Once the deal is complete, Microsoft and its Xbox gaming company will have 23 first-party studios
According to the European Commission’s Merger Regulation, the EU has finally approved the acquisition of Microsoft Corporation ZeniMax Media Inc. In September 2020, Microsoft announced its intention to buy Bethesda, following Bethesda games earlier coming to Xbox Game Pass on console and PC, and it is giving Microsoft control over its offerings. upcoming ones include Starfield, Indiana Jones and The Elder Scrolls VI.
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“The Commission has decided that the proposed construction would not raise any competition concerns, given the entity’s limited combined market position upstream and the presence of strong downstream competitors in video game circulation,” the European Commission notes. state in a statement, that this matter was “Investigated under the normal amalgamation review procedure.”
An official blog post by Bethesda Vice President Pete Hines titled ‘Bethesda + Xbox Just Getting Started’ states, “This year marks 35 years since Bethesda Softworks was originally created. , ”Wrote Hines,“ Reaching such a milestone, as we also go through a historical event like this construction, giving an insight into how far we have come in that time. A trip that wasn’t worth it without all of you sharing it. ” Bethesda was founded in 1986 by Christopher Weaver, and the company started with games like Gridiron! And finally, his gameplay The Elder Scrolls.
In memory of Altman
- On a more interesting note, Hines also writes, “It is a bitter day as our founder, Robert Altman, passed away last month. Among his many admirable qualities was a wonderful family spirit and loyalty that he shared with us all. I will always be grateful for what he did to find a great place for ZeniMax, Bethesda, and our studios and staff to continue their admirable work going forward. ”
- Spencer said, “Robert was a strong believer in the power of gaming and we are honored to be able to continue his work by joining the teams he has built and led for many years. . I miss the opportunity to work directly with him in the future with the teams together but I know that his spirit will live on in the shared work we do and inspire us to join the team. -participation to do this as intended. ”
Meanwhile, Xbox CEO Phil Spencer wrote ‘Officially Welcoming Bethesda to the Xbox Team’, “Now that everything is official, we can start working together to make more games deliver great to everyone. At every step towards this stage, I have been inspired and inspired by the creativity, vision and community approach of the talented people of Bethesda. Our goal is to give these teams the best foundation to do the most work and learn from them as we continue to build Xbox into an inclusive platform for all players. ”
looking forward
The Microsoft-owned game company believes in Bethesda’s potential for their Game Pass subscription. Spencer and his team wrote, “looking forward to empowering Bethesda’s creative teams to reach even more players around the world, helping to make Bethesda titles in time. future as the biggest and most popular games in their history. Xbox and Bethesda have shared a common vision for the future of gaming. Both as fans and as creators, Bethesda understands the potential of Xbox Game Pass. ”
When the deal is complete, Microsoft ‘s list of first – party studios will jump to 23, after adding Bethesda studios such as developer Dishonored Arkane, Wolfenstein MachineGames studio, Doom maker id Software, and The Evil Inside Tango Gameworks studio . Microsoft apparently intends to keep Bethesda running independently, while retaining its existing leadership. A similar approach has worked for Mojang, LinkedIn, and GitHub, all of which have continued to thrive after Microsoft acquired them.
More details – about Bethesda’s future, xCloud on iOS, and its plans for an Xbox Game Pass – are likely to come at a reported ‘game futures’ event that takes place on March 23rd. Gamers can also look forward to more information about the purchase during the E3 (Electronic Entertainment Expo) summer game trade show.