Briefs For Tuesday

The Washington State Broadband Office recently announced a partnership with Spokane-based nonprofit Better Health Together to bridge the digital divide in rural areas.

Better Health Together provided the Washington State Broadband Office with a $207,000 grant to fund creation of 18 broadband grant applications for projects in Spokane, Adams, Lincoln, Stevens, Ferry and Pend Oreille counties.

The grant also will fund two projects each for the Spokane Tribe of Indians Reservation, Kalispel Tribe of Indians Reservation and Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation, according to a news release.

Microsoft buys ZeniMax Media

REDMOND, Wash. – Microsoft is buying the company behind popular video games The Elder Scrolls, Doom and Fallout.

The software giant said Monday that it is paying $7.5 billion for ZeniMax Media, the parent company of video game publisher Bethesda Softworks.

Microsoft said it is buying Bethesda in part to beef up its Xbox Game Pass game subscription service, which it says has over 15 million subscribers.

Bethesda games, such as Starfield, which is currently in development, will launch on Xbox Game Pass the same day they launch on Xbox or computers, Microsoft said.

Microsoft has new consoles debuting on Nov. 10, the Xbox Series X and stripped down Series S version. It will be competing against Sony’s new PlayStation 5 console.

R.W. Baird analyst Colin Sebastian said the deal is part of a wider industry trend of consolidation. Microsoft already owns studios that make popular games including Minecraft and the Halo franchise.From staff and wire reports