The CEO of Microsoft Gaming and Xbox head Phil Spencer revealed a crucial aspect that prompted Microsoft’s purchase of ZeniMax, the firm that owns Bethesda, during the FTC v. Microsoft hearing.
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One of the main factors for the acquisition, according to Spencer, was the potential for the widely anticipated game Starfield to become a PlayStation exclusive.
Who is Phil Spencer?
Phil Spencer is well-known for leading Xbox Game Studios. He is the brand manager for Xbox and is in charge of Microsoft’s international creative and engineering teams that work on games.
Spencer first became associated with Microsoft in 1988 when he worked there as an intern. He has had a variety of technical positions during his career and has been instrumental in important initiatives. He oversaw the creation of Microsoft’s ground-breaking CD-ROM-based software, which included the well-known Encarta.
He also held the post of general manager for consumer productivity products like Microsoft Works and Microsoft Picture It!, which included both online and offline components. He also served as the development manager for Microsoft Money.
Spencer in a statement said, “When we acquired ZeniMax one of the impetus for that is that Sony had done a deal for Deathloop and Ghostwire… to pay Bethesda to not ship those games on Xbox. So the discussion about Starfield when we heard that Starfield was potentially also going to end up skipping Xbox, we can’t be in a position as a third-place console where we fall further behind on our content ownership so we’ve had to secure content to remain viable in the business.”
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Bethesda Softworks’ parent firm, ZeniMax Media, was acquired by Microsoft for a substantial sum of $7.5 billion. Microsoft pledged to provide exclusive gaming experiences for Xbox platforms and PC upon the closure of the purchase. This dedication is demonstrated by the release of Redfall and the eagerly awaited Starfield on September 6. In addition, Xbox and PC users will be able to play the upcoming Bethesda Indiana Jones game exclusively.
