Microsoft has been gunning for a major purchase. We all have been waiting to see if Microsoft could proceed with its astonishing $69 billion bid to acquire Activision Blizzard. Of course, this has sparked plenty of discussion over previous investments by Microsoft. Thanks to Stephen Totilo, who recently posted a document from Microsoft’s gaming CFO Tim Stuart, we learned that Microsoft had some big numbers in mind for ZeniMax games back in December 2020. This all comes from the recent FTC court battle with Microsoft which Microsoft had come out with a massive victory.
According to the document that was shared on Twitter by Stephen Totilo, we know that Microsoft viewed Starfield and Indiana Jones would bring in ten million units for the PlayStation 5. That was before the projects were canceled for the platforms. Instead, Microsoft believed they could offset the losses by increasing sales through Game Pass and the additional units of Xbox Series X/S sold at retail. Of course, we will have to see how well these games actually do in the marketplace once they are available. Although, we’ll only see the results of one of those games this year.
Starfield has become one of this year’s biggest releases and a massive exclusive launch under Microsoft. Thanks to a recent deep dive highlighting more insight into the game, it’s been hyped up over the past month. But it’s also a Bethesda game, and they are known for bringing out some thrilling RPG experiences. However, we don’t know much about the Indiana Jones video game yet. We know MachineGames, the folks behind the recent Wolfenstein run of titles, are working on this project, but we’re still left waiting on a release date and gameplay footage.
Meanwhile, the main focus for Microsoft lately might be proceeding with the purchase of Activision Blizzard. The company is still going through regulators right now, with discussions happening with the CMA. As mentioned, Microsoft came out with a win against the FTC, but we also learned today that the FTC filed for an appeal. So it might be a good while before we know if Microsoft is able to get the green light on the purchase.
Currently, for Starfield, players can pick up a copy of the game on September 6, 2023. When the game does release, you’ll find it available on Xbox Series X/S, PC, and the Game Pass subscription service.
