Starfield is coming exclusively to Xbox and PC in 2022. Fans aren’t happy about this, with Microsoft having to frequently qualify that it will be making the games created by a studio it spent billions of dollars acquiring exclusive to its platforms from now on. That’s a fairly understandable thing to say, but given the history of Elder Scrolls and Fallout, having them now confined to a slim selection of platforms is a bitter pill to swallow. However, not all games under the Bethesda umbrella will follow a similar path, and that much has already been made perfectly clear.
The Quake remaster surprise launched earlier this month for pretty much every platform under the sun. PC, PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo fans all received a comprehensive port of the shooter classic with a handful of new features for a bargain price, and it’s a worthwhile way to experience one of id Software’s most defining games.
I played through the co-op campaign with a friend this past weekend and adored it, even if I can’t rocket jump to save my life and the final boss is a load of wank. But when you consider the context of Quake bursting onto the scene several decades ago, it’s easy to see why it was such a gamechanger for the medium. Much like Doom before it, Quake pushed the shooter genre forward with sprawling environments, responsive gunplay, and the introduction of several industry staples, many of which are still commonplace today.
Perhaps more importantly, however, is how Quake is an IP owned by Bethesda, who in turn is owned by Xbox. Despite it technically falling under the Microsoft umbrella, the company was happy to launch Quake on multiple platforms. There’s a very good reason for this - it isn’t a heavy hitter. Sure, Quake is a massive game, and one worth preserving on multiple devices due to its historical significance, but it isn’t going to sell millions or act as a killer exclusive for Microsoft or Xbox like Starfield or The Elder Scrolls 6.
I imagine Xbox is keenly aware of this perception, and knows which juggernauts to hold back and which ones to push into the arms of potential competitors. It will still be making a profit from sales of this Quake remaster, and its place in the cultural zeitgeist isn’t tied to the console’s history like Halo, Gears, or Forza are. It’s on Game Pass, like countless other Bethesda titles, and the majority of players are likely playing it this way - but it doesn’t have the pull of larger exclusives that many are praying will come to rival consoles.
Making Starfield exclusive to Xbox and PC was not a consumer-friendly move by Microsoft, but it was ultimately a necessary one. Millions of people own the PS4 and PS5, many of whom have likely enjoyed Fallout and The Elder Scrolls on said machines for years. That landscape is changing, and Microsoft is willing to leave these people behind in order to cultivate its own gaming ecosystem instead of catering to a wider audience. You will need to subscribe to Xbox Game Pass, play on PC, or pick up an Xbox to enjoy Starfield when it launches next year, and there’s absolutely no sign of this exclusivity being timed.
PS5 is the only place to play modern games like Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, Ghost of Tsushima: Director’s Cut, and Returnal, while the past generation has seen Sony amass a list of classic exclusives that will go down in history as some of the medium’s best. It couldn’t give any less of a crap about Xbox, and is fully aware that having sole access to these titles (with a few exceptions making their way to PC) has allowed Sony to position itself as a market leader while Xbox continues to tend to the wounds it suffered throughout the last generation. I’m not convinced Game Pass will see it take the lead in the coming years, but with studio acquisitions and a willingness to stake claim to exclusives it could eventually turn the tide of battle. Goodness me, console wars are silly, aren’t they?
Quake occupies a middle ground, and could be representative of future releases that don’t have the blockbuster status of Starfield or The Elder Scrolls 6. It remains unclear if the latter two titles are timed exclusives or will forever belong on Xbox and PC, but once the dust has settled after giant launch periods, I doubt that will even matter much. Once the die is cast, Starfield and The Elder Scrolls 6 will be associated with Xbox forever, and future ports will follow in the footsteps of a reception that will remain the same regardless of what comes next. I suppose it will have the same trajectory as Rise of the Tomb Raider or Final Fantasy 7 Remake, two games that began as exclusives due to internal agreements before eventually gracing other platforms. Games are becoming more inclusive than ever, but exclusives still and could always have a role to play. It’s strictly business, I suppose.