling to gamers"

I'm just glad I own most of these on GOG and have those sweet offline installers backed up, just in case MS's "end-game" is to acquire so many studios + premium IP, they may actually get away with eventually gating them all behind an exclusive ongoing subscription service and pulling them from sale elsewhere... On the other hand Bethesda (as a developer) haven't exactly done much beyond coast along on the back of cr*ppy "Creation Club" / turning Skyrim into an overly monetized cash-cow / FO76 train-wreck to the extent they've actually forgotten how to make decent new single-player games so for those who want a solid Elder Scrolls 6, a change in management was always needed anyway...

 

[1d10t]

While I don't like this direction, I do hope that Microsoft could steer Bethesda into right direction after so many years messing with its fan base. Finger crossed!

 

[Bruno Vieira]

MICROSOFT DOOM

*sigh*

and Microsofts' Skyrim

 

[DeathtoGnomes]

for more sources see:

Microsoft gets approval to acquire Zenimax Media ( and Bethesda )

Discuss this! :banghead: https://news.microsoft.com/2020/09/21/microsoft-to-acquire-zenimax-media-and-its-game-publisher-bethesda-softworks/ EU's approval https://ec.europa.eu/competition/elojade/isef/case_details.cfm?proc_code=2_M_10001 Gamespot's 2 cents...

www.techpowerup.com

 

[Mindweaver]

This is good news! John Carmack has already reached out to MS to officially bring Doom 3, Quake, etc to VR... This would be great. DrBeef has done a great job but I can only imagine Carmack would make it even better.

 

[HisDivineOrder]

Torn. On the one hand, Microsoft has killed or nearly killed several developers they bought. On the other, Bethesda was strangling its great single player content by trying to make it all multiplayer in the worst possible ways. It's hard to imagine them having to continue to chase the "live services" fantasy now that they have Microsoft backing them. I'm hoping Microsoft bought them explicitly for single player content.

So I'm cautiously hopeful.

 

[TheUn4seen]

So, what's next for Fallout franchise? Fallout365 which requires a monthly subscription and phone activation, has a near infinite list of bugs and updates sometimes delete user's personal files?

 

[watzupken]

Not sure an acquisition by Microsoft or EA is worst. I feel the latter is worst because games coming out from EA are usually laden with micro transactions. The unfortunate fact is that most of these big corporates are buying up game developers just to make more money out of them. As a result, this typically results in rushed (limited time line) and compromised game quality.