Microsoft Purchases Bethesda's Parent Company, ZeniMax for $7.5 Billion, European Commission Approves Acquisition

Joen Coronel, Tech Times 08 March 2021, 08:03 am

Microsoft and Bethesda have closed the deal at $7.5 billion, as the official purchase of its parent company, ZeniMax Media, was finalized. The European Commission has approved the deal, which says that it "does not raise serious doubts as to its compatibility with the common market."

The approval from the EU was a requirement to allow Microsoft to launch Xbox Games in the future.

First-Party Studios to Jump to 23 Upon Microsoft's Acquisition of Bethesda

According to a report by Altchar, Microsoft's first-party studios will expand to 23 after the deal has been concluded. Moreover, "Doom" creator id Software, "Dishonored" video game developer Arkane, "The Evil Within" studio Tango Gameworks, and "Wolfenstein" developer MachineGames will also be acquired in the process.

The Redmond company seems to be pushing on managing Bethesda's sub studios independently. Who knows if the same thing that happened to GitHub, Mojang, and LinkedIn will work with Microsoft after the acquisition?

"The Commission concluded that the proposed acquisition would raise no competition concerns, given the combined entity's limited market position upstream and the presence of strong downstream competitors in the distribution of video games," the European Commission said in a statement.

The EU added that under the normal merger review procedure, the transaction had been scrutinized.

Looking Back to Microsoft's Plan of Purchasing Bethesda last September

It started in September when the tech giant hinted at its plans on purchasing Bethesda. At the time of the announcement, Microsoft said that it will value some games' exclusivity, including "Deathloop" and "Ghostwire" for PS5. Meanwhile, the long-running survival game franchise, "The Elder Scrolls" (Online), will still receive support from the company.

According to Phil Spencer, the Redmond company's gaming chief, the company is still thinking about how it can handle future titles, but most likely, it will be based as per se, on a "case-by-case" procedure. For instance, the plan is not yet final for Microsoft, specifically for the soon-to-come "Starfield," The Verge reported.

The Xbox welcome was a warm greeting to Microsoft since players wanted something new - an exclusive pass exclusive on Xbox platforms. There are still some discussions waiting to be finalized as of now, as Spencer revealed that Microsoft will be more focused on Xbox Game Pass and xCloud so millions of people can engage.

Spencer knew that Microsoft is headed to huge business growth because of the acquisition. A player can buy the game and can help to shape the business model that the company is using. He continued that he wanted to test different first-party models.

This March, Microsoft is now on its way to scribble its plans for the Xbox launch. It was rumored to happen on Mar. 23, and this could be the perfect moment for the tech titan to open a forum about what it should do with Bethesda. Discussions about its Xbox Game Pass and xCloud can be also included.

The company could be taking this opportunity to develop games even further and expand its platforms since many are stuck at home due to the pandemic. This is the right time to give the players a sigh of relief for all the problems outside and settle them slowly by giving rich, high-quality, and unforgettable games across select gaming consoles.