As of 2021, Xbox only had a console market share of 16%, leaving Nintendo and Sony with the bulk of the pie. This is one of several revelations to come from the ongoing FTC vs. Microsoft court hearings, spawning from the FTC attempting to block Microsoft from acquiring gaming company Activision.
In its proposing findings of fact, Microsoft also revealed Xbox trailed in the share of existing consoles in use with only 21%.
In related news, Beth Wilkinson, Microsoft’s lead attorney, said the case was going to determine whether Microsoft’s Activision acquisition happens or sends the companies into a multiyear “administrative nightmare” that sinks the transaction altogether. The company hopes to close the deal by July 18.
The hearing also unearthed fresh details on games that have otherwise been extraordinarily light on news, such as Bethesda’s upcoming “Indiana Jones” title. Bethesda’s parent company ZeniMax was bought by Microsoft in 2020. The hearing revealed that said game was originally slated to arrive on multiple game consoles but, following Microsoft’s acquisition, pivoted to Xbox exclusivity.
Bethesda’s head of global publishing, Pete Hines, addressed the pivot when asked why the “Indiana Jones” game was no longer slated to be a multiplatform release.
“The primary one in my view is what I said about reducing risk and trying to get to a degree of certainty,” said Hines. “You’re dealing with a licensor who’s going to have a ton of feedback on what you’re making, add a lot of time to your schedule.”
For context, Microsoft’s exclusive lineup has historically been weaker than Sony’s, granting the latter company prestige and notoriety the former has struggled to obtain for itself. Hines’ statement may represent just a fraction of Bethesda’s overall philosophy when making a game exclusive to Xbox, which its parent company has been trying to bolster with worthwhile exclusives for years.
Microsoft did not immediately respond to TheWrap’s request for comment.
