• Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.

Microsoft Studios acquires rights to Gears of War franchise/Black Tusk does the work

badams

Member
Very underwhelming news, especially considering, that unannounced spy game was coming along well (at least according to cboat). Even though I really liked SP portion of Judgment, at this point I'm so tired of Gears franchise I'd rather play any new IP from Black Tusk

On the other hand, Rod Fergusson gives me some hope for this poject. The problem is, this might very well be amazing Gears game, but I just don' t need another same Gears game. Like, ever.

Well, maybe if they reboot, maybe if they won't play it safe... who am I kidding this is gonna be Halo 4 all over again, right?
 

MaulerX

Member
The way I see it, every IP, now matter how old or how stale it might seem at the end of a generation, starts fresh at the start of a new one. I'm looking forward to what they'll do with GOW on the new hardware.
 
Get a good writer to do the story. Get Cliffy in somehow, as an advisor or something like that to not stray too far off from the original vision. Get Unreal4 to make it's X1 debut on it. Do a teaser TV commercial like the first one with Donny Darko's music. Have a teaser/target render trailer at E3 this year. Watch the hype do it's magic and help it become a million seller franchise yet again.
Cliffs posted a blog post that he isn't going to be advising it, he's focused on his new game
 
Then whoever wrote that stupid ass comment about them working on a new ip needs firing

Microsoft need to sort out all these loose fire cannons they seem to have these days

By stupid ass comment do you mean the truth? Why on earth would you be upset to be told the truth? Why would you ask for a scenario where you are lied to without the necessary information to prove you are in fact being lied to?

That's cray cray
 
Sad to never see a PlayStation Gears of War.

Horses for courses. I am sorry for your loss if you wanted it on PS4.

But personally I look at the acquisition of that 'name' as the price of a whole new game. So before it's even started development, the next Gears title will cost somewhere in the region of $60m.

INSANE.

EDIT: For the record kids, that <$100m could have gone into developing a Crackdown rather than buying a fucking name.
 
Horses for courses. I am sorry for your loss if you wanted it on PS4.

But personally I look at the acquisition of that 'name' as the price of a whole new game. So before it's even started development, the next Gears title will cost somewhere in the region of $60m.

INSANE.

EDIT: For the record kids, that <$100m could have gone into developing a Crackdown rather than buying a fucking name.

Well not technically. They bought the entire name, not just 1 title. They're going to make lots of games in the next coming years with this investment.
 
More Gears? Yes please!

3982365_o.gif
 
Well not technically. They bought the entire name, not just 1 title. They're going to make lots of games in the next coming years with this investment.

By the same merit it could get stuck in development hell and never release.

The point is that money, for a fucking title, could have been contributed to the actual creation of a game.
 
Funny how people have to chime in with useless posts about how they don't care about the news. You know how to know when I don't care about something? You don't see me post in a thread about it.

I know, more than half of this thread is people saying " I don't care, series sucks, MS sucks, etc etc etc....) Guess what, this game isn't being made for people like you. They brought Rod Fergusson back for a reason. It's being made for fans. Cause this game has a shitload of fans (myself included). Had they announced it's coming for the Ps4 the thread would've been " awesome gears on ps4 can't wait!".
 
Horses for courses. I am sorry for your loss if you wanted it on PS4.

But personally I look at the acquisition of that 'name' as the price of a whole new game. So before it's even started development, the next Gears title will cost somewhere in the region of $60m.

INSANE.

EDIT: For the record kids, that <$100m could have gone into developing a Crackdown rather than buying a fucking name.

While I don't know if the numbers are accurate your point is incredibly valid. Not only did MS have to shell out for the rights to the IP but they are going to lose the 1 year of work Black Tusk has done on the stealth/spy game which is likely in the millions of dollars plus they are probably only 6 months or less into development of the new gears game. It's pretty crazy
 

t26

Member
It will come down to this. If the game is good it will be money well spent. If it is like judgement then it will be a waste of money
 
This also tells me that if Titanfall sells more than 5 million (which it should), MS will lock it down permanently.

I don't know about that, this new partnership with EA might end up not going very far if they try to buy the franchise or Respawn (could be payback for Bioware/Mass Effect but I doubt thats on their minds!) they will keep EA sweet on it until Titanfall is associated with Xbox and then it will go across to PS...
 

ari

Banned
By the same merit it could get stuck in development hell and never release.

The point is that money, for a fucking title, could have been contributed to the actual creation of a game.

There is zero percent Microsoft will allow a Gears of War title, let alone a IP they just purchase, enter development hell. I for one, anyway, wanted a new gears on my new xbox. I believe they invested quite superbly and building one hell of a first party catalog.
 
Why are people surprised that there would be more Gears games releaesed? How is it any less relevant than Killzone, Infamous or Uncharted?
Its not really anything wrong with gears and yes it is very viable still. Its that some of us were excited for the new IP they had already been hyping.
 
How to not fuck this game up...Ahem..

Dedicated servers

Host migration

Custom map cycles ( a la Gears 1 Player Match)
Keep it 5 v 5

Return to emphasis on playing as a team and using strats ( ie, focus on Execution and Warzone)

Include Horde, Beast and Overrun

Make it so any CoG can choose any class in Overrun. Also include all Locust beasts or as many as possible

Lancer/ HB, Gnasher, Snub & smoke at start (no loadout bullshit)

Shit loads of CoG and Locust characters and permutations for players to choose from

Shit loads of weapon skins (all unlockable in game or purchasable)

Forget Judgement exists. Do not include any conventions from that game...

...But remove stopping power. No one likes it

Design maps with clear choke points and areas where teams fight for the power weapon (ie Gridlock watch tower)

Keep in mind that Gears is best when there is a focus on CQC/ intimate, seemingly claustrophobic encounters. Big maps and large open areas do not suit the Gears formula at all.

Rifles have a purpose but remember that the Gnasher is the bread and butter of Gears MP

Sawed Off should be pick up only.

Big ass power weapons, such as the mortar should not be in any competitive modes

This post says it all. Only thing id change is taking out power weapons. The power weapons are fun.
 

Vizzeh

Banned
While I don't know if the numbers are accurate your point is incredibly valid. Not only did MS have to shell out for the rights to the IP but they are going to lose the 1 year of work Black Tusk has done on the stealth/spy game which is likely in the millions of dollars plus they are probably only 6 months or less into development of the new gears game. It's pretty crazy

Also likely will have to pay EPIC again in royalties to use the Unreal Engine.
 

Fredrik

Member
The way I see it, every IP, now matter how old or how stale it might seem at the end of a generation, starts fresh at the start of a new one. I'm looking forward to what they'll do with GOW on the new hardware.
This. Gears, Halo, Forza, Gran Turismo, GTA, Uncharted, Mass Effect, inFamous, Killzone, etc. They all get my hype going when making their debut on the new hardwares, even in the form of remakes like Tomb Raider.
 

GeoramA

Member
I expected we'd see Gears back on XB1, just like we'll see another God of War on PS4. Established series' just aren't going to die off.
 

Marleyman

Banned
I expected we'd see Gears back on XB1, just like we'll see another God of War on PS4. Established series' just aren't going to die off.

Pretty much this. I hope those talking shit will be in line, ready to do the same, when the new Uncharted, Killzone, God of War, etc drops.
 
How to not fuck this game up...Ahem..

Dedicated servers

Host migration

Custom map cycles ( a la Gears 1 Player Match)
Keep it 5 v 5

Return to emphasis on playing as a team and using strats ( ie, focus on Execution and Warzone)

Include Horde, Beast and Overrun

Make it so any CoG can choose any class in Overrun. Also include all Locust beasts or as many as possible

Lancer/ HB, Gnasher, Snub & smoke at start (no loadout bullshit)

Shit loads of CoG and Locust characters and permutations for players to choose from

Shit loads of weapon skins (all unlockable in game or purchasable)

Forget Judgement exists. Do not include any conventions from that game...

...But remove stopping power. No one likes it

Design maps with clear choke points and areas where teams fight for the power weapon (ie Gridlock watch tower)

Keep in mind that Gears is best when there is a focus on CQC/ intimate, seemingly claustrophobic encounters. Big maps and large open areas do not suit the Gears formula at all.

Rifles have a purpose but remember that the Gnasher is the bread and butter of Gears MP

Sawed Off should be pick up only.

Big ass power weapons, such as the mortar should not be in any competitive modes


I agree with almost everything here but I think they can leave in big weapons. Gears 3 is a good starting point for me with which to base the game off of but add your suggestions. MS having too much control worries me. We all saw what happened with GearsJ and Halo 4. Gears needs time to breathe.
 

Drek

Member
This also tells me that if Titanfall sells more than 5 million (which it should), MS will lock it down permanently.

I wouldn't bet on it. Their contract is either A. Respawn owns the IP but EA gets exclusive rights to publish all Titanfall products or B. Respawn owns the IP and can shop it after the first game.

If it's A: EA will have very little incentive to sign another exclusivity deal for what will then be an XB1/PC only title, especially given PS4's sales superiority to this point and the desire of Respawn to be multi-platform.

If it's B: The bidding would be intense and pricing would be based on estimated sales from going multiplat for all the 3rd parties involved. It wouldn't be financially viable for MS to splash the pot enough to make it a true XB1 exclusive, losing not just PS4 sales but PC sales. We're talking nine figures just to lock up an exclusive basically.
 

Drek

Member
Pretty much this. I hope those talking shit will be in line, ready to do the same, when the new Uncharted, Killzone, God of War, etc drops.

All depends how they're designed. The small bit of teaser info we've gotten on Uncharted 4 suggests a pretty radical change in setting for example, in that it's quite possibly a historical epic starring Drake himself. That would be a refreshing change.

Same with God of War, as SSM have clearly put it on the shelf for the near term while working on their new IP, Barlog just came aboard and is talking new IP himself, and Papy left. That tells me a new GoW is probably a ways off and might look absolutely nothing like the previous games.

Black Tusk might be able to do something meaningful and new with the IP, but at that point why not just have them make a new IP instead? The core creative people behind Gears aren't at Black Tusk. This isn't their baby or a continuation of their vision.

Also, they have zero pedigree while SSM and ND are elite studios. That gets the later a ton more slack when it comes to IP regurgitation, especially if new iterations are interspersed with new IPs.
 

PBY

Banned
All depends how they're designed. The small bit of teaser info we've gotten on Uncharted 4 suggests a pretty radical change in setting for example, in that it's quite possibly a historical epic starring Drake himself. That would be a refreshing change.

Same with God of War, as SSM have clearly put it on the shelf for the near term while working on their new IP, Barlog just came aboard and is talking new IP himself, and Papy left. That tells me a new GoW is probably a ways off and might look absolutely nothing like the previous games.

Black Tusk might be able to do something meaningful and new with the IP, but at that point why not just have them make a new IP instead? The core creative people behind Gears aren't at Black Tusk. This isn't their baby or a continuation of their vision.

Also, they have zero pedigree while SSM and ND are elite studios. That gets the later a ton more slack when it comes to IP regurgitation, especially if new iterations are interspersed with new IPs.
Mitigating risk. Same as uncharted. Kill zone. Infamous. It sucks that it isn't their vision but there's millions on the line.
 
sooo that billion or something dollar budget MS said its putting into xbox 1...is this part of that? Buying titanfall exclusivity, buying the Gears IP, exclusive dlc, etc..

Do they have any first party studios making new IP?
 

Samyy

Member
sooo that billion or something dollar budget MS said its putting into xbox 1...is this part of that? Buying titanfall exclusivity, buying the Gears IP, exclusive dlc, etc..

Do they have any first party studios making new IP?

Kinect Sports Rivals?
And without more information we have no way of really determining if it does come out of that budget.
 

adixon

Member
So Microsoft are going to win over the fence sitters with another generation of Halo/Gears and Titanfall added to the mix? Man, shooters. Except this time... the Halo isn't made by Bungie, and the Gears isn't made by Epic. Will be an interesting strategy to watch play out!
 

demolitio

Member
I hope Black Tusk is still making a new IP because this would be disappointing news to me otherwise as I have no interest in Gears.

Smart business move, but I really hope they don't go with the Halo/Gears rotation non-stop again.
 
There is zero percent Microsoft will allow a Gears of War title, let alone a IP they just purchase, enter development hell. I for one, anyway, wanted a new gears on my new xbox. I believe they invested quite superbly and building one hell of a first party catalog.


Haha, I think you misunderstand the reality of development hell. It's possible for any team, and if it's happening, the only real solutions are putting development on hiatus or putting more money into it, by introducing fresh eyes or more team members.

Although they do have Rod Fergusson, who's worked with plenty of developers in dev-hell and pulled them from the brink.
 
I'm surprised Epic was willing to sell. Good grab for MS even if its a little disappointing that they won't be having black tusk work on anything new.
 

Barzul

Member
Microsoft really needs more RPG's. I would even take something based in the Halo Universe not involving MC, Mass Effect style space RPG.
 
Top Bottom