Microsoft is serious about the next-gen console war, and they are well prepared this time. Performance-wise they have superior hardware and they offer more features than their competitor, Sony. However, Sony has them beat on their amazing first-party exclusives. But for how long?
For the last few years, Microsoft has gone on a shopping spree, buying every viable game development studio they can find so that they can increase their game rosters. Their biggest was the recent purchase of Bethesda parent company ZeniMax for a whopping $7.5 Billion. The purchase hasn’t been finalized yet, but it will be solidified around the first quarter of next year. This purchase has given them full rights to some amazing game franchises like Doom, Fallout, Wolfenstein, and the fan-favorite Elder Scrolls.
However, Microsoft is not done yet. Xbox boss Phil Spencer confirmed once again that they will be purchasing more game studios. He made that claim during the Twitch Glitchcon opening address. “In terms of continuing to invest in new studios and new games and new content, absolutely we have to do that,” Spencer confirmed during the online event. “It's important that we continue to build out the library of games that are available on Xbox. We'll double the size of our studios' organization when we add Bethesda, and we're going to continue to invest in great games so that people can find their next favorite game on our platform.”
This is great news for Xbox owners. They, along with PC users, will be able to play all the Microsoft-owned games for a very cheap price. All first-party titles will be available on Xbox Game Pass on Day One. The subscription service already offers so much value that using it sometimes feels like stealing.
“Coming together now and having them become part of Xbox I think will just be an amazing opportunity with the great games that they'll continue to build,” Spencer said. “The great thing is, those games will become part of Game Pass on the day that they launch, which I think creates more opportunity for people to go play.”
So what do you think? Are you interested in Xbox Game Pass? Which studio do you think Microsoft will buy next? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.
