New emails reveal that it wasn’t ’s idea to make an exclusive and that The Elder Scrolls 6 will likely also be only.
The central problem that Microsoft is currently facing at the ongoing court case with the Federal Trade Commission (as opposed to from a bunch of outraged PlayStation fans) is that it has to explain why, if it’s so against making multiformat, has everything it’s released via Bethesda been an Xbox console exclusive?
Sony insists that Microsoft will renege on its promises the first chance it gets and uses Bethesda as proof of that, since Bethesda hasn’t released any new games on PlayStation or Switch since they were bought by Microsoft.
Microsoft has tried to imply that it’s all down to Bethesda, who claimed that if it was on PlayStation 5, but a newly revealed email shows that Xbox exclusivity is a policy Microsoft imposed on Bethesda from the start.
The email is from Bethesda marketing boss, and frequent frontman, Pete Hines, speaking to Todd Howard and other top brass at the publisher.
He expresses surprise at a which emphasises that Call Of Duty will remain multiformat, if Microsoft buys Activision Blizzard.
Hines is ‘confused’ that not only was Bethesda not warned about the post but that it directly contradicts what Bethesda was apparently told by Microsoft, i.e. to make all their games Xbox console exclusives.
‘Is the below [referencing the blog post] not the opposite of what we were just asked (told) to do with our own titles? What’s the difference?’ asks Hines.
If there was an answer to that question it’s not been made public yet, but it makes clear that not only were Bethesda told to make their game exclusives, dropping PlayStation development for games like Redfall and Starfield, but some at Bethesda were not happy about the situation.
Hines is particularly frustrated at the lack of forewarning, worrying what will happened if Howard is asked questions at an upcoming event.
‘You don’t think a journo might find him and press him on why the below is OK for COD or any other Activision Blizzard, but not TES6 [The Elder Scrolls 6] or Starfield?’
Phil Spencer tried to remain ambiguous about the fate of The Elder Scrolls 6, but Hines’ email seems to imply that the decision has already been made to make it an exclusive.
Although the email was sent in early October, these questions go to the heart of the Federal Trade Commission’s court case and whether Microsoft can be trusted to keep to its promises about Call Of Duty and its other commitments.
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