Bethesda looked to become part of a bigger company, before talking to MS

[arsene_P5]

Timestamp 48:40

I think this is huge news, because this means Bethesda were the ones making the decision and actively looking for someone to buy them. Of course we don't know exactly why they search for a bigger company. But I think the last games didn't do that great iirc. Please correct me.

Anyways, I wish they would've stayed independent, but if they literally wanted to be bought, then MS is imo the better option than Amazon, Google or Facebook. Sony wouldve been fine with me, too.

PS: it's a good podcast and interview with Spencer in itself. If anyone wants to watch it.

 

[nekkid]

I thought this was known. Didn't an insider say they were shopping themselves around for a while?

 

[Jaded Alyx]

I thought this was known. Perhaps not.

 

[Patitoloco]

I mean, of course, that's usually how most of these sales work.

 

[arsene_P5]

I thought this was known. Didn't an insider say they were shopping themselves around for a while?

Click to shrink...

Well, I knew there were rumors that Sony and others were interested. But those were just rumors and it could've easily been MS approaching them first. Which didn't happen.

 

[Lord Fanny]

Timestamp 48:40

I think this is huge news, because this means Bethesda were the ones making the decision and actively looking for someone to buy them. Of course we don't know exactly why they search for a bigger company. But I think the last games didn't do that great iirc. Please correct me.

Anyways, I wish they would've stayed independent, but if they literally wanted to be bought, then MS is imo the better option than Amazon, Google or Facebook. Sony wouldve been fine with me, too.

PS: it's a good podcast and interview with Spencer in itself. If anyone wants to watch it.

Click to shrink...

Bethesda stopped providing sales numbers ages ago, so we have no idea how their recent batch of titles actually did. From the placement on sales charts (or lack of), most can deduce that they weren't selling particularly well, yes, unless they just had an insane weigh to digital sales or something to that nature that would be more difficult to track.

 

[Raigor]

The board wanted to sell the company regardless of MS interest or not, MS most likely offered the better deal and they sold to them.

Wouldn't be surprised if they talked with Tencent or Amazon or Facebook for example.

 

[lost7]

MS was probably the best outcome. The games at least will still come out on PC day 1 for those without a series X

 

[PianoBlack]

Yep, this is pretty much what we had heard. If they had to sell MS seems like a good landing spot for them if the main priority is time and budget. Obviously, not the best outcome in terms of platform support.

Personally though I've come around on it, if they were looking to sell I'd like to see really high quality games on fewer platforms than EA- or Activision-driven releases available on everything. Purely selfishly of course as someone who already has an Xbox.

 

[Deleted member 56752]

I'll never understand the frustration of people because of this sale. Even if it's just on Xbox platforms, that means you can play on the following: iOS and Android via cloud, a $300 next gen 1080p Xbox, $499 next gen Xbox, any kind of pc. All of them on game pass where you can access them on day one at launch for $1

Like, Xbox is the ideal place For sale for consumers. Heck, some of their lower budget titles might go to switch

 

[arsene_P5]

The board wanted to sell the company regardless of MS interest or not, MS most likely offered the better deal and they sold to them.

Wouldn't be surprised if they talked with Tencent or Amazon or Facebook for example.

Click to shrink...

Facebook would've been my worst nightmare. Thanks to whoever that this didn't happen xD

Bethesda stopped providing sales numbers ages ago, so we have no idea how their recent batch of titles actually did. From the placement on sales charts (or lack of), most can deduce that they weren't selling particularly well, yes, unless they just had an insane weigh to digital sales or something to that nature that would be more difficult to track.

Click to shrink...

Thanks and happy new year. I think Bethesda surely made some mistakes (76 launch for example), but most of their games are really cool. But then again, great games don't mean good sales unfortunately. Platinum Games or Atlus can write a song about that :(

 

[Biggzy]

Yeah, this is one of those things that has been sort of an open secret for a while that Bethesda were at the very least open for a sale.

 

[Jiraiya]

The studios Microsoft have acquired have all been in this sort of state. Except i think playground.

 

[NCR Ranger]

Plenty of rumours hinting that Bethesda was looking for a buyer. For me personally, I am glad it was Microsoft. The other major publishers are kind of trash. Bethesda might not be as high in my opinions as they used to be, but thank the gods it wasn't Sony. No BGS games on the PC seems pretty blasphemous when even the dumpster that was Fallout 4 was made pretty amazing with the right mods.

 

[VeePs]

Didn't we already know this? Zenimax was looking to sell and have been for sometime now.

 

[Azerth]

this is why this purchase didnt bother me. Bethesda wanted to sell so every company most likely looked into buying them

 

[riotous]

Wonder if any high-up Bethesda people will exit the company after getting "fuck-you money" from this.

 

[christocolus]

Glad they ended up with MS. Those 8 studios have some of the best talent in the industry..

 

[Xeonidus]

Yeah MS was the better option compared to "bigger" companies. I guess there aren't that many bigger companies though. We're thinking Amazon, Google, Apple probably?

 

[LongLivePlay94]

I wouldn't have been surprised if Sony were well in the winnings before Microsoft interjected and just said no, they're such a close partner, they have to join us and coughed up what was necessary.

 

[Kasey]

The studios Microsoft have acquired have all been in this sort of state. Except i think playground.

Click to shrink...

Ninja Theory said they weren't really open to selling when MS first approached them.

 

[Lobster Roll]

This was pretty well known at the time, but it was buried under the wave of people blaming the ruination of the industry on that acquisition.

 

[indosmoke]

Yep, not sure it was officially confirmed, but clearly an open secret until now.
And I'm also happy it was MS rather than anyone else. With their history, their funds/recent investment in gaming and of course the whole Game Pass strategy, I guess it was the best (or "least worst") choice for Zenimax.

 

[Deleted member 45617]

Trust me, you want MS owning Bethesda compared to the other very very rich and very very curious big tech companies

 

[Fiery Phoenix]

Yup. And MS was always the only realistic option.

 

[Scottoest]

Do we know what happens to the executives at Zenimax after this sale is complete? Do they get golden parachutes and effectively laid off?

 

[Deleted member 10737]

we already knew this. zenimax was looking for a buyer for a loooong time.

 

[Jaded Alyx]

I'll never understand the frustration of people because of this sale. Even if it's just on Xbox platforms, that means you can play on the following: iOS and Android via cloud, a $300 next gen 1080p Xbox, $499 next gen Xbox, any kind of pc. All of them on game pass where you can access them on day one at launch for $1

Like, Xbox is the ideal place For sale for consumers. Heck, some of their lower budget titles might go to switch

Click to shrink...

They are certainly the best option IMO

 

[Cactuar]

I'd say they found what they were looking for.

 

[VeePs]

Bloomberg article from several months back talking about ZeniMax being sold & mentioning they've been considering selling Zenimax/Bethesda for several years:

From Banking Scandal to Video-Game CEO to Billion-Dollar Score

Video-game trade shows aren’t known for dispensing high-end whisky, but there it was at the Bethesda Softworks exhibit: $100 bottles of Glenmorangie, flowing freely.

www.bloomberg.com

But much like in Hollywood, franchises such as Fallout and Elder Scrolls remain valuable, as consumers continue to play them online and purchase updates and items within the games. As industry valuations rose, Altman considered selling ZeniMax for several years and at one point was close to a deal with rival Electronic Arts Inc.

In the end, he found the perfect choice: a classy operator at a fancy price.

Click to shrink...

 

[bsigg]

Do we know what happens to the executives at Zenimax after this sale is complete? Do they get golden parachutes and effectively laid off?

Click to shrink...

We won't know until the deal closes.

 

[Pasha]

Wonder if any high-up Bethesda people will exit the company after getting "fuck-you money" from this.

Click to shrink...

In these kinds of deals the "fuck-you" part of the "fuck-you money" is usually contingent on these people staying with the company for a number of years, so I doubt any of them will bail right away, unless they've been waiting to retire for a long time.

I also doubt that it would be a major loss for MS anyway, they got the tech, the infrastructure and a boatload of talented developers which will be more than happy to take up a promotion.

 

[MatrixMan.exe]

Most of these types of acquisitions of independent entities only happen because the company acquired has a desire to be purchased. The folks here constantly salivating over who their favourite console maker will acquire next seem to forget this.

 

[riotous]

In these kinds of deals the "fuck-you" part of the "fuck-you money" is usually contingent on these people staying with the company for a number of years, so I doubt any of them will bail right away, unless they've been waiting to retire for a long time.

I also doubt that it would be a major loss for MS anyway, they got the tech, the infrastructure and a boatload of talented developers which will be more than happy to take up a promotion.

Click to shrink...

Yeah you see a lot of exodus's after some contractual obligation expires. Happened with most of the big Facebook purchases for instance.

I'm aware of that; but still curious what everyone's plans are.. those are typically 12-24 months at most.

 

[DeoGame]

I'll never understand the frustration of people because of this sale. Even if it's just on Xbox platforms, that means you can play on the following: iOS and Android via cloud, a $300 next gen 1080p Xbox, $499 next gen Xbox, any kind of pc. All of them on game pass where you can access them on day one at launch for $1

Like, Xbox is the ideal place For sale for consumers. Heck, some of their lower budget titles might go to switch

Click to shrink...

I get there are concerns about consolidation and platform locking. However, I think EA and Activision would warp Zenimax further into something they are not, Google and Amazon are untested in the market, and 2K can't afford them. That leaves an outside investment firm which aren't often great, Tencent whose power is immense as it is, Sony who would have a hard time justifying the price and would probably lock out PC, and Microsoft. I think MS is the lesser of all these evils, and their business model is uniquely suited for making commercially viable the types of games Zenimax makes. It's like how many core creatives are going to Netflix.

 

[arsene_P5]

Do we know what happens to the executives at Zenimax after this sale is complete? Do they get golden parachutes and effectively laid off?

Click to shrink...

Bethesda/Zenimax will operate independently iirc. But don't quote me on that, I just remember someone at MS saying this in a interview.

Yeah MS was the better option compared to "bigger" companies. I guess there aren't that many bigger companies though. We're thinking Amazon, Google, Apple probably?

Click to shrink...

Sony, Tencent and FB probably has the money in theory. Tencent was mentioned by someone in the thread.

I wouldn't have been surprised if Sony were well in the winnings before Microsoft interjected and just said no, they're such a close partner, they have to join us and coughed up what was necessary.

Click to shrink...

This is not what happened. What the podcast. Timestamp is in the first post. Btw Bethesda always had a good relationships with MS and Morrowind was their first console game iirc.

 

[DeoGame]

Most of these types of acquisitions of independent entities only happen because the company acquired has a desire to be purchased. The folks here constantly salivating over who their favourite console maker will acquire next seem to forget this.

Click to shrink...

That is true. That said, there is a difference between studios like Zenimax and InXile which approached Microsoft, and studios like Double Fine, Ninja Theory and Obsidian that Microsoft approached. It ultimately comes down to both sides making a deal, but in this case it was Zenimax putting themselves on the market, not MS convincing them to sell.

 

[tutomos]

People were wondering why MS bought them, it's because if MS doesn't then someone else will. If it's Sony, Amazon or Google, the repercussions will be bigger for MS than other platform holders.

 

[Jiraiya]

Ninja Theory said they weren't really open to selling when MS first approached them.

Click to shrink...

This sounds familiar too.

 

[bsigg]

I wouldn't have been surprised if Sony were well in the winnings before Microsoft interjected and just said no, they're such a close partner, they have to join us and coughed up what was necessary.

Click to shrink...

We don't know to what extent Sony was aware of the MS acquisition talks. All we know is they were in talks to make Starfield exclusive alongside Deathloop and Ghostwire Tokyo.

 

[riotous]

I'll never understand the frustration of people because of this sale. Even if it's just on Xbox platforms, that means you can play on the following: iOS and Android via cloud, a $300 next gen 1080p Xbox, $499 next gen Xbox, any kind of pc. All of them on game pass where you can access them on day one at launch for $1

Like, Xbox is the ideal place For sale for consumers. Heck, some of their lower budget titles might go to switch

Click to shrink...

It's the lesser of other evils for me, but I still would prefer games in general came to any major home console if it's reasonable to port and don't think cloud should be listed like it doesn't have huge asterisks next to it.

MS's support of PC is awesome though; but the potential removal of a ton of titles from the Playstation ecosystem, a very popular ecosystem for their games, is a pretty big loss for some people. With MS, there's all kinds of possibilities, even down to some Playstation support, but it's still up in the air.

 

[Cantaim]

Think it was known that Zenimax was looking to sell for the last 4ish years. Even patcher mentioned it on a podcast he did years ago

 

[arsene_P5]

VeePs
Thanks, I didn't know about this. Threadmarked.

That is true. That said, there is a difference between studios like Zenimax and InXile which approached Microsoft, and studios like Double Fine, Ninja Theory and Obsidian that Microsoft approached. It ultimately comes down to both sides making a deal, but in this case it was Zenimax putting themselves on the market, not MS convincing them to sell.

Click to shrink...

I think this gives the whole deal a different perspective, because suddenly "Bethesda staying independent" isn't a option, which was a option, I think it's fair to say, many preferred on resetera. So the question becomes, who is the least bad outcome for consumers...

And as you said, Microsoft weren't the "bad guys" that convinced them to sell. I feel with those deals the big companies, be it Sony, Microsoft, ... , are always criticized and blamed, but what some people don't realize is that companies sometimes want to be bought. Be it for financial reasons or something else.

 

[Prine]

Thanks for posting the video, had no clue about another Phil interview!

 

[Alvis]

Oh god. I can't think of a worse outcome than Bethesda games being Stadia exclusive. Imagine the next Doom releasing only on Stadia. Basically the equivalent of not existing

 

[Deleted member 56752]

It's the lesser of other evils for me, but I still would prefer games in general came to any major home console if it's reasonable to port and don't think cloud should be listed like it doesn't have huge asterisks next to it.

MS's support of PC is awesome though; but the potential removal of a ton of titles from the Playstation ecosystem, a very popular ecosystem for their games, is a pretty big loss for some people. With MS, there's all kinds of possibilities, even down to some Playstation support, but it's still up in the air.

Click to shrink...

I don't think, in their eyes, MS should care. The alternative was just PS consoles and nothing else. Or major publishers who make every mission a mtx

 

[scitek]

Too bad Tencent didn't step up to the plate.

 

[Jaded Alyx]

Too bad Tencent didn't step up to the plate.

Click to shrink...

 

[Shpeshal Nick]

Microsoft and EA were comfortably the best options for gamers as a whole. Glad it was one of them 2

 

[riotous]

I don't think, in their eyes, MS should care. The alternative was just PS consoles and nothing else. Or major publishers who make every mission a mtx

Click to shrink...

Yeah for sure; the likely outcome is them being Xbox console exclusive w/ strong PC support and the "also on Xcloud" for the "you can play anywhere (that allows Xcloud)" option. They WILL attract some customers, no doubt. It'll be interesting to see if it helps xCloud take off, since that will be such a low barrier for entry (for some.)

But the "profit driven corporation shouldn't care" is kind of the point of being disappointed Zenimax couldn't stick it out as independent. We don't know where this purchase is going to lead either in general. Hopefully good things, that help make up for the "not so good thing" of taking away some choice from consumers.