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Wait, what does the Zenimax/Bethesda acquisition mean for Arkane's Deathloop (timed PS5 excl)?

Slated for timed-console exclusivity on PS5, but after that... are we gonna see development and attention shift to the Xbox version and PS5 gets left in the cold?
 

Nikana

Go Go Neo Rangers!
Weren't they always timed exclusive? THe deal was probably inked before this buyout as well.

The question is if Microsoft is going to Publish these games exclusively or if it will be like Minecraft?
 

ethomaz

Banned
I think you can't changes contracts already in course so the game will release on PS5 like Minecraft launched on PS4.

But future games? Yeap... all Xbox exclusives.
 
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dorkimoe

Gold Member
No. I dont think its going to affect any of the stuff they would already have deals for.

Similar to when Disney bought marvel and released Disney plus, you still had marvel movies on netflix for awhile due to contracts.
 
It’s likely bound by contract. But MS could always willingly breach, pay the damages, and prevent its release. That would really make the devs pissed off at their new overlords, which is why methinks MS is going to allow it to release ala Mojang.
 
They've already confirmed current projects will be published through Bethesda as planned


That's not really the issue, though. Will the non-Xbox versions still receive patches in 2 years? DLC? Game of the Year editions? etc?
 

xrnzaaas

Member
Deathloop and Ghostwire are definitely going to be released as planned, no one at MS interfered with The Outer Worlds and PS4 even got the recent expansion.
 
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Andodalf

Banned
It’s likely bound by contract. But MS could always willingly breach, pay the damages, and prevent its release. That would really make the devs pissed off at their new overlords, which is why methinks MS is going to allow it to release ala Mojang.

I don't think dev's would care about a game going multiplat as long as they had the time to make it happen, however honoring such contracts is often mandated by the government agencies in charge of such acquisitions.
 

GHG

Gold Member
It means Sony got fucked because it's money that ultimately ends up in Microsoft's pockets.

They are out here playing checkers fucking around with timed exclusivity deals while Microsoft are playing chess.

Should be a lesson to them, go big or don't bother at all.

Invest in your first party studios, and either acquire studios with that money or start new ones.

Jim Ryan is staring down the barrel.
 
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MrFunSocks

Banned
Same as outer worlds - still release on PS, ms gets money from those sales, then if fans of the game want the sequel then have to buy an Xbox.

I wonder if MS will now hold this massive stable of games over Sony to try and get game pass on the PS5.

Now Sony trying everything they can to get as many marketing deals and timed exclusives as they can, and taking significant losses on the PS5 hardware makes a bit more sense. They’re the overwhelming market leaders but this could be that big move that shakes up the landscape.

Will be funny watching how many people on here now think doom 2016 and eternal we’re only average or bad XD
 
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MastaKiiLA

Member
It means Sony got fucked because it's money that ultimately ends up in Microsoft's pockets.

They are out here playing checkers fucking around with timed exclusivity deals while Microsoft are playing chess.

Should be a lesson to them, go big or don't bother at all.

Invest in your first party studios, and either acquire studios with that money or start new ones.

Jim Ryan is staring down the barrel.
Any exclusive deals are a pittance compared to $7.5B spent. That investment remains in the red for a few years, as you pay for multiple years of value. It would take a GTA-level surprise blockbuster to recoup that on PS5 sales. Sony has strong first party studios that sell a lot of games already. I doubt they were looking to buy Bethesda. If Jim doled out that amount of money for Bethesda, it would have been a questionable purchase, given that Bethesda games aren't major drivers of PS console sales. Fallout cleared something like 13M sales worldwide across 3 platforms, while a single Spiderman can pull those kinds of numbers on a PS alone. Squenix would be the kind of purchase Sony would look to make. The gaming interests differ enough between Xbox and PS, that MS and Sony would desire different companies in their portfolio.

There's something to be said about broadening the offerings you have creatively, but not when doing so could end up as a money loser for you. They'd buy Bethesda, only to have a PC-centric studio become one of their poorer-performing in-house teams. That's a loss for Sony and Bethesda. Know your audience.
 
I don't think dev's would care about a game going multiplat as long as they had the time to make it happen, however honoring such contracts is often mandated by the government agencies in charge of such acquisitions.
It’s the using of someone’s creative property as a chess piece and forcing the players to have to comply with the publisher’s antics. Forcing a wedge between developers and consumers and playing a cup game always makes devs unhappy.

TBH Deathloop doesn’t strike me as a property MS is investing in. It’s just kinda there for them and at best buttresses GamePass but I doubt they’re overly concerned about letting release according to the old model of game releases.
 

ULTROS!

People seem to like me because I am polite and I am rarely late. I like to eat ice cream and I really enjoy a nice pair of slacks.
Honestly I think it’s too big to go exclusive. It’s like making Minecraft suddenly exclusive to Xbox to no benefits.

I expect the established multiplatform franchises to still remain multiplatform, but the rest can go exclusive.
 

Vandole

Member
Nothing's going to change here, except on the initial loading screen there's going to be a great big Microsoft logo.
 

JLB

Banned
I dont think the MS buyout would affect in current or future deals that have been signed with Sony.

I believe so, but now MS has the power to ask Sony to renegotiate this exclusive or retaliate later. Power games.
 

Clear

CliffyB's Cock Holster
All it means is Sony will deprioritize them from its front-line marketing. They aren't going to spend time and money pushing franchises that can be taken away from them at their owners discretion.
 

SCB3

Member
It'll still be bound to its original contract and MS have history in allowing this (See Minecraft on PS4 and Outer Worlds)
 

Unknown?

Member
It means Sony got fucked because it's money that ultimately ends up in Microsoft's pockets.

They are out here playing checkers fucking around with timed exclusivity deals while Microsoft are playing chess.

Should be a lesson to them, go big or don't bother at all.

Invest in your first party studios, and either acquire studios with that money or start new ones.

Jim Ryan is staring down the barrel.
You're a clown.
 
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