Does does raise a lot of new questions though.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H2t7V7NrCFA
The way he talk its like the game was already being worked on.
Spencer said:Blacktusk, located in Vancouver Canada, is assembling a world class team to create a brand new, triple A exclusive game for Xbox One. We'll be showing you more from Blacktusk in the future, but for now I want to give you a small glimpse into the work going on at the studio. This is running in-engine on Xbox One
imo either he's telling the truth or they are taking what they already had done and incorporating it into the next gears game. Microsoft wouldn't just cancel a AAA game halfway through development. Especially one that was going to be "the next halo".
Wasn't that billion for the first year alone or something?
MSFT getting owned in the marketplace, thus they're trying to mitigate risks.
imo either he's telling the truth or they are taking what they already had done and incorporating it into the next gears game. Microsoft wouldn't just cancel a AAA game halfway through development. Especially one that was going to be "the next halo".
I wonder how the devs at BTS feel? By the sounds of it, they're mostly industry veterans, so being ripped off a new, exciting project over a year in development; only to then be lumbered with an overexposed, dogmatic franchise can't be good for morale.
Exactly. New IP has always been a non justifiable risk for them. Who can blame them though. They gave Rare a bit of freedom and only got commercial stinkers.
If the IP really was trashed for gears (for good) I find it hilarious seeing this after MS said fostering internal studios is more important then emulating ND.
So MS is gonna ride that Halo/Gears/Forza/Fable-train until it crashes,eh?
I hope they go down with it and take their bullshit PR with them, I am so sick of them trying to lie to us.
Don't buy it. Cboat said the game was looking amazing. And comparing vancouver to a huge, AAA dev team made up of grreat developers isn't right. Ms had enough faith in these guys to allow them to work for a significant amount of time on the xb1's new, huge, AAA ip. Am i saying they have alway been working on gears? no. But I doubt that what they were working on has been completely thrown out. Ms paid a lot of cash for it. The ip is either on hold, or a lot of the ideas are being incorporated into gears 4.Um, yeah they would. They've had a Vancouver studio for years now under various names and with various staff, with basically zero software to show for it because they keep scrapping titles, shutting down studios, and starting new ones.
Outside of Turn10 and 343 MS' studios are an absolute mess. Even Lionhead, an already assembled studio with multiple releases under it's belt, has now seen big layoffs followed by talent bleed when Molyneaux and Rance left.
Their first parties are a mess, and no matter how they spin this the truth seems pretty clear. Black Tusk was working on a new IP. MS' execs obviously weren't impressed by it and the chance to buy Gears came along, so they scuttled the nacent project in favor of Black Tusk being their Gears house. Hence bringing in Fergusson. They need someone to actually get games out the door up there.
Anyone see this tweet chain?
https://twitter.com/HannoLemke/status/427807647257985024
Looks like they are working on more than Gears.
At least we won't have to wonder what their big game each holiday is, halo/gears/halo/gears/halo/gears? Fables is already dead imo.
Nice find.
Sorry, I don't think that's anything much. I'm not seeing it. That could be code for its shelved. And we'll get back to it one day.Anyone see this tweet chain?
https://twitter.com/HannoLemke/status/427807647257985024
Looks like they are working on more than Gears.
I would liken it to kicking a field goal when your 4th and inches at the 1 yard line. And down by 2 possessions (14 points). I mean, sure, points are points, but you need a lot of those field goals to make up the deficit. And if you fail the other team gets crap field possession. And if you succeed you only need so much more to take a lead.This is a solid business move that everyone can understand. The downside to it is that similar to taking a knee in football. They are more likely to sustain their current performance but less likely to move forward with their 1st party games.
http://blogs.vancouversun.com/2012/11/29/microsoft-opens-new-video-game-studio-in-vancouver/What that means is we are working on Microsofts next big entertainment franchise, he said. Were not working on an existing franchise, were looking to build the next Halo here in Vancouver, for example, which is really exciting. We are building something from the ground up.
imo either he's telling the truth or they are taking what they already had done and incorporating it into the next gears game. Microsoft wouldn't just cancel a AAA game halfway through development. Especially one that was going to be "the next halo".
Exactly. New IP has always been a non justifiable risk for them. Who can blame them though. They gave Rare a bit of freedom and only got commercial stinkers.
Exactly. New IP has always been a non justifiable risk for them. Who can blame them though. They gave Rare a bit of freedom and only got commercial stinkers.
I still don't buy it. Black tusk pitched an idea that ms loved enough to throw halo money at. It's not going away.Well, it seems Black Tusk only formed in late 2012, so it probably was nowhere near halfway done, and what's more they would shitcan a new, unproven game in favour of shifting the resources over to a new in-house Gears production.
Ryse
Powerstar Golf
Crimson Dragon
All new IPs released with the console (I'm going to ignore Lococycle for obvious reasons)
Quantum Break
Sunset Overdrive
Project Spark
D4
This non-justifiable risk talk is crazy.
Ryse
Powerstar Golf
Crimson Dragon
All new IPs released with the console (I'm going to ignore Lococycle for obvious reasons)
Quantum Break
Sunset Overdrive
Project Spark
D4
New IPs Microsoft have announced, 2 of them AAA games (QB/SO)
Press Play and Twisted Pixel are also working on new IPs plus other partnerships we don't know about.
This non-justifiable risk talk is crazy.
Wait, so comparing them to a huge AAA dev isn't right, but MS had enough faith to have them work on a huge new AAA IP? Where's the logic in this post?Don't buy it. Cboat said the game was looking amazing. And comparing vancouver to a huge, AAA dev team made up of grreat developers isn't right. Ms had enough faith in these guys to allow them to work for a significant amount of time on the xb1's new, huge, AAA ip. Am i saying they have alway been working on gears? no. But I doubt that what they were working on has been completely thrown out. Ms paid a lot of cash for it. The ip is either on hold, or a lot of the ideas are being incorporated into gears 4.
Also, didn't black tusk say their new game was going to include horror elements? A stealth based spy game like the one shown at e3 doesn't sound very fear inducing.
I wonder if they put that video out to combat all of the negative PR they had. That and showing CG trailers of Halo and Sunset Overdrive at E3 and not releasing any more info on those games.
Ryse
Powerstar Golf
Crimson Dragon
All new IPs released with the console (I'm going to ignore Lococycle for obvious reasons)
Quantum Break
Sunset Overdrive
Project Spark
D4
New IPs Microsoft have announced, 2 of them AAA games (QB/SO)
Press Play and Twisted Pixel are also working on new IPs plus other partnerships we don't know about.
This non-justifiable risk talk is crazy.
How big is the studio anyway?
Could they have two teams, or will they really just work on Gears and then come back to the new IP?
This non-justifiable risk talk is crazy.
Ryse
Powerstar Golf
Crimson Dragon
All new IPs released with the console (I'm going to ignore Lococycle for obvious reasons)
Quantum Break
Sunset Overdrive
Project Spark
D4
New IPs Microsoft have announced, 2 of them AAA games (QB/SO)
Press Play and Twisted Pixel are also working on new IPs plus other partnerships we don't know about.
This non-justifiable risk talk is crazy.
Someone said in the other thread they had 55 employees at the end of 2012. I'd guess they are now at around 100 employees, tops. Hardly enough to develop two AAA games in a reasonable time frame.