Microsoft and Bethesda, Master Chief and the DOOM Slayer in a family portrait
Microsoft and Bethesda
Master Chief and the DOOM Slayer in a family portrait. Microsoft and Bethesda have decided to celebrate their union with a series of family portraits made by some talented artists, and the first to appear in this gallery are the Master Chief and the DOOM Slayer.Official last month, the 'acquisition of Bethesda by Microsoft changes everything, and it is clear that the new relationship will also materialize on the intellectual property front, which in the future could cross their paths. House of Redmond has commissioned these family portraits: the first, which you see at the head of the news, was made by Mel Milton, a really good illustrator.
It will be very interesting to see the other portraits that will be published on social networks by Xbox during this month, taking advantage of the American Siblings Day which falls on April 10.
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Xbox Is Grabbing Headlines And Studios, But PlayStation Is Still Extremely Strong
(Photo by Phil Barker/Future Publishing via Getty Images)
Future Publishing via Getty Images via Getty ImagesXbox has certainly changed the narrative from the launch of the Xbox One, given the trajectory of the Series X/S and related announcements since release.
Recognizing its greatest weakness, Microsoft has gone a spending spree, acquiring studios big and small to make first party games, and their most recent purchase was of Zenimax/Bethesda for $7.5 billion, meaning most of those titles will likely be Xbox exclusive in the future, including some from storied franchises like Fallout and Elder Scrolls.
Then there’s Game Pass, which has seen subscription rates skyrocket during the pandemic. In addition to first party adds like…almost every Bethesda game, Microsoft continues to make deals with third parties like Bungie for Destiny 2: Beyond Light or Square Enix for Outriders, both of which launched day one on Game Pass. Their greatest magic trick was going straight to the MLB, around Sony, for a Game Pass deal for MLB The Show 21, a game literally made by Sony.
Conversely, Sony has seemed satisfied with the status quo. No big headlines, really. No massive studio purchases, no answer to Game Pass. I’ve spent a lot of time nitpicking my annoyances with the PS5, the poor UI, the remapping of old PS4 functionality, the “copying” phase on patches, etc. So much so that I’ve personally switched to Series X for most third party games.
And yet I think it’s important to zoom out and look at the actual facts of the situation, headlines aside. Nitpicks aside.
Sony is having a hell of a launch for the PS5. It is the fastest selling console in history and that’s even with massive supply constraints that has made purchasing one extremely difficult for nearly six months now. The Xbox too is frequently sold out, and yet it’s Sony setting the records.
PS5
SonySony has retained a tremendous amount of goodwill and consumer loyalty from an extremely successful PS4 generation where they started with an edge over Microsoft, and never lost it, even when the One X came along to win the power debate. Sony produced year after year of Game of the Year contender exclusives while Microsoft originals were rarely in the conversation.
And while it’s possible this changes with Microsoft’s newfound focus on first party studios through game-building and acquisition, it’s far from a guarantee.
Everything on Microsoft’s end feels like somewhat of a risk whereas it’s easier to have more confidence in Sony producing more hits from the same studios that have already given them hits.
Halo Infinite has been delayed an entire year and while 343 is being open about development, it’s clear that game has gone through the ringer to a certain extent. Microsoft’s first party studio assembly is great, but as Amazon and Google have proven, just because a tech giant gives tons of funding and recruits talent, that does not automatically produce hits. Sony’s studios growing from small to megahit producers took a decade, in some instances. Even a “sure thing” like a Bethesda purchase is something that will take a long while to pay off. Starfield is their next mega game and we know nothing about it, even a release year. Elder Scrolls VI of course will be a hit, but if that’s coming after Starfield we’re looking at what, 2025, 2026 for a potentially Xbox exclusive Elder Scrolls?
Elder Scrolls VI
BethesdaSony, meanwhile, seems back on a pretty regular schedule, to a certain extent. They launched with the Demon Souls remake and Miles Morales. Ratchet and Clank is coming soon. Horizon Forbidden West will headline the fall. God of War 2 seems likely the following year. And so on. And Sony has shown they’re able to produce surprises from places you weren’t expecting either, like Ghost of Tsushima and Spider-Man, and now those will inevitably get sequels as well.
Nothing has really changed on the ground all that much except…the two companies’ attitudes. Sony seems more complacent and behind the times these days, pushing for $70 games in the face of Game Pass. But that has not cost them console sales and will likely not cost them many first party game sales either, if they continue to deliver quality. Microsoft may no long be launching a console full of terrible ideas (RIP Kinect) but they have a lot of bridge-building still to do, and they need to prove that their massive investments are going to yield results, which we may not know for several years still to come, from the current pace of things.
In short, Microsoft is winning the PR lately, and for good reason, but Sony’s PS5 is just a monster, on pace to be one of the most successful consoles ever, and that will only accelerate once they can make as many as people actually want to buy. Both companies are strong in different ways, but the headlines don’t tell the full story.
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