Microsoft deal means upcoming Disney game is Xbox exclusive
Microsoft's hopeful purchase of gaming publishers continues to have knock-on effects, as it apparently made Indiana Jones an Xbox exclusive.
23rd Jun 2023 12:59
Bethesda | Massive Entertainment
Microsoft deal means upcoming Disney game is Xbox exclusive
Microsoft's hopeful purchase of gaming publishers continues to have knock-on effects, as it apparently made Indiana Jones an Xbox exclusive.
23rd Jun 2023 12:59
Bethesda | Massive Entertainment
With the crack of a whip and the tip of a fedora, we've got high hopes for Bethesda's upcoming Indiana Jones video game. While Dr. Jones has had plenty of video game outings over the years, it's much like the Alien franchise in terms of most of them not being very good.
That will hopefully all change with Bethesda's attempt to bring Indy back into the limelight. Although Harrison Ford is done after James Mangold's Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny movie, Bethesda's game should remind us why we love that treasure-hunting rogue.
Indiana Jones wasn't going to be an Xbox exclusive
Handled by Wolfenstein: The New Order's MachineGames, the untitled Indiana Jones game has just been confirmed as an Xbox exclusive. During the trail between the Federal Trade Commission and Xbox/Activision (via IGN), Bethesda's Pete Hines relayed the news.
Disney originally had a deal with Bethesda overlord ZeniMax Media for a multiplatform release, but when Bethesda was acquired in 2021, it was amended to just land on Xbox and PC. Hines also confirmed Indiana Jones will be a day one release for the massive Game Pass subscription service.
Emails and conversations were shared as part of the trial, with one exchange between Hines, Xbox CEO Phil Spencer and others: "While it is not in our messaging, I think it is important to highlight that Lucasfilm brought up the issue of platforms because we have a signed agreement with them to develop the game for multiple consoles."
Spencer added, "The upside here is a game coming from Bethesda that everyone will be excited about. This is the most important thing. The downside for Xbox…is that a large percentage of output from Bethesda won't directly benefit the Xbox community in any way."
Hines claims that Spencer told him that exclusivity should be looked at on a "case-by-case basis," while Indiana Jones was changed as a way of "reducing risk and trying to get a degree of clarity." Even though Bethesda has some control over Starfield, Indiana Jones being owned by Lucasfilm makes things trickier.
"You're dealing with a licensor who is giving a ton of feedback on what you're making, is going to add a ton of time to your scheduling, these agreements," concluded Hines. "You don't get to take as long as you want, you have a window of time in which you’re going to release a game, you immediately have a clock that's ticking on you.
"Truthfully, we also kind of liked the idea of embracing, bringing it to Game Pass and how many players we could get there."
The console wars are getting ugly
The information is relevant, as concerns that Microsoft will make huge franchises like World of Warcraft and Overwatch Xbox-exclusive titles has seen the acquisition hit a number of roadblocks. The big one is Call of Duty, with the franchise being one of the biggest sellers every year.
Things are spilling out all over the show as part of the FTC case, while a group of gamers suing over the acquisition have stumbled across claims that Microsoft is trying to put Sony's PlayStation out of business. As more and more bodies move to stop the deal, it's on some shaky ground right now.
As for Indiana Jones, it has been MIA from Xbox showcases since it was announced in 2021. Bethesda's Todd Howard made a brief mention that the game will be a "mash up" of genres last year, and while platforms haven't been announced, it looks like Hines has let it slip early.
About The Author
Tom Chapman
Tom is Trending News Editor at GGRecon, with an NCTJ qualification in Broadcast Journalism and over seven years of experience writing about film, gaming, and television. With bylines at IGN, Digital Spy, Den of Geek, and more, Tom’s love of horror means he's well-versed in all things Resident Evil, with aspirations to be the next Chris Redfield.
