The only thing that makes me second guess Bethesda being Xbox exclusive, is the fact that they’re keeping a separate publishing arm in place.
I don’t see why they’d make a point of announcing that unless they intended to utilize it for publishing deals not related to Xbox.
The publishing arm could be for the MMO’s like if they were to release an Elder Scrolls Online 2 for example. They could also be waiting for the deal to be legally finalize before announcing that they would not be publishing their own games.
Some time ago Klobrille made the comment below
https://twitter.com/klobrille/status/1309578468238258178?s=19
Adding to what he said, it might work just as a label, since Bethesda as a brand massive. In the future when we open a game and we see the logos of Bethesda Softworks (any game from them, not just Bethesda Game Studios), followed by the XGS logo would be a good way to use the Bethesda publishing arm marketing wise.
Or i’m just crazy and that doesn’t make any sense 
There are more nightmare fuel scenarios than EA, like for example Activision, they would for sure try to make them release a new Fallout and Elder Scrolls every 2-3- years, would gut their other studios that work on games like Dishonored and Wolfenstein, Doom might survive for one or two more games until they get angry because it’s not doing Elder Scrolls numbers and shut down or merge the studio to forever be stuck doing COD DLC, there’s also Google and Amazon, probably the most nightmarish of them all because you’d be forced to subscribe to their services to play those games, then there’s Sony who probably wouldn’t be able to have all those developers under their payroll and would be forced to shut down a few, they’d probably manage the studios they keep well but would lock everything to PlayStation, with Microsoft there will be many choices, anyway I think EA probably gives them a few chances to work on what they want before some of them get shut down, Ubisoft might just be the best of them all after Microsoft.
Wanna sell consoles? keep bethesda exclusively not on playstation. That would be a good tag line as well.
The reason why Bethesda still has its structure, is because they want to avoid lay-offs as much as possible, and having a functional structure already in place is much better overall for Xbox. You can see them as a kind of second publishing brand for Xbox, so XGS and Bethesda, but both still answering to Phil Spencer only at the end of the day.
I still believe that the games will be exclusive. We won’t get any real update until the acquisition is complete anyways.
That tweet makes all the sense in the world. It’s especially great that Bethesda can stay the same, no lay offs, very good.
As for what Phil says here seems pretty clear to me. Critical to Xbox, I can’t imagine them bringing the games outside of their platform them. How would that drive game pass subs?
Idk that they even care about consoles so much as gamepass. If they sell a gamepass subscription to Playstation owner on mobile I think they call that a W.
It was the first interview of Spencer after the Bethesda news where he said they would be open to bringing GP to other platforms like PS5 and Switch, but it wasn’t a priority at all right now and it would be a question better asked to them.
If MS can get GP subs via console, PC, mobile and TV they would be set for next gen and after that. But by shipping these games to PS outside of GP…that won’t help GP one bit.
Good point, also I didn’t really make clear what I meant. I meant making them fully exclusive, but being happy if the Playstation games sub to Gamepass on their iOS, android etc for xcloud and gamepass and don’t buy a console.
I will be surprised if more then the mmo style eso and fo76 come to other platforms.
Having people subscribe to gamepass or buy/play the game on xbox/xcloud/pc platforms furthers Microsofts goal more so then having there games on PS5.
Bethesda games will be Xbox exclusive or Game Pass will come to Playstation.
Both would be fine for MS
I still do not think it has sunk in that MS bought Bethesda,
TES, Starfield, Fallout, Doom, Wolfenstein, Quake, Prey, Dishonered, Evil Within, Rage
All these franchises are now Xbox 1st party franchises that will end up on GAMEPASS DAY ONE, and more than likely be Xbox Exclusive Franchises going forward. This is huge, Xbox has an additional e3 conference worth of 1st party games and IP’s.
Game pass will never come to playstation, unless sony teams up with Microsoft because google or Amazon do somthing crazy and buy take 2, EA, Activision blizzard and ubisoft. Sony would have no choice.
Don’t know about anyone else but once Deathloop releases in 2022 for Xbox Series X/S, im really hoping that we get Dishonored 3 and what was Prey 2 from almost a decade ago where you play as a bounty hunter in a sci-fi alien world. Really hoping that both happen even though Prey 2 is a long shot.
With gamepass now never know
Bethesda will be exclsuively critical to xbox success 
I think making Bethesda games console exclusive is fair game considering Sony is STILL very very VERY willing to make exclusivity deals to screw over Xbox gamers. Buying Bethesda and making their big games Xbox/PC exclusive is a power move. Sony is not going to stop their exclusivity BS if Spencer decides to be nice enough to put ES6, Fallout 5, or Starfield on PS5.
I still think it’d be best for the MMORPG games to stay multi-platform. They have their own subscription model. It also creates a “I am already paying $15 a month for this game, why shouldn’t I pick up Game Pass and get access to that and other content” opportunity.
ESO is $15 a month, the same price as GPU.