The tribunal proceedings to warrant wherefore Microsoft should beryllium allowed to get Activision Blizzard are inactive presently ongoing. In a effect to the UK marketplace regulator’s statement astir the acquisition, the steadfast suggests that it makes bully concern consciousness for them to marque a “mid-sized” crippled similar the upcoming Elder Scrolls VI exclusive, portion besides arguing that there’s conscionable excessively overmuch wealth to beryllium made from having Call of Duty on PlayStation to propulsion that from Sony’s platform.

Yes, Microsoft is erstwhile again trying to explicate wherefore games that merchantability millions of units are not a large deal. Really. Pay nary attraction to The Elder Scrolls VI oregon Starfield on the skyline arsenic Microsoft attempts to ram this $70 billion woody done regulatory agencies astir the world.

ZeniMax and Bethesda games that were released earlier the acquisition are inactive disposable connected the PlayStation store astatine the clip of writing. Deathloop and Ghostwire: Tokyo were antecedently planned for the PlayStation arsenic portion of Sony’s contracts with ZeniMax. However, the destiny of caller games is inactive uncertain. Redfall and Starfield, which volition merchandise successful 2023, are planned to beryllium Xbox and PC exclusives. Which raises the question: How does Xbox determine which games volition oregon won’t beryllium coming to PlayStation consoles? Microsoft has helpfully provided a chart.

First off, games with cross-platform play are little apt to go exclusive. After that, Microsoft has divided games into 3 categories: Niche, New IP/Uncertain audience, and Mass marketplace audience. Mass marketplace and niche titles volition supposedly person the slightest console exclusivity value, portion caller IPs with uncertain audiences volition person the most.

I recognize that Starfield is simply a caller IP, but it feels a small disingenuous to spot Microsoft reason that the fanbase is “dedicated” alternatively than broadly appealing. Or that Fallout 76 is a niche rubric contempt commanding a playerbase of 13 cardinal people. Of course, this isn’t the archetypal clip that the steadfast has made specified outlandish claims. Two months ago, it contested that Call of Duty is an indispensable crippled series. Now it’s yet admitting that CoD’s subordinate basal size isn’t comparable to astir different AAA games that it publishes.

Microsoft besides seems to beryllium arguing that making Elder Scrolls VI an Xbox and PC exclusive would not importantly harm Sony—which decidedly suggests the upcoming rubric could beryllium skipping PlayStation. By placing a connection astir it nether a conception astir “mid-sized games”, it argues that Elder Scrolls isn’t anyplace comparable to the popularity of Minecraft oregon Call of Duty, which are 2 titles that volition stay disposable connected the PlayStation. The institution besides points retired that the past Elder Scrolls crippled was released successful 2011 successful an effort to further refute claims that it would beryllium “disenfranchising” PlayStation players by not releasing it connected the platform. Kotaku emailed Xbox to inquire whether oregon not Elder Scrolls VI volition beryllium exclusive to its platforms, but did not person a effect by the clip of publication.

I’m definite that the quality indispensable beryllium devastating to Elder Scrolls fans. But for now, I’m laughing my ass disconnected astatine the intelligence backflips that Microsoft is asking regulators to perform.