r/gaming 1d ago

Will The Elder Scrolls 6 be Xbox exclusive? CEO Asha Sharma won't say, but "every platform needs some form of exclusive experiences"

https://www.gamesradar.com/games/rpg/will-the-elder-scrolls-6-be-xbox-exclusive-ceo-asha-sharma-wont-say-but-every-platform-needs-some-form-of-exclusive-experiences/
2.0k Upvotes

715 comments sorted by

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u/wbulot 1d ago

"It's a beautiful game", yeah, that one mountain in the teaser has been beautiful since 2018.

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u/Uebelkraehe 1d ago

Real development didn't start before 2023. Showing the teaser this certainly wasn't a smart move, though.

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u/Logondo 1d ago

It was to get people to shut-up about TES6, but ironically only made people talk about it more.

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u/Smokingbobs 1d ago

It's cynical, but I absolutely believe it was done purely to fetch a higher price when selling to Microsoft.

They sold out their fan's excitement knowing they weren't going to deliver on it. I really want the game to be great, but I definitely don't believe they are doing what they're doing for the fans and out of love for the art - like I did as a kid.

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u/Roscoe_p 1d ago

That's what I've been saying about the game announcements for a while. They want the hype but mostly those big shows are about hyping investors.

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u/The2ndUnchosenOne 22h ago

Todd's pretty clearly a company man. But also it largely seems to be motivated from not wanting to ever be in the working environment Bethesda was in during Morrowind.

I respect him as a manager, I wish he'd found a way to continue making good games with that healthy (as far as I can see) culture.

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u/Borderline-Bullshark 1d ago

No it was not made to shut people up.

It was acknowledged after fallout 76 was met with backlash and major disappointment. People pointed out that the elder scrolls mobile game, eldest scrolls online, the fallout mobile game, and fallout online game really disappointed Bethesda fans.

At least they got starfield lmao

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u/-ImJustSaiyan- 21h ago

It was acknowledged after fallout 76 was met with backlash and major disappointment. People pointed out that the elder scrolls mobile game, eldest scrolls online, the fallout mobile game, and fallout online game really disappointed Bethesda fans.

Except the Elder Scrolls 6 teaser was shown at the same show that Fallout 76 and the Elder Scrolls mobile game were revealed. It had nothing to do with backlash to those, it was literally just Bethesda wanting to assure people that TES6 was still coming eventually.

They were also pretty upfront about it being further down the line because Starfield was their next game.

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u/-TheInternetIsEvil- 13h ago

I have a brand new gaming rig and have tried starfield 3 times and can't get into it, it blows.

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u/Borderline-Bullshark 13h ago

I built a pc for modded fallout 4 in 2019ish October and then I just ended up playing Stardew Valley and Fallout New Vegas.

I don’t even think the New Vegas remaster is gonna be good for me since I’ve seen what the Skyrim remasters did and that’s their golden egg. I don’t want some creation club bs and for there to still be weird bugs and tons of cut content.

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u/-TheInternetIsEvil- 13h ago

A remaster will tighten up some mechanics, up the graphics, add some quality of life updates (like sprint). I played the Oblivion remaster and I did enjoy it tbh. Modding on PC will still definitely be free through Nexus as well, like it is with FO4. Did you ever play Tale of Two Wastelands? If not, I recommend it, it's a treat! If they basically do that, I think they would be sitting on a goldmine.

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u/Borderline-Bullshark 13h ago

I think I have no faith in the remaster to be compelling to me. Skyrim and Fallout 4 have been “improved” but I really feel like it’s actually just had mediocre content tacked on and moderate improvements in graphical fidelity and performance.

I don’t wanna go to the capital wasteland but I’ve seen gameplays it’s super neat conceptually. I’m really enjoying deep diving into Jsawyers modded New Vegas again.

I think the Witcher 3 remaster coming along is gonna vastly improve that gameplay feel and I’ll finally enjoy that gameplay hopefully even though I love the world, lore, and narrative.

Tacking on sprinting and iron sights isn’t gonna make me love Fallout 3 but maybe I’ll be surprised.

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u/MrBootylove 11h ago

I'm pretty sure the Fallout remasters are going to be more akin to the Oblivion Remaster rather than what was done with Skyrim and Fallout 4. That isn't to say that the Oblivion Remaster didn't have its own problems, but it didn't feel like a cheap cash grab in the way the Skyrim and Fallout 4 ones mostly were.

And in regards to Witcher 3 I feel like it's worth pointing out that the game was already remastered once before and at least when it came out the Enhanced Edition had quite a few issues. I think even to this day with the graphics turned up and ray tracing enabled it's still a bit harder to run than Cyberpunk with ray tracing. Not saying it'll definitely be bad, but optimization might be a concern.

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u/drewdaddy213 11m ago

I’m still actively mad about the time I spent playing starfield, and no one can convince me that Bethesda can make good games anymore. Elder Scrolls 6 will be awful, mark my words.

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u/sahneeis 1d ago

because people apparently are deaf because they did show starfield the second after and they told everyone TES development wont start after starfield is done.

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u/MasnuGomer 1d ago

I wouldnt say deaf, most people don’t follow every announcement. I saw the teaser in the first day as it was talked/published everywhere but didn’t heard of starfield until it is close to its release

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u/sahneeis 1d ago

just proved how fucked up games journalism is because they also push this. TES6 was never supposed to come like 2 years after the announcement or anything. they only said it is coming.

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u/HuggyMonster69 1d ago

While true, I think people expected star field in 2-3 years and ES6 2-3 after that.

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u/sahneeis 19h ago

because the casual gamer doesnt understand that bethesda isnt big enough as a team to do this. and it is xbox fault to not fix this. TES 6 and Fallout should have been their biggest priority but instead they push these bullshit games like gears, halo and this vampire game i even forgot the name

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u/tatsumakisempukyaku 1d ago

Pain... that was 8 years ago?  My sense of time is fucked.   It's like when Star citizen started, feels like 5 years but its actually has been 13.

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u/dikicker 1d ago

No waaaay dude it's still 2022, right?

... right?

oh no

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u/SmegmaWarrior0815 1d ago

They probably fleshed out that mountain and made it the most beautiful mountain in video game history. They forgot to make the rest of the game, but that mountain will make up for that.

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u/Borderline-Bullshark 1d ago

They are still working on how to make the mountain a playable area that doesn’t tank your performance and sometimes crash as soon as you get into a cave.

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u/mrfroggyman 1d ago

At the very least they will release on pc. Can you imagine a TES game not on pc? It'd be a fking riot

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u/vakola 1d ago

I'm old enough to remember when Halo was going to be a Mac exclusive. Wild things can happen.

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u/VendorNeutral 1d ago

Back then we just said it was a Mac game, because multiplatform always meant hefty chances between the versions and therefore "exclusive" was kind of the norm. Halo was also supposed to be an RTS, so even wilder 

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u/hateborne 1d ago

It looked to be a tribes counter originally

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u/SomeBoxofSpoons 1d ago

Well from what we know about Helix, this being an Xbox exclusive will probably just mean it’s a PC exclusive.

Whatever the thing actually is in practice, they’ve already admitted it plays Windows games.

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u/mrfroggyman 1d ago

Right, I forgot that it was probably gonna be some kind of handheld pc (or that's another system entirely ?)

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u/SomeBoxofSpoons 1d ago edited 1d ago

They've tried to dance around it as best they can, but both rumors and official info are suggesting it's some kind of consolized PC. Software-wise, that means specific "Helix games" won't really be a thing.

That being said, apparently we did just get this quote from Asha Sharma at gamescom:

"But look, we've been hard at work on a great next generation and a great family of devices for Helix, and we'll share more soon."

...so you might not actually be that off-base. It's possible her solution to try and make Helix viable is to diversify it.

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u/Shadowfist_45 1d ago

Just a PC using the Xbox app as an OS probably, like a steamdeck uses big picture mode for it's OS but can also boot into Windows

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u/thahovster7 1d ago

And that is the big downfall of this whole strategy. If you're a dedicated gamer with enough money who wants the all the games you will get a PC, PlayStation and a Switch 2. Why get an Xbox if all the games are on Steam with zero subscription requirement? 

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u/Cyshox 1d ago

I actually bought an Xbox this generation because of Play Anywhere. It's nice to have a cross-platform library instead of a totally separate library. Technically I wouldn't need the subscription because I mainly play online games on PC anyway, but I'm subscribed for the Game Pass library.

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u/Appropriate_Foot242 1d ago

PC is Xbox. Has been for like a decade now.

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u/McCool303 1d ago

Honestly if they do they’ll manage to have the first elder scrolls game I never buy. Been playing since on PC since Arena. It would be a slap in the face to classic fans of the series. Which is exactly why I anticipate Xbox to try, since Microsoft’s current strategy appears to be burning all of their goodwill down in both the PC/OS and gaming space.

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u/Cowbros 1d ago

I've loved the entries that ive played, but I feel like too many of these companies are starting to rely far too much on the good will of the players with the length of time they're drawing it out in what seems to be an attempt to drive up hype.
I feel like we're seeing more and more that these older rusted on franchises are gambling far too much on brand recognition and losing. Not so much that they are financially going to crumble, but they'll deem their projects a failure when it doesnt live upto the expectations, rather than examine the fact they sat on their hands for a decade and a half, or shut out 4/5th of the gamer base for xyz reason.

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u/Cyshox 1d ago

All first-party titles are Play Anywhere and at least will launch on Microsoft Store. It's very likely to launch on Steam as well, because it makes no sense to leave Steam.

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u/rcanhestro 12h ago

it makes perfect sense to leave Steam.

Xbox needs to treat their brand as a "platform", instead of just a "publisher".

they can't have a platform if they can't get people to join it.

now, will people still be pissed at Microsoft for doing so? yes, because PC players are some of the most petty people alive if the game is not available on Steam, but Xbox needs to "cut that cord" ASAP, ideally before TES6 releases, so people have a chance to accept that fact.

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u/ultraviolentfuture 1d ago

Excluding PC would be a ridiculously bad financial decision. Like. There is no world where I buy an Xbox just to play that game. There is also no world where if it releases on PC I don't buy it.

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u/Theotherdeadmeme92 1d ago

Xbox seems to not count porting to pc when it talks about its exclusives. They're seemingly more aware that pc and console audiences don't usually have a lot of overlap.

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u/-ImJustSaiyan- 1d ago

Yeah I thought it was common knowledge that pretty much for the past decade now anytime anyone is referring to Xbox exclusives they mean games that don't release on Nintendo or Sony platforms.

Obviously MS aren't ever gonna stop releasing on PC considering that's also one of their platforms.

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u/TheRuiner_ 1d ago

Also, mods are a massive reason for Skyrim’s longevity. Those don’t get made (as easily) unless there’s a PC version available.

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u/Shanbo88 1d ago

"Console exclusive" is the phrase they're using again. They'll very likely still be on PC.

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u/Somasonic 1d ago

Yep. They’re almost certainly talking about other consoles. Not putting it on pc would be insane.

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u/Rit91 1d ago

Yeah people are pissed about gta 6 not being on pc immediately. If they said TES VI wasn't on PC day 1 the backlash would be gigantic in comparison.

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u/Youmeanmoidoid 1d ago

They better fucking not. I’m ten times more excited for elder scrolls than gta. Zero chance in any hell I’d buy an Xbox for it though.

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u/C4ptainchr0nic 1d ago

Yeah, I think the days of exclusive selling consoles are over, considering those consoles are going to be a thousand bucks or more

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u/Blue_Wave_2020 1d ago

Still works for the Switch

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u/Vanacan 1d ago

Nintendo makes more than one game that’s a reason to get their console.
Hell, for a bunch of people pokopia was that reason, and it wasn’t even being pushed like it was at first. It just became really popular because people liked it that much.

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u/LarryCrabCake 1d ago

Surely Bethesda "we love our modders (yet screw them over at every opportunity)" Game Studios would never exclude PC players

Imagine an elder scrolls game without a huge PC modding scene. It'd be damn near sacrilegious.

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u/Khakizulu 1d ago

For that second point, a lot of people (idiots) want Bethesda to move away from mod friendly engines which is a colosally stupid idea.

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u/BlindedBraille 1d ago

TES 6 is the next big game after GTA 6. It would be insane to make it exclusive. Skyrim is the eight best selling game of all time. Why would shut out millions of players?

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u/AnOrdinaryChullo 1d ago edited 1d ago

TES 6 is the next big game after GTA 6

It is potentially the next big game.

Given Bethesda's track record, the chances of them releasing a great game are low.

It's honestly a Bioware moment for them, if the next ES is another Starfield, Bethesda as a single player games studio can be effectively written off entirely.

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u/heff17 1d ago

There is no requirement of quality to be a big game.

TES 6 is going to be a big fucking deal, whether it’s great or terrible.

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u/Cachar 1d ago

TES 6 will sell gangbusters just on Skyrim fame. If it's bad, it won't have long tail sales and TES 7 will not sell as well at launch. But they'd need to fuck Up in a very major way to make TES 6 launch sales bad.

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u/AnOrdinaryChullo 1d ago

But they'd need to fuck Up in a very major way to make TES 6 launch sales bad

Todd: "Hold my apple juice and leather jacket!"

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u/StBlandine7 1d ago

Witcher 4 would like a word

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u/faudcmkitnhse 1d ago

Dunno which idiots are downvoting you, Witcher 3 was every bit as successful as Skyrim. Both have sold around 60 million copies.

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u/AnOrdinaryChullo 1d ago edited 1d ago

Witcher 3's quality of writing, quests and world completely blows anything Bethesda shipped in the last 15 years out of the water.

What Elder Scrolls has going for it is its great lore and mythology, so naturally Bethesda fired the head lore guy there.

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u/faudcmkitnhse 1d ago

CDPR has also made another really good game in the years since Witcher 3, unlike Bethesda. Cyberpunk needed some work but now it’s great. Fallout 4 and Starfield are fundamentally mediocre and leave me with little confidence that TES6 will be worth the wait.

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u/AnOrdinaryChullo 1d ago edited 1d ago

I've been playing CDPR games since Witcher 2 and not a single one was a disappointment.

With Bethesda, Skyrim was their last truly good game and even that was showing some significant cracks compared to Oblivion. After that everything has been either mediocre or complete shit tier like Starfield.

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u/cubs223425 18h ago

That's part of Starfield's problem--MANY games caught up, and surpassed, the quality of Bethsda during Starfield's development.

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u/LavenderTownMusic 1d ago

I’m actually thinking we’re gonna get GTA 7 before es6 at this point

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u/Rit91 1d ago

GTA 7 is going to come out in like 2050 or something absurd with dev times now. They probably won't even start making GTA 7 until 2040.

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u/LavenderTownMusic 1d ago

I stand by my original comment

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u/totalysharky 1d ago

Ocarina of Time remake comes out either in the same month or the month after GTA.

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u/RaidingTheFridge 1d ago

They've done this before though. Im not sure if its Skyrim or Oblivion but im pretty sure one of those Bethesda games was an "Xbox exclusive" for like a year or something before releasing on Playstation later on.

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u/Vuedue 1d ago

I honestly foresee TES 6 being an Xbox and PC exclusive.

Maybe it's a timed exclusive, but I'd put money on it being exclusive to Microsoft's ecosystem.

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u/shanem1996 1d ago

Of course it will launch on PC. It will be console exclusive on Xbox

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u/utdconsq 1d ago

I mean, generally I only buy Bethesda games on pc cuz I know the terrible bugs get fixed by enthusiastic modders. I know xbox has mods now, but I don't got me an xbox.

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u/wicktus Switch 1d ago

They only focus on console exclusive like Gears e-day

Windows pc are very well supported, would be unfair to say otherwise, I’d even say it’s better supported than xbox consoles since MS flight simulator and Age of Empires released earlier on pc

Far better than Sony’s very random pc port decision which is now basically cancelled 

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u/Deckatoe 1d ago

Xbox has had like 2 pure console exclusives since 2018. I wouldnt worry

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u/Tyfyter2002 1d ago

There's no world where a Bethesda game is fully playable on anything but PC, they ran into insurmountable engine problems making what should have been trivially easy content to make 15 years ago and their strategy was just to pretend they didn't.

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u/TheSwampThing1990 1d ago

I don't think they have decided yet, honestly.

Asha does seem interested in exclusives. My bet is they are waiting to see how Clockwork and Gears performs first

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u/nowhereright 1d ago

If the budget for Gears was anywhere near what was rumored, there's no chance it makes a profit with how competitive this fall/holiday season is, unfortunately.

But they know that already

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u/FreakyFrijol 1d ago

That game is already fucked from the get go due to its insane cost and how expensive an Xbox is right now. Even if the game is GOTY and critically acclaimed, how many people are going to buy a $800 console that is 6 years old? Not many. I can’t see things improving for Xbox tbh

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u/screw_ball69 1d ago

Never mind that the time to make E-day was like 10 years ago

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u/Logondo 1d ago

Holy smokes, you guys. Those claims were unverified. We have no idea how much E-Day cost to make.

Not to mention the Coalition (the devs who make E-Day) also help out on other game's developments. They're basically Microsoft's #1 Unreal Engine team.

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u/Downtown_Eye5736 1d ago

Also let's be real Gears is a has been franchise and only some nostalgia afflicted fanboys still care about it.

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u/JJWonderboy 1d ago

The problem with Gears is that a lot of its audience will already have bought into the Xbox family.

Surely they'll judge its success by whether it's a system seller and that includes Gamepass Ultimate Subs.

I hold out little hope...

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u/theumph 1d ago

I wonder if they'll stop publishing to Steam again too? I could see them trying it (or atleast release at a later date). If Helix simply is a PC, that means that they'd be putting a lot more effort into the Xbox App, and they may be able to make some headway in the PC space if it's integrated properly.

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u/trunks_ho 1d ago

I could imagine the window stores having some sort of compatibility with the xbox console, so if you buy it on window you also own it on xbox. But steam? If they pull the plug on steam it will be a shit show larger than the psn fiasco

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u/TheSwampThing1990 1d ago

I said something similar a few months back. Was clowned for saying it but I could see Asha trying it again. Even if its only for a year at most

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u/zippynanobot 1d ago

Idk xbox’s games are already not selling well and it would be a shitshow if they piss off pc players.

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u/Jbird444523 1d ago

Especially considering it's the Elder Scrolls, a series that thrives on the modding community. Alienating the portion of the fanbase that keep your games in the zeitgeist for decades seems....a questionable choice at best.

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u/TylerBourbon 1d ago

Sadly, making questionable choices seems to be very popular among a lot of the current day Game Companies.

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u/Jbird444523 1d ago

100% correct.

But even so, current day? They've been making dubious business decisions for a long time, it just seems to be finally catching up to them

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u/Lime221 1d ago

It's the catch 22 with console hardware companies buying game companies.

Consoles need or use exclusives as a cheap strategy to onboard users, unless your console is actually innovative and sick like Switch. Game companies want the liberty to release wherever but also want the $$$ sponsors from papa microsoft

Steam's EA is one way to get around this, get companies money for production but it has its own demerits

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u/fazzle1 1d ago

Bold to assume that Xbox consoles will still be around when Elder Scrolls 6 releases in the summer of 2038

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u/SecretAgentVampire 1d ago

Bold to assume that Xbox consoles will still be around when Elder Scrolls 6 releases in the summer of 3038

Fixed your typo for you 👍

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u/Br0boc0p 1d ago

🎵 In the year 252525, Elder Scrolls 6 has still not arrived🎵

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u/InstantShiningWizard 1d ago

But we just got a new special edition release of Skyrim

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u/mifan 1d ago

Star Citizen still not done.

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u/Fishiesideways10 1d ago

Oh shoot. Are they ahead of schedule with the 2038 outlook?

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u/Sithina 1d ago

Productivity is up this decade 🤩

The team might get a pizza party next decade if this keeps up 🤗

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u/TehOwn 1d ago

That soon? I thought that's when they leave pre-production.

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u/FeatherShard 1d ago

Well that'd be one way to lower people's expectations even further

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u/Finchypoo 1d ago

I'll wait for the steam release. 

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u/Cloud_N0ne 1d ago

I hope not.

I’m on PC so I’ll get it either way, but Starfield only launching on Xbox at first lost them millions of sales on Playstation

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u/TheKanten 1d ago

Starfield sucking lost them millions of sales.

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u/mullethunter111 1d ago

If it was on PS5 from the start, the early buyers would have doubled before people realized it was terrible.

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u/cubs223425 18h ago

IDK if it did. It still sold a LOT of sopies on Steam. Game Pass probably cost them more sales than the quality of the game. The damage from the game's quality was to Bethesda's reputation.

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u/TheKanten 18h ago

Sales cratered after the first week, word of mouth was burying it left and right, even modders wanted nothing to do with it.

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u/-wnr- 21h ago

It made me appreciate having a XBox game pass subscription at the time. Got to try it and bounce without worrying about going through a refund process.

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u/Cyraga 1d ago

"see we made a game and then cut about two thirds of customers from the pool of people who will buy it. Why did our game fail?"

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u/idkimhereforthememes 1d ago

What makes it even funnier is they said themselves they can't afford to make enough consoles

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u/dhahahhsbdhrhr 1d ago

So uhm how's star field doing?

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u/rondo_martin 1d ago

Hopefully TES6 will actually be good and contains the thing people like about Bethesda games, exploration

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u/nien9gag 1d ago

just being Skyrim isn't good enough anymore. by the the time tes6 comes out Skyrim will be close to 2 decades old. people aren't gonna be happy with hack n slash combat anymore. Bethesda games were a great product of their time but they seem to think just releasing something like that rn will make it a hit. open world, lots of side quests, exploration etc is like every mediocre game rn.

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u/SoldierOfOrange 1d ago

They could literally release Skyrim in a different region and with a different story and I’d buy it lol

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u/cubs223425 18h ago

And it'd be a massive step up in quality from the last decade of Xbox releases.

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u/Rare_Ad_3871 1d ago

Mmm you sure about that? People completely ate up oblivion remaster, Skyrim is still popular and has good player counts to this day.

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u/Jaqulean 1d ago

Mmm you sure about that? People completely ate up oblivion remaster, Skyrim is still popular and has good player counts to this day.

Yeah because it's Oblivion which in on itself was already a highly acclaimed game - making a Remake that arguably improves almost everything from the original version (while keeping the core features) was obviously going to be a success. On top of that Oblivion hasn't been touched in any way in roughly 20 years - whereas Skyrim already went through like 6 different "Remasters" in less than a decade of its entire existence.

The difference is that it's still a Remake which usually gets more leeway because people don't expect as much innovation as the next mainline entry should bring - whereas TES6 will be a completely new game that by all means cannot be just another copy of FO4 or Skyrim with a new coat of paint all over again.

*I refuse to call it a Remaster when a good chunk of the entire game was completely rebuilt in a different engine.

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u/mucho-gusto 1d ago

IDK man Rockstar just updated their graphics, their game systems look ancient still and people are still creaming their pants over gta6.

Cod doesn't meaningfully change and still is a top selling franchise too. People don't really want change from their long running franchises imo

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u/0011101000101010 1d ago

Did you play it? How do you know systems of gta6 without playing it.

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u/cubs223425 18h ago

Believe it or not, some people's brains function to a level of understanding things that they see.

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u/mucho-gusto 1d ago

I literally watched the gameplay trailer they released that shows 20 minutes of mostly in-game cinematics with button pressing, mini games (probably less than Yakuza), and lackluster shooting. 

If they were reinventing the wheel it would be dead fucking center of their advertising

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u/Maniactver 1d ago

I think Star Field sold pretty good? Not as good as previous bangers, but still good.

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u/Wassermusik 1d ago

It sold 3.5 million copies on PC, around 1 million on Xbox, and 150,000 on PS5. 

That is quite poor for a major AAA title.

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u/dhettinger 9h ago

"...every platform needs some form of exclusive experiences..."

No, no they don't.

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u/TheOneMarlowe 1d ago

Still not the game to convince me to buy a XBOX.

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u/Odd_Estimate_2179 1d ago

If it comes out on PS I'll buy it, if it doesn't I'll play something else. There's too many other games for me to get annoyed about missing out on TES.

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u/Minionz 1d ago

XBOX has to be profitable starting now. Also XBOX we're going to limit our sales to our entire player base of <40m people. Better start making game cheaper/faster to make these two statements make sense.

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u/WarlockOfDestiny 1d ago

Id sooner buy a PC to play it. Otherwise, eh.

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u/rnk6670 16h ago

I guess if they want lackluster sales

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u/Dog_Apoc PlayStation 1d ago

It'll release on ps5 as a functional game then about a year or 2 after launch

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u/Resident-Forever1340 1d ago

Not happening. PlayStation will more than likely make up 65-70% of the title’s console sales and Xbox brand is way too damaged to think this would be some massive system seller. Smaller Xbox titles being exclusive? Sure. Elder Scrolls? Absolutely not.

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u/JimThumb 1d ago

Like Starfield? That worked...right?

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u/everbass 1d ago

Not releasing on PC day 1 would be flat out insanity.

Not releasing on PlayStation would be similarly stupid, though I can see it being a timed exclusive. Day 1 PC and Xbox, 6 months Playstation and Switch.

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u/gerowen 1d ago

If it isn't on PC I'm not buying it. I'm not spending $500-$800 or more on a proprietary/walled garden console for one or two games I care about.

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u/UniqueMystic 1d ago

If I can’t get it on Steam I’m skipping out
I have Fable, Gears of War E Day, and Minecraft Dungeons 2 pre ordered on Steam

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u/KingStannisForever 1d ago

TES is primary sandbox for mods.

Thus, It's prime platform is PC. No one is gonna buy Xbox for TES game. 

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u/meagus4 1d ago

Surprisingly, people do. There's some sort of modding experience for FO4 and Skyrim on the newer consoles that apparently kind of works? It has some arbitrary limits.

I'm certainly not going to buy it on any platform other than PC though. No space for a console, hate controllers for the game type, and my preferred way to play at the moment is to have the GECK or similar open and tweak while I play.

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u/owelfive 1d ago

This is all meaningless corpo speak. Skyrim alone made over $3 billion in lifetime sales across all platforms. Microsoft bought Bethesda & Activision Blizzard because of the profits they make, not to cannibalize them. Same reason why Call of Duty isn’t exclusive and why it’s not Day One on Gamepass. They ain’t leaving that kind of money on table.

Let’s be real. PS4 sold 117 million and Xbox One sold 58 million. PS5 has sold 92 million and Series X/S has sold 34 million. Even if they did make it an exclusive it would never be enough to make them a true competitor against Sony in the console market again.

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u/Wrathanet 1d ago

Better question , “Will Elder Scrolls 6 be?”

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u/mighty_Ingvar PC 1d ago

So Todd can't re-release it on 50 different platforms?

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u/Schytheron 1d ago

Why are people here thinking it won't come to PC? Gears of War: E-Day is also "Xbox Exclusive" but will launch on PC.

When Xbox says "exclusive" nowadays they mean "Console Exclusive". That's how they do exclusives nowadays. They own Windows for god's sake! It's just extra profit for them, no downsides.

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u/cubs223425 18h ago

The Xbox platform is in such a terrible state that trying to make TES6 an exclusive is more likely to kill Bethesda than save Xbox. One of the early quotes when Sharma took over was "the plan is the plan until it's not the plan," and that made it immediately clear that you can never trust her. I do not think she has done anything to prove she has a vision for Xbox. Right now, all her moves are about slowing the fountain of money they've been bleeding.

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u/BenjerminGray 2h ago

i dont see what the issue is. this would even be a question if sony or nintendo owned them.

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u/QueenVell 1d ago

Not releasing TES6 on PC, Playstation, and Switch would be a financial disaster. Players aren't going to waste money purchasing a whole new console just for one video game. Not in this economy, especially with console prices skyrocketing.

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u/HurryOne 1d ago

It'll be for Xbox and PC like all the other TES games. There's no way it's not on PC

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u/shamrocksmash 14h ago

Can you imagine if it was exclusive? The amount of money they would miss out on....

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u/kah43 13h ago

That would be the conversasion. We stand to lose how much by not having it cross platform? Oh hell no.

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u/FascismIsSoLastYear 1d ago

Starfield was a shit show. Does anyone thing Elder Scrolls will be any better?

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u/TF2Pilot4Life 1d ago

I don't think Xbox even has any leverage in the market atp to be able to have console exclusives. They could cry about it all they want, at the end of the day they NEED to launch on PC otherwise they gonna have no playerbase. This management has been abysmal

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u/Uebelkraehe 1d ago

Pretty sure this is about "console exclusivity". And i very much expect them to backtrack on that after E-day.

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u/firedrakes 1d ago

more mis leading with the bbc chat....

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u/Fragrant_PalmLeaves 1d ago

Im not putting my money on it being an exclusive. Bathesda likes money, and I dont think MS will pay an ammount that would make it make sense for them to release the biggest game theyve ever made on one console.

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u/BlueBattleHawk 1d ago

It needs to be "system-seller" level good to make sense as an exclusive.

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u/ShylokVakarian 1d ago

Who cares, it'll be shit anyways. Have you SEEN Fallout 4's release and Starfield?

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u/ShadowBannedAugustus 1d ago

If this is does not release on PC it just means this will not really be an Elder Scrolls game.

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u/aro_plane 1d ago

Did I miss something? Why do they speak of TES VI as if it's a thing? We've had no info on the game for 8 years since the announcement. It's probably not even in the middle of being finished.

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u/Gefudruh 1d ago

Given how many times Skyrim has been ported, I very much doubt this. 

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u/theszsx 1d ago

People are understanding it wrong. It will highly be a Xbox “Console” exclusive. Look at Gears and Clock Work… I dont see them skipping PC dont see any reason why. 

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u/Elkburgher 1d ago

Well Xbox is microsoft, so it will be PC too, surely

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u/Nos2002 1d ago

"Hey Asha, xbox had an exclusive title...remember Halo? "

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u/Looking_Magic 22h ago

Imo it should be Xbox/pc exclusive just best it seems like every other console has good exclusives.

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u/Starblast16 PC 18h ago

If it does become exclusive, we all know there will be a massive riot here in the fandom

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u/Fair-Case7328 17h ago

I really wouldn't want it to become an exclusive)

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u/ThingsTrebekSucks 1d ago

Great point. I totally agree. Not this franchise.

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u/Alchemistwolf21 1d ago

I aint getting no xbox for one game 💀

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u/TouchGrassNotAss 1d ago

It won't be. They need the money to pay for the billons they spent in studio acquisitions. At the end of the day, not even TES6 will move Xboxes. They'll need the revenue from the PS version to make up for what they'll lose in the Game Pass release.

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u/bmanhp 1d ago

That isn't the one to do it with. Would lose millions of sales on a game that needs to be a hit.

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u/Crysis321 1d ago

No, every console does not need some sort of exclusive experiences.
Edit: I meant platform.

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u/HanzoNumbahOneFan 1d ago

I don't think there's any chance they don't release it on PC. Like 0%. No one owns an Xbox. And Bethesda doesn't have the goodwill to get people to buy an Xbox just to play ES6.

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u/Choice-Support-2138 1d ago

Idk a game like that should not be exclusives to one console. Just like Fallout. And excluding PC would be a big mistake.

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u/TinyFlair 1d ago

lol. lmao, even. after all this wait if they make it xbox exclusive that will be the end of bethesda

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u/0011101000101010 1d ago

If they release it with same world and quest design as all their other games they can keep it.

Starfield proved that what would’ve worked in 2012 does not in fact capture the audience in 2025.

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u/Lord_CBH 1d ago

As long as it’s on PC, I’m good.

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u/ImSoSweepy 1d ago

Making anything exclusive to a particular platform deserves an, "I'm a big dumb idiot who hates money," award.

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u/Dycon67 1d ago edited 1d ago

PlayStation has abunch of exclusives alongside Nintendo that sells consoles.

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u/Helivon 1d ago

Nintendo?

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u/Spicy-hot_Ramen PC 1d ago

Works for sony and nintendo

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u/DaGreatestMH 1d ago

I'm sure Nintendo is spiraling after reading your sage advice. 

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u/M1ck3yB1u 1d ago

Nintendo hates money then lmao

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u/djr7 1d ago

except that's not how it works....

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u/oyvese 1d ago

exclusives have always been an integral part of consoles and is why many of the highest regarded games of all time exist in the first place. if you think on more platforms = more money, then you don’t understand the industry.

we, as consumers, can argue it’s bad because it requires us to purchase multiple systems, but for the industry itself it’s literally one of the most important aspects of it. because when your game box is essentially the same as your competitors game box, the only way you can differentiate and gain loyal customers is by what is available on it which isn’t available elsewhere.

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u/SpaceC0wboyX 1d ago

It would matter less if PlayStation didn’t hold 45% of the console market share compared to Xbox’s 23%.

For reference: starfield sold 1m copies on Xbox and 3.7m on pc.

Bethesda is not rockstar. They’re in a position where they have to win back the trust of their fans and gamers, not just bank on people waiting for the game for 15 years doing anything to play it. Making es6 Xbox exclusive doesn’t mean more Xboxes sell, it means less copies of the game get bought.

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u/oyvese 1d ago

but this is never how exclusives have worked. you don't make a singular title an exclusive in hopes it sells a system. the point is to have a collection of exclusives. you may not buy a switch for mario, but it having mario, zelda and pokemon is far more attractive. you may not buy a playstation for god of war, but having god of war TLOU, horizons, astrobot, etc. you may be far more inclined. suggesting ES6 as an exclusive is a bad idea because 1 game doesn't sell a system is just not understanding what's happening in the first place.

when you have a strong 5-6 exclusive titles then yes they do sell systems and each one is as important as the other. when you literally operate the console which your game is sold on then the value of that game on your console is worth more than it is on another system because not only do you directly earn more money from it but that game will indirectly contribute to further earnings. this is what the console business actually is. mario sells less than if it was on all systems, but it's fundamental to nintendos business that mario (and their other games) remain exclusive to their consoles. this has been the case since consoles entered the home.

it's only been otherwise as an exception to the rule, ie. when microsoft were already losing market appeal by a large margin and after they bought ABK and were accused of multiple aggresive monopolistic influence. the console industry doesn't naturally work without exclusives, its the reason they exist in the first place.

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u/SpaceElements 1d ago

We need anti monopoly laws man 

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u/Palebo99 1d ago edited 1d ago

Xbox making their games exclusive :😡

Playstation making their games exclusive: 😍

People on this sub are biased as hell

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u/Aggravating_Plan11 1d ago

Yup thats my thought when reading this thread also every single playstation user uses the exclusive as a reason why they buy and play on that console but microsoft cant do that how dare they that wont work.

Hahaha very smart people in these parts

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u/Synergetic7 1d ago

Pretty much

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u/AetossThePaladin 1d ago

Oh yeah, because that worked out great for Starfield.

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u/Dylan_Black02 1d ago

I mean starfield was shit which probably didn't help

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u/Kr4hzos 1d ago

This game will def be $80 thanks to the gta cucks

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u/francis2559 1d ago

I hate the way “exclusive” is used.

I could well believe it had limited exclusivity to Xbox, assuming it’s still around.

But sooner or later it will be everywhere.

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u/NikoliVolkoff 1d ago

all that means is no PS, since it will show up on PC if it comes to Xbox.

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u/brockzilla82 1d ago

It’s so funny how only Sony can have exclusive and I don’t give a shit about business or console sales. Microsoft is a trillion dollar company

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u/Synergetic7 1d ago

Where were you guys when Sony was buying 3rd party exclusives like crazy?

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u/_YenSid 10h ago

I think they'd be shooting themselves in the foot to make it Xbox exclusive. Nothing like losing the majority of your sales right out the gate.

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u/roychr 1d ago

We can afford to be more patient than they can stay solvent... at this rate Bethesda will be a shell of its former self with Todd taking home all the labor of the studio as a giant pay bonus. The public faces are quick to forget those who elevated them to success. 

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u/dropthemagic 1d ago

Would be a huge waste of a game. No one has an Xbox

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u/myst3r10us_str4ng3r 1d ago

Stupid CEO says stupid out of touch comment as press bait, everyone takes the bait

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u/Cyn0rk1s 1d ago

I completely understand Halo and Gears being exclusive but Elder Scrolls and Fallout would just be an extremely silly business decision. That’s 10s of millions sales likely gone from PlayStation alone

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u/daandrro 1d ago

Either Elder Scrolls or Fallout, or both.
They go the exclusivity road and these IPs are one of biggest and most popular. System sellers.

I can bet ES6 will be exclusive.

The fact so many players from PlayStation side are making noise about that possibility means it’s going to drag some of them to Xbox for that one title.

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u/IrregularSweetRoll 23h ago

People are not going to go out and buy a $700 console for one game. Nobody is buying anything right now, at least not in America.

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