Microsoft為什麼適合我們
今日我們宣布加入Microsoft家族（新聞稿詳見下方），如果還沒看過Phil Spencer和Todd Howard今早的貼文，建議兩篇搭配一起服用。
再過一個月，我在Bethesda工作的時間就要滿21年了。如果你跟我一樣在同一間公司待了這麼久，你就會注意到一些事情，其中最主要的就是公司經歷的變化。我剛開始加入Bethesda的時候，其實公司人數不多。製作《Morrowind》的團隊只需要幾間辦公室就夠了，而且大概有六、七個人同時還兼任其他事情。
不過現在，Bethesda Softworks、我們的母公司ZeniMax Media，以及許多內部的工作室，在世界各地的發行辦事處和開發工作室雇用了上千名才華洋溢的員工。我們從一間內部工作室發展成好幾間工作室；從製作單人奇幻角色扮演遊戲，到開發大型多人線上遊戲，以及第一人稱射擊等各式各樣的內容。自從Bethesda Softworks創立至今，這34年來，全世界、遊戲產業以及我們的公司都經歷了許多改變。而今天又有新的改變出現了。我知道大家會有許多疑問。
不過重點是，我們仍然是Bethesda。我們並沒有放下之前所推出的遊戲，一樣由合作多年的工作室製作，而且一樣會由我們發行。
既然如此，為什麼要改變呢？因為這麼做能讓我們未來推出更好的遊戲。Microfost是很棒的合作夥伴，能提供我們許多資源，讓我們成為更好的發行商及開發工作室。這也表示我們能帶給各位更優質的遊戲。簡而言之，我們相信這項改變是敦促自己進步的關鍵。我們願意不斷挑戰極限，讓公司更上一層樓。不斷創新。持續成長。
而且我們跟Microsoft的合作也頗有淵源。我們彼此的基本原則十分相似。我們都深信重視熱忱、品質、合作及創新的企業文化。我回想起我們第一次決定從專做PC遊戲的開發工作室，轉型並製作第一代Xbox版《Morrowind》的時候，大多數人都不看好……玩家不想使用主機遊玩這麼龐大又複雜的遊戲。但是Microsoft跟各位都對我們有信心，現在各種類型和規模的角色扮演遊戲在主機上大受歡迎。
沒錯，這次收購案對我們來說是很重大的轉變，但是在好好沈澱、收拾心情後，我們會持續進行我們熟知也深愛的事情：也就是製作優質的遊戲。我們會繼續嘗試新事物，用一樣的熱忱來面對我們的心血，並且背負著社群對我們遊戲的熱忱，不斷進步。
說明完收購案後，大家的話題接著又會回到遊戲作品。我之後會回答各位最期待的問題。告訴我更多《Deathloop》的內容。《Ghostwire》何時會釋出更多內容？《The Elder Scrolls Online》第四季會推出哪些內容？拜託透露更多《DOOM Eternal》DLC的內容。你們到底何時才要釋出《STARFIELD》的消息？我很期待這些話題，也很期待能在未來的幾週、幾個月或幾年內回答大家的疑問，並公開更多消息。
我相信我的工作夥伴。我相信我們一起建立的公司。我相信我們的遊戲所凝聚的社群。而我也相信，今天宣布的改變，就如同我們過往經歷的各種變革一樣，能讓我們製作出更大型、更優質的遊戲。
全球行銷傳播資深副總裁
Pete Hines
新聞稿
Microsoft to Acquire ZeniMax Media and Its Game Publisher Bethesda Softworks
Iconic games portfolio, publishing expertise, and world-class talent accelerates growth in Microsoft’s Gaming business
REDMOND, Wash. September 21, 2020 – More than three billion people on the planet play games for fun, escape, and human connection. Unlike any other medium, games empower people to engage in creativity, strategic thinking and teamwork, immersing them into interactive stories and worlds created by some of the world’s most amazing creators. The cultural phenomenon of gaming has made it the largest and fastest-growing form of entertainment in the world—an industry that is expected to be more than $200 billion in annual revenue in 2021.
As the gaming industry transforms from a device-centric era to a player-centric era powered by new technology that provides the freedom to play with friends anywhere on any device, Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT) on Monday announced plans to acquire ZeniMax Media, the parent company of Bethesda Softworks, one of the largest, privately held game developers and publishers in the world. Creators of critically acclaimed and best-selling gaming franchises including The Elder Scrolls and Fallout among many others, Bethesda brings an impressive portfolio of games, technology, talent, as well as a track record of blockbuster commercial success, to Xbox. Under the terms of the agreement, Microsoft will acquire ZeniMax Media for $7.5 billion in cash.
With unique investments in content, community, and the cloud, Microsoft’s gaming strategy differs from others by empowering people to play the games they want, with the people they want, anywhere they want. Games are the primary growth engine in gaming, and games are fueling new cloud-gaming services like Xbox Game Pass, which has reached a new milestone of over 15 million subscribers. With the addition of Bethesda, Microsoft will grow from 15 to 23 creative studio teams and will be adding Bethesda’s iconic franchises to Xbox Game Pass. This includes Microsoft’s intent to bring Bethesda’s future games into Xbox Game Pass the same day they launch on Xbox or PC, like Starfield, the highly anticipated, new space epic currently in development by Bethesda Game Studios.
“Gaming is the most expansive category in the entertainment industry, as people everywhere turn to gaming to connect, socialize and play with their friends,” said Satya Nadella, CEO, Microsoft. “Quality differentiated content is the engine behind the growth and value of Xbox Game Pass—from Minecraft to Flight Simulator. As a proven game developer and publisher, Bethesda has seen success across every category of games, and together, we will further our ambition to empower the more than three billion gamers worldwide.”
“This is an awesome time to be an Xbox fan. In the last 10 days alone, we’ve released details on our two new consoles which go on pre-order tomorrow, launched cloud gaming in Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, and now we’re making another investment in the most critical part of our strategy: the games,” said Phil Spencer, executive vice president, Gaming at Microsoft. “Generations of gamers have been captivated by the renowned franchises in the Bethesda portfolio and will continue to be so for years to come as part of Xbox.”
The planned acquisition includes publishing offices and development studios spanning the globe with over 2,300 employees, including Bethesda Softworks, Bethesda Game Studios, id Software, ZeniMax Online Studios, Arkane, MachineGames, Tango Gameworks, Alpha Dog, and Roundhouse Studios. Bethesda’s critically acclaimed and best-selling franchises include The Elder Scrolls, Fallout, DOOM, Quake, Wolfenstein, and Dishonored, among others.
Bethesda parent company ZeniMax Media was founded in 1999 by Chairman and CEO Robert A. Altman; Bethesda’s structure and leadership will remain in place.
“This is a thrilling day for this company, our employees, and our fans. We have enjoyed a close partnership with Microsoft for decades, and this deal is a natural progression of those years working together,” said Altman. “The big winners today are our fans. We are continuing to develop our slate of AAA games, but now with Microsoft’s scale and entire Game Stack, our games can only get better.”
The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions and completion of regulatory review. Microsoft expects the acquisition to close in the second half of fiscal year 2021 and to have minimal impact to non-GAAP operating income in fiscal years 2021 and 2022. Non-GAAP excludes the expected impact of purchase accounting adjustments, as well as integration and transaction-related expenses.
For more information, please visit the blog post from Phil Spencer, EVP Gaming at Microsoft.
About Microsoft
Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT” @microsoft) enables digital transformation for the era of an intelligent cloud and an intelligent edge. Its mission is to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more.
About ZeniMax Media Inc.
ZeniMax Media is a privately-owned media organization headquartered outside Washington DC with international publishing offices around the globe. Through its subsidiaries, ZeniMax Media creates and publishes original interactive entertainment content for consoles, PCs, and handheld/wireless devices. ZeniMax Media divisions include Bethesda Softworks, Bethesda Game Studios, id Software, Arkane Studios, Tango Gameworks, MachineGames, ZeniMax Online Studios, Alpha Dog Games, Roundhouse Studios, ZeniMax Europe Ltd., ZeniMax Asia K.K., ZeniMax Asia Pacific Limited, and ZeniMax Australia Pty Ltd. For more information on ZeniMax Media, visit www.zenimax.com.
Forward looking statements
Statements in this release that are “forward-looking statements” are based on current expectations and assumptions that are subject to risks and uncertainties. Actual results could differ materially because of factors such as the risk that the ZeniMax Media transaction may not be completed in a timely manner or at all; any restrictions or limitations imposed by regulatory authorities; the impact of the acquisition on ZeniMax Media’s gaming community and customers; the impact of management and organizational changes on ZeniMax Media’s business; the impact on ZeniMax Media employees and our ability to retain key personnel; our effectiveness in integrating the ZeniMax Media platform and operations with Microsoft’s business; our ability to realize our broader strategic and operating objectives; significant investments in products and services that may not achieve expected returns; impairment of goodwill or amortizable intangible assets causing a significant charge to earnings; cyberattacks and security vulnerabilities that could lead to reduced revenue; increased costs, liability claims, or harm to our reputation or competitive position; excessive outages, data losses, and disruptions of our online services if we fail to maintain an adequate operations infrastructure; quality or supply problems; legal changes, our evolving business model, piracy, and other factors may decrease the value of our intellectual property; claims that Microsoft has infringed the intellectual property rights of others; claims against us that may result in adverse outcomes in legal disputes; damage to our reputation or our brands that may harm our business and operating results; exposure to increased economic and operational uncertainties from operating a global business, including the effects of foreign currency exchange; adverse economic or market conditions that may harm our business; catastrophic events or geo-political conditions, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, that may disrupt our business; and the dependence of our business on our ability to attract and retain talented employees. For more information about risks and uncertainties associated with Microsoft’s business, please refer to the “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and “Risk Factors” sections of Microsoft’s SEC filings, including, but not limited to, its annual report on Form 10-K and quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, copies of which may be obtained by contacting Microsoft’s Investor Relations department at (800) 285-7772 or at Microsoft’s Investor Relations website at www.microsoft.com/en-us/investor.
