[TheOddOne]

Microsoft promises biggest year yet for Xbox 360

"2011 was our biggest year -- the biggest year in Xbox history. So we're feeling fantastic. We want to continue to build on that momentum," says Steve Beinner, Microsoft's director of global marketing first party games. "Without a doubt, I can tell you that 2012 can be a bigger year, and will be a bigger year, than 2011," he says. The Xbox 360 accounted for "nearly 40 percent of annual 2011 new physical retail sales across all categories," said NPD analyst Anita Frazier this past December. Beinner spoke to Gamasutra at Microsoft's Spring Showcase 2012 event in San Francisco, where the company showcased titles such as Halo 4, Fable: Heroes for Xbox Live Arcade, and third party titles such as EA/BioWare's Mass Effect 3. "Platform all up, we want to be the home of interactive entertainment... Content you can play with your friends and it's easy to access," Beinner says. While Beinner wouldn't be specific about how much longer the Xbox 360 will be a driving force for the company, he did say that there's "a lot of life left in the Xbox 360" and he teased that new IP for the platform will be revealed later in the year. "It's early in 2012 and we're just peeling the curtain back, but stay tuned," he says. He offered no comment on a potential price drop for the system. "We look forward to continuing to build on the momentum we have and continue the strategies we have," said Beinner. These strategies include continued support of its Kinect motion controller, which has an install base of 18 million units -- both as the primary controller for exclusive games, and in concert with controller-based games. The peripheral is something Microsoft is "committed to and very proud of," says Beinner. When it comes to marrying it with traditional controls, he says, "the opportunities for us are big in 2012." The company is also "committed" to improving the Xbox Live service, he says. "You see us doing things on the Live service to keep the development community engaged -- doing things to update the service, to continue to serve up new and unique content." He sees Xbox Live Arcade moving into a role where franchises can be extended, such as the recently-released Alan Wake: American Nightmare and the upcoming Fable: Heroes. "Giving them the right tools to continue to be innovative and creative, rather than saying, 'Hey these are the kinds of games we are looking for'," says Beinner, is how Microsoft views its relationship with developers. This strategy extends to Xbox Live Arcade, packaged games, and Kinect, he says. "There's no one specific kind of developer the studio's saying 'Hey, we want to work with just this'," Beinner says. Microsoft Studios is "very committed to innovation on the box." Speaking of Microsoft Studios' overall strategy, he says, "We're very proud of our IP and we have some of the biggest IP in the industry." "It's all about quality; it's never been a game of quantity versus quality." "First party's role is to really be pioneers," he says -- to "really be a showcase for what the platform's capabilities are." "That's the way we look at it," he says: "showcases for what the platform's capable of." And he's not really worried about franchise fatigue for Halo, either, with this year's release of Halo 4, which follows the Anniversary edition of Halo 1 from last fall and Halo: Reach before that. "I really love the Xbox lineup that we're bringing," says Beinner. "I think gamers want great games." Gamers, he says, thus won't get tired of high quality content like Halo 4. "It's in the game -- it's a matter of delivering a blockbuster game, which the team is doing."

[Nirolak]

Split bump.

[Huff]

So two (maybe 3) fable games in development. Is this necessary?

[ThaneKrios]

I'm tired of this franchise, they need do make something new.

[DMPrince]

So two (maybe 3) fable games in development. Is this necessary?

it's all about quality. not quanity.

[Eggman]

it's all about quality. not quanity.

It's also about originality.

[Loudninja]

I'm tired of this franchise, they need do make something new.

Eh?

While Beinner wouldn't be specific about how much longer the Xbox 360 will be a driving force for the company, he did say that there's "a lot of life left in the Xbox 360" and he teased that new IP for the platform will be revealed later in the year.

edit:misread your post sorry.

[iceatcs]

They're pushing XBLA really hard. Esp they said it is where franchises can be extended.

I got funny feel that DD only in next box or no more second hand rumour will be true.

[FHIZ]

So two (maybe 3) fable games in development. Is this necessary?

Well, considering Microsoft's IPs that don't involve you jumping around your living room have boiled down to Halo and Fable... they've got to make something?

[Misterhbk]

Shut up and show some new IPs already. Though I fully expect whatever they show to be kinect shovelware

[Nirolak]

So two (maybe 3) fable games in development. Is this necessary?

Known:
-Fable: The Journey
-Fable: Heroes

Unknown:
-Their MMO
-Their other next-gen game

The two unknown ones may or may not be Fable related.

[Sho_Nuff82]

Truth be told, DD episodic sequels/full expansions for $15-20 (as seen in GTAIV, Half Life 2, Alan Wake, Dead Rising) rub me a lot less than annual $60 sequels.

[Kafel]

Known: -Fable: The Journey -Fable: Heroes Unknown: -Their MMO -Their other next-gen game The two unknown ones may or may not be Fable related.

They have a MMO coming ?

Calling it : BC return.

[Huff]

Known: -Fable: The Journey -Fable: Heroes Unknown: -Their MMO -Their other next-gen game The two unknown ones may or may not be Fable related.

I just figured Fable 4 is in their minds somewhere even if not technically "in development" yet

[Nirolak]

They have a MMO coming ? Calling it : BC return.

Yep: http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=455529

[Combichristoffersen]

Well, considering Microsoft's IPs that don't involve you jumping around your living room have boiled down to Halo and Fable... they've got to make something?

Forza involves jumping around the living room now?

[Derrick01]

Truth be told, DD episodic sequels/full expansions for $15-20 (as seen in GTAIV, Half Life 2, Alan Wake, Dead Rising) rub me a lot less than annual $60 sequels.

Not me, I prefer full games. Not yearly though and certainly not more Fable. I'm pretty much done with that franchise.

[S1kkZ]

Not me, I prefer full games. Not yearly though and certainly not more Fable. I'm pretty much done with that franchise.

then why do you post in a fable thread?

[Slime]

Kind of over Fable at this point, but I like that it's an XBLA game.

Speaking of which, this crazy amount of XBLA support lately makes me wonder if a set-top box with XBLA support might really be in the cards. But it's probably just a sign of a really well-supported platform.

[The SpartanLion]

Well, maybe Fable Heroes is just The Journey renamed and tourned out into a XBLA game, we can never know, any further information wasn't given...

[Derrick01]

then why do you post in a fable thread?

I still want to see what it is at least.

[ToyMachine228]

Fable: Heroes has been removed from the article. Leak?

[HigherLevel]

It would be cool if it was like an arena battle thing like that part in Fable II.

[nasos_333]

Known: -Fable: The Journey -Fable: Heroes Unknown: -Their MMO -Their other next-gen game The two unknown ones may or may not be Fable related.

What MMO ?

[bede-x]

I love the Fable games and will probably take anything as long as it doesn't involve Kinect, but truth be told it's about time that they slow down with releases and give the franchise some breathing room. One Fable every generation would be enough, but then that's the way I feel about every game that must have sequels. Unfourtunately, people with business sense feel differently.

But if they must have two(or three?) Fable games in development at the same time, it would be cool if one of them was 2D.

I'm allowed to dream, right?

[nasos_333]

Fable: Heroes has been removed from the article. Leak?

It was an obvious leak, i love when people that leak the news, erase them soon after so we can be 100% sure it was a leak :)

[dragonelite]

Man i'm excited for GDC next week.
Looks like the 360 Final Bang before next gen next year....
I want to believe :p

[Conor 419]

Why didn't they have 'The Journey' as an XBLA title, that'd have made more sense imo.

'kin Microsoft.

[CrunchinJelly]

Why didn't they have 'The Journey' as an XBLA title, that'd have made more sense imo. 'kin Microsoft.

We don't know what this game is yet. We only have a name and that it's XBLA.

[nasos_333]

We don't know what this game is yet. We only have a name and that it's XBLA.

And we dont know how big Fable Journey is either

[Conor 419]

Any chance that this could actually be the MMO?

It's not unrealistic, I obviously don't picture a WoW style MMO but more simply a Fable game with more MMO elements.

[Horseticuffs]

With a title like "Fable: Heroes" and being a DD title, I'm wondering if it is the same genre as the regular Fable games. Maybe it would be like an isometric, multiplayer dungeon crawler in the universe or something.

Has there been ANY details yet besides title?

[nasos_333]

Any chance that this could actually be the MMO? It's not unrealistic, I obviously don't picture a WoW style MMO but more simply a Fable game with more MMO elements.

Was there ever a MMO mentioned or implied ?

I dont recall any such news or rumor

[S1kkZ]

Has there been ANY details yet besides title?

nope.

[Nirolak]

What MMO ?

See here:

Yep: http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=455529

[Petrichor]

With a title like "Fable: Heroes" and being a DD title, I'm wondering if it is the same genre as the regular Fable games. Maybe it would be like an isometric, multiplayer dungeon crawler in the universe or something. Has there been ANY details yet besides title?

For some reason this is exactly what I pictured when I heard it mentioned. Hope it's true.

[Ushojax]

Do people actually like Fable? Who is buying these awful games? After Fable 2 and 3 I just don't understand what would get people to pay money for another one.

[Conor 419]

Do people actually like Fable? Who is buying these awful games? After Fable 2 and 3 I just don't understand what would get people to pay money for another one.

Me, Fable II was absolutely class.

[S1kkZ]

Do people actually like Fable? Who is buying these awful games? After Fable 2 and 3 I just don't understand what would get people to pay money for another one.

they are not for everyone but they are not awful. and a lot of people seem to like them, judging by the sales numbers.

[szaromir]

Monday can't come soon enough (I can't believe I'm saying it :/).

[Garcia el Gringo]

I really hope Fable: Heroes is something spectacular. Lionhead making a proper XBLA game could be pretty cool.

Milo didn't look like something that I would have played, but at least it seemed to finally be getting Lionhead out of the Fable rut this generation. RIP Milo. I hope they're working on some new IP or at least seriously reinventing Fable (and not exclusively in a Kinect sense).

Do people actually like Fable? Who is buying these awful games? After Fable 2 and 3 I just don't understand what would get people to pay money for another one.

Fable II was nothing to sneeze at.

[Derrick01]

Do people actually like Fable? Who is buying these awful games? After Fable 2 and 3 I just don't understand what would get people to pay money for another one.

2 was pretty solid for a very casual RPG. It's the only one I've enjoyed even a little bit though, 3 was just embarrassing.

[Ushojax]

Fable II was nothing to sneeze at.

Sure it was. Horrible story, stupid NPC interactions, babbys first combat system, it was serviceable only in the context of this horrible console RPG generation.

[RPGCrazied]

After 3 Fables, I've kinda lost interest in the series. I think its time for a new IP.

[Giard]

Sure it was. Horrible story, stupid NPC interactions, babbys first combat system, it was serviceable only in the context of this horrible console RPG generation.

Don't play Fable III.

[Masakari666]

Could Heroes be the new name for The Journey?

Otherwise, they will have 2 Fable spinoffs in the same year, in or around the same quarter (late Q3 / Q4 2012). Which seems odd.

And after creating the new IP Crimson Alliance, would they really create another isometric hack and slash, just with different branding?

[nasos_333]

See here:

Thanks, nice info :)

[NemesisPrime]

It's also about originality.

Hu? Where have you been the last few years?

Anyway... Make it a fable rogue like and I will bite!

[bengraven]

So...what is it about?

[JWong]

Beating a dying franchise to death.

But I guess MS won't let it die since it is Molyneux's baby.