The Xbox Game Pass has been an unequivocal success for Microsoft and over the last couple of years, the service has seen a number of third-party titles. The first party side of things has been a little lackluster in comparison, with 2022 being a very light year on that front. 2023 is shaping up to be a much better year, and Xbox boss Phil Spencer says Bethesda titles in particular, including those like Redfall e Starfield , they will be “really important” for Game Pass.
Spencer said in a recent interview with IGN
Redfall and Starfield are really big games, every first party game we’re building is. In terms of the growth of Game Pass, it’s been steady. And as we add new games and sequels to games, we see continued growth. Sometimes, the growth is in the games we’ve come to expect, and then every once in a while a Vampire Survivors or now a Hi-Fi Rush comes along and creates its own excitement. So sometimes you can predict the games that will spark excitement, and sometimes you are surprised. And I like this about our industry: great games can come from many different places.
For us, we obviously closed the acquisition of ZeniMax a couple of years ago as Bethesda, ZeniMax being the parent company, is distributing Hi-Fi Rush, distributing Redfall, has the Elder Scrolls Online update, distributing Starfield…which these games are coming this year. And we kicked off the year with our first launch on Xbox and PC Game Pass. I’m just really encouraged by the strength that Bethesda will show in our portfolio, and we’re starting to see that as early as 2023, and that’s exciting.”
Last week Arkane Studios showcased new in-depth gameplay for Redfall, also confirming the May release for the open world co-op first-person shooter. Meanwhile, Starfield also has an independent showcase currently in the works, which is potentially where Microsoft and Bethesda will announce a specific release date.
