Microsoft will "absolutely" buy more studios in the future and wants future games to be "either first or better or best" according to Phil Spencer and Tim Stuart.
According to VGC, Stuart's comments came during the Jefferies Interactive Entertainment conference, which was held last week. As we previously reported, Microsoft announced plans in September to acquire ZeniMax Media, the parent company of Bethesda Softworks, Arkane Studios, and id Software. Naturally, this had players wondering if future Bethesda titles like Starfield and Elder Scrolls 6 would be Xbox Series X exclusives, and recent comments from Phil Spencer only fueled the discourse.
When discussing the hotly-contested topic, Stuart clarified Microsoft's plans for future Bethesda titles. "What we'll do in the long run is we don't have intentions of just pulling all of Bethesda content out of Sony or Nintendo or otherwise. But what we want is we want that content to be either first or better or best, or pick your differentiated experience, on our platforms. We will want Bethesda content to show up the best on our platforms."
This is an important distinction to make, as recent comments from Phil Spencer at Twitch's GlitchCon that this problem will surface again. "In terms of continuing to invest in new studios and new games and new content, absolutely we have to do that," Spencer confirmed at GlitchCon. "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."
So, while Microsoft has plans to acquire more game studios in the future, it's safe to say that doesn't mean the studio will be claiming exclusivity over formerly cross-platform franchises. They'll just be better on Xbox...which may sway your purchasing decisions, anyway.
Phil Spencer is very sorry if you can't get your hands on an Xbox Series X.
