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Xbox chief Phil Spencer is confident that Microsoft‘s pending acquisition of ZeniMax Media and Bethesda will reshape the company’s RPG and FPS capabilities.
Spencer shared his thoughts during a new podcast hosted by Xbox Live director of programming Larry ‘Major Nelson’ Hryb. He noted that once the deal is finalized – it is expected to be approved by authorities this year – the companies can finally work as one single entity and start carrying out plans for the future.
“Everything is on track. We’ll start then really getting to some of the planning we can do with them. Right now we’re really hands-off with them as they continue to do the work that they’re doing, because we don’t own them yet,” Spencer said.
“I can’t wait to get it closed so we can start working like one company,” he added. “I’m incredibly excited about Starfield, and a lot of the other things – some things announced, some not announced – that they’re working on. I just think they’re going to be an incredible addition to to our studios”
Spencer also remarked that once the acquisition goes through, it will boost Xbox Game Studios’ overall RPG and FPS capabilities, noting that having studios such as Bethesda and id Software join the Xbox team would “double the size” of their first-party developers.
“When I think about our RPG capability with Obsidian, with inXile, with the work that Playground is doing which is now out there with Fable, obviously, and with what Bethesda can do, it’s massive capability. I think about our FPS capability with id and obviously 343 and the work we can do. It doubles the size of our first-party studios when Bethesda joins, which is pretty amazing to think about,” he said.
Check out his comments from the 49-minute mark onwards in the video below.
Xbox announced its intention to acquire ZeniMax Media in September 2020. The deal, which is valued at $7.5billion, is the biggest gaming deal in history, and will give Microsoft access to all of ZeniMax’s subsidiary studios, including Arkane, Alpha Dog and Roundhouse Studios.
While the acquisition would make Bethesda and id Software first-party studios for Xbox, CFO Tim Stuart previously announced that Microsoft does not intend to stop the developer from releasing titles on rival consoles. However, Xbox systems will likely receive preferential treatment.
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