The ongoing Microsoft vs. FTC trial for the acquisition of Activision Blizzard has revealed that the computer giant acquired Bethesda to prevent a Starfield PS5 exclusive release. Information revealed over the first two days of the five-day trial sheds light on exactly why Zenimax Corp is now part of the Microsoft group, and why Starfield was never meant for the PS5.
As part of the trial, Phil Spencer, Head of Xbox was called in to provide his deposition. He revealed some important information regarding Starfield’s original content. In his sworn testimony, Spencer admitted the fact that for years Sony had been paying off gaming companies to make their releases PlayStation-exclusive. When Xbox came to know about such a potential Starfield deal, Microsoft immediately rushed into the acquisition of Zenimax Corp, which is the parent company of Bethesda.
Was Starfield slated to be a PS5 Exclusive?
Spencer’s testimony suggests that Sony had been paying developers to keep their games off the Xbox consoles for years. Even ones that were available on other platforms were purportedly held back from an Xbox release. The Xbox chief revealed that Sony had recently made a deal to not port the games Deathloop and Ghostwire onto the Xbox console. These two games were developed by Arkane Studios and Tango Studios, which are both owned by Zenimax Media.
Once information on an ongoing deal to do the same with Starfield came to light, Microsoft apparently made the decision to acquire the entire Zenimax group of companies. The result of course is that Starfield, which could have been a PS5/PC exclusive, is now an Xbox/PC exclusive.
What does Microsoft’s Zenimax acquisition mean for Sony?
In 2021, Microsoft acquired Zenimax Media in a $7.5 billion deal. Zenimax is a gaming giant with a dozen subsidiaries that produce several AAA titles every year. With this acquisition, Microsoft’s Xbox can now dictate terms as they have done already with Starfield and Redfall.
This also allows Microsoft to make upcoming Zenimax media games Xbox exclusive. This includes Bethesda’s much anticipated The Elder Scrolls 6, which was also discussed at the trial.
The tussle with Sony was just a small part of a much larger trial that could redefine the gaming industry. According to the FTC, the $69 billion Activision deal, which is the subject of the trial, could affect the entire gaming industry in a negative way. Experts believe if such a deal were allowed to go through, there is a possibility that Microsoft could monopolize the gaming industry.
Microsoft’s vigorous acquisition spree is also allegedly fueled by a desire to make up ground in the console wars, which officials claim they lost in 2001 when they launched the original Xbox console into a market dominated by Sony and Nintendo. It will be interesting to see if this trial has any impact on the launch of Starfield in September.
