<ul class="summary-list"><li><strong>In a Monday morning surprise, Microsoft revealed plans to acquire ZeniMax Media for $7.5 billion.</strong></li><li><strong>ZeniMax is the parent company of game publisher Bethesda Softworks, which makes "Fallout," "DOOM," and "<keyword id="2826996" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="the-elder-scrolls">The Elder Scrolls</keyword>," among many other games.</strong></li><li>The deal is the latest in a string of Microsoft <keyword id="6357332" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="Gaming">gaming</keyword> acquisitions intended to bolster the Xbox gaming portfolio, and will bring major franchises in-house to Xbox Studios. </li><li>Excluding two games that are headed to Sony's PlayStation 5, Xbox head Phil Spencer confirmed that the highly-anticipated "<keyword id="9989052" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="starfield">Starfield</keyword>" is only coming to Xbox and PC platforms.</li><li>The next major entries in franchises like "The Elder Scrolls" and "Fallout" are likely to be exclusive to Microsoft's Xbox and PC platforms, leaving the PlayStation 5 out.</li></ul><p>Just days after Sony announced pricing for the PlayStation 5, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/microsoft-buys-bethesda-softworks-doom-skyrim-fallout-7-billion-2020-9">Microsoft revealed a huge surprise on Monday morning</a>: The acquisition of the massive game publisher behind franchises like "Fallout," "The Elder Scrolls," and "Doom" in a deal worth $7.5 billion in cash.</p><p>The deal for the conglomerate ZeniMax Media and its games publisher Bethesda Softworks will incorporate several major video-game-development studios under Microsoft's Xbox Studios umbrella, as well as the major game franchises they oversee.</p><p>Bethesda Softworks oversees the studios ID Software ("Doom"), Bethesda Game Studios ("Fallout," "The Elder Scrolls," "Starfield"), Arkane Studios ("Dishonored," "<keyword id="9989053" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="deathloop">Deathloop</keyword>"), and MachineGames ("Wolfenstein").</p><p>Critically, Bethesda Softworks and its myriad games are multiplatform — the company creates and publishes games for Microsoft, Sony, and Nintendo platforms. Bethesda also has major games on PC, Mac, and smartphones. </p><p>Moreover, two major upcoming Bethesda-published games are initially exclusive to Sony's PlayStation 5: "Ghostwire: Tokyo" and "Deathloop."</p><p>In a bizarre twist, though Microsoft now owns the studios making those games and the publisher in charge of both, but the company <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-09-21/microsoft-to-buy-bethesda-studios-for-7-5-billion-to-boost-xbox">told Bloomberg</a> it will honor those contracts. Both games will appear on Sony's PlayStation 5 before heading to Microsoft's Xbox Series S and Series X consoles, Xbox leader Phil Spencer said.</p><p>After those two games, Spencer said Bethesda will launch its next major game — "Starfield" — on Xbox consoles, PC, and through Microsoft's popular game subscription service Xbox Game Pass. That list notably excludes Sony's PlayStation 5.</p><div type="image" title="Starfield (E3 2018)" height="565" width="754" msid="78281725" hostid="261"></div><p>Beyond "Starfield," it sounds like major upcoming entries in blockbuster franchises like "The Elder Scrolls" and "DOOM" may also skip Sony's next game console. Spencer said Microsoft is considering platforms for each game on "a case-by-case basis," but it stands to reason that the logic behind Microsoft's $7.5 billion acquisition was predicated on adding a large portfolio of beloved game franchises that would be exclusive to its platforms.</p><p>In an email exchange with Business Insider, Wedbush Managing Director Michael Pachter said it was "unlikely" that Microsoft will publish the forthcoming entries to major franchises on Sony's PlayStation 5 or Nintendo's Switch "after 2021."</p><p>Across the last seven years, as the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 have gone head to head, Microsoft's Xbox has struggled to compete with Sony's PlayStation in terms of big exclusive games.</p><p>Sony's PlayStation 4 boasts a vast portfolio of critically and commercially successful games — including "God of War," "Marvel's Spider-Man," "The Last of Us: Part II," and "Bloodborne" — that can only be played on the PlayStation 4. Microsoft's Xbox One, on the other hand, only has a handful of such games ("Gears 5," "Sea of Thieves," and "Halo: The Master Chief Collection"), and they can all still be played on PC if you'd prefer.</p><p>Instead, Microsoft has focused on a new service named Xbox Game Pass, which offers a Netflix-like library of games that can be downloaded to your Xbox/PC or played remotely via the cloud on Android smartphones. Game Pass charges a monthly subscription that starts at $10, and includes all of Microsoft's first-party games at launch.</p><p>It is, in short, a tremendously good deal for consumers.</p><p>Xbox Game Pass now has over <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/xbox-game-pass-has-over-15-million-users-2020-9">15 million paid users</a>, according to an announcement that also came on Monday morning. It has been the most successful of Microsoft's recent major pushes for Xbox against the dominance of the PlayStation. And it's this service in particular that Microsoft intends to bolster with the purchase of Bethesda Softworks.</p><p>"We will be adding Bethesda's iconic franchises to Xbox Game Pass for console and PC," Spencer said in the acquisition announcement post. Moreover, those games will arrive on the Game Pass service on the same day they launch otherwise for the next-gen Xbox consoles and PC — games like the highly-anticipated "<keyword id="9989055" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="the-elder-scrolls-vi">The Elder Scrolls VI</keyword>," and "Starfield," and whatever's next in the "Fallout" franchise.</p><p>And they probably won't arrive on the PlayStation 5.</p><p><em><strong>Got a tip?</strong> Contact Business Insider senior correspondent Ben Gilbert via email (<a href="mailto:bgilbert@businessinsider.com">bgilbert@businessinsider.com</a>),</em><em> or Twitter DM (<a href="https://twitter.com/RealBenGilbert">@realbengilbert</a>). We can keep sources anonymous. Use a non-work device to reach out. PR pitches by email only, please.</em></p>

Microsoft will honor already announced Bethesda games coming to PS5, but the rest will be on a 'case-by-case basis'

<p></p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5b1e7f241ae66224008b4eca-1920/screen%20shot%202018-06-11%20at%2095346%20am.png" border="0" alt="Elder Scrolls: Blades" data-mce-source="Bethesda"><p class="source"><span>Bethesda</span></p></img></div><p></p></div></div><ul><li><strong>Bethesda announced a new mobile game called "Elder Scrolls: Blades" at the annual E3 conference.&#xa0;</strong></li><li><strong>It's starting out as a mobile-only game, but it will eventually be brought to consoles, PC, and VR systems.&#xa0;</strong></li><li><strong>It can be played in either landscape or portrait mode.&#xa0;</strong></li></ul><hr><p>For those who were hoping for the announcement of an Elder Scrolls release this year, you got what you asked for - kind of. While Elder Scrolls VI is still years away at this point, Bethesda announced the release of a new Elder Scrolls mobile game: <a href="https://bethesda.net/en/play/blades">Blades</a>.&#xa0;</p><p>The game will be free-to-play and is scheduled to release sometime this fall, but in the meantime Bethesda previewed a few key elements of the game at E3.&#xa0;</p><p>The game's plot is relatively simple: the player takes control of a member of the Blades, an exiled group of "the empires top agents," who upon arriving home realizes it has been destroyed and needs to be rebuilt.&#xa0;</p><p>Players can either tap to move and control their character, or they can hold their thumbs down on the screen with virtual "joysticks," like a gamepad. The game can also be played in portrait mode instead of just landscape mode, allowing players to use one hand if they wish.</p><p>Player characters can be leveled and geared up just like in previous Elder Scrolls titles, and the app will have three main game modes. The "Abyss" game mode features infinite, procedurally-generated dungeons in which players see how far they can get, a PvP "Arena" mode lets you fight with other players, and a "Town" mode lets players build and upgrade their home town.&#xa0;</p><p>Upon release of the console, VR, and PC versions, cross-platform play will be supported, according to Bethesda.&#xa0;</p><div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/E9gGPR6wOQo" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/john-carreyrou-how-theranos-deceived-silicon-valley-startup-bad-blood-sample-technology-2018-5">How a $9 billion startup deceived Silicon Valley</a></h3>        <div>            <iframe class="bijwplayerclass" data-player="jwplayer" src="https://content.jwplatform.com/players/VYug7C3J-CEZHWCBG.html" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="auto" style="margin:0px;" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><script>function receiveMessage(event){ console.log(event.data.fullscreen); Android.fullscreen(event.data.fullscreen); }window.addEventListener("message", receiveMessage, false);</script>        </div>    </div></hr>

The next Elder Scrolls game to arrive won't be a follow-up to 'Skyrim' - it's a smartphone RPG called 'Blades'

<ul class="summary-list"><li><strong>In a Monday morning surprise, <keyword id="10387" type="CITY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Microsoft">Microsoft</keyword> revealed plans to spend $7.5 billion on the acquisition of <keyword id="4129343" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="ZeniMax-Media">ZeniMax Media</keyword> — the parent company of game publisher Bethesda Softworks, which makes "Fallout," "DOOM," and "The Elder Scrolls," among many other games.</strong></li><li>The deal is the latest in a string of Microsoft <keyword id="6357332" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="Gaming">gaming</keyword> acquisitions intended to bolster the <keyword id="6536570" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="xbox">Xbox</keyword> gaming portfolio, and will bring major franchises in-house to Xbox Studios. </li><li>With both Microsoft's next-gen Xbox and Sony's next-gen PlayStation launching this November, the acquisition has major implications for the next several years.</li><li>The next major entries in franchises like "The Elder Scrolls" and "Fallout" are likely to be exclusive to Microsoft's Xbox and PC platforms, leaving the PlayStation 5 out.</li></ul><p>Just days after Sony announced pricing for the PlayStation 5, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/microsoft-buys-bethesda-softworks-doom-skyrim-fallout-7-billion-2020-9">Microsoft revealed a huge surprise on Monday morning</a>: The acquisition of the massive game publisher behind franchises like "Fallout," "The Elder Scrolls," and "Doom" in a deal worth $7.5 billion in cash.</p><p>The deal for the conglomerate <keyword id="2222795" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="ZeniMax">ZeniMax</keyword> Media and its games publisher Bethesda Softworks will incorporate several major video-game-development studios under Microsoft's Xbox Studios umbrella, as well as the major game franchises they oversee.</p><p>Bethesda Softworks oversees the studios ID Software ("Doom"), Bethesda Game Studios ("Fallout," "The Elder Scrolls," "Starfield"), Arkane Studios ("Dishonored," "Deathloop"), and MachineGames ("Wolfenstein").</p><p>Critically, Bethesda Softworks and its myriad games are multiplatform — the company creates and publishes games for Microsoft, Sony, and Nintendo platforms. Bethesda also has major games on PC, Mac, and smartphones. </p><p>The acquisition by Microsoft is likely to change that for good.</p><p>In an email exchange with Business Insider, Wedbush managing director Michael Pachter said it was "unlikely" that Microsoft will publish the forthcoming entries to major franchises on Sony's PlayStation 5 or Nintendo's Switch "after 2021." For the time being, Bethesda is likely to have contractual obligations to Sony for upcoming games that are already in production.</p><p>One such game, "Deathloop," is a so-called "timed exclusive" on Sony's PlayStation 5 — meaning it wouldn't come to Microsoft's <keyword id="9735060" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="xbox-series-s">Xbox Series S</keyword> and Series X consoles until some point after launch. "Deathloop" was highlighted as recently as last week by Sony as a big upcoming PlayStation 5 game.</p><iframe width="800" height="450" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/dT1BlnDt1R4" frameborder="0"></iframe><p>That game appears to still be coming to the PlayStation 5 as an exclusive, despite the acquisition, according to Xbox head Phil Spencer.</p><p>Spencer <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-09-21/microsoft-to-buy-bethesda-studios-for-7-5-billion-to-boost-xbox">told Bloomberg</a> that the game will remain exclusive to Sony's PlayStation 5, while upcoming games like "Starfield" from Bethesda Game Studios will only go to Xbox and PC. "We'll take other consoles on a case-by-case basis," Spencer told Bloomberg.</p><h2>Microsoft has been on a spending spree</h2><p>With the exception of the "Minecraft" franchise, which Microsoft acquired for $2.5 billion in September 2014, the studios that Microsoft has purchased in the last several years are dedicated to creating games for the Xbox and PC platforms. </p><p>Obsidian <keyword id="4578" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="entertainment">Entertainment</keyword>, for instance, was acquired in late 2018. Though its first game under Microsoft was a multiplatform effort that launched on the PlayStation 4, the two games after that are exclusive to Microsoft's Xbox and PC storefronts.</p><p>Across the last seven years, as the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 have gone head to head, Microsoft's Xbox has struggled to compete with Sony's PlayStation in terms of big exclusive games.</p><p>Sony's PlayStation 4 boasts a vast portfolio of critically and commercially successful games — including "God of War," "Marvel's Spider-Man," "The Last of Us: Part II," and "Bloodborne" — that can <em>only</em> be played on the PlayStation 4. Microsoft's Xbox One, on the other hand, only has a handful of such games ("Gears 5," "Sea of Thieves," and "Halo: The Master Chief Collection"), and they can all still be played on PC if you'd prefer.</p><h2>The rise of Game Pass</h2><p>Instead, Microsoft has gone a different route.</p><p>Its focus is on a new service named Xbox Game Pass, which offers a Netflix-like library of games that can be downloaded to your Xbox/PC or played remotely via the cloud on Android smartphones. Game Pass charges a monthly subscription that starts at $10, and includes all of Microsoft's first-party games at launch.</p><p>It is, in short, a tremendously good deal for consumers — and with over 15 million paid users as of an announcement that also came on Monday morning, Game Pass has been the most successful of Microsoft's recent major pushes for Xbox against the dominance of the PlayStation.</p><p>It's this service in particular that Microsoft intends to bolster with the purchase of Bethesda Softworks.</p><p>"We will be adding Bethesda's iconic franchises to Xbox Game Pass for console and PC," <a href="https://news.xbox.com/en-us/2020/09/21/welcoming-bethesda-to-the-xbox-family/">Spencer said in the acquisition announcement post</a>. Moreover, those games will arrive on the Game Pass service on the same day they launch otherwise for the next-gen Xbox consoles and PC — games like the highly-anticipated "The Elder Scrolls VI," and "Starfield," and whatever's next in the "Fallout" franchise.</p><p>And they probably won't arrive on the PlayStation 5.</p><p><em><strong>Got a tip?</strong> Contact Business Insider senior correspondent Ben Gilbert via email (<a href="mailto:bgilbert@businessinsider.com">bgilbert@businessinsider.com</a>),</em><em> or Twitter DM (<a href="https://twitter.com/RealBenGilbert">@realbengilbert</a>). We can keep sources anonymous. Use a non-work device to reach out. PR pitches by email only, please.</em></p>

Microsoft just spent $7.5 billion to give gamers a major reason to buy a next-gen Xbox instead of a PlayStation 5

<img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5df3a184fd9db222d0026954-2400/xbox-series-x.jpg" alt="Xbox Series X" /><p class="source"><span>Microsoft</span></p><p class="caption">The Xbox Series X.</p><ul class="summary-list"><li><strong>Microsoft's next-gen Xbox console, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/xbox-series-x-new-xbox-microsoft-release-date-2019-12">Xbox Series X</a>, is currently in development.</strong></li><li><strong>The new console is said to be four times more powerful than the current Xbox One X console.</strong></li><li>The Xbox Series X will launch on Thanksgiving Day, November 26, the console's official website briefly displayed on Wednesday.</li><li>"An Xbox product page in some regions inaccurately listed the launch date for Xbox Series X as Thanksgiving 2020," a representative told Business Insider. "We are committed to launching Holiday 2020."</li><li><strong><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/">Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.</a></strong></li></ul><p>Microsoft's next-generation video game console, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/category/xbox-series-x">the Xbox Series X</a>, may be scheduled to arrive on November 26, 2020 - Thanksgiving 2020. That's according to a listing that briefly appeared on <a href="https://www.xbox.com/en-IN/consoles/xbox-series-x">the console's official website</a>, seen below, which has since been changed.</p><p>"An Xbox product page in some regions inaccurately listed the launch date for Xbox Series X as Thanksgiving 2020," a Microsoft representative told Business Insider. "We are committed to launching Holiday 2020." </p><p>The upcoming Xbox Series X is a new console that's much more powerful than any current Xbox. It still runs Blu-ray discs, and it supports games from previous Xbox generations, but it also plays new games that are part of a new generation of game consoles.</p><p>The update to Microsoft's official page was <a href="https://twitter.com/Nibellion/status/1240350228529774592">first spotted by Twitter users</a>, and featured a full-on graphic saying the console will release on "Thanksgiving 2020," which is November 26.</p><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5e727284c485403e27194c86-1772/screen shot 2020-03-18 at 25436 pm.png" alt="Xbox Series X (release date)" /><p class="source"><span>Microsoft</span></p><p>Though the <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/category/playstation-5">PlayStation 5</a> is scheduled to arrive this fall, it doesn't have a release date just yet. Sony hosted a "deep dive" video into its next-generation console on Wednesday where the console's chief architect largely discussed tech specifications. No games were shown, nor was the console itself shown.</p><p>Microsoft has repeatedly discussed the Xbox Series X openly, and the console's design was shown last December. </p><p>"Xbox Series X will be our fastest, most powerful console ever and set a new bar for performance, speed and compatibility," Xbox leader Phil Spencer said in December when the console's design and name were revealed at the 2019 Game Awards.</p><p>The Xbox Series X, he said, is four times faster than the current Xbox One X - an already powerful game console.</p><p>These are the approximate specs of Microsoft's next Xbox:</p><ul><li>Processor: AMD "Navi" processor ("SoC"): "At the heart of our next-generation console is our custom-designed processor, leveraging the latest Zen 2 and and Navi technology from our partners at AMD."</li><li>Memory: GDDR6 RAM</li><li>Optical Media Drive: Blu-ray disc drive</li><li>Storage: Solid-state drive</li></ul><p>Microsoft says all that hardware can produce 8K visuals, and up to 120 frames-per-second. The company also says that the SSD will load games faster than ever before, and multiple games can be left suspended with a "quick resume" feature. Simply put, the feature lets players, "continue multiple games from a suspended state almost instantly, returning you to where you were and what you were doing, without waiting through long loading screens."</p><p>In the announcement video from June 2019, a Microsoft employee says "hundreds" of people inside and outside of Microsoft are already working on games for Xbox Series X.</p><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5b1d85b11ae66249008b4ea1-1440/screen shot 2018-06-10 at 10937 pm.png" alt="Halo Infinite" /><p class="source"><span>Microsoft</span></p><p class="caption">"Halo Infinite" is an Xbox Series X launch title.</p><p>Also in the video, "Halo Infinite" was revealed as a launch title for the next-gen Xbox console - the next major entry in the decades-old "Halo" first-person shooter series.</p><p>And it's safe to assume that other major first-party game franchises, like "Gears of War" and "Forza," are in production. Microsoft said that "15 Xbox Game Studios are developing the largest and most creatively diverse lineup of Xbox exclusive games in our history" for the Xbox Series X.</p><p>Outside of Microsoft, at least two major next-gen games are in the works that we already know of: "The Elder Scrolls VI" and "Starfield," both from Bethesda Softworks.</p><p>And beyond that, there are some obvious guesses we can make: The annual new "Call of Duty" game coming in 2020 will almost certainly come to the next Xbox (and PlayStation), as well as a new "Assassin's Creed" game.</p><p class="tagline"><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/intelligence/brand-investment-esports?IR=T&amp;itm_source=businessinsider&amp;itm_medium=ctgr_bii&amp;itm_term=ctgr_leadgen&amp;itm_content=videogames&amp;itm_campaign=brand-investment-esports"><img src="https://static.businessinsider.com/image/5d3718e78d66427858223be4" alt="Exclusive FREE Report: Brand Investment in eSports by Business Insider Intelligence" style="width: 100% !important" /></a></p>            <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/bidets-better-than-using-just-toilet-paper-2019-9">Why bidets are better than buying countless rolls of toilet paper</a></h3>                    <iframe class="bijwplayerclass" src="https://content.jwplatform.com/players/o0Zx9wwE-CEZHWCBG.html" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="auto" style="margin:0px;"></iframe>            

The next-generation Xbox website briefly listed 'Thanksgiving 2020' as the console's release date, but Microsoft says it was an error

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5b2bdc911ae66253008b51cf-1207/screen shot 2018-06-21 at 11138 pm.png" border="0" alt="Steam summer sale" data-mce-source="Valve" /><p class="source"><span>Valve</span></p></div><p></p></div></div></p><ul><li><strong>The Steam summer sale is now live, starting today (June 21) and ending July 5. </strong></li><li><strong>New games will go on sale daily. </strong></li><li><strong>Check back here for a roundup of the best deals. </strong></li></ul><hr /><p>Cue the memes of empty wallets money being thrown at screens: the Steam summer sale is here.</p><p>Titled the "Intergalactic Summer Sale," the sale will last from June 21 to July 5. Visit the Steam homepage <a href="https://store.steampowered.com/">here</a> to see all of the sale items. The list here will be continually updated with sales that stand out.</p><h2>Here are some of the best deals of the day:</h2><ul><li><strong><a href="https://store.steampowered.com/app/578080/PLAYERUNKNOWNS_BATTLEGROUNDS/">PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds</a>: </strong>$19.99 (33% off)</li><li><strong><a href="https://store.steampowered.com/app/671510/DESOLATE/">Desolate</a>: </strong>$13.99 (30% off)</li><li><strong><a href="https://store.steampowered.com/sale/fallout/">Fallout</a> franchise: </strong>up to 70% off</li><li><strong><a href="https://store.steampowered.com/app/552520/Far_Cry_5/">Far Cry 5</a>: </strong>$44.99 (25% off)</li><li><strong><a href="https://store.steampowered.com/sub/88801/">Dying Light: Enhanced Edition</a>: </strong>$19.79 (67% off)</li><li><strong><a href="https://store.steampowered.com/app/621830/WRC_7_FIA_World_Rally_Championship/">WRC 7 FIA World Championship</a>: </strong>$15.99 (60% off)</li><li><strong><a href="https://store.steampowered.com/app/469610/Rick_and_Morty_Virtual_Rickality/">Rick and Morty: Virtual Rick-ality</a>: </strong>$14.99 (50% off)</li><li><strong><a href="https://store.steampowered.com/app/582660/Black_Desert_Online/">Black Desert Online</a>: </strong>$4.99 (50% off)</li><li><strong><a href="https://store.steampowered.com/app/300380/Road_Redemption/">Road Redemption</a>: </strong>$9.99 (50% off)</li><li><strong><a href="https://store.steampowered.com/app/578620/GORN/">GORN</a>:</strong> $14.99 (25% off)</li><li><strong><a href="https://store.steampowered.com/sub/200222/">ARK: Survival Evolved Season Pass</a>: </strong>$22.49 (50% off)</li><li><strong><a href="https://store.steampowered.com/app/396750/EVERSPACE/">Everspace</a>: </strong>$9.99 (67% off) </li><li><strong><a href="https://store.steampowered.com/app/234630/Project_CARS/">Project Cars</a>: </strong>$7.49 (75% off)</li><li><strong><a href="https://store.steampowered.com/app/381210/Dead_by_Daylight/">Dead by Daylight</a>: </strong>$9.99 (50% off)</li><li><strong><a href="https://store.steampowered.com/app/391540/Undertale/">Undertale</a>: </strong>$4.99 (50% off)</li><li><strong><a href="https://store.steampowered.com/app/613100/House_Flipper/">House Flipper</a>: </strong>$15.99 (20% off)</li><li><strong><a href="https://store.steampowered.com/app/353370/Steam_Controller/">Steam Controller</a>: </strong>$33.49(33% off)</li><li><strong><a href="https://store.steampowered.com/app/322500/SUPERHOT/">SUPERHOT</a></strong>: $14.99 (40% off)'</li><li><strong><a href="https://store.steampowered.com/app/221100/DayZ/">DayZ</a>: </strong>$27.99 (20% off)</li><li><strong><a href="https://store.steampowered.com/app/271590/Grand_Theft_Auto_V/">Grand Theft Auto V</a>: </strong>$19.79 (67% off)</li><li><strong><a href="https://store.steampowered.com/app/413150/Stardew_Valley/">Stardew Valley</a>: </strong>$11.99 (20% off)</li><li><strong><a href="https://store.steampowered.com/app/730/CounterStrike_Global_Offensive/">Counter Strike: Global Offensive</a>: </strong>$7.49 (50% off)</li><li><strong><a href="https://store.steampowered.com/app/252490/Rust/">Rust</a>: </strong>$8.74 (75% off)</li><li><strong><a href="https://store.steampowered.com/app/594650/Hunt_Showdown/">Hunt Showdown</a>: </strong>$23.99 (20% off) </li><li><strong><a href="https://store.steampowered.com/bundle/575/Sid_Meiers_Civilization_V_Complete/">Sid Meier's Civilization V Complete Edition</a>: </strong>$12.27 (92% off)</li><li><strong><a href="https://store.steampowered.com/app/645402/Sid_Meiers_Civilization_VI_Rise_and_Fall/">Sid Meier's Civilization VI: Rise and Fall</a>: </strong>$22.49 (25% off)</li><li><strong><a href="https://store.steampowered.com/app/379720/DOOM/">DOOM</a>: </strong>$14.99 (50% off) </li><li><strong><a href="https://store.steampowered.com/sub/124923/">The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt - Game of the Year Edition</a>: </strong>$20 (60% off) </li><li><strong><a href="https://store.steampowered.com/app/393380/Squad/">Squad</a>: </strong>$23.99 (40% off)</li><li><strong><a href="https://store.steampowered.com/app/306130/The_Elder_Scrolls_Online/">The Elder Scrolls Online</a>: </strong>$9.99 (50% off)</li><li><strong><a href="https://store.steampowered.com/app/275850/No_Mans_Sky/">No Man's Sky</a>: </strong>$29.99 (50% off)</li><li><strong><a href="https://store.steampowered.com/app/268910/Cuphead/">Cuphead</a>: </strong>$15.99 (20% off) </li><li><strong><a href="https://store.steampowered.com/app/286160/Tabletop_Simulator/">Tabletop Simulator</a>: </strong>$9.99 (50% off)</li><li><strong><a href="https://store.steampowered.com/app/581320/Insurgency_Sandstorm/">Insurgency Sandstorm (Pre-order)</a>: </strong>$23.99 (20% off) </li><li><strong><a href="https://store.steampowered.com/app/275850/No_Mans_Sky/">No Man's Sky</a>: </strong>$29.99 (50% off) </li></ul>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/apple-future-gene-munster-2018-6">What the future of Apple looks like</a></h3>        <div>            <iframe class="bijwplayerclass" data-player="jwplayer" src="https://content.jwplatform.com/players/Bm4NV6HV-CEZHWCBG.html" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="auto" style="margin:0px;" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><script>function receiveMessage(event){ console.log(event.data.fullscreen); Android.fullscreen(event.data.fullscreen); }window.addEventListener("message", receiveMessage, false);</script>        </div>    </div>

The Steam summer sale is live - here are the best deals we've seen so far

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5b203b0d1ae66222008b4cf1-2000/rthfiae.jpg" border="0" alt="super smash bros ultimate" data-mce-source="Nintendo" /><p class="source"><span>Nintendo</span></p></div><p></p></div></div></p><ul><li><strong>Fans are really happy about Nintendo's E3 presentation, which lasted only 42 minutes but packed a punch.</strong></li><li><strong>Other game companies could learn a thing or two from how Nintendo approaches E3, the biggest industry event of the year.</strong></li></ul><hr /><p>Nintendo just delivered an incredible presentation at <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/category/e3-2018">E3 2018</a> - and it pulled it off by keeping it simple, and focusing on games that are actually arriving in the next six months.</p><p>At first blush, <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/NintendoSwitch/comments/8qkays/super_smash_bros_ultimate_brings_back_every/">it looks like fans</a> are <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/NintendoSwitch/comments/8qiqkc/nintendo_direct_e3_2018_megathread/">really happy</a> about all the <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/e3-2018-nintendo-switch-games-announcements-2018-6">announcements</a>:</p><p>- <strong>"Super Smash Bros. Ultimate"</strong> is the biggest Nintendo beat-em-up of them all, with every character from past games and tons of tweaks and new surprises. It's coming December 7.</p><p>- <strong>"Super Mario Party"</strong> brings back the popular minigame series in a big way, with some really creative new ways to play with others. It supports up to four people (this is a party, after all), and it arrives October 5.</p><p>- <strong>Plenty of third-party support for this Nintendo console is a very good look</strong>. The games announced included "Fortnite" (available for free starting today) from Epic Games, "Octopath Traveler" from Square Enix, "Wolfenstein II" from Bethesda, "Dragon Ball FighterZ" from Bandai Namco, "Hollow Knight" from Team Cherry, and several others.</p><p>But aside from the individual announcements, Nintendo had a great E3 presentation because it played to its strengths - something other game companies could focus on for future events.</p><h2><strong>A video presentation gives Nintendo the ultimate control</strong></h2><p>Nintendo doesn't approach E3 like other companies.</p><p>Over the past several days, we've seen <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/e3-2018-microsoft-xbox-bethesda-ea-devolver-digital-2018-6#2-new-elder-scrolls-games-for-every-type-of-player-3">Microsoft</a>, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/e3-2018-sony-playstation-ps4-ubisoft-square-enix-2018-6#check-out-the-newest-trailer-for-death-stranding-10">Sony</a>, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/e3-2018-microsoft-xbox-bethesda-ea-devolver-digital-2018-6#2-new-elder-scrolls-games-for-every-type-of-player-3">Bethesda</a>, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/e3-2018-sony-playstation-ps4-ubisoft-square-enix-2018-6#check-out-the-newest-trailer-for-death-stranding-10">Ubisoft</a>, and others present their new games at E3 by having live events, complete with executives introducing new titles on a physical stage, with a live audience to react to them.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5b1e903f1ae6624b008b4ecb-2400/screen shot 2018-06-11 at 110639 am.png" border="0" alt="phil spencer xbox e3 2018" data-mce-source="Microsoft" /><p class="source"><span>Microsoft</span></p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>Nintendo, on the other hand, doesn't hold live press conferences at E3. At all.</p><p>Instead, <a href="https://youtu.be/akohTFyGu88">it films pre-recorded videos</a> and puts them online at a given time, which it appropriately calls "Nintendo Direct." Nintendo holds several of these "Direct" video announcements throughout the year, but E3 is where Nintendo focuses on the games coming out over the next year.</p><p>By filming its presentation ahead of time, Nintendo can control the overall flow of the show, from start to finish, by using clever editing, music, and more. Yes, there is a certain charm to live events, but as Nintendo has shown, the only thing that really matters in the end is whether or not people were impressed with what they saw. So whether it's live or pre-recorded, presentation matters - and Nintendo certainly benefitted (<a href="https://youtu.be/8k5lf8da1k4">and avoided some embarrassing hot mic situations</a>) by having more control.</p><h2><strong>Nintendo knows where its bread is buttered</strong></h2><p>Nintendo didn't talk about many games during its live stream, but it did focus on a handful of games almost exclusively.</p><p>Nintendo's video presentation for E3 2018 was 42 minutes long. Of that total time, Nintendo spent over half of it (24 minutes) talking about "Super Smash Bros. Ultimate."</p><p>Nintendo clearly knows where its bread is buttered: "Super Smash Bros." is one of the company's most popular game franchises, so it went into heavy detail on all the changes. Casual fans got a chance to learn more about the intricacies of the game, but it was really directed at the series' longtime, hardcore fan base. The decision to support the Nintendo GameCube controllers, for instance, which pro players insist on using when they play "Super Smash Bros." in competitive tournaments, is a nod to that.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5b203ccd1ae6621b008b4d58-2400/rtr3t4tf.jpg" border="0" alt="super smash bros invitational competitive" data-mce-source="Reuters/Jonathan Alcorn" /><p class="source"><span>Reuters/Jonathan Alcorn</span></p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>Nintendo doesn't have any other game like "Super Smash Bros." To use a comparison to drive home this point, the second-biggest game announcement during Nintendo's Direct event was "Super Mario Party," and that was given less than two minutes' time. People don't play "Mario Party" for a living, but they do with "Super Smash Bros."</p><p>Rival game makers like Sony and Microsoft did unveil major exclusive games coming to their platforms this week - "The Last Of Us II" for PlayStation 4, and "Halo Infinite" for Xbox One - but those games only got several minutes of airtime each.</p><h2><strong>Nintendo knows people want games sooner rather than later</strong></h2><p>One of the biggest trends at this year's E3 is how many games are coming out next year or later. (Spoiler alert: It's most of them.)</p><p>Nintendo, on the other hand, spent most of its presentation talking about games coming out in the next six months.</p><p>"Super Smash Bros. Ultimate" arrives in December. "Super Mario Party" arrives in October. "Mario Tennis Aces" arrives later this month. "Fortnite" and "Hollow Knight" arrive today.</p><p>On the other hand, most of the bigger games coming to rival consoles have vague release dates. We don't know when "Halo Infinite" is coming to Xbox One. "The Last Of Us" looks great, but we still don't have a date - it's probably sometime in 2019 though. And who knows when "The Elder Scrolls VI" or "Death Stranding" are coming?</p><p>Nintendo gave fans a tangible reason to get excited: You can actually count the number of days until its games are out.</p><p><strong>Read more of BI's coverage from E3, the largest game conference of the year:</strong></p><p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/microsoft-xbox-netflix-gaming-phil-spencer-2018-6">Microsoft's Xbox boss explains the master plan for the $10/month subscription service that Wall Street thinks could make it a $1 trillion company</a></p><p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/sony-ps4-playstation-4-e3-2018-6">The PlayStation 4 is getting 4 incredible-looking exclusive games starting this September - take a look</a></p><p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/cyberpunk-2077-trailer-hidden-message-2018-6">There was a hidden message in the trailer for 'Cyberpunk 2077' - here's what to expect from the game everyone's going crazy over</a></p><section><section><section></section><section><p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/e3-2018-microsoft-xbox-bethesda-ea-devolver-digital-2018-6">The 7 biggest announcements from the first 2 days of E3 2018</a></p></section></section></section><p class="tagline">Get the latest Microsoft stock price<a href="http://markets.businessinsider.com/stock/MSFT-Quote"> here.</a></p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/apple-having-problems-bugs-2018-5">Why Apple is having so many problems right now</a></h3>        <div>            <iframe class="bijwplayerclass" data-player="jwplayer" src="https://content.jwplatform.com/players/OvMJbU3V-CEZHWCBG.html" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="auto" style="margin:0px;" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><script>function receiveMessage(event){ console.log(event.data.fullscreen); Android.fullscreen(event.data.fullscreen); }window.addEventListener("message", receiveMessage, false);</script>        </div>    </div>

You Searched For "the elder scrolls vi" and got 6 results

Microsoft will honor already announced Bethesda games coming to PS5, but the rest will be on a 'case-by-case basis'

Ben Gilbert

The next Elder Scrolls game to arrive won't be a follow-up to 'Skyrim' - it's a smartphone RPG called 'Blades'

Sean Wolfe

Microsoft just spent $7.5 billion to give gamers a major reason to buy a next-gen Xbox instead of a PlayStation 5

Ben Gilbert

The next-generation Xbox website briefly listed 'Thanksgiving 2020' as the console's release date, but Microsoft says it was an error

Ben Gilbert

The Steam summer sale is live - here are the best deals we've seen so far

Sean Wolfe

Nintendo just blew the lid off at E3 2018 - and competitors could learn a thing or two

Dave Smith