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Microsoft Studios (& Partners) Current and Future Landscape
- Thread starter Banjo-Kazooie
- Start date
Is it really Rares fault thag is Sea of Theives blow up. I mean the GAS model isn't bad but doubling your first party down on it when you arent in first place.
Just seems from pure profitability standpoint a new Banjo would be a safer bet than a sea of Theives.
Lionleqd seems to have been the chief example of this.
Just seems from pure profitability standpoint a new Banjo would be a safer bet than a sea of Theives.
Lionleqd seems to have been the chief example of this.
It's the remaster. The revived game is likely ever going to happen anytime soon. Shannon was also the one who announced the remasterSomebody ask if this is Phantom Dust HD or the supposed revived sequel
You bundle a game to help selling the console. You don't sell a console bundle to increase games sales !
Hockeymac18
Member
since this turned into the official Phil twitter thread:
this tweet is interesting just as much for what it doesn't say as for what it says
I'm all for getting comments from Phil Spencer on things, but what do you honestly expect him to say? Seriously - think about it. Even if things weren't good for Xbox within MS, he's not going to admit that (and on Twitter, of all places).
Why can't you do both?
But yeah, bundling it to just Scorpio is not going to help, it needs to be with One S as well.
Yep they meant the remaster
Lionleqd (Lionhead?) didn't fail because of Fable Legends. Lionhead closed down for multiple reasons, but the studio had been in trouble since 2012. The decision to make Fable Legends free to play didn't help ; that's something that Sea of Thieves isn't doing.
At the same time, some people say that the decision to close Lionhead came from the studio's head directly. More on this here.
Seriously.
"Things arent good help!"
hydrophilic attack
Member
if things were good with ms leadership he would obviously have said so
if things are not good the smart way to handle that tweet he was replying to would have been not to respond at all
Sure, but think about the nature of this type of game. You can and should absolutely bundle it with the Slim to grow & nurture the initial potential player base. Especially if you've already made heavy investments as a publisher.
I want to say someone asked him a question years ago and he responded with something like "the higher ups at MS fully support xbox", something in the back of my mind is telling me that at least. If true then the change of response is quite weird
HeisenbergWW62
Banned
Random question but what is so bad about the windows store anyway? I always hear about how much it sucks but never reasons why
https://twitter.com/SeaOfThieves/status/819232321530396672
Simply put? The Windows Store isn't made to handle huge, 50 GB games. It was built for apps and productivity software like Office. Patching, downloading and installing has been a pain so far.
It's not a smooth experience like you'd have on console or on Steam, for examples.
It is something they can improve easily upon, though.
I think you are being delusional. If Sunset Overdrive and Recore are anything to go by, it's much more likely we will see Sea of Thieves being sent to death next fall with hardly any promotion. Time will tell I guess.
If the beta reception is good I think it'll get mass bundled
LordRaptor
Member
The biggest question mark around Sea Of Thieves is Rares experience with that type of game design. Namely that they don't really have any.
You can see a clear design progression from Halo to Destiny; Destiny expands on things Bungie are already good at.
Where is Sea Of Thieves coming from? What are the principles its building upon and expanding?
You can see a clear design progression from Halo to Destiny; Destiny expands on things Bungie are already good at.
Where is Sea Of Thieves coming from? What are the principles its building upon and expanding?
Rain City Gamer
Member
I have been a fan of SoT's since it's unveiling but to expect large sales numbers out of what will be a niche game on a console populated by people that don't play niche games is delusional for sure.
Bits N Pieces
Member
You're all mad, Sea of Thieves is going to be huge, huge I tell thee.
onemanasylum
Banned
Man I don't get it, that game has niche written all over it, especially on xbox.
How am I being delusional? LOL
I suggest you re-read what I wrote multiple times and then re-read your post again.
We're making suggestions to give the game the best possible chance it can get for long term survival and success. Marketing it heavily as well as bundling it should be basic common sense by now. Unless you mean I'm being delusional for expecting and hoping for MS to actually support SoT...
facetheslayer92
Member
Rare has always wanted to create an MMO. They tried with Quest for OG Xbox but it was cancelled. They tried again with Cascade for Xbox 360 but Microsoft also cancelled that.
onemanasylum
Banned
MS is going to want a much bigger main bundle to move units.
Triggerhappytel
Member
That doesn't necessarily need to be an issue though. Rocksteady had no experience with third person superhero games before Arkham Asylum either.
This is a really good point.
Also the last time they made a game that didn't use Kinect was 2008.
They can bundle it with any huge third-party game coming out? I don't understand...
onemanasylum
Banned
Maybe, don't see it happening though personally. Time will tell.
Bits N Pieces
Member
On the official forums the feedback and comments from those that have played the alpha are glowing. It just seems to click with people. Now I realise those people may have a slight bias to begin with but even at E3 the thoughts of those that played it have always said how much fun they had with it, the majority of the time.
Its doing something new and it really seems to be innovating in really cool ways, things that haven't been done before or maybe they have and I just haven't seen it.
And its got pirates. Bloody pirates. Its going to be huge for Rare. Bookmark this, lol.
*will delete GAF account when SoT sells -100k in its first month NPD*
onemanasylum
Banned
This means nothing dude yet really. we shall see.
Steelyuhas
Member
Doesn't Rare have more experience making games in more genres than pretty much any other dev around?
That's exacty what I mean.
I mean, sure if you want SoT to succeed, you could make it cook as long as need for it to be great - surely delaying it in the process, and releasing it outside of the Fall mayhem. You could have a huge marketing campaign. You could tie the game to every console sold. But when was the last time Microsoft did this for a new IP ? A risky new IP, in a weird genre that scream niche.
I am not seeing it. But again time will tell.
What? They've done that this year with Battlefield 1. They've done it with Madden... I don't understand...
Ah damn lol.
Can they afford to let it hang dry after pumping serious resources into it? Especially now with their thin internal software lineup? I think they might make the push for this game personally but you're correct. Time will definitely tell.
Yup everyone that's played it has come away with glowing impressions. That's why I think it's gonna blow up when people actually try the beta.
Of course it could flop, and there is a higher chance of that happening than not, but I still think it's gonna be big.
What 3rd party marketing deals does MS actually have for next year though.. they're all with Sony lol
Assassins Creed? I don't think that's gonna help Xbox that much. And even AC is questionable, that could be back with Sony
I have no doubt that SOT can be great in a LAN party like setting such as at E3. Hell maybe even online with a small community of like minded people such as when it's in closed alpha or beta.
With thousands of random dickheads who aren't team players or are just there to grief? It's going to be insufferable and it's going to chase away the people who do want to play properly. Some of the features Rare is touting shows their naiveté in the online space.
It is just so sad that Rare's IPs are just sitting there. I am not really sold on Sea of Thieves but we all probably know this is their one and only shot.
Didn't Sony have marketing for AC Syndicate? Is so no guarantee Microsoft will have that either, that series seems to move around a bit but it seems to be Sony more often. Was Unity the only one with Microsoft? I remember 3 having some playstation exclusive content.
Jaguar Victory
Member
That's kind of a harsh response. I don't think it's crazy at all. Why did Sega bundle Sonic? Why did Nintendo bundle Mario?
Papacheeks
Banned
Something they could improve, and something they straight up haven't since it's launch. Origin was pretty shit when it launched but look at it now, it's somewhat a decent storefront, and EA access is awesome.
Yeah I just edited that into my post too. Unity was the only one with MS, yes.
I don't know, that seems very early to tell, and to be fair, no one on this forum would be in a position to know except maybe those weird Twitter leakers...
There are a few high-profile games that could easily be bundled ; Battlefront, Prey, lots of EA Sports titles... even Forza or Crackdown.
I think SoT has huge potential, but I don't think Rare has the chops to fully deliver on it for it to really blow up. And I don't think the concept is immediately engaging from an outside perspective.
If they don't have sufficient single-player content, and I mean sufficient, as in rich, varied and continuously engaging then I seriously don't see it taking off. Say what you want, but if this game ends up only being fun with a few friends, it'll alienate a huge part of the audience in a single swoop. Guess what, 90% of games are fun with a few friends in co-op, even bad games can be good in that setting.
If they don't have sufficient single-player content, and I mean sufficient, as in rich, varied and continuously engaging then I seriously don't see it taking off. Say what you want, but if this game ends up only being fun with a few friends, it'll alienate a huge part of the audience in a single swoop. Guess what, 90% of games are fun with a few friends in co-op, even bad games can be good in that setting.
Humdinger
Gold Member
Come on, Spencer isn't going to comment on twitter about his bosses' views. That would be stupid.
Ricky Ricardo
Member
Umm, actually it does mean something. Considering that any time someone raises a concern over Horizon Zero Dawn's potential, someone replies with "Well, GAF and player impressions have been positive and praising, and impressions from the press are good!" we can absolutely draw inferences about how the game will be received.
Now, Fable Legends also had some good word of mouth, but that got pulled, so eh. But good word-of-mouth DOES play a role in the success of released games.
AnthonypUK
Member
Sea of Thieves will be extremely lucky to sell Gears of War 4/Fora Horizon 3 numbers, let alone halo, it'll sell more in the region of dead rising/Quantum Break numbers.
SoT has potential to be a successful new IP. How successful I don't know, but xbox fanbase sure love multiplayer games. This one will easily be the best selling new IP for ms this gen if done right.
Everyone that played the game (both at E3/Gamescom and in the alpha) seems to like it a lot. It looks like a fresh and fun experience, it has great graphics and can attract a wide audience. Let's see how they're shaping up the moment to moment gameplay.
Everyone that played the game (both at E3/Gamescom and in the alpha) seems to like it a lot. It looks like a fresh and fun experience, it has great graphics and can attract a wide audience. Let's see how they're shaping up the moment to moment gameplay.
tiredheadcrab
Member
I think maybe Phil isnt sure when we would see Scorpio again is because there is a rumored hardware event in April. He might not be sure if the system has room there or just wait till E3. My guess is wait till E3. A Surface event isnt really a place for the gaming press at large. Its more for tech bloggers.
Also I wouldnt read too much into Phil dodging the question.
Also I wouldnt read too much into Phil dodging the question.
Shpeshal Nick
aka Collingwood
I think the differentiator here is styles. SoT is a multiplayer focused game. Horizon is strictly single player.
On a forum where the majority seem to prefer single player experiences, good impressions will have more weight and inspire more confidence for a single player game. Good impressions for a multiplayer focused game won't mean much in a post Evolve world.
Bits N Pieces
Member
Looking for Group will be our friend. I was starting to tire of Gears 4 Horde as people were just quitting or going for their own objectives. Since using Looking for Group I'm enjoying it again and playing with people who just want to have fun, like myself.
Try it out, I'm sure there will be folk on here looking to play. I'll be down for it as long as you don't mind hearing some profanities in a strong Glaswegian accent
