Microsoft acquires ZeniMax Media (Bethesda, id Software, Arkane + 5 more) [2020-09-21, 2021-03-09]

This game is vapourware and a giant ponzi scheme. The tactic of always asking for money to add the new hot gimmick en vogue and by the same stroke indefinitely postpone delivery of an actual game is reminiscent of oil, snakes, salemans and Peter Moore.

 

We have a thread in pc gaming for star citizen. They keep adding more features and game play for it. So its either the best or worse ponzi scheme ever depending on how you look at it.

 

Yup, just like Warface, War Thunder, World of Tanks, Warframe, Final Fantasy XIV, etc. All games which are still not finished since they are constantly changing and being worked on with features constantly being added and the developers are still asking for money for those games. Ummm, yeah. Hell some of those are still considered in BETA. Warframe has been in BETA since 2013!

Regards,
SB

 

As I'm sure you agree, it's more nuanced than that. Many games are completed, released, but change later for a variety of reasons. MMORPGs change, generally not because they aren't finished (although some are not) but to keep things fresh. There are probably as many changes to mechanics in Games as a Service (incl. MMORPGs) and games supplemented by micro transactions because of the need to change things arbitrarily as there are to change things because they are broken or need some rebalancing.

 

Absolutely, but in terms of a sliding scale of nuancedness (I like this non-word now that I wrote it, ), it's virtually the same as those compared to a "giant ponzi scheme".

There's a playable game there with more systems implemented than most "finished" games. Is it fully polished, nope. All systems implemented, nope (and maybe never will be due to Chris Roberts wanting the moon). Are there people having fun playing the game, yup! Are they sometimes frustrated by bugs? Yup!

It's quite obviously still Early Access quality, but a lot of people have fun in Early Access games (I have a few on Steam that I'm currently playing). Personally, I'm still not playing it as I'm not into the whole open universe (or open world) thing, but I'll be playing my copy of the game that I paid for before they moved the project to Kickstarter (a long long time ago. ) once they release early access to the story campaign.

These types of things aren't for everyone, obviously. But to equate it to a "giant ponzi scheme"? Uh, no.

Regards,
SB

 

The carrot usually comes before the stick.

 

All those games are GaaS platforms with well-defined gameplay modes and a recognisable gameplay loop. Star citizen is still a mishmashs of concepts that always teases more vast possibilities but never delivers (hello, squadron 42). It should be renamed The plight of Tantalus: a Space Odyssey.

 

The games announced for the first time by Bethesda at E3 2021 are games that appear to be in development for a long time. They are games that would have potentially existed on other platforms.
They are now XBOX exclusive.

Future known franchises will also be XBOX exclusive.

 

Maybe, maybe not. I wouldn't be hugely surprising for future Elder Scrolls and Fallout to be released on PlayStation, even if not day 1. Starfield is a new IP so has no established base.

Microsoft do need to do something about Bethesda's output though because it's ridiculous now. Perhaps Microsoft will have other teams focus on Fallout because Starfield is 2022, Elder Scrolls VI is god-only knows when and Fallout 5 has not even been touted so perhaps in the next console generation?

 

Thats actually a good point. Zenimax is huge and they used to output multiple big projects across multiple platforms to sell.
Now with XBOX and PC being the only platforms to sell on that will compete with other exclusives, they might have to cut back in project numbers or the investment per project unless MS becomes a huge market leader.

 

I assume @DSoup ment it the other way. Their BSG output is so slow it'll be a decade before we see Fallout 5.

I would say that they've grown teams in Montreal, Austin and Dallas over the last 5 yrs. There's more scope for them to be doing games in parallel that hasn't been there previously.

A BSG game every 2-3 years seems about right? (as oppose to stuff from the wider Zenimax studios)

To your point on too many games from Bethesda as a whole, it depends on monthly upkeep Vs Gamepass subs. Hopefully MS's break even subscriber point isn't too crazy!

 

Yes, this. In the 360/PS3 generation we had Oblivion (2006/07), Fallout 3 (2009) and Skyrim (2011). I assume some time was also spend in collab with Obsidian on Fallout New Vegas. Last gen we had Fallout 4 (2015) and I assume some time was spent in collab with the Fallout 76 team and Bethesda just porting Skyrim to everything. So the spacing between Todd Howard's core team's games is 2 years, 2 years, 2 years, 4 years, 7 years (2022).

Microsoft have a pile of talented RPG teams, let somebody else take a crack at Fallout.

 

Oh man, don't tease me like this! I would absolutely be over the moon if Brian Fargo (the creator of Fallout) was allowed the chance to make a "real" Fallout game again, just like he did with Wasteland 2 and 3. Let Bethesda or some other team do a successor to Fallout 3 and 4. But please let Brian Fargo make a true successor to Fallout 1, 2, and Tactics.

If that happened, I would consider the Bethesda acquisition the greatest acquisition in the history of gaming.

Intersesting bit of Trivia. Fallout only exists because EA owned the rights to Wasteland due to Interplay not being a publisher at the time of Wasteland's creation so EA published it. Thus when Brian Fargo wanted to create another Wasteland game, he couldn't call it it Wasteland 2, but instead had to create a new IP called Fallout.

Regards,
SB

 

the dream!

 

Someone who remembers Fallout Tactics? Just for you sir!

 

I was reading Brian Fargo's wikipedia page to work out what the hell he's doing now and I'm none the wiser. Although I was not as into Fallout New Vegas compared as much as FO3 and FO4, because it's the post-apcoalype vibe I dig and New Vegas was less apocalypsy and more westerny, I do think Obsidian could do well given the proper support and time but they're busy so that won't happen soon either.

Hopefully now that the Zenimax acquisition is bedding in, Microsoft can canvass interest across teams now that IPs are no longer the barrier they were.

 

He's the head of InXile, still. Which is also owned by MS. Their last released title was Wastelands 3. I think they either just released or announced a major DLC expansion? No idea what they're working on after that though.

 

Wasteland 3 will receive one more DLC.
Otherwise, they're working on a rumoured Steampunk AAA RPG in UE5 and a smaller game

 

Ooo, I'd love a good Steampunk universe.

 

I think people are starting to really realize what this purchase means for Xbox and rest of gaming industry.

This is so HUGE that when Starfield, Redfall, etc drops, the paradigm shift will be realized.