Bethesda is now officially part of Xbox, which means over 2,300 developers worldwide are now on team green and their games are now coming to Xbox Game Pass later this week. If I had to guess a date, this would probably be this Friday, as The Evil Within is listed as coming to the Windows Store then. This news also comes on the heels of yesterday's announcement that the EU Commission approved the Microsoft ZeniMax purchase.
Bethesda joining Xbox means studios like Bethesda Softworks, Bethesda Game Studios, id Software, ZeniMax Online Studios, Arkane, MachineGames, Tango Gameworks, Alpha Dog, and Roundhouse Studios are now officially with Microsoft, which changes the fabric of the gaming industry completely. What happens when Microsoft looks at Elder Scrolls VI and says "Xbox exclusive?" Who knows, but it's legitimately one of the most interesting things to happen to the gaming industry in many years.
Franchises like The Elder Scrolls, Fallout, Wolfenstein, DOOM, Dishonored, Prey, Quake, and Starfield are now owned by Microsoft. Check out this blurb for some of Microsoft's congratulatory self back-patting for being spenders while wearing long suspenders:
Bethesda’s games have always had a special place on Xbox and in the hearts of millions of gamers around the world. Our teams have a close and storied history working together, from the amazing first DOOM, and its id Tech engine, innovating games on PCs to Bethesda bringing their first console game to the original Xbox, the groundbreaking The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind. Over the years I’ve had many deep conversations with the creative leaders at Bethesda on the future of gaming and we’ve long shared similar visions for the opportunities for creators and their games to reach more players in more ways.
There's also an interview between Phil Spencer, the executive vice-president of Gaming at Microsoft, Todd Howard, the director and executive producer at Bethesda Game Studios, and Pete Hines, the Vice President of Bethesda Softworks' public relations and marketing department:
For more information on Bethesda coming to Xbox and Xbox Game Pass, stay tuned to TechRaptor for more details.
