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Microsoft Studios (& Partners) Current and Future Landscape

ViciousDS

Banned
Well said

Regarding the bolded, they need a Horizon. A new, exciting IP that's massive and most importantly, developed by an internal studio. One of their biggest problems is their overeliance on external devs to do almost all their new IP's for them


The problem is every game on their horizon is a multiplayer or service game in some form or way.


Crackdown.....co-op game most likely with packs you will be able to buy for cosmetic items and weapons.

Sea of thieves.......service multiplayer game

State of Decay.......Co-op. Will probably have some sort of service for the long haul. It's a zombie survival game but It's not a huge budget game.



We need a horizon, days gone, death stranding......,SOMETHING along those lines.


Where's lost odyssey? Where's Fable 4? Scalebound should make a comeback somehow. Alan wake 2!

Why doesn't Xbox have that one single player experience without the bullshit service model and multiplayer?

Sure quantum break didn't work out as expected. But that's because of the TV show design they chose. (Even though I love the fuck out of quantum break and crave for a sequel one day.)



Cup head is my only guaranteed future purchase from them. Game just oozes quality
 
Your using examples from 10+ years ago. It's not the same today.

All right, how about 3 or 4 years ago? Crimson Dragon? D4? Scalebound? Heck, MS had an exclusive relationship with Tecmo for years, whether it was for Dead or Alive or Ninja Gaiden - how come they never secured Nioh, a game which had been announced nearly a decade ago?

When Capcom was in dire straights for cash in 2013/2014, all they cared about was securing Dead Rising, when Capcom would've loved to had sold off even more games. Sony opened up their wallets to Capcom & got SFV out of it. You're telling me MS couldn't have secured a new DMC or Lost Planet? Or how about this - why hasn't MS opened its wallet to work with JP publishers in getting their titles just released on the Xbox platform, at least released in the West. Like someone mentioned on this page, games like Nier:Automata & Persona 5 shouldn't be missing the Xbox platform, and yet the team in Redmond are seemingly unphased that they are.
 

blakep267

Member
Again, you're defending the opinion of someone who said MS "fucked up" and cited Remedy as an example - what did they do around QB to justify that statement?

And if they announce it, I'll believe it, but please feel free to show me this "here & there" you're talking about.
There is no here and there. He sussposedly has inside info. That's it. There's been no articles or anything about the game being multiplat
 

AmuroChan

Member
I wonder if Microsoft will go the third-party route again to secure some exclusives (to XBox family + PC) in time for the Scorpio launch. Are there any high-profile third party devs that have been relatively quiet the last couple years and we don't know what they are working on?
 

sam12

Member
Why do they keep forgetting what happened in the past. Stronger hardware does nothing if you don't have games. And no I am not talking about half baked games like Recore or heavily multiplayer focused Halo and such. PS2 rightfully reigned supreme against stronger hardware of Xbox or even GameCube because it had games. Simplicity is too hard of a concept for Microsoft to understand.

I feel like their focus is just going to be on better hardware for 3rd party games. Plus it will be heavily focused on multiplayer transactions. They have lost touch with the simple gamer
 

blakep267

Member
Why do they keep forgetting what happened in the past. Stronger hardware does nothing if you don't have games. And no I am not talking about half baked games like Recore or heavily multiplayer focused Halo and such. PS2 rightfully reigned supreme against stronger hardware of Xbox or even GameCube because it had games. Simplicity is too hard of a concept for Microsoft to understand.

I feel like their focus is just going to be on better hardware for 3rd party games. Plus it will be heavily focused on multiplayer transactions. They have lost touch with the simple gamer
What do you think those gamers are playing? Serious question
 
Again, you're defending the opinion of someone who said MS "fucked up" and cited Remedy as an example - what did they do around QB to justify that statement?

Let's see - making a developer who clearly wanted to make something else (Alan Wake 2, in this case) work on a new IP that was ultimately designed to sell this fused-media initiative they were chasing on the onset of the X1. The fans are clamoring for an Alan Wake 2, Remedy even tried to shop it to other publishers, and even released what amounted to an apology video to their fans when they announced Quantum Break as their next project.

Then, with Quantum Break not setting the world on fire, MS continues to not give their fans what they've been clamoring for, and instead let Remedy, a studio which the Xbox fans embraced whole heartedly as a part of the Xbox 1st party stable, walk away to pursue interests with other publishers & explore other platforms. If MS wanted, Spencer could walk into Remedy tomorrow and begin the process of Alan Wake 2, but thats not going to happen. Its not the kind of game MS wants to push anymore in a triple-A capacity, even though their most vocal fan base is crying out for Alan Wake 2.
 
Why do they keep forgetting what happened in the past. Stronger hardware does nothing if you don't have games. And no I am not talking about half baked games like Recore or heavily multiplayer focused Halo and such. PS2 rightfully reigned supreme against stronger hardware of Xbox or even GameCube because it had games. Simplicity is too hard of a concept for Microsoft to understand.

I feel like their focus is just going to be on better hardware for 3rd party games. Plus it will be heavily focused on multiplayer transactions. They have lost touch with the simple gamer

The simple gamer plays 3rd party games sir.
 

EagleEyes

Member
They really need a big original IP developed internally that can create a nice buzz. I love Halo, Gears and Forza as much as anyone else but are known properties and just don't create that big buzz outside of their fanbase anymore.
 

sam12

Member
The simple gamer plays 3rd party games sir.

Simple gamers also love exclusive single player games, things like Zelda or Horizon or even Nioh. Games that are well crafted and not rushed out half baked just to fulfill criteria for the sake of offering something different
 

krang

Member
Let's see - making a developer who clearly wanted to make something else (Alan Wake 2, in this case) work on a new IP that was ultimately designed to sell this fused-media initiative they were chasing on the onset of the X1. The fans are clamoring for an Alan Wake 2, Remedy even tried to shop it to other publishers, and even released what amounted to an apology video to their fans when they announced Quantum Break as their next project.

Then, with Quantum Break not setting the world on fire, MS continues to not give their fans what they've been clamoring for, and instead let Remedy, a studio which the Xbox fans embraced whole heartedly as a part of the Xbox 1st party stable, walk away to pursue interests with other publishers & explore other platforms. If MS wanted, Spencer could walk into Remedy tomorrow and begin the process of Alan Wake 2, but thats not going to happen. Its not the kind of game MS wants to push anymore in a triple-A capacity, even though their most vocal fan base is crying out for Alan Wake 2.

Indeed. But I would consider those people a vocal minority. What I like about your comment is that it is somehow Microsoft's fault for not picking up AW2 but you also clearly state that Remedy tried to take it to other publishers and nobody wanted it - so...

And they didn't exactly put a gun to Remedy's head to make QB. Sure, they wanted the TV stuff, but that was dismissible and of no consequence to the success of the game in the end.
 
Source?

Also, if there was any interest in the game, why didn't one of those other publishers you mentioned pick it up?

Because why publish a franchise by another publisher whose IP you wouldn't own (very few 3rd party publishers even deal with external publishing deals for devs anymore), who you'd likely have to clear up the 1st right of refusal anyway, and whose predecessor you wouldn't even be able to sell to other platforms anyway.

It's not a good deal for a 3rd party publisher to take on. Too much BS to deal with. But its the perfect game for a sequel.

Indeed. But I would consider those people a vocal minority. What I like about your comment is that it is somehow Microsoft's fault for not picking up AW2 but you also clearly state that Remedy tried to take it to other publishers and nobody wanted it - so...

And they didn't exactly put a gun to Remedy's head to make QB. Sure, they wanted the TV stuff, but that was dismissible and of no consequence to the success of the game in the end.

Like I state in this post, there is a ton of other issues that a 3rd party publisher would have to take on in order to green light a Alan Wake 2 that go beyond just money. On top of that, 3rd party publishers are almost all entirely working with studios they own a majority stake in now - the last group doing external development was EA, and they basically shuttered all of those deals after the first batch of games all flopped, save for Respawn/Titanfall.

And you're telling me they didn't put a gun to Remedy's head, but Remedy was probably very unlikely to secure funding around that time with anyone outside of MS. Again, 3rd parties are not working with independent developers on publishing deals anymore. Their primary partner, MS, gave them another deal. It was a simple get, and there was probably a hope within the team that if things went great for QB, AW2 would be their next project. Independent development & publishing has come a long way since then though, so its way easier for Remedy to branch off & do their own thing in 2017 than it was in 2012/2013.
 

Zukkoyaki

Member
Of all of Microsoft's weird moves in recent years, the closure of Press Play was the one that shocked me. They had literally held a fan vote for their next project just a few months prior to being shut down. They were also a pretty small studio that I can't imagine cost a whole lot to operate. Very unfortunate.
 

Wedzi

Banned
Man now that we finally have new Scorpio information I guess this is going to be the thread that gets bumped and I always hope it's finally new information.

Expect I always knew new Scorpio information was coming, not so much for this thread :(
 

krang

Member
Because why publish a franchise by another publisher whose IP you wouldn't own (very few 3rd party publishers even deal with external publishing deals for devs anymore), who you'd likely have to clear up the 1st right of refusal anyway, and whose predecessor you wouldn't even be able to sell to other platforms anyway.

It's not a good deal for a 3rd party publisher to take on. Too much BS to deal with. But its the perfect game for a sequel.

I think you're way overestimating the size of the AW fan base.
 
Of all of Microsoft's weird moves in recent years, the closure of Press Play was the one that shocked me. They had literally held a fan vote for their next project just a few months prior to being shut down. They were also a pretty small studio that I can't imagine cost a whole lot to operate. Very unfortunate.
Max was a decent game, but I'd guess it just didn't really make much sense for MS keep a small first party studio like that. Same with Twisted Pixel. Why keep these studios on the payroll and hope they make a good game? And then get stuck with garbage like LocoCycle.

There's plenty of small independent studios out there. As long as MS is able to make deals with them, like they have for Ori and State of Decay, it doesn't really make a difference in the end if they own the studio or not. It probably gives them more flexibility to invest in better games in the end.
 

Mifune

Mehmber
Some developers that Microsoft should try/shoulda tried to work with:

Obsidian (second time's the charm?)
Ninja Theory (one of the four projects they're working on, maybe?)
Epic Games
United Front Games (too late, alas)
From Software
Mistwalker
Sanzaru
Turtle Rock
Supermassive Games
thatgamecompany
 
Fundamentally, I think that unless we get some serious shocks at E3*, it's looking increasingly clear that MS is simply downsizing their first party efforts. They want their tentpoles, a collection of games-as-a-service, the occasional offshoot and AA title... and that's about it. From there it'll be 2nd party, the occasional 3rd party project, and lots and lots of multiplats at the highest res or whatever available.

And hell, it might work. This isn't the PS2 era. First party titles drive online narratives, but not sales. People go to where they can Calladoody best. Damn shame for those of us hankering for more conventional experiences from MS IPs, though.

*It's possible they end up reorienting and redirecting the HoloLens studios into more conventional projects now that it's clear that thing's never really going to be a proper gaming device, but I suppose we'll see. If they do that, or announce a slew of 2nd/3rd party efforts at E3, I'll revise my opinion.

Also, has Sneakers gotten verified yet...?
 
All of Remedy's current upcoming projects are multiplatform, as revealed in the Polygon story and reiterated this week in a post. They are working with MS on a Scorpio patch for QB; you'll hear more about Scorpio compatibility with current X1 games, including ReCore Definitive Edition, at E3.

Playground has two teams, one of which is still working with MS, but technically speaking, both teams should've been working with MS - they did, indeed, drop the ball on that one.

Mmm scorpio patch for QB!!! Hnnnnnnnngggggg
 
I think you're way overestimating the size of the AW fan base.

Oh no, not at all. Its a niche audience, but niche audiences can grow. Persona fans used to be a niche audience, and Persona 5 is currently enjoying some of the highest sales the series has ever seen by a country mile. There is an excitement for Alan Wake amongst the core Xbox userbase that could easily extend into it becoming a new marque franchise for the platform.

If publishers all dropped a series/studio just on the merits & sales of their first entry, we would be missing out on a ton of franchises right now.
 

Granjinha

Member
Oh no, not at all. Its a niche audience, but niche audiences can grow. Persona fans used to be a niche audience, and Persona 5 is currently enjoying some of the highest sales the series has ever seen by a country mile. There is an excitement for Alan Wake amongst the core Xbox userbase that could easily extend into it becoming a new marque franchise for the platform.

If publishers all dropped a series/studio just on the merits & sales of their first entry, we would be missing out on a ton of franchises right now.

Yeah, that's MS biggest mistake. They don't have long term vision for their series.

Sunset could grow too. There's a LOT of examples, actually.

If MS wanted, Spencer could walk into Remedy tomorrow and begin the process of Alan Wake 2, but thats not going to happen. Its not the kind of game MS wants to push anymore in a triple-A capacity, even though their most vocal fan base is crying out for Alan Wake 2.

But i do get the impression that Spencer actually wants stuff like this but doesn't have the support needed anymore for it.

Like, he's not that far high in the MS's executive ecossystem.
 
Some developers that Microsoft should try/shoulda tried to work with:

Obsidian (second time's the charm?)
Ninja Theory (one of the four projects they're working on, maybe?)
Epic Games
United Front Games (too late, alas)
From Software
Mistwalker
Sanzaru
Turtle Rock
Supermassive Games
thatgamecompany

Honestly, the only ones I can see on this list working with MS in a exclusive capacity would be Ninja Theory, Mistwalker, and Turtle Rock. Turtle Rock in particular sticks out because the kind of game they built with Evolve and the sort of things MS does want to pursue has a ton of overlap.
 

Mifune

Mehmber
Honestly, the only ones I can see on this list working with MS in an exclusive capacity would be Ninja Theory, Mistwalker, and Turtle Rock. Turtle Rock in particular sticks out because the kind of game they built with Evolve and the sort of things MS does want to pursue has a ton of overlap.

Yeah, Turtle Rock is a really good fit. The rest are more a wish list since we don't know what they're up to on the console front. Wouldn't be surprised to see Ninja Theory work on a new Sony IP, though.
 

Dynomutt

Member
Honestly, the only ones I can see on this list working with MS in a exclusive capacity would be Ninja Theory, Mistwalker, and Turtle Rock. Turtle Rock in particular sticks out because the kind of game they built with Evolve and the sort of things MS does want to pursue has a ton of overlap.

I may be wrong, but do you mean Team Ninja as in Ninja Gaiden?

Edit: I see now!
 

Fisty

Member
Source?

Also, if there was any interest in the game, why didn't one of those other publishers you mentioned pick it up?

Indeed. But I would consider those people a vocal minority. What I like about your comment is that it is somehow Microsoft's fault for not picking up AW2 but you also clearly state that Remedy tried to take it to other publishers and nobody wanted it - so...

And they didn't exactly put a gun to Remedy's head to make QB. Sure, they wanted the TV stuff, but that was dismissible and of no consequence to the success of the game in the end.

Well I'd bet it's really damn hard for a studio like Remedy to shop a game around outside of MS. They are strongly associated with MS and every pub out there knows that the first ones Remedy shop an idea to is MS. If MS doesn't pick it up, that is an immediate red flag for other pubs. I would imagine every Remedy pitch would begin with the question "Well why didn't MS pick this one up?" No one wants to be the guy who bets big on a flop that you had cause for concern about
 
But i do get the impression that Spencer actually wants stuff like this but doesn't have the support needed anymore for it.

Like, he's not that far high in the MS's executive ecossystem.

And this i what I believe it comes down to. Some people seem to think that since MS is very wealthy that that translates to Xbox as well. It doesn't. Xbox is a relatively insignifocant part of MS' portfolio. If Xbox doesn't reach their financial goals, then their funding will be cut unless Phil & co can make a substantial argument for why it is in their interest to fund Xbox more.

They have lost a lot of ground to their competition, 1p games have underperformed/underdelivered/having to be cancelled etc. It doesn't make sense for big ol' MS to keep investing even more than before, if the business doesn't seem to be working out. Which is why I feel lile this Play Anywhere/Scorpio being the most powerful console is a hail Mary to revitalise interest in devs for the Xbox brand.

They have had chances, XB1 was a major misstep, so now they are looking at alternative models. It seems to me that MS doesn't "get" why certain games are popular and others are not; that type of intuition goes creatively further than just looking at numbers of what's trending. It is not their wheelhouse, and it is why I think MS is aiming for win10/xbox to become a great platform for devs first and foremost, before they can even attenpt at being risky with 1p devs. They have tried and failed with making 1p work this gen, and I think the higher ups are tired.
 
Well I'd bet it's really damn hard for a studio like Remedy to shop a game around outside of MS. They are strongly associated with MS and every pub out there knows that the first ones Remedy shop an idea to is MS. If MS doesn't pick it up, that is an immediate red flag for other pubs. I would imagine every Remedy pitch would begin with the question "Well why didn't MS pick this one up?" No one wants to be the guy who bets big on a flop that you had cause for concern about

While there is reason in this logic, Destiny/Bungie & how they brokered a deal with Activision flies against this. Then again, Remedy hasn't made anything nearing the enormity (in terms of reception) of Halo since Max Payne 2.
 

shingi70

Banned
I'm hoping Voodoo Vince and Phantom Dust remasters are an indication of where Microsoft their first party to go in spirit.


I thought at the start of the gen the Xbox one had a really strong line up of games and somewhere before Quantim Break it all fell apart.
 
I'm hoping Voodoo Vince and Phantom Dust remasters are an indication of where Microsoft their first party to go in spirit.


I thought at the start of the gen the Xbox one had a really strong line up of games and somewhere before Quantim Break it all fell apart.

All the really cool stuff kept getting delayed, and then canceled, or disappointed.

Even though I honestly don't think that in terms of basic business their first party is in a particularly bad place right now, the consumer confidence in the brand is pretty low, especially amongst the hardcore types who tend to drive conversation. They need some shiny new announcements if they wanna turn that around, and soon. Even if they're not gonna be out for 2-3 years.

I'm not convinced they care enough about that message to bother, though. Games as a service might be anathema to a lot of traditional gamers, but the casual crowd loves 'em, and the latter is a LOT bigger than the former.
 

shingi70

Banned
All the really cool stuff kept getting delayed, and then canceled, or disappointed.

Even though I honestly don't think that in terms of basic business their first party is in a particularly bad place right now, the consumer confidence in the brand is pretty low, especially amongst the hardcore types who tend to drive conversation. They need some shiny new announcements if they wanna turn that around, and soon. Even if they're not gonna be out for 2-3 years.

I'm not convinced they care enough about that message to bother, though. Games as a service might be anathema to a lot of traditional gamers, but the casual crowd loves 'em, and the latter is a LOT bigger than the former.


True the biggest games this generation are all GAS. For me it depends on the game, and hoping they still have decent single player content.
 
Oh no, not at all. Its a niche audience, but niche audiences can grow. Persona fans used to be a niche audience, and Persona 5 is currently enjoying some of the highest sales the series has ever seen by a country mile. There is an excitement for Alan Wake amongst the core Xbox userbase that could easily extend into it becoming a new marque franchise for the platform.

If publishers all dropped a series/studio just on the merits & sales of their first entry, we would be missing out on a ton of franchises right now.

As I've heard others say, Alan Wake 2 would have made a great candidate for a single player episodic games as service release, just like Hitman. Shame we won't be getting it, or QB2. I am happy to hear about a QB Scorpio patch. It's a damn good looking game.
 

Papacheeks

Banned
Persona 5 isn't even a niche game. This is a premier, 94 metacritic goty candidate.

If there is no audience for that game on Xbox then that's a biiiig problem. Microsoft has to change that.

You can't change what your main focus as a platform has been. Which is western centric. Even in the early days of xbox Japanese games didn't do well on the system I know because I bought them.
Ninja Gaiden, DOA, among a couple others like Lost Odyssey are the bigger Japanese games that sold ok.
But DOA sales declined over time when they had sequels on xbox 360 same with NInja Gaiden 2, or should I say interest declined over time.
Interest that didn't was western games coming from Bioware, and the likes. That's where they need to focus. Look at xbox heritage which pretty much consists of PC developers making the backbone of xbox.

Crimson Skies, Munch's odyssey, strangers wrath, MECH ASSAULT, STUBS, fable, halo,project gotham racing, ralley racing, among great PC ports like half life, chronicles of riddick escape from butcher bay, Fusion Frenzy. There's a bunch of titles and franchises MS could resurrect but won't because of people who over see the xbox division from bigger parent division.
Which until that changes Xbox will continue to decline unless scorpio brings new software when they show it at E3.
 
True the biggest games this generation are all GAS. For me it depends on the game, and hoping they still have decent single player content.

Me too, man. I'd hate to see those big AAA singleplayer titles become a lost art, but economically there's a lot of reasons why they could die out.
 

sam12

Member
No there not. They are playing NBA2k, call of duty, ghost recon gta Destiny.

Our definitions obviously vary but to me simple gaming is more so about the single player experience rather than rankings, online multiplayer competitions, micro transactions and so forth
 

Lingitiz

Member
There's a bunch of titles and franchises MS could resurrect but won't because of people who over see the xbox division from bigger parent division.
Which until that changes Xbox will continue to decline unless scorpio brings new software when they show it at E3.

The biggest problem with this is that they simply don't have the studio portfolio and strong partnerships necessary to take advantage of these IP, or to even establish big new ones. Sony, and to a lesser extent Nintendo, have been able to branch out with new IP and continue to expand on older ones because the have the strong internal talent and partnerships available. All of their best talent is working on Forza, Halo, and Gears.

MS has already tried to do this and bungled almost every publishing arrangement this gen (Scalebound, Phantom Dust) or released to mixed results (Ryse, Quantum Break, Dead Rising).

In short, the question for all those games is: "Who's going to make it?" They simply do not have the same quantity and quality of first party studios and partnerships that their competitors have, making it tough to experiment, take risks, and truly build.
 

Fisty

Member
While there is reason in this logic, Destiny/Bungie & how they brokered a deal with Activision flies against this. Then again, Remedy hasn't made anything nearing the enormity (in terms of reception) of Halo since Max Payne 2.

Mmm no i think Max Payne 2 underperformed, coming off of MP1 especially. Halo was a juggernaut and practically the reason MS is even a player in the console space today. Halo 3 was probably the biggest game on the market until COD4 dethroned it. I think each of Remedy's games since Max Payne 1 has sold at or below expectations, and none of them had the marketing/licensing potential of the Halo brand
 

sam12

Member
Gears of War
Halo
Forza
Minecraft
Killer Instinct
Crackdown
Sea of Thieves
State of Decay
Age of Empires
Jet Force Gemini
Crimson Skies
Crimson Dragon
Recore
Quantum Break
Perfect Dark
Conkers
Banjo
Phantom Dust
Lost Odyssey
Blue Dragon
Voodoo Vince
Project Gotham Racing
Ninety Nine Nights
Infinite Undiscovery
Fable
Fusion Frenzy
Kameo
Viva Piñata

I think Microsoft owns all these IPs but yet why only concentrate on a few of them ?
 

Clear

CliffyB's Cock Holster
I'm hoping Voodoo Vince and Phantom Dust remasters are an indication of where Microsoft their first party to go in spirit.

I'd say its indicative of their defining weakness in terms of software line-up: They are constantly looking backwards to a lost "golden age" that simply wasn't that great to begin with. Not to say that there aren't good titles in the back-catalogue, just that it isn't really that deep a pool to draw from compared to their competitors.

While in many ways their efforts in keeping the 360/OG XBox era alive through BC and remasters is laudable, to me it seems like an awful lot of effort to try and recapture the past at the expense of the future.
 

FelipeMGM

Member
Honestly, the only ones I can see on this list working with MS in a exclusive capacity would be Ninja Theory, Mistwalker, and Turtle Rock. Turtle Rock in particular sticks out because the kind of game they built with Evolve and the sort of things MS does want to pursue has a ton of overlap.

And they had a huge success in a Xbox platform already, with L4D on X360

Its indeed a great fit for a Microsoft Studios partnership
 

Papacheeks

Banned
The biggest problem with this is that they simply don't have the studio portfolio and strong partnerships necessary to take advantage of these IP, or to even establish big new ones. Sony, and to a lesser extent Nintendo, have been able to branch out with new IP and continue to expand on older ones because the have the strong internal talent and partnerships available. All of their best talent is working on Forza, Halo, and Gears.

MS has already tried to do this and bungled almost every publishing arrangement this gen (Scalebound, Phantom Dust) or released to mixed results (Ryse, Quantum Break, Dead Rising).

In short, the question for all those games is: "Who's going to make it?" They simply do not have the same quantity and quality of first party studios and partnerships that their competitors have, making it tough to experiment, take risks, and truly build.

MS did not try, they fucked up period in their overall approach from the beginning. Allard and his team were doing a great job, but saw where Mattrick/balmer wanted the division to head to and they were like " I'm out".

If the people who help make xbox what it was in the beginning stayed like J allard, shamus and the likes xbox would not be in the position they are in. They sat all through the xbox 360 years making some unique games but not continuing them because they didn't meet sales expectations. More studios would stayed and made games for them like Ensemble if MS ween't dicks. Bungie would still be with them if they were given creative freedom, if MS outlook was to be the western type gaming box for people who like PC style/ western developed games they would be fine.
They are the ones who fucked up, they didn't get into gaming for the same reasons Sony, Nintendo, Sega did.
Which was to release compelling software/ entertainment. Xbox and microsoft wanted to sell you services that had entertainment. And that's why xbox is in a shit affairs. Once Call of duty did insane numbers that was the start of the end for anything creative over at xbox.

From there on out it was mostly sequels with DLC, third party deals, and games like call of duty making up the majority of their library focus.
If they had got into this business for the correct reasons gamers would be buying xbox's, Microsoft branded/published games and the division would be flourishing with creativity from PC developers. Instead they went the opposite way and alienated gamers with their shitty practices to indie development, DRM, DLC deals(which sony is now doing unfortunately).

It sucks because I saw a lot of great stuff on xbox and early xbox 360 days that reminded me a lot of the dreamcast in terms of diversity of quality software.
Them not having studios is their fault, and if that is what tanks the division then let them die on their sword.
 
I don't know, I think I agree with Sneaker and Lingitiz. MS did give it a go in the beginning but none of it stuck.

I just think they need stuff that would force people to pay attention. An exclusive Ironman game with Marvel, for example. Ironman is very popular right now so that would be a good deal. As Ling mentioned though, who would develop these type of deals? It is just hard to think of devs that could get it done.
 

blakep267

Member
I don't know, I think I agree with Sneaker and Lingitiz. MS did give it a go in the beginning but none of it stuck.

I just think they need stuff that would force people to pay attention. An exclusive Ironman game with Marvel, for example. Ironman is very popular right now so that would be a good deal. As Ling mentioned though, who would develop these type of deals? It is just hard to think of devs that could get it done.
I think the Spider-Man and Sony thing was more of a one off case imo. If Disney/marvel wanted a iron man game, they would go to a bigger third party publisher and get it done. Like they are doing with Square Enix now
 

sam12

Member
Doesn't Sony own Spider Man theatrical rights? Isn't the whole reason they are making a game to coincide with the release of their own Spider man movie, for more publicity??
Microsoft does not need any partnership with Marvel for exclusives, they need to look at their own games and develop sequels or new IPs with their internal studios
 

The God

Member
Doesn't Sony own Spider Man theatrical rights? Isn't the whole reason they are making a game to coincide with the release of their own Spider man movie, for more publicity??
Microsoft does not need any partnership with Marvel for exclusives, they need to look at their own games and develop sequels or new IPs with their internal studios

Spider-Man PS4 has nothing to do with upcoming movie. The game is its own thing and probably not releasing this year.
 
I think the Spider-Man and Sony thing was more of a one off case imo. If Disney/marvel wanted a iron man game, they would go to a bigger third party publisher and get it done. Like they are doing with Square Enix now
I'm more looking at it from what would benefit MS.

Doesn't Sony own Spider Man theatrical rights? Isn't the whole reason they are making a game to coincide with the release of their own Spider man movie, for more publicity??
Microsoft does not need any partnership with Marvel for exclusives, they need to look at their own games and develop sequels or new IPs with their internal studios
No, it doesn't have anything to do with that.

Well, MS isn't doing that. I'm just thinking of what they could do to bring excitement to their software.
 
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