It's no secret that Microsoft's purchase of ZeniMax was bound to affect cross-platform releases, but now there are signs that gamers may be missing out on some important releases. Under questioning from a Federal Trade Commission (FTC) attorney seeking injunctions against the Microsoft-Activision Blizzard deal, Bethesda vice president Pete Hines revealed that Disney had a deal with ZeniMax to release MachineGames' Indiana Jones title on multiple consoles. However, after Microsoft bought ZeniMax, the deal was amended to make it exclusive to the Xbox console.
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The FTC believes that Bethesda's sci-fi epic Starfield was headed to the PlayStation 5 before Microsoft's acquisition. Bloomberg previously reported that Bethesda canceled the PlayStation version of Redfall , although that's not as concerning given the vampire shooter's poor reception.
Indiana Jones became exclusive because of the nature of the Disney license, Hines argues. Disney had a “lot of feedback” about the project that limited development time, and an Xbox exclusivity would keep the game on track while also providing a “degree of clarity,” the Bethesda. Games like Starfield and Redfall are original.
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In 2021, Xbox chief Phil Spencer said that Microsoft's control of ZeniMax would deliver "great exclusive games." Some titles that were still in development at the time, such as Deathloop and Ghostwire: Tokyo, were still destined for PlayStation due to contractual obligations.
The revelations won't necessarily cement the FTC's effort to block Microsoft's acquisition of Activision Blizzard. But they don't look good — they suggest some gamers are missing out on high-profile games that were previously destined for their console of choice. Microsoft has promised to release Call of Duty on multiple platforms for years to come in an effort to win regulatory approval, but that may not help if regulators are still concerned about other exclusives.
Read also: Microsoft: Contract to keep Call Of Duty on Playstation
source of information:engadget.com
