Is Xbox looking to acquire even more video game studios?

Xbox could be looking to acquire even more game studios, according to a recent article published by CNET.

In an interview with CNET, Satya Nadella(CEO of Microsoft) and Phil Spencer(VP of Games at Microsoft) talked about how acquiring Bethesda will be different from any previous game studio acquisitions and about the TikTok deal.

 “You can’t wake up one day and say, ‘Let me build a game studio’. ” said, Satya Nadella(CEO of Microsoft) in the interview with CNET. “The idea of having content is so we can reach larger communities.”

The above statement clearly shows Microsoft is more interested in acquiring other game developers, rather than building from scratch. Which looks like the wise choice, considering the time and risk involved in creating a brand from scratch.

He further added, “We’ll always look for places where there is that commonality of purpose, mission and culture”.

This hints that Microsoft is keeping an eye for potential opportunities to acquire another big game studio.

“Content is just the incredible ingredient to our platform that we continue to invest in,” said, Phil Spencer(VP of Gaming at Microsoft) in the same interview. “This doubles the size of our creative organization.”

It seems Microsoft is ready to take necessary steps to strengthen its video game portfolio for Xbox and Game Pass for future years. Microsoft’s Xbox is already a strong contender in the video game industry and after the ZeniMax acquisition, Microsoft will go from owning 15 to 23 studio teams. Other than the ZeniMax Media(Bethesda) deal, in the past, Microsoft has acquired Obsedian, Double Fine, Mojang and other video game companies.

Satya Nadella also said, “We will always look to grown inorganically where it makes sense.”

Meaning, Microsoft will be interested in acquiring or investing in other companies too.

Microsoft has confirmed that all future Bethesda games will be available on the Game Pass right from day 1. This gives Xbox a big edge over it’s competitors PlayStation and Nintendo, at least for now. You can read about the potential consequences of the Bethesda deal here.