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Microsoft set to acquire Bethesda parent ZeniMax for $7.5B
Microsoft this morning announced plans to acquire ZeniMax Media Inc. for $7.5 billion in cash. The gaming holding company is the parent to a number of high-profile publishers, including Bethesda Game Studios, id Software, ZeniMax Online Studios, Arkane, MachineGames, Tango Gameworks, Alpha Dog and Roundhouse Studios.
Once approved, the deal would bring some of the industry’s highest-profile titles under the Microsoft banner, including Elder Scrolls, Doom, Fallout, Quake, Wolfenstein, Dishonored, Prey and Starfield.
“All of their great work will of course continue and grow and we look forward to empowering them with the resources and support of Microsoft to scale their creative visions to more players in new ways for you,” Xbox head Phil Spencer said in a blog post announcing the news.
Bethesda SVP Pete Hines addressed the acquisition on the publisher’s own blog, writing, “The world, our industry, and our company has changed a lot in the 34 years since Bethesda Softworks was first founded. Today, it changed again. And I know that brings up questions. But the key point is we’re still Bethesda. We’re still working on the same games we were yesterday, made by the same studios we’ve worked with for years, and those games will be published by us.”
With both a new a Xbox and PlayStation due in the coming months, the closing of such a deal could put Microsoft in a key position in terms of title exclusivity. The parties have yet to discuss how such a move will ultimately impact how big franchises like Elder Scrolls and Doom will be approached on competing systems.
In his own post, Bethesda Executive Producer Todd Howard suggests that such a deal will actually increase the publisher’s ability to make titles more accessible. “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. 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.”
The move will expand Microsoft’s portfolio from 15 to 23 studio teams. It will also bring Bethesda’s titles to Xbox Game Pass — that’s a big win for the cloud gaming service that is currently being positioned as a major piece of Microsoft’s gaming future. Bethesda titles like the upcoming Starfield will be available as part of Game Pass on day of launch. Microsoft also noted this morning that the service has hit 15 million subscribers — that’s up from the 10 million it reported back in April.
In 2014, ZeniMax sued Facebook, following id Software co-founder John Carmack’s move to Oculus. The suit sought $4 billion in damages, alleging stolen trade secrets. A court found in ZeniMax’s favor over copyright infringement and breach of contract, but not trade secrets. The parties settled out of court.
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Doom, Fallout and the rest of the trailers from Bethesda’s E3 press conference
E3 may not officially start until Tuesday, but the announcements are coming fast and furious. A few short hours after Microsoft previewed its streaming service and next-gen console, Bethesda took to the stage a few blocks a way, with footage from new Elder Scroll and Doom titles, along with a lot more Fallout 76 gameplay.
Here’s what you missed.
Elder Scrolls: Blades for Switch – The mobile game is heading to Switch this fall — and best of all, it’s free.
Fallout 76: Nuclear Winter – As the company noted, Fallout 76 didn’t get off to the most auspicious of starts. The publisher announced a number of new updates for the post-apocalyptic title, including, the addition of Nuclear Winter, a battle royale mode.
Ghostwire: Tokyo – A new creepy action adventure game from Resident Evil director, Shinji Mikami.
Commander Keen – The 90s id game returns as a free-to-play iOS title.
Elder Scrolls: Legends – The mobile title is getting additional content.
Rage 2 – The first-person shooter gets new enemies, new vehicles and more.
Wolfenstein: Youngblood – More footage of the Terror Twins doing a number on Nazis.
Deathloop: We didn’t get a lot of info on this one, but it sure did look purdy.
Doom: Eternal – More info, more footage and now, finally, a date. Doom: Eternal arrives November 22.
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Fallout 76 is getting a 52-player battle royale mode
Tonight’s Bethesda E3 press conference was all about free additions. In fact, the company actually took to the stage to apologize for Fallout 76’s rocky launch. The publisher quickly added that it’s continued to improve on the title since late last year, listening to player feedback and adding all sorts of additional content.
That includes the arrival of a bunch of NPCs, and, more importantly, the launch of Nuclear Winter, a 52-player battle Royale mode that is arriving as an update tomorrow. The mode will be free to play on all platforms for the week of June 10 to 17.
Asked last year whether a battle royale mode was in the works for the post-apocalyptic title, SVP Pete Hines noted that the company doesn’t like to follow trends set out by other companies, stating, “just because battle royale is popular doesn’t mean it’s a good fit for us.” He did leave open the possibility — though seemingly unenthusiastically — and now here we are.
Of course, the mode has become tremendously popular in recent years, thanks to the likes of Fortnite and PUBG. Bethesda’s embrace of the mode has been met with…mixed reaction on Twitter, though the audience at tonight’s presser was appropriately enthusiastic.
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Here’s what Bethesda announced at E3 2018
For the past few days, Bethesda has been dominating a few big downtown L.A. buildings with massive Fallout posters. It’s clear the company is barnstorming E3 this year, and Fallout 76 has monopolized that conversation.
But Bethesda’s got a lot more in the works, including more sequels to beloved gaming franchises and a couple of surprises. Here are the biggest titles unveiled at tonight’s E3 kickoff event.
Fallout 76
We knew from the outset that Fallout 76 was going to be the centerpiece of Bethesda’s big show. The company’s been releasing info in dribs and drops this week, including a trailer at the Xbox event earlier today. The game, which boasts a map four times larger than Fallout 4, is an online multi-player experience. It’s due out November 14, 2018.
Doom Eternal
We still don’t know much about this sequel to the 2016 reboot. Bethesda has promised some actual gameplay come Quakefest 2018. Meantime, the company’s called it “hell on Earth,” courtesy of boasting twice as many demons as its predecessor.
Wolfenstein Youngblood
Another classic first-person shooter got some sequel love today, as well. The co-op title due out next year features a pair of twins battling Nazis in an alternate timeline version of Paris in the 80s. Makes sense. There’s also a Wolfenstein sequel arriving on the Switch next month and a VR title coming in 2019.
Skyrim: Very Special Edition
Okay, this one doesn’t count, because it’s probably not real. Some things are just too beautiful to live.
Elder Scrolls VI
This one was a teaser, at best. But at least we know it’s a thing that exists — or, rather, will exist — and isn’t that half the battle, really?
Starfield
Another teaser. The minute-long trailer didn’t actually show anything — instead it just confirmed that the company is, in fact, working on the long rumored sci-fi space title.
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Keegan-Michael Key plays Skyrim on an Echo, pager and fridge
For the first few moments of the Skyrim: Very Special Edition trailer, you kind of want it to be real. Hell, the game’s been ported to every of platform, and Alexa games are kind of thing now — or at least Amazon is trying to convince us of as much.
Of course, the longer Keegan-Michael Key destroys his home in the process of playing the game, it’s clear that maybe voice-based gaming isn’t the right fit for Skyrim. Ditto for pagers, Etch-a-Sketches and smart fridges. It’s clear the whole thing is just a bit of fun from Bethesda during a week in which the gaming industry take itself entirely too seriously.
For now, we’ll just have to behold the glory of one half of Key and Peele enjoying the game in ways we’ll likely never be able to. Clearly Skyrim: Very Special Edition is far, far too beautiful for this ugly world of ours.
Update: Would you look at that? Amazon let us know that the Skyrim skill is, in fact real, and available now for Echo owners.
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Wolfenstein and Doom get sequels at E3
It’s no surprise, really, but it still managed to wow the crowd at tonight’s Bethesda press conference. Doom just got a sequel, and it looks, fittingly, extremely dark.
Doom Eternal is actual the direct sequel to the 2016 reboot of the classic first-person shooter. That title, which began life as Doom 4, was met with extremely positive reviews, so naturally, we’re back here two years later with a bigger and badder sequel.
All we’ve got is a trailer for now, featuring a nightmarish post-apocalyptic environment, which the company fittingly refers as “hell on Earth,” populated with twice as many demons as its predecessor. The company has promised some actual gameplay footage at the upcoming Quakecon 2018.
The first person nostalgia train continued as the company announced Wolfenstein Youngblood. The co-op title will arrive next year, starting the grown up twins of the series’ primary protagonist, William J. Blazkowicz, who battle Nazis in alter-reality 1980s Paris, because, of course.
Youngblood joins the already announced Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus, which is arriving this month on the Switch and a VR title, Cyberpilot, which puts the player in the role of a “resistance hacker.” That one’s due out in 2019.
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Bethesda announces Skyrim for the Switch plus VR versions of Fallout 4 and Doom
Bethesda Softworks took the late-night stage at this year’s E3 games expo. Virtual reality is their sights, with upcoming HTC Vive support for Fallout 4 and Doom, turning those instant classics into VR wonderlands.
However, if VR isn’t your cup of tea, then you might like The Elder Scrolls: Skyrim arriving on Nintendo Switch, with added motion controls and support for mods. But… Read More
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Watch Bethesda’s E3 live stream right here
Bethesda has made a name for itself with series like The Elder Scrolls, Fallout, Doom, and Wolfenstein. And today, the studio is set to show off what it’s been working on for the past year. Bethesda will be live streaming its E3 press conference at 9pm PT / 12am ET, which you can watch below. Watch out for the reveal of Starfield (rumored to be an open-world sci-fi series), Elder… Read More
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