Starfield could have been a PS5 exclusive, says Xbox exec

Microsoft’s acquisition of ZeniMax Media was driven, at least in part, by the company’s desire to scoop up Starfield for Xbox, putting it out of Sony’s reach. Xbox head Phil Spencer said as much during the Federal Trade Commission’s hearing to temporarily block Microsoft from acquiring Activision Blizzard.

Spencer claimed that competitors — i.e. Sony Interactive Entertainment — paid to keep games off the Xbox platform. Final Fantasy 16. This week’s release is just one example, according to him. Sony also had a deal with Bethesda Softworks’ Ghostwire: TokyoYou can also find out more about the following: Deathloop to keep the games off Xbox, Spencer said, and was in talks to do the same for Bethesda’s Starfield. It was reported in September 2020Sony has been in negotiations with timed exclusivity on Starfield.)

“ZeniMax is a great example,” Spencer said. “When we acquired ZeniMax, one of the impetus for that was that Sony had done a deal for DeathloopYou can also find out more about the following: Ghostwire and pay, effectively, Bethesda to not ship those games on Xbox.”

Spencer added that it was necessary to “secure ownership” of ZeniMax and StarfieldXbox needs to continue releasing new games at the same rate. “We can’t be in a position as a third-place console where we fall further behind on our content ownership,” he said.

Microsoft purchased ZeniMax on September 20, 2020. The $7.5 million transaction was completed in March 2021. Microsoft acquired ZeniMax in September 2020; the $7.5 million deal was finalized in March 2021. DeathloopYou can also find out more about the following: Ghostwire: TokyoPlayStation-exclusives released following the Microsoft purchase. DeathloopXbox Series X was released on September 20, 2022. StarfieldIt is due to be released on September 6 exclusively for Windows PCs and Xboxes. Bethesda’s publishing head Pete Hines stated on Thursday Starfield is “irresponsibly large,” and that putting the game on other console platforms would have surely delayed the game.

“As someone who has been playing it a lot and sees all this stuff to do,” Hines said, “there’s no question in my mind that being able to focus on fewer platforms to support, hardware to support, has been a big benefit to that team.”

Spencer is the second Xbox executive to testify at the FTC hearing on Friday, after senior finance director Jamie Lawver. Judge Jacqueline Scott Corley sealed the courtroom for the entirety of Lawver’s testimony due to its confidentiality. The proceedings will continue Friday with a recorded deposition from Sony’s Jim Ryan and testimony from Google Stadia’s Dov Zimring. Judge Corley has been asked to stop Microsoft from buying Activision Blizzard. She will determine whether or not the acquisition will be halted until the FTC case has been resolved.