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[Consequence]

Too bad Iron Galaxy is busy with that Windjammers reboot, they could definitely have found work here.

 

[Xenon]

I guess this is the downside of shelling out your IPs to third parties. Some other company can come and buy them from under your feet. I think MS experience with Rare turned them off to acquiring studios.

Personally I think they would be better off building a new one for KI:s2

 

[shandy706]

"..the Killer Instinct team at Microsoft is not changing.."

So it's not off-base to think that a lot of those working on the game aren't going anywhere? I know this was a sort of "joint adventure".

Thankfully this won't affect the music...lol

I know a couple guys that actually make up DH will probably go, but it seems the core team on MS' side of the fence remains. That's good to know...now what studio will be helping that team is the new question.

 

[Eoin]

We aren't sure if the clause you're talking about does exist, we are all speculating here.
Now would be a good time for either Penello, Nelson or Spencer to come out and clear up this shit.

I'm cool with speculation man. I would be surprised if a clause didn't exist, but it's possible MS royally fucked up. I've just got an issue with GoofsterStud coming in proclaiming that it is a absolute impossibility without a shred of evidence. That is speculation, passed off as fact. If he's going to make a claim like that, he needs to back it up. I'd love to know just how many contracts he's been involved in(if any), that he can claim knowledge of business norms in relation to such contracts.

 

[zainetor]

are they going to stream today? chat will be flooded with questions XD

 

[watership]

I guess this is the downside of shelling out your IPs to third parties. Some other company can come and buy them from under your feet. I think MS experience with Rare turned them off to acquiring studios.

Personally I think they would be better off building a new one for KI:s2

For games, they would be better off for sure. I think the Xbox team knows that having a huge swath of gaming studios is good for the brand, increases exclusives and overall adds to the Xbox ecosystem.

However I think MS executives know that owning a huge swath of gaming studios can be disastrous. Looking at the death toll from last gen is seriously depressing.

 

[Doug Heffernan]

They could always create a small studio to work on the game like Team Dakota (Project Spark).
Then hire some of the key people from Double Helix who will presumably jump ship.

Anyway, Microsoft has Ken Lobb so it will always be in good hands.

 

[enzo_gt]

It will be such a mess. You can't just jump into a game like this.

Or a fighting game without the same expertise or better in the genre with the developers.

 

[Projectjustice]

This is really bad for a fighting game. I really hated how they released KI to begin with and now it will never be a complete product.

Real shame too, best true next gen title.

 

[katkombat]

Spark Unlimited's big chance.

Or High Voltage Software.

Yuke's

you all make me sick

 

[SEGAvangelist]

This news has me feeling so empty. So much promise for a revived franchise just being ripped away. This is the first fighting game I bought a joystick for... that's a big deal to me. LOL

 

[Steverulez]

Microsoft need to get this team in-house. Start a new studio with the key people, it'll be small, not much risk, everything is in-house and they don't need to deal with this sort of issue again

 

[Poker Face]

Microsoft need to get this team in-house. Start a new studio with the key people, it'll be small, not much risk, everything is in-house and they don't need to deal with this sort of issue again

seems like thats the plan

 

[zainetor]

seems like thats the plan

Klobb is the man. Until he'll be in charge of the project, I have no doubts the game will be good.

 

[casmith07]

What are the implications of something like this happening? Killer Instinct was a huge selling point as far as Microsoft was concerned for the XBO launch.

And then, no more than 6 months after launch, Double Helix is bought up by Amazon?

I don't get how Microsoft would/could let that happen with KI as basically one of their flagship launch titles?

 

[UnluckyKate]

I guess this is the downside of shelling out your IPs to third parties. Some other company can come and buy them from under your feet. I think MS experience with Rare turned them off to acquiring studios.

Personally I think they would be better off building a new one for KI:s2

Exactly they are missing some first

 

[Castef]

seems like thats the plan

Maaaaaaaaaaaaaybe the next team could even hit 1080p?

(runs away screaming like mad)

 

[SEGAvangelist]

Maaaaaaaaaaaaaybe the next team could even hit 1080p?

(runs away screaming like mad)

I would love this. Even 900p with some decent anti-aliasing after the 8% GPU addition would be awesome to me. Anything to clean up the game a bit.

 

[jbug617]

Double Helix is still going to finish S1.

@RealKLobb: Still cranking on Fulgore, and the rest of S1 with our friends at DH. Our plans going forward are in place. Thanks everyone for the support!

 

[teiresias]

So what is this "core team" if they have to have a developmental partner? Contract managers at MS?

 

[Dictator93]

I would love this. Even 900p with some decent anti-aliasing after the 8% GPU addition would be awesome to me. Anything to clean up the game a bit.

It would be nice if they upped the res a bit. THe art is very detiailed and could definitely use some lovin' interms of higher pixel density.

 

[Purple Cheeto]

Spark Unlimited's big chance.

Reverge Labs big chance!

 

[IOnEI Falcon]

I would still put money on Starfire Studios. They are mainly all ex-Rare employees and one of them was lead designer and programmer on the original Killer Instinct. So far that studio has only developed MS exclusive content.

 

[.la1n]

So what is this "core team" if they have to have a developmental partner? Contract managers at MS?

Posted last page.

Glad to see they're on it. So who makes up the internal MS KI team? Am I missing anyone?

• Ken Lobb (MS creative director, original KI)
• James Goddard (MS senior designer, combat designer - SFII, Weaponlord, etc.)
• Adam Isgreen (MS creative director -- see interview about KI)
• Daniel Fornace (MS game designer)
• Shawn Retig (MS producer, KI director)
• Campbell Tran (former competitive Street Fighter tournament player)

 

[AdmiralMikey]

OK, so once DH finishes up S1, Microsoft passes Season 2 along to...

Their Dead Rising 3 development buddies over at Capcom Vancouver, which all culminates in...

KILLER INSTINCT VS. STREET FIGHTER!!! Only on Xbox One, coming 2016!!

 

[brettreyu]

OK, so once DH finishes up S1, Microsoft passes Season 2 along to...

Their Dead Rising 3 development buddies over at Capcom Vancouver, which all culminates in...

KILLER INSTINCT VS. STREET FIGHTER!!! Only on Xbox One, coming 2016!!

I'm in.

 

[Steverulez]

I would still put money on Starfire Studios. They are mainly all ex-Rare employees and one of them was lead designer and programmer on the original Killer Instinct. So far that studio has only developed MS exclusive content.

Interesting suggestion, they've not released anything since Fusion Genesis in 2012 (that I can see), I wonder what they are actually up to

 

[zainetor]

Maaaaaaaaaaaaaybe the next team could even hit 1080p?

(runs away screaming like mad)

im sure xbox1 can handle this game at 1080p or at least 900p/60 frames with no dips.
Probably Dh did not have much time and the hardware is kind of a pain to develop for, so that's it.

 

[Sponge]

Don't forget sound. KI had amazing sound and music direction that added a lot to my experience.

Can't they still keep Mick Gordon? He doesn't work at Double Helix does he?

 

[.la1n]

Can't they still keep Mick Gordon? He doesn't work at Double Helix does he?

Mick Gordon was contracted to do the music for the game and will probably continue to do so. He is not a part of Double Helix.

 

[IOnEI Falcon]

Interesting suggestion, they've not released anything since Fusion Genesis in 2012 (that I can see), I wonder what they are actually up to

Yeah, no idea what they are up to. My guess is something MMO related as the other programmer there, Mark Edmunds (ex-Rare), is really into those kinds of games. He was actually developing an MMO game at Rare before leaving.

Anyway, they seem like a great group to do KI if they wanted to.

 

[Red Mage]

Watch it be Trickstar Games or Interceptor Entertainment.

 

[Freshmaker]

Believe

God no. Keep that thing away from fighting games. DOA is bad enough thanks to his ministrations.

 

[MCD]

4J Studios lol.

 

[shandy706]

Can't they still keep Mick Gordon? He doesn't work at Double Helix does he?

I don't think he's tied to any studio.

 

[SneakyStephan]

Maybe criterion/ghost games guys, they get passed around like a choir boy at a catholic convention these days anyways

 

[harSon]

Glad to see they're on it. So who makes up the internal MS KI team? Am I missing anyone?

• Ken Lobb (MS creative director, original KI)
• James Goddard (MS senior designer, combat designer - SFII, Weaponlord, etc.)
• Adam Isgreen (MS creative director -- see interview about KI)
• Daniel Fornace (MS game designer)
• Shawn Retig (MS producer, KI director)
• Campbell Tran (former competitive Street Fighter tournament player)

Is Mike Z (skullgirls) still consulting?

It's great that this was the team who got KI into the right hands, and with Lobb and Goddard at the helm it's less worrisome that things will fall apart, but this likely means delays for season 2. Here's hoping they found a great team again, maybe someone who won't get bought out from under them this time! Also hoping a few DH folks who are passionate about the KI project (e.g, Wilette, Verfaillie, Filthy Rich) just join MS to continue on. Would love to see KI get to season 3 (e.g., 24 characters) at the very least.

Wait. So this was basically like a Mistwalker and Artoon/FeelPlus like arrangement, where a lot of the design was done by the former, and the grunt work done by the latter?

 

[Summoner]

I would still put money on Starfire Studios. They are mainly all ex-Rare employees and one of them was lead designer and programmer on the original Killer Instinct. So far that studio has only developed MS exclusive content.

What I don't understand is, why wasn't he a consultant in the reboot?
No disrepect to Lobb, but Chris Tilston was the main guy for KI not him.

 

[Forsaken82]

So maybe now Rare can get back to there own franchises?

 

[Maxrunner]

So maybe now Rare can get back to there own franchises?

And to Nintendo too???

 

[Mass Effect]

You know, this seems to happen to MS a lot. Bizarre, Bioware, and now this.

 

[Silky]

So maybe now Rare can get back to there own franchises?

Rare doesn't know how to make fighting games anymore

 

[Warm Machine]

DH is likely contracted to finish the game and all of the base characters. That work is probably already done and sitting in the can waiting to get released anyway. MS has unlikely put themselves in a situation where they were going to be charging people for a full game but only had some of the content done.

Also there is a slim chance that anyone has jumped ship from DH given the purchase was mostly for the people and these sorts of buys don't go through if the people don't come with the deal.

 

[Mesoian]

Spark Unlimited's big chance.

Ugh, could you imagine?

 

[.la1n]

So maybe now Rare can get back to there own franchises?

This is the worst possible scenario for everyone. Rare isn't the Rare that people identify with the great games from the SNES / N64 era. It's best that their IPs be handled by other development studios. This way we get the Rare games we remember but developed by teams capable of making good product.

 

[LiK]

Rare doesn't know how to make fighting games anymore

It would involve Kinect if they were forced to make one.

 

[Ol No Bones]

They really need a couple new first party teams to tackle new ip/reboots of old IP. If these third party IP take off after MS funds them MS still in the long run has to buy back the rights. Take GeOW for example. In this case they had the IP but now they have to find a new team. The model doesn't work very well in the long run.

 

[Sydle]

Wait. So this was basically like a Mistwalker and Artoon/FeelPlus like arrangement, where a lot of the design was done by the former, and the grunt work done by the latter?

Not quite. MS was heavily involved in providing direction and overseeing development, but DH has some major talent and knowledge in fighting games as well. For example, in game/combat design (Verfaillie) and character design (can't remember the lead DH dev). From all interviews I've read, DH really had the tools, expertise, passion, and vision to execute on a new KI, so they were a great partner.

It's definitely a loss for MS. Fortunately the design framework for the game was done beautifully, with major archetypes covered (holy shit, they revived KI into a unique, legit, fun, and well-balanced fighter) and the internal KI team are passionate about continuing it. My only concern is that a delay for season 2 seems likely, but hopefully DH has enough solid character blueprints to hand over.

 

[PlayerReady]

Does anybody know whether there will be a retail release for this?

 

[char0n]

Ninja Theory to bring the "feel of 60 fps" to fighting games.