Microsoft’s Bethesda acquisition paves way for Netflix of gaming

Having access to Bethesda’s games on Xbox Game Pass as soon as they launch makes for a considerable boost to the service’s value. — AFP

With Microsoft Corp’s US$7.5bil (RM30.93bil) purchase of ZeniMax Media Inc, gamers’ long-awaited fantasy about a “Netflix for gaming” took a step closer to reality.

The ZeniMax acquisition gives Microsoft Bethesda Softworks, the popular publishing label behind some of the world’s best-selling titles, such as The Elder Scrolls series. Microsoft aims to use that draw – along with other popular Bethesda titles like Doom and Fallout – to attract subscribers to Xbox Game Pass, its US$10 (RM41)-a-month library of hundreds of video games for Xbox and personal computers. Microsoft said the service has 15 million subscribers now, up from 10 million in April. Netflix, which has revolutionised the entertainment business, finished the second quarter with almost 193 million subscribers. Key to that success is a steady stream of exclusive shows that viewers can only watch if they sign up for a monthly subscription.