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In a shocking annunciation , Microsoft has acquired Zenimax Media for $ 7.5 billion . It ’s a huge skill , and the secondly - most expensive in video game account . The sound reflection of this acquisition will be felt for years to amount , and it ’s a major profits for Microsoft’sXbox Series Xand Series S. It ’s also nearly double the $ 4.05 billion Disney give for Lucasfilm andStar Warsin 2012 .
Zenimax Media is the sustain company for various picture game studio apartment , include Bethesda Softworks , Arkane Studios , and i d Software . By acquiring Zenimax Media , Microsoft now owns some of the highest - grossing TV game IPs of all time , includingDOOM , Wolfenstein , The Elder Scrolls , Dishonored , andFallout . It also effectively end their potential exclusives drouth on Xbox Series X and S.
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It may be a bit shocking that Microsoft acquire Zenimax Media for such a extortionate monetary value , specially consider Disney ’s Lucasfilm bargain . At the time , the Lucasfilm buyout was Disney ’s fourth large ever , and it most famously gave the troupe the rights toStar Wars . Since then , Disney has been busy with itsnewStar Warscanon , add together in picture , TV appearance , comics , books , and video games . So why does Microsoft ’s buying Zenimax Media almost double Disney ’s acquirement ofStar Wars , one of the most successful and popular motion picture franchises of all time ?
Why Zenimax Media Sold For More Than Lucasfilm
Microsoft ’s acquisition of Zenimax Media is huge , and it was a genius move to announce the deal the 24-hour interval before Xbox Series X and S pre - orders went live . However , the company ’s cost tag end puts it at almost double the amountDisney paid for Lucasfilm andStar Wars . In fact , Zenimax ’s monetary value of $ 7.5 billion is much more comparable to Disney ’s buyout of Pixar , which was $ 7.6 billion in 2006 . So , are Zenimax properties really worth more than Lucasfilm andStar war ? Here ’s what the number have to say .
By 2012 , when Disney take Lucasfilm , the companionship had stopped releasing newStar WarsandIndiana Jonesmovies . Royalties and merchandising sale were still good , but Lucasfilm ’s late release ofRed Tailswas a dud , andthe animatedClone Warsmovie in 2008made about $ 68 million ( which is significantly less than the prequelStar Warsfilms , which made hundreds of millions of dollars each ) . At the time of Disney ’s attainment , Lucasfilm was past its prime .
That ’s not the case for Zenimax Media , however . Titles likeElder ScrollsandDOOMare just as popular as they always were , perhaps even more so , with new statute title expected in the near time to come . Skyrimalone has made over $ 450 million , and that ’s simply one game that Microsoft now owns .
It may seem remaining that Zenimax Media sold for more than Lucasfilm andStar war , but when looking at the numbers , it get more sense . Lucasfilm was a studio apartment past its prime that had stopped making film ground on its most popular information science , whereas Zenimax is growing and thriving with many new biz in the pipeline . It ’s a surefire winnings for theXbox Series Xand Microsoft .
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