There have been some concerns about the future of Bethesda games on certain other platforms since the third-party video game giant responsible for the likes of Doom and The Elder Scrolls series was acquired by Microsoft in September.
Fortunately, there's no need to worry (at least too much) about Bethesda support on Nintendo platforms moving forward. During a conference last week, Microsoft's chief financial officer Tim Stuart made it clear Bethesda would continue to support other systems but the experience would be "first or better or best" on Microsoft's platforms.
"What we’ll do in the long run is we don’t have intentions of just pulling all of Bethesda content out of Sony or Nintendo or otherwise. But what we want is we want that content, in the long run, to be either first or better or best or pick your differentiated experience, on our platforms. We will want Bethesda content to show up the best as — on our platforms."
Stuart further explained how Microsoft is eager to drive its subscriber base for Xbox Game Pass with the assistance of Bethesda titles and reiterated how he wants them to show up "best" on its platforms, rather than pull content from other systems.
"Yes. That’s not a point about being exclusive. That’s not a point about we’re being — adjusting timing or content or road map. But if you think about something like Game Pass, if it shows up best in Game Pass, that’s what we want to see, and we want to drive our Game Pass subscriber base through that Bethesda pipeline.
"So again, I’m not announcing pulling content from platforms one way or the other. But I suspect you’ll continue to see us shift towards a first or better or best approach on our platforms.”
Are you relieved to hear Microsoft won't be pulling Bethesda content from other platforms? Apart from Doom Eternal for Switch, what other games from Bethesda would you like to see? Leave a comment down below.
[source seekingalpha.com, via videogameschronicle.com]
Comments 98
Ok, I'm very confused.
Are they Xbox Exclusives or not? Are they still going to be any on PS5 and Switch? Are they timed exclusives, or day to date? Will they even release? Will they even be good?
wen are we going to get more info on doom eternal for switch like a release date or something.
Bet they'll be on everything but their main competition: Playstation.
So elders scrolls vi will be timed exclusive for Xbox/ pc, or that version will have more features then.
This guy has mastered the art of answering a question without actually answering the question.
Microsoft... you have burned me one to many times in the past. And i now dont trust anything that comes out of your company.. i will never buy another xbox product ever again.. but if ya willing to keep realising games like ori on the switch i will buy those games... but only on nintendo...
Bethesda has been iffy on Nintendo consoles, regardless. I expect that to remain largely the same in the future, if MS truly isn't going to keep their games exclusive to the Xbox platform.
Bethesda games already run better on Microsoft hardware, so no real change here. Now we just get GamePass support. Skyrim mod supported size on PS4 is literally 1/5th the size allowed on xbox. And the PS3 edition of the game was notoriously broken, even by Bugthesda standards lol
It sounds like mods, exclusive content, etc. That does not bother me that much as I primarily just play the main campaigns. Sony and Nintendo are my choice to play. While this news sucks, I don't think even Microsoft would throw the hundreds of millions of $$$ that Bethesda games would make on other platforms.
Oh yeah, and are they holding back DOOM ETERNAL as a Switch Pro showcase, or what!?!?
In other words, future Bethesda games will be timed exclusives. They will just do it in a silent way. Edit: I wish Xbox was more varied. The Switch has showed that rated E and rated E10+ games can sell well. Heck, Switch has already sold almost double the amount of sell units of Xbox One. I mean, they can't expect people to get an Xbox Series X just for Bethesda games and other mature games.
Playstation has a lot more mature games. Why not try to have more variety like Nintendo? They have many IPs like Jet Force Gemini (a colorful rated T shooter), a certain duo in Smash, Conker, etc. Heck they could try to create some exclusive RPGs (and JRPGs if they want to start to reach the japanese audience). Why not make more of these games? Me thinks they are still playing it safe by focusing on just M games. I want to be proved wrong though, but so far that is my perception of all this.
Fallout 3/NV/4 and Dishonored need to be here PRONTO.
Skyrim showed how a two hand first person can adapt to the joycons excellently. Let’s go to Dunwall on Switch!
This from the same people that said straight out that we would not get the second Ori on Switch, and then fast forward quickly in time...so reading between the lines; once they get their money off said game, then go to Switch.
@TG16_IS_BAE What was the question?
@NotoriousWhiz From what I gathered while reading the article, the suits all had a staff meeting and some big-wig was explaining something to them, most likely, in response to a question.
Honestly that article title is slightly misleading imo. He was likely talking about Bethesda content in the context of what has already been made available on multiple platforms. Like basically saying Microsoft isn't going to do something as drastic as taking Skyrim off the PlayStation Store, or pulling DOOM from the eShop because they're technically Microsoft titles now. I still fully expect Bethesda games that are further down the line like Elder Scrolls VI and Starfield to be Xbox games, because they're essentially first party franchises now in the same way Hellblade and Wasteland got absorbed by Microsoft.
Bethesda's legacy content is obviously safe, and they're still committing to upholding the exclusivity deals on GhostWire Tokyo and Deathloop that Bethesda previously had with Sony and PlayStation, but games beyond that are definitely a lot more subject to fully shifting over to Xbox's ecosystem, which still encompasses a multiplatform strategy since it includes stuff like Game Pass, PC and xCloud
Really I was kinda hoping they would. I just bought a Series X (my first non-nintendo machine since the 360) and Microsoft needs more exclusives.
@JHDK ouch.... enjoy ya gamepass console.. for pc owners... xbox series x is a total flop already
We need Fallout 3 or New Vegas on Switch. It’s been rumored before but the only thing to come of it was Fallout Shelter which is a far cry from what most of us expected.
@KnightsTemplar lmfao let's not go into console wars in this comments section. Let people like what they like.
Yes thank you for letting us know the games we bought won't leave us. Now where's Doom Eternal?
@Slowdive
That's going to be one LOOOOOOOOOONNNNNGGGGG coma!
I honestly didn’t expect any different, but I’m glad they came out and said it to ease fears. This truly isn’t any different than it has been in the past - FO3/NV/Skyrim all ran and played better on 360 vs ps3..... FO4 had its dlc and mods first on X1, then on PS4, as well as some radiation fog was fixed on X1 but dialed back on PS4 to “fix” the problem.... so yeah, really no different. Was gonna get a Series X at some point anyways for Fable, but this cements getting Series X first, and Ps5 later.
Microsoft please release Super Monkey Ball Retro on the Switch 🙏🏻
Read "we want to get Nintendo and Sony onboard with Gamepass so we can beat Google and Amazon."
@Diddy64 Rare wishes they could sell as many games as Bethesda.
@Parmandur I would sign up in a heat beat to play even OG Xbox and 360 games on Switch.....
@Dm9982 same here, and Phil Spencer knows it. Not a big Xbox fan these days, but I appreciate his philosophy.
@Diddy64 You're acting as if the other consoles don't have such IPs when Sony literally has LittleBigPlanet, Ratchet & Clank, Dreams, MediEvil, Sly Cooper and Jak & Daxter in addition to already securing an IP as prolific as SPIDER-MAN as an exclusive which immediately sells to children regardless of what the ESRB rating is, and Xbox has Ori, Super Lucky's Tale, Cuphead and just came out with a new Battletoads in addition to already having Rare Replay which is one of the only Xbox One games that didn't get a PC release
Nintendo isn't the only platform manufacturer making family-oriented games. Hell the PS5 launched with a LittleBigPlanet spinoff to begin with in addition to Spider-Man while also having Demon's Souls for the M-rated crowd
@WhiteTrashGuy If Switch Pro is a thing, they probably want to use Doom Eternal to push the console sales.
It's more likely that Microsoft releases games on a Nintendo console than a Sony console. Sony got only Minecraft, while Switch got several Xbox games.
I suspect MS is already porting Battletoads to Switch, but not PS5 as Sony is a competitor.
@Ventilator
First of all DEVIL'S THIRD FOR LIFE!
I was surprised BATTLETOADS was not announced at the last developer partners showcase. I just want RARE REPLAY, tbh.
Switch actually benefits from this, subjectively. If they want the "best" version of a game on their platform, that's what they'll always have with a dual Switch release. XBox gets the prettier, more high end version (and likely with better online), while Switch gets the "inferior" version. Enable cross play and they're golden.
I wonder how they'll determine "best" when it comes to PC releases, though as that version would at the very least be on par with Xbox, though potentially be a lot prettier. I guess they could forgo Steam releases and/or force Gamepass so the games are still within their ecosystem.
This honestly just sounds like they're not pulling existing stuff from any platform, but going forward their stuff will be on everything except Playstation.
I think microsoft needs to let xbox die off and stick with computers. Nintendo and sony offer all the console gaming i need.
@KnightsTemplar You're still in here crying? Lol
@Shadowthrone I believe they're talking best in terms of consoles. Even then I 100% don't expect Bethesda's future releases to come to Switch at all. The Switch is probably not going to be able to handle stuff like Starfield, Elder Scrolls VI, and those two PS5 timed exclusives, especially since DOOM Eternal is taking god knows how long and shared a development period with the other versions.
@KnightsTemplar lmfao chill are you like 13 lol nobody gives a ***** that you hate Xbox
What Bethesda games?
@Shadowthrone Microsoft considers PC releases to be part of the Xbox ecosystem at this point anyways.
@KnightsTemplar You are what's wrong with gaming. take your lame ass "console wars" bs somewhere else and let the grownups talk.
@link3710 And for the most part, they are. Especially when released on the Microsoft Store or XBOX Store or GamePas for PC. Sure, they still release most PC games on Steam. But Steam is also mostly Windows. And yes, Microsoft benefits from every player playing on Windows.
It's like when I read the comments I'm just so confused about what people are saying, until I realize ... "wait, are people arm-chairing this like they are freaking insiders and experts while at the same time not knowing that MS game studios already owns DOZENS of high profile studios that release cross platform?"
THEY HAVE OWNED OBDISDIAN FOR 2 YEARS, as just one example. Outer worlds was on every system day one. I have no idea why everyone is freaking out about this new acquisition like it's game changing and an unknown. It's not, MS owns a lot of game developers, and has exclusive publishing rights to even more.
What is being said in this interview is simple "I commit to nothing. It will be a game by game decision. But like ... buy game pass and maybe you'll get something special."
And that's that. They will continue to look at games on a case by case basis and decide if giving up sales from cross platform is worth the value add they can get by making it exclusive in some way. This will likely mean they will NEVER skip a Nintendo release, because the Switch install base is 60 million, and the Xbox and PS5 install base is unlikely to cross 10 million each until next Christmas. It also means that is the PS5 sales don't dominate Xbox X sales like they did last gen, Sony isn't going to get much, and what they go get will be late.
@contractcooker ..... i had a terrible experience with microsoft and now is console war bs...... there is no console war.... i love nintendo... and im definatly not whats wrong with gaming. What kind of a school yard comment was that. Grow up and understand your on a nintendo website
@TheFrenchiestFry then why respond... i no noone cares for my xbox experience... you realise i have a right to comment on a bad experience... im allowed to have an opinion... the only one acting 13 is you trying to stop others opinions. And creating some false sense im starting a bs console war..
Be nice if they brought some of the older Fallout games to the Switch.
@KnightsTemplar
Well luckily they aren't as many other people feel much differently than you do & could do without others in the game.
@gameboy1975 just enjoy the games bud.... geez some people get their pants all twisted when they feel sentimental to something thats doesnt even involve them. People can disagree. Doesnt mean they are right and constantly proven so... does that make me right...hell no and im not saying i am
All I want is Fallout on Switch (3, New Vegas, 4).
@HeadPirate Outer Worlds was in development long before Obsidian was acquired by Microsoft. It came out the literal year the acquisition took place, and now their next game Avowed is a complete Xbox/PC exclusive. I guarantee the exact same thing will happen to Bethesda. You don't just shell out more money than both the Lucasfilm and Marvel acquisitions combined and not use it to sell your console over everyone else's
@KnightsTemplar you're literally calling people ***** in the comments section who are also calling you out for crying this hard about Microsoft stealing your Minecraft girlfriend or whatever and not expecting anyone to think you have some sort of console bias or fanboy mentality towards a specific company
You've commented multiple times on how you hate Xbox yet still insist you're totally not trying to instigate a console war mentality even though you've repeated yourself multiple times on how you love Nintendo and hate Xbox on an article that has no correlation with what you're saying lol
@TheFrenchiestFry I never said Playstation did not have family-friendly games. I know Xbox have Lucky, Cuphead, Ori, Battletoads and Rare Replay. I simply said that Xbox is still focusing more on mature games, and that is as clear as clear water pal. My intention is not bad, it's simply an opinion. And you seem to be fighting with many people here. Are you okay? You should take deep breaths.
@WhiteTrashGuy Devil's Third were great, and the online were great too.
Some memories of it here before online server were shutted down. Not possible to get screenshots of most here now.
http://amiga32.com/devilsthird/
PC version sadly never came, and they have released no game after the Wii U game at all i think.
Rare Replay isn't even ported to PC, so you can forget any switch version. It's not worth the effort to port 30 games in one release for Switch either.
I bought a Xbox One in 2015 only because Rare Replay were anounced at E3.
Costed only 30 bucks on release too.
Rare Replay is on Game Pass btw..
I doubt we will see any new Bethesda games on switch unless they use cloud streaming - they still cant get Doom Eternal running enough to give a release date yet.
Just give us gamepass and let Microsoft sort out the switches online infrastructure and I will be happy.
You’ve quoted VERY selectively. And put a spin on it that simply isn’t backed up by the actual words used.
@TheFrenchiestFry
Could have been in development of 40 years, doesn't stop you from TIMED exclusive it, or adding a exclusive quest, or like a billion other things if that's your intention.
Now I'm about to blow your mind so sit down: Video games developers make money by selling video games! If you own one, and it sells games, you will make money!
MS bought Bethesda to ... MAKE MONEY. Just like every other studio they bought. Just like Minecraft. Only we see console wars. Only we see Xbox vs PS5. Xbox division (the part that makes hardware) has never turned a profit. They have tried to sell it at least twice. Microsoft Studies, the collection of gaming developers they bought, is insanely profitable, and will continue to be so even if the they stop making the Xbox tomorrow.
The idea that you buy a 7 billion dollar game developer to sell consoles when the TOTAL lifetime sales of the Xbox One has only been 12 billion over SEVEN YEARS, almost none of that profit is ... just silly. You buy it to sell games.
This decision doesn't really bother me, simply because I would much rather use keyboard and mouse for any kind of FPS game anyway. The last time I could deal with a controller for FPS was on the n64, since getting into PC gaming I just can't go back to a controller for those kinds of games.
Quote from Marty Stratton on Doom Eternal around March 2020 "Don't worry Switch owners, you won't have to wait long at all"
. . . No updates since
@Ventilator
Yeah, I know. Right now I only have GamePass mobile and replay is not on there yet.
Devil's Third was one of the best multiplayer experiences I ever had. The game modes were fantastic and the melee and shooting combat felt so original. Rogue Company is the closest I have come to the se feeling.
@KnightsTemplar I'm not, but you're definitely butthurt.
For everyone complaining about Rare Replay not being on Switch, I doubt that Microsoft is to blame here. If I've picked up on anything about MS in the past few years, its that RR isn't coming because Phil Spencer wants Goldeneye and Diddy Kong Racing on all platforms for any new ports of RR, and Nintendo probably won't let DKR on to MS platforms.
Would be stupid to cut off existing Products that are generating ist Revenue.
Here is the most important perspective you need if you think they will use this to "sell consoles"
The Xbox One sold 40 million units, the average SKU was $300. Over 7 years, the entire life of the system, the GROSS sales of the Xbox One was $12 billion. Almost none of that is profit, that's just the raw number.
They spent $7.5 billion on Bethesda.
That should tell you everything you need to know. The bought the company so they could sell it's games, not to leverage them to sell there console. Period.
@KnightsTemplar good for you - ms should stop making consoles because you are content...... lol.
@HotGoomba___Rebrand they can’t really say much — whether things will be exclusive, etc— as the deal hasn’t gone through yet. It remains in their best interest to say things that sound very neutral still
They won’t be held back my Microsoft owning, they’ll be held back because of the Switch’s power. There’s no way the new Elder Scrolls will come to Switch. This is so Microsoft can still keep favour with Nintendo audience and still mug off Sony.
So maybe it means they’re slapping Fallout 3 on switch or something.
@HeadPirate,
That does not make any sense whatsoever, they bought Bethesda to have exclusive games over Sony, the money side does not matter to Microsoft as they make money in other ways, there would be no sense at all buying a developer only to keep it's triple AAA games coming to the Playstation, the Switch is another matter as Microsoft do not see it as direct competition.
@KnightsTemplar
Well to be fair, while it very much is a Nintendo website, you yourself made it about others when you decided to co-sign for sony & bash Microsoft out of the blue. We can understand that you may have had your issues with them, but perhaps they could say the opposite.
Heck I along with many others could mention the crappy experiences and problems that we've had with sony who you seemingly had no problem cheerleading for. Yet, we're mature and unselfish enough to know that there are people who enjoy their toy and feel no reason to throw ill-will their way. Just saying is all.
I think there’s a reasonable argument to be made that Microsoft will or won’t keep these Bethesda games exclusive. If they make them exclusive, they might see more Xbox console sales. If they don’t, they can always charge a premium $70+ on PlayStation consoles to make some money. I could see them taking the AAA games and making those multi platform and keep the smaller ones exclusive. I’m cool with however this shakes out tbh
I hope they still come to Switch but will be surprised if LONG term they don't eventually spend a period of years as exclusive
Still not very clear but it makes sense. Some games will be a long time under development for PS5 and Switch and so rather than waste that money they’ll launch the likes of Starfield and ES6 on Xbox and Game Pass first, then PS5 later on maybe without some content to hoover up some cash.
After that anything that hasn’t started development yet will go exclusively to Xbox, but that’s not something we’ll see until 2024/5.
@HeadPirate
Xbox One sales are irrelevant, they aren’t a ceiling. The way MS plan to make money from Gaming is the Xbox platform across Console/PC/Streaming, and Game Pass. The Business calculation when it comes to Bethesda games is can those games drive the Userbase up and drive Game Pass subscriptions by being exclusive. In the long run the goal is to make whatever money they can make from putting those games on Sony/Nintendo platforms irrelevant.
Surely the CFO had no business talking about this? Doesn't Phil Spencer have the last word?
Is it just me or does this make no sense. Sure I can see then bringing games to switch as neither Microsoft or Sony consider Nintendo an real threat, but why waste all that money to keep an third party studio as an third party studio
I think the switch versions will be as safe as they were before. It's not in direct competition like ps5 is to xbox . The bigger issue is switch tech lagging behind to make ports improbable.
@Kezza64 it makes good business sense. Nintendo is a different value proposition so theres no reason they cant put software on it(HW limitations aside). PS is a competitor to both so makes logical sense not to support it as well.
@lionyone Phil Spencer did say something, but Nintendo Life aren’t reporting what he said because it suggested that Bethesda games would be exclusive to Xbox.
So Doom Eternal on Switch canceled... Nice...
So everything is going to game pass then if they want some pocket change maybe other platforms.
@TG16_IS_BAE Haha he should be a politician! To be fair we're never going to get the 'best' of Bethesda on Switch as it doesn't have the processing power so it'll always be a scaled down version. So no change there really for us lot lol!
Basically they want to take timed exclusives and let the games appear on other systems if the devs can be bothered.
@sanderev eh not really. Windows 10 is basically free.
The deal is not yet completed, things will change once that happens.
@HotGoomba___Rebrand ... Timed exclusives with content exclusive or timed to Xbox... 0 impact to switch cos it's a potato. I'd actually fathom PC loses out cos these game will be optimised for Xbox... Hopefully not
Tldr; buy an xbox it better yet get game pass
@Kisame83 what are you talking about doood. All their games are 100% better on PC... It's not even close.
@FlyingFoxy you know my dude
@HeadPirate you make this sh*t up or what? You ever read a financial statement in your life... Absolute drivel... Tiring...
@Willsy Yeah I got an Xbox last year, it's pretty good. BTW, yeah the Switch is a potato, but it could run a lot of games if developers worked hard. Just look at Wolfenstein, Doom, Hellblade, The Witcher 3.
@Trajan You'd think that. But MS makes the most money off of their Windows "in the cloud" infrastructure. Also known as Azure and ofcourse professional and OEM licenses.
It would hurt their brand as a whole if they started pulling away stuff that's available on current platforms so it's a smart move.
@norwichred Didn't NL report on Phil's comments previously already?
@Faruko Yup. So much hot air and speculation. People are wasting time over literally nothing.
I supported them by getting Doom, Skyrim, and Wolfenstein II on the Switch, and I even enjoyed Fallout Shelter, and I want DOOM 1, 2, 64, and 3 on a cartridge, but they dropped the ball with the Youngblood release and the horrible Elder Scrolls: Blades.
I suspect Doom Eternal is their final Switch game.
This is VERY NOT surprising. People were quite worried for something that was going to experience the same thing as Minecraft.
If Bethesda games do become a timed exclusive for Xbox Series X and future Xbox consoles, I wouldn't mind. The key thing here is timed.
@KnightsTemplar
That's pretty rich from a person that sat up in here whining immensely about MS the way that you have here. Are you seriously that self absorbed or clueless that you can't see the insane amounts of irony & hypocrisy in your statement after the whining & hating that you've done against one that produces games? The gall of you telling someone to "just relax & enjoy the games" while previously having a cry about a company & practically wishing them dead in the gaming space. Lol
Anyway yeah, I'm already enjoying the game bud. Which is why you don't see me being selfish & crying about any of them & practically wishing them dead in the gaming space just because they're not my cup of tea. Even if I find one pretty darn meh myself I can understand that others might enjoy their contributions to the industry. I just choose to ignore their products & move on. And even if I didn't have that outlook, I'm not privy to being lectured by someone that clearly can't heed their own freaking advice.
@electrolite77
Exactly man & I'm glad some people get it. Many are still stuck in this archaic fanboy way of thinking & the imaginary console war logic. Microsoft if nothing else knows how to make money. Also, they are ahead of the curve on a lot of things. The cloud proponent, the getting your games on other devices & platforms to expand revenue, the Game Pass model & more. Things that you've seen people blast them about before yet you see coming to fruition & others following. Whether it's sony, Google or whoever.
Also they don't care how they get you into their ecosystem, they just want you there. And they're not afraid to give you options on how to get there. Which last time I checked options were a good thing. They don't care if the hardcore haters & fanboys will talk about "oh well I'll just buy it here or there etc" as if they're sticking it to them, because they're STILL reaping the benefits of getting the recognition & money from it. Also there will always be people who aren't interested in or maybe even intimidated by the PC component for whatever reasons. So they're still going to be able to sell consoles to someone. They have you covered on several different fronts & are willing to make tons of money off others as well. Not a bad strategy at all.
Especially when you look at the fact that they can allow their competitors like sony, Nintendo et cetera to help pay off that acquisition. Basically letting it pay for itself even though it doesn't hurt them in the least. Heck, even in the midst of a pandemic, they are earning like 13.2 billion net profit in just a quarter. Honestly milions of gamers, hardcore faboys & the haters should are lucky & should be VERY thankful that Microsoft looks at it all in a bigger picture sort of way that many a gamer benefits from than what they're able to see or comprehend.
As they have the capital that others simply don't to lock up quite a bit of talent, perks & incentives up & in their fold if they we're so inclined to be petty or really wanted to like some others have I've always said to let that sleeping Dog lie to some of the more extreme zealots out there for good reason.
@Willsy I'm talking about among consoles, obviously lol
@elpardo1984 That was my point exactly. Nintendo's hardware and software sales barely detract from Microsofts.
Something tells me Microsoft isn't going to let Bethesda make game for Nintendo anymore because of what Sony did to force Microsoft buy Bethesda and embargo sony. Which will lead to the also embryo Nintendo on Sony's behalf. Like we won't see es6 or future Doom games for Nintendo switch 2 or ECT. But if they do put new remarks on Nintendo then cool. I would love to see fallout new Vegas hit Nintendo eShop or fallout 4.
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