Phil Spencer could stop Starfield from coming to PS5 - Operation PlayStation

DASH and PAJ sit down to discuss the possibility of Phil Spencer forcing Bethesda to cut ties with other gaming platforms as hinted during the Bethesda Roundtable. This could potentially affect titles such as Starfield, Elder Scrolls VI and others from making their way to PS5.

[Jin_Sakai]

He could stop any Bethesda game from coming to PS5. Luckily he’s honoring current deals such as Deathloop. My guess is Starfield and Elder Scrolls 6 won’t be coming to PS5 which is a bummer.

[lifeisgamesok]

The hype for Starfield could have the reverse effect. That game better be great with the way some have been hyping it but yeah I would like Elder Scrolls 6 on PS5 though it's unlikely

[anubusgold]

It was said microsoft bought bethesda because sony was trying to buy a Starfield exclusive deal.

[UltraNova]

Of course it's going to be exclusive to xbox/pc it doesn't make sense spending that much money buying Bethesda otherwise.

MS is finally wise to the whole exclusivity deal.

[Sonic-and-Crash]

why we r surprised by this ?...this is the reason MS bought Zenimax to have the big games exclusive ...completely understandable and acceptable by me ...this is how competiton should work with exclusives and everyone with his preferences ....Buy PS5 for Horizon ,Bloodborne etc , Buy Xbox for Starfield , elder scrolls etc ...

[Atom666]

I'm going to make a bold prediction: Starfield will be heavily praised by one fanbase and blindly hated on by another.

Lots of insightful 0 out of 10 user reviews will be written. Lots of unknown websites will see their clickbait reviews leap to the front of N4G.

Round and round we go...

[Godmars290]

@Sonic-and-Crash:
Only that's not what MS have been saying since entering the industry.

"Exclusives don't matter"

They've bought exclusive DLC, repeatedly touted having access to multiplats first, yet have only held that exclusives are not important. This while failing to develop in house IP, needing to buy new IP not Halo Gears or Forza, studios with high profile IPs, only to then fail to continue to create new in house IPs with the "new" studios they just bought. Those studios being left to rot till they're eventually closed, their devs moved around, until - maybe - they're reformed into a new studio or totally different devs get put together under a reformed studio, work on old IPs, that - *somehow* - aren't as good as the originals.

Even if MS has changed their minds about the importance of exclusives, they have well established bad habits of which buying a formally multiplat publisher proves nothing.

[Babadook7]

Until Starfield and Elder Scrolls 6 are confirmed as Xbox console exclusive I don’t really care what hints Spencer gives.

[badz149]

I would pretty much love to see MS try this. block the game from PS consoles and make it day 1 on GP. big win for xbox

[kneon]

There's hype for Starfield? I hadn't even heard about it before today.

But as to stopping it from releasing on other platforms that will depend on what contracts were in place beforehand.

[seanpitt23]

Every Bethesda game apart from deathloop will not be coming to ps5, Microsoft needs AAA games just to be on Xbox and pc. This will shift more Xbox’s

[stefd75]

A much as I want to play Starfield and ES6 It wont make me buy an Xbox just for a few games, I made that mistake with the Xbox One S. In the end if they dont want my business then so be it. They know they could make so much money releasing those games on PS5 but i guess they aint bothered about money so much but more Gamepass subs. its ok in the end, i sure there will be other games I will play in their place.

[Bronbron92]

I don’t think that’ll happen I mean that’s a lot of money lost to making it only for Xbox

[BrettAwesome]

And Ghostwire

[BattleCat]

Honoring deals, made before the rat stole the company? There are still some rules and even Microsoft can't buy them all. If he don't "honors" the paid deals with Sony, he would have to pay much money to Sony :)

[bneals]

"Stole the company?". They paid over 7 billion for the company. You might not like the deal, but it has nothing to do with theft.

As for prior deals, Zenimax was contractually obligated to give those times exclusives so MS can't change that.

[VenomUK]

@BattleCat I get people disagreeing with opinion, but it's immature to disagree with facts. The Deathloop and GhostWire Tokyo deals are not exclusive because of a handshake, they are not remaining exclusive because of Phil Spencer's honour, they are remaining timed exclusives because of legally binding contracts.

[DJStotty]

@BattleCat

That is a fine blend of salt your sprinkling there!!!

On topic, looking forward to Starfield and ES6 on gamepass day 1 :p

[FPS_D3TH]

Luckily? Lmao it would’ve been no joke of a penalty paid to Sony should Microsoft had cancelled the contract

[alb1899]

I don't even understand why you guys are talking about that, it is not an issue and dose two won't hurt MS, they will just let flavor in your mouth of what Sony is losing. Startfield and all other games will be exclusive for PC or any Gamepass user.

[gamer7804]

Games that don’t have a current contract or isn’t an mmo will not come to PlayStation. PlayStation wouldn’t put Spider-Man on Xbox so why should Xbox do the sesame it makes no sense. Atleast is ps users will have the option to stream with gamespass

[jukins]

...so why is minecraft still getting new games and content on ps? ....

[RedDevils]

Did you stutter?

[gamer7804]

@jukins Minecraft was already an ongoing multiplayer title existing on ps4. Phil said they will continue to support games like that.

[Godmars290]

Would be amusing for MS to make them exclusive, only the games to release with typical Betheda bugs.

Of course they'd be patched out eventually since sadly that's become an accepted trend, one that Bethesda and others started no less, but still no less amusing.

[SullysCigar]

I played Oblivion, Skyrim and Fallout 4 around 3 years after each released, because I figured they'd have patched out the bugs by then.

I was wrong; Skyrim STILL has a game breaking bug meaning it can't be fully completed unless you happen to have made a particular choice earlier in the game lol

Fallout '76 was just broken beyond redemption, so I skipped it entirely.

The (presumed) timed exclusivity for ES6 will probably only be for a year, meaning it will launch in a more finished state on PS5. I'll probably not even be ready to play it at that stage, so really don't mind waiting anyway lol

[Darkborn]

He honoring a contract that he wasn't a part of. Much like the games Bethesda is currently developing. After these games come out, be ready for Bethesda games that are A and AA for game pass.

[MadLad]

Care to back up why games are low quality/budget when knowing they're coming to gamepass?

[AngelicIceDiamond]

"be ready for Bethesda games that are A and AA for game pass."

Amusing as usual what gives you that indication.

[NeoGamer232]

My take is that we should quit speculating whether it will or will not and wait for the announcements.

Personally, I think it will come to PS5. If Starfield is this close to release then in September there would've been a PS version well into development. In the past with games on developers MS have acquired the games came to their announced platforms that were in development. Psychonauts 2 is the most current example as it is coming to PS as well.

[CBaoth]

I can see points for both. Obviously no explanation needed if MS decides to keep those IPs exclusive. But if MS is indeed interested more in GP subs, I could totally see Bethesda's big games coming to PS5. Huh? What I just say? Sounds crazy. I'd laugh my arse off if MS adopts Sony's own pricepoint too. Day 1 on PS5 @ $69.99 or included free with a GP sub on XBox/PC. What a selling point - right there on the PSN store being advertised by Sony to boot. Who will the N4G Hive call out though?

Oh and I agree - worthless speculating any further till Puxatawny Phil spills the beans