As a result of the ongoing courtroom drama around the Microsoft and Activision Blizzard merger, new insights have been revealed about the strategic maneuverings behind Microsoft's acquisition of Bethesda Softworks through ZeniMax Media, and its impact on the much-anticipated game Starfield.
Phil Spencer, Xbox's chief, elucidated during the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) hearing that Sony's aggressive strategy of paying competitors to keep games off the Xbox platform motivated Microsoft's $7.5 billion acquisition of ZeniMax, Bethesda's parent company.
The primary catalyst was the potential for Starfield, a highly anticipated RPG, to become exclusive to the PlayStation 5, as pointed out by The Verge.
At the time, Sony had already secured exclusivity for Deathloop and Ghostwire: Tokyo, both of which sold quite well, at the very least, relative to expectations. The former, in particular, was a GOTY nominee in 2021 and is widely considered one of the games of the current generation with high marks from critics on the PS5 and the Xbox Series S/X.
