The Indiana Jones Game Exclusive to Xbox and Why It Is Important

MachineGames’ Indiana Jones doesn’t have a release date yet but is already a point of controversy. The game will most likely be exclusive to Xboc and PC, but that wasn’t the original plan.

Yesterday was the first court for the FTC vs Microsoft’s trial for the aquisiton of Activision Blizzard and some details relating to the ZaniMax purchase were also revealed. Pete Hines from Bethesda disclosed that ZeniMax had previously made a deal with Disney for a multiplatform AAA Indiana Jones game.

However, after Bethesda’s acquisition, the agreement with Disney was changed to make the game an exclusive for Xbox and PC. Hines confirmed that the game would be available on Game Pass from the launch date. The trial revealed various emails and conversations that provided more context for the decision to make the game exclusive to these platforms.

According to Hines, Spencer informed him in a later conversation that Bethesda should evaluate title exclusivity on a case-by-case basis. In summary, Bethesda has some control over Starfield, but it has significantly less control over Indiana Jones, which is owned by Lucasfilm.

Despite being announced over two years ago, the Indiana Jones game has not been featured in Xbox’s showcases. Todd Howard, from Bethesda, will be the executive producer of the project, and he mentioned in an interview last year that the game would be a combination of various genres. This isn’t the first time that a ZeniMax studio game has become exclusive to Xbox after the acquisition. Following the release of Redfall, Harvey Smith from Arkane stated that the studio had canceled the PlayStation 5 version of the co-op vampire shooter.

This is significant as the current trial is happening because the FTC believes Microsoft will not uphold his end of the agreement to avoid making games exclusive to their own company. This would leave Sony and Nintendo in a horrible position.

Microsoft argues that although these cases are true, they have had acquisitions where games remained accessible across multiple platforms, such as Minecraft. After Microsoft purchased Mojang, Minecraft remained available across all platforms it was previously available on.

Whether you accept Microsoft’s Minecraft argument or not, this isn’t a good look for the massive company and it’s not good news for the fans who were looking forward to the game either.

Who owns the rights to the Indiana Jones franchise?

The Indiana Jones franchise is owned by Lucasfilm.

What is the significance of the FTC vs Microsoft trial?

The trial is significant because the FTC believes that Microsoft will not uphold their agreement to avoid making games exclusive to their own company, potentially leaving Sony and Nintendo in a difficult position.

Who is the executive producer of the Indiana Jones game?

Todd Howard, from Bethesda, is the executive producer of the Indiana Jones game.

What was the original plan for the Indiana Jones game release?

The original plan was for the game to be released as a multiplatform AAA game, but the agreement with Disney was later changed to make the game exclusive to Xbox and PC following Bethesda’s acquisition of ZeniMax.

When was the Indiana Jones game first announced?

The Indiana Jones game was first announced over two years ago, but no release date has been provided yet.