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Microsoft Studios (& Partners) Current and Future Landscape

So no new games at all from MS 1st party or did I miss something? This sucks. I really want the Xbox One X, because it is an awesome piece of hardware, but MS games....so lacking.

Forza. Ori 2 I think counts as first party too.

There's also some weirdness going on with Space Rock Galactic and The Darwin Project where they're clearly based on Press Play pitches and being worked on by some ex-Press Play people. Who knows.
 

Linkified

Member
He's super defensive and I don't trust a single word he says.

Fans been giving the "next year you'll see" pass for years now. People are done waiting. If they had titles in development we'd hear rumours at least. We'd heard so and so are working on a new IP for Xbox and PC. We'd heard about studio hires and the odd whispers and here.

But we haven't. Microsoft barely had a first party stable and they killed several just in the last 18 months without doing anything to make up for it.

If Phil wants to prove his intentions, now is the time for making some real moves, publicly. Create or acquire studios, announce new partnerships with independent studios, and then actually make sure their IP don't get cancelled.

First Party is anything published my MS. They'll concentrate on those games coming through global publishing and perhaps set up a permanent PUB fund for ID@Xbox.

It looks like the the thought to acquire/create studios might be there but can't do didley squat if you don't have the funding to support mass expansion.
 
I feel like your projecting random things onto people that they aren't feeling at all. The Pro and X are going to b non factors this holiday. The Slim and S are going to be $199-$249 with Mordor, Assassins creed, Battlefront and COD bundles. Those are what's going to push the vast majority of sales. The C is going to be purchased by hardcore existing Xbox fans and 4K enthusiasts.

Playstation is at over 60M PS4's sold, Xbox hasn't even broken 30 yet. Please tell me where are those people are that are "feeling" the Xbox brand.

Since the launch of Xbox I've pretty much switched from PS to Xbox but that Xbox brand from then has been forced to make so many changes this generation mainly because of their failures and Sony's success.

This E3 hasn't gotten a lot of people hyped about the platforms future and that is a big problem for MS.
 
Forza. Ori 2 I think counts as first party too.

There's also some weirdness going on with Space Rock Galactic and The Darwin Project where they're clearly based on Press Play pitches and being worked on by some ex-Press Play people. Who knows.

Yup, forgot about Ori 2 which looked great. Forza was already known.

But nothing else. I guess the other ones you mention seem fun, but not AAA quality system seller fun.Not enough to warrant an upgrade and that is why I hate the most.
.
 
This is an interesting point. My main issue with Xbox One X so far is firsty party is where you really show your graphics capability. Forza looks beautiful but then SoT looks ok/good and state of decay and crackdown just looks bad when considering they are suppose to represent the most powerful console on the market.

Also i am going to be honest, I was really looking forward to crackdown 3 but i get this feeling it is being sent to die. I wouldn't mind a few months delay and release it in a non-busy season just so it doesn't totally kill the franchise.

Yeah it's a shame man. Imagine if they had been able to reveal all kinds of new IP that can be considered to be on the same level as a Sony exclusive. Especially with a brand new console, the most powerful one right now....it actually is crucial. Anthem showed what the X is capable of (yeah i know a lot of people don't believe it was ingame at all) but i would love to see a first party game showing that.

You start off your post saying that it's missing "that one title" and then dismiss Halo 6 because it's "just one title."

What Microsoft is missing is a game that exceeds expectations. We all expect Halo to be incredible and when it came out, it wasn't incredible. Most weren't expecting Quantum Break to be anything but mediocre and reviews bore that out. Really the only exception to this problem this generation has been Forza Horzion 3, which cleared a very high bar people placed.

Microsoft has to have a AAA type game that does what FH3 did. The problem is that Halo and Gears have the weight of their incredible predecessors on their shoulders so it would appear that they need to do so with a new IP. Maybe Sea of Thieves will be that game? Maybe it will be Crackdown. Maybe it won't happen this generation.

Sorry man, i worded that the wrong way. I meant to say a brand new title next to a established, even if after Halo 5 a flawed franchise like Halo to really show the power of the system. I find it frustrating as hell and unbelieveable that they are sitting on so many promising franchises and not doing SHIT with it. Crimson Skies, oh hey we're getting the first one via OG Xbox BC, superb....but how about finally a freaking brand new one with stellar visuals and fun online play? Mech Assault? Conker, Banjo, and so on.

If it's not gonna happen this generation tons of gamers are going to be extemely disappointed. Because did they go out and got themselves a Xbox One X only to play multiplats in the best way? With exceptions of Halo 6 undoubtedly looking really good, the yearly Forza game and Gears 5 in a year or two? Man i sure hope not. Phil said they have signed off on a few things but won't be talking about it this year. Hopefully it's something promising and hopefully we get something from it next E3.

I honestly thought they were going to open with Crackdown 3 and it would be their massive major tentpole for this year. It should have had a long gameplay demo like Spider-Man, not a 160 second trailer where nearly half of that was live-action jokes and the rest was weirdly unconvincing gameplay mostly using shots from freeform camera angles.



Not going ahead with Ryse 2 was a mistake for both parties. Imagine if Ryse 2: Knights of England was real and opened E3 with this massive gameplay demo akin to God of War, ending in a battle against a dragon or something.


Microsoft needs a successful new IP like The Last of Us, Bloodborne, Horizon Zero Dawn or Splatoon. Something that's a really big hit critically and commercially and gives them a lot of slack with sequels because fans are re-enthused by the new game.

I fully expected that too man. I almost saw it as a given that they would reveal the Scorpio and jump straight into a amazing looking Crackdown full of destruction and maybe some SP footage from the show floor. But the reveal trailer was one big let down and i'm still not convinced. The new footage definitely looks a whole lot letter, but i just can't deny being very disappointed. I imagined that destruction footage of a few years ago, how detailed that looked and expected the game to look very very impressing thanks to cloud and the power of Scorpio/X.

Ryse 2 had the potential to be something else. I definitely enjoyed the first one and to think it used to be a Kinect game. Yeah it's a goddamn shame. To this day Ryse looks amazing and i'd say can still be compared to a lot of recent games. MS desperately needs that studio that fully knows how to use the hardware and shit....Crytek sure knew. MS had a fantastic game with SO and i'll never understand that this didn't sell better. Maybe it was still in the time that there was a lot of negativitiy about Xbox One and the install base wasn't really too big yet.

And last but not least, totally ignoring the lack of new exclusives announcements, there are more problems. Why is Xbox still missing out on a lot of games? Third party, indie AND Japanese games. Hopefully X can bring a big change to this since from what we've read the X is incredibly dev friendly. Xbox One not nearly as dev friendly. I'm hoping to eventually see a day where Xbox gets most of those games as well, where we also get more Japanese games because i really want them and i know i am not the only one. Xbox cares, otherwise they wouldnt have gone to Japan and we for sure as hell wouldn't have had Monster Hunter World and probably not Code Vein either. For all of this time will tell.
 
lionhead has had troubles with studio visions since peter left. he obviously was the leader behind whatever creative vision they had at lionhead . matrick putting phil harrison in charge of the European studios was such an critical mistake for all of them. he basically turned all emea studios into free to play/ games as services studios. microsoft should have built brand new studios that could build those type of games instead of forcing am initiative

Lionhead, like Sony's Studio Liverpool, was horribly mismanaged. It's telling that when they were allowed to make something other than mainline Fable they made an XBLA brawler, a Kinect game and a F2P game: all spin-offs from Fable. The studio needed the freedom to create something new, probably after Fable 3 shipped, rather than doubling-down with low-quality Fable games, wearing down the series and consumers' enthusiasm. Fable Legends should have probably been reworked as Fable IV proper when Spencer took over as head of Xbox, meanwhile the incubation team started pre-production on a new IP, to allow the studio to get away from Fable and make something creative and new. Tying a studio down to a single IP almost always unravels eventually, even if it's Halo or Gran Turismo.
 

Strootman

Member
From all the phil spencer's interviews at E3, it doesn’t sound like they are going to invest a lot of money in first party or big exclusives in general for the future..

So basically xbox is a third party box with halo, gears, forza and some small games here and there.
 
From all the phil spencer's interviews at E3, it doesn’t sound like they are going to invest a lot of money in first party or big exclusives in general for the future..

So basically xbox is a third party box with halo, gears, forza and some small games here and there.
Which is pretty much what we have been seeing lately anyways. You'll get the occasional "big" experience like Crackdown 3, but most will be smaller things like Ori and Super Luckys Tale
 
Which is pretty much what we have been seeing lately anyways. You'll get the occasional "big" experience like Crackdown 3, but most will be smaller things like Ori and Super Luckys Tale

Which is not necessarily a bad thing, but as Phil likened video games to art during the conference, sometimes good art can be expensive. And even when Xbox is outsold by PlayStation by a little over 2:1, Microsoft still managed to make a healthy profit off of the Xbox platform.

It's frustrating, as someone who's enjoyed Microsoft's one off weird titles, that they're not at least considering trying to branch around.

Of course, this isn't the first time we've been left in the dark either. Tired as it sounds, I guess next e3 will be a good indicator of what Microsoft's plans are for the future.
 
I am not happy about that shit at all. It's a goddamn shame that you introduce the most powerful console you've ever made and your own titles sure don't really show of that power. It's the third party game Anthem that did that, it sure as hell did.

But yeah, from here on out no expectations at all. He did say in another interview that some things were in the works, but too early to talk about and build up hype about. But it does sound more and more like they are not interested in competing with Sony when it comes to exclusives that make your draw drop. Ryse managed to do that in the 2013 E3 and that game still looks great. Nothing of their first party lineup is even on par with that. Come on now. It's weird because he seemed to say different things during the IGN podcast.

A fucking shame.
 
This was before E3

https://youtu.be/T8uBk0FmL5Q

Phils interview with Unlocked

At 33.14 "is it fair to say you investing in new studios, new ip" his response was "absolutely"

From around 30.00 onwards it's interesting to hear him talk and then to see what was at their briefing.

Yeah, but it just sucks we didn't see any of that or heard any of that. Plus that his response in recent E3 interviews is quite different. In the new interviews he constantly mentions games that have been announced either last year or years ago. He could have said they have new studios in the making but didn't exactly do that.

I guess we just have to wait and see. Man how miuch i'd love to see MS directly competing with MS when it comes to awesome new exclusives. I respect that so much about Sony and i wish MS thought more like that.
 
Yeah, but it just sucks we didn't see any of that or heard any of that. Plus that his response in recent E3 interviews is quite different. In the new interviews he constantly mentions games that have been announced either last year or years ago. He could have said they have new studios in the making but didn't exactly do that.

I guess we just have to wait and see. Man how miuch i'd love to see MS directly competing with MS when it comes to awesome new exclusives. I respect that so much about Sony and i wish MS thought more like that.

Agreed
 

Linkified

Member
This was before E3

https://youtu.be/T8uBk0FmL5Q

Phils interview with Unlocked

At 33.14 "is it fair to say you investing in new studios, new ip" his response was "absolutely"

From around 30.00 onwards it's interesting to hear him talk and then to see what was at their briefing.

And Phil mot likely will state "Well we showed Ori: Will of Wisp ... you know the first was such a magical game. We also showed Super Lucky Tale ... showing the breadth of diversity our platform offers. I've really wanted to work with those guys for a long time"

The issue is MS is investing in its first party through Global Publishing, however, most gamers want new studios or acquisitions. Lets hope Jeff has managed to book Spencer on GiantBomb just to kinda get some info in the road map.
 
And Phil mot likely will state "Well we showed Ori: Will of Wisp ... you know the first was such a magical game. We also showed Super Lucky Tale ... showing the breadth of diversity our platform offers. I've really wanted to work with those guys for a long time"

The issue is MS is investing in its first party through Global Publishing, however, most gamers want new studios or acquisitions. Lets hope Jeff has managed to book Spencer on GiantBomb just to kinda get some info in the road map.

New studios with talent is definitely needed, but if for some reason they don't want to do this, why not partner with a third party again and let them make a nice exclusive for you. Similar to how Sunset Overdrive was made. They corrected so many of the mistakes and Xbox is really redeeming itself, but this one thing is sorely lacking. They badly need more exclusives that demonstrate the true power of their new system.

I guess it's also possible Phil himself would like to do all he can to bring new stuff but perhaps the higher ups don't really want to go all out.
 
The Timeframe Microsoft seems to be with announcements aligns with what we got at E3 this year. He was burned by announcing Recore too early (not a bad game but it needed more time), Phantom Dust reboot and Scalebound (wasnt reaching rexpectations). So the expectations now are when Microsoft announces something it means its almost ready to come out. If this is the case all of the flak they are getting now will turn in to unanimous praise.
 

Linkified

Member
New studios with talent is definitely needed, but if for some reason they don't want to do this, why not partner with a third party again and let them make a nice exclusive for you. Similar to how Sunset Overdrive was made. They corrected so many of the mistakes and Xbox is really redeeming itself, but this one thing is sorely lacking. They badly need more exclusives that demonstrate the true power of their new system.

I guess it's also possible Phil himself would like to do all he can to bring new stuff but perhaps the higher ups don't really want to go all out.

What you have mentioned is Microsoft Global Publishing though.
 
DO fans want new studios and acquisitions? Fans want good new games, preferably exclusive new IPs, but the studio makeup feels a little inside baseball for most people to really give a damn about.
 
DO fans want new studios and acquisitions? Fans want good new games, preferably exclusive new IPs, but the studio makeup feels a little inside baseball for most people to really give a damn about.

That;s an interesting point, but I don't think anyone would turn down games to a platform unless Microsoft had their own Greenlight program.

In my opinion, I think the issue is that there doesn't seem to be a face for the Xbox One. With the XBox and 360 you had 117 as the mascot for these systems. But with the One, the Master Chief has been sorta pushed aside for Locke and the MCC didn't do the brand any favours. Meanwhile, Gears 4 hasn't pushed a lot of sales or interest AFAIA. I mean, heck, a lot of Microsoft's exclusive titles so far haven't been huge standouts (personally, I really enjoyed Sunset Overdrive, wish we'd see more unique titles like that).

I guess what I'm trying to say is that, when I think Xbox One, I have a hard time trying to visualize new, exciting titles next to it. I actually thought the PS3 had this problem early on, too, but that changed later on.

All anecdotal evidence, really, but these are my two cents.
 

blakep267

Member
DO fans want new studios and acquisitions? Fans want good new games, preferably exclusive new IPs, but the studio makeup feels a little inside baseball for most people to really give a damn about.
I don't think fans actually care where the games come from to be honest. That's more of a Gaf thing where people nitpick over internal developed first party games and games developed by external studios. Imo it doesn't matter that moon studios or sumo are independent. It doesn't make their games better or worse
 

Zukkoyaki

Member
I don't think fans actually care where the games come from to be honest. That's more of a Gaf thing where people nitpick over internal developed first party games and games developed by external studios. Imo it doesn't matter that moon studios or sumo are independent. It doesn't make their games better or worse
I love this post! It also echoes what both Phil and Shuhei from Sony have said which is second party doesn't exist. If they're publishing it, it's a first party game.
 
DO fans want new studios and acquisitions? Fans want good new games, preferably exclusive new IPs, but the studio makeup feels a little inside baseball for most people to really give a damn about.

Yes.

Fans want Microsoft to build and acquire first party studios to solidify their commitment not only to gaming but specifically creating unique experiences that justify buying into their Xbox/W10 platforms.

Ideally, that doesn't prevent them from working with third party developers. Sony and Nintendo have great first party studios and many third party studio ties. Fans want the same for Microsoft.

Microsoft, for once, can actually solve their problems with straight up money. It doesn't look like they have the same expenditure freedom they once had though, which is a problem Phil needs to fix.
 
Sorry man, i worded that the wrong way. I meant to say a brand new title next to a established, even if after Halo 5 a flawed franchise like Halo to really show the power of the system. I find it frustrating as hell and unbelieveable that they are sitting on so many promising franchises and not doing SHIT with it. Crimson Skies, oh hey we're getting the first one via OG Xbox BC, superb....but how about finally a freaking brand new one with stellar visuals and fun online play? Mech Assault? Conker, Banjo, and so on.

If it's not gonna happen this generation tons of gamers are going to be extemely disappointed. Because did they go out and got themselves a Xbox One X only to play multiplats in the best way? With exceptions of Halo 6 undoubtedly looking really good, the yearly Forza game and Gears 5 in a year or two? Man i sure hope not. Phil said they have signed off on a few things but won't be talking about it this year. Hopefully it's something promising and hopefully we get something from it next E3.

It doesn't even need to be a new IP. If the next Halo was a legit 10, people would fawn all over it like they did with the Breath of the Wild. The problem is that they probably couldn't make a 10 and hit their release cadence. It would require a re-imagining of the gameplay systems in place and that won't happen in three years.

Like I said, they just need to release multiple games that exceed expectations. They need to stack a couple of years where they release one or two great games each year and people will start coming around.
 
The Timeframe Microsoft seems to be with announcements aligns with what we got at E3 this year. He was burned by announcing Recore too early (not a bad game but it needed more time), Phantom Dust reboot and Scalebound (wasnt reaching rexpectations). So the expectations now are when Microsoft announces something it means its almost ready to come out. If this is the case all of the flak they are getting now will turn in to unanimous praise.

That is definitely what we're all hoping here. To be fair he did say this during the podcast, that's why it's a bit weird when asked about it during E3 in interviews he kinda avoids the question. He keeps mentioning games like SoT, SoD2, Crackdown and so on. Of course he's not wrong, those are upcoming first party games and are promising, others more than the other but i guess that's subjective. But in the podcast he said they are investing in new studios, why not mention that to interviewers at E3 as well i wonder.
 
Yes.

Fans want Microsoft to build and acquire first party studios to solidly their commitment not only to gaming but specifically creating unique experiences that justify buying into their Xbox/W10 platforms.

Ideally, that doesn't prevent them working with third party developers. Sony and Nintendo have great first party studios and many third party studio ties. Fans want the same for Microsoft.

Microsoft, for once, can actually sold their problems with straight up money. It doesn't look like they have the same expenditure freedom they once had though, which is a problem Phil needs to fix.
But the commitment is only desirable because it comes with an assumed stream of quality titles, no? Like, if Ryse and Sunset Overdrive had done well and they'd just announced sequels to both, nobody would really care that Crytek and Insomniac weren't owned by MS.
 

Linkified

Member
But the commitment is only desirable because it comes with an assumed stream of quality titles, no? Like, if Ryse and Sunset Overdrive had done well and they'd just announced sequels to both, nobody would really care that Crytek and Insomniac weren't owned by MS.

With the two games mentioned MS doesn't own studio or IP - so theoretically they could appear on separate platforms. Its a good move to invest in new franchises by funding them through Microsoft Global Publishing - however - it is now a perception problem. MS needs to invest again in the Studios it does by having different production teams. Not every studio needs 3 but even 2 at The Coalition and 343i most of MS could do just so that they could build the next Gears the next Halo.

Even if MS bought an Undead Labs and grew them into a team of around 90+ working on more than one IP. That solves an optic issue which MS has.
 
But the commitment is only desirable because it comes with an assumed stream of quality titles, no? Like, if Ryse and Sunset Overdrive had done well and they'd just announced sequels to both, nobody would really care that Crytek and Insomniac weren't owned by MS.

Commitment is desirable amongst the core audience, yes, but I don't know if that indication means that quality titles will be produced on a regular basis like 343i and Halo.

But yeah, a great game is a great game. Highly doubt most folks would care if the company was owned by MS or not long as it gets a sequel.
 

blakep267

Member
With the two games mentioned MS doesn't own studio or IP - so theoretically they could appear on separate platforms. Its a good move to invest in new franchises by funding them through Microsoft Global Publishing - however - it is now a perception problem. MS needs to invest again in the Studios it does by having different production teams. Not every studio needs 3 but even 2 at The Coalition and 343i most of MS could do just so that they could build the next Gears the next Halo.

Even if MS bought an Undead Labs and grew them into a team of around 90+ working on more than one IP. That solves an optic issue which MS has.
I don't think that's what he was asking. He's saying if people really care that MS only has a few owned studios. I'd say that answer is no. If somebody watched Microsofts E3 conference, they saw 42 announced games coming to the platform. They aren't all permanent exclusive, no. But games are games are games
 
DO fans want new studios and acquisitions? Fans want good new games, preferably exclusive new IPs, but the studio makeup feels a little inside baseball for most people to really give a damn about.
yes fans want studios and acquisitions, you can't have faith in a continuous 1st party without internal head count. those 2nd party studios can easily move on
 

Lom1lo

Member
I can only speak for me and Im not happy with the outlook of upcoming exclusives.
I dont care if ms owns one, two or hundred studios. If they sign contracts with insomniac, platinum (yeah I know how that turned out :( ) or other studios, its as good as making their own studios to me.

I want a continuous flow of exklusive games, a healthy mix of existing IP and new IP. How this happens is not important to me.
 

Linkified

Member
I don't think that's what he was asking. He's saying if people really care that MS only has a few owned studios. I'd say that answer is no. If somebody watched Microsofts E3 conference, they saw 42 announced games coming to the platform. They aren't all permanent exclusive, no. But games are games are games

As someone who owns both an Xbox One and PS4 they announced 42 titles - 20 I won't be buying on Xbox out of the other 22 titles with exclusivity - there is like 7 which are lifetime console exclusives.
 
D

Deleted member 471617

Unconfirmed Member
As someone who owns both an Xbox One and PS4 they announced 42 titles - 20 I won't be buying on Xbox out of the other 22 titles with exclusivity - there is like 7 which are lifetime console exclusives.

Sea of Thieves, State of Decay 2, Ori 2, Crackdown 3 and Cuphead. What are the other two?
 
But the commitment is only desirable because it comes with an assumed stream of quality titles, no? Like, if Ryse and Sunset Overdrive had done well and they'd just announced sequels to both, nobody would really care that Crytek and Insomniac weren't owned by MS.

Why wouldn't you assume quality games if the studios are adequately resourced and staffed? Halo, Gears and Forza are all getting stale but they've all still been critically well received and commercial successes. The mainline Fable series all sold better than the last and iirc were also better critically received.

Microsoft is perfectly capable of producing remarkably successful an quality IP. The problem is that they have gotten very complacent and risk averse to a fault.

Sunset Overdrive didn't sell gangbusters but critics and fan alike love it.

Quantum Break didn't do great numbers either but it's a very good game.

Ryse wasn't all that great, sure, but I think most people would agree it still has potential to grow a great deal and it can't have sold too bad if Microsoft wanted to make a sequel but chose not to cause they couldn't get buy the IP.

The point I'm trying to make is this: even in this generation Microsoft has proven its first party studios can make commercially and critically success games, and their "2nd party" games were all for the most part successful in one way or the other.

They should keep striving for more of both but investment more in first party because studios under their careful eye tend to do better.
 
D

Deleted member 471617

Unconfirmed Member
They showed 7 exclusive games. Forza 7 and a super Luckys tale are the other two

Can't believe that I forgot the other two especially when SLT is on my games list for the year. LOL.
 

Dragun619

Member
New studios with talent is definitely needed, but if for some reason they don't want to do this, why not partner with a third party again and let them make a nice exclusive for you.

I think the problem is that the pool of developers to choose from is shrinking.

3rd Party Publishers probably won't subject themselves to an Xbox exclusive until a new gen of consoles. And independent studios like, Remedy, Platinum Games, Insomniac, Crytek, Level 5, Obsidian, Mistwalker, etc, hasn't really panned out either. So who is there for MS to choose?
 
Just now i saw the thread about Sony and how they kept a few exclusives for other shows like PSX and such. And i'm like...holy shit man, now much more new exclusives can you still have up your sleeve?

PS4 gamers got it damn good with Sony as a company, it's just that simple. I think a lot of us Xbox gamers would have been happy as hell if we had only had ONE of those games Sony showed at their E3. These guys just keep going and there doesn't seem to be an end to it. That is the kind of thing i want for Xbox too from MS.

At this point Sony is just demolishing them when it comes to first party effort, it's not even funny anymore. Man i remember the E3 where Sony for the first time showed Horizon and i spoke to people on several forums about how MS really had to step their game up. How much we'd love to see a developer on par with ND working on a Xbox game but instead of actually seeing improvement now it has only gotten worse when it comes to exclusives. I appreciate Xbox a lot and what the team has done to improve the system, introducing the One X and all that, but what i think they need is a good kick in the ass and wake them up when it comes to actually bothering with exclusives.

Just imagine how awesome it would be if every E3 we would have both MS and Sony throwing all kinds of new games at me, all games fully utilizing the hardware. For several years now with each E3 it's been a standard thing to expect new games with killer graphics at Sony's show and not nearly as much for a Xbox show and that's just a shame. If Xbox can ''survive'' with minimal first party input, not just small games but actual AAA with awesome graphics, it wouldn't surprise me if MS does that. It will suck big time for the gamers though and i wish we could give them a wake up call.

Maybe i'm being overly dramatic now, and let's just give Spencer a chance i guess. It would be nice if some ''insiders'' can inform us about some stuff from now until next E3. In the end the ''insiders'' were right about very little new stuff, hope we hear about some much needed changes later this year/next year. Spencer indeed spoke about new studios in the IGN podcast and during the Gamespot interview that they signed a few things.....i guess all we can do right now is believe it.
 

EmiPrime

Member
I can only speak for me and Im not happy with the outlook of upcoming exclusives.
I dont care if ms owns one, two or hundred studios. If they sign contracts with insomniac, platinum (yeah I know how that turned out :( ) or other studios, its as good as making their own studios to me.

I want a continuous flow of exklusive games, a healthy mix of existing IP and new IP. How this happens is not important to me.

You should care because what if that studio wants to retain ownership of the IP or they choose another publisher for their next project? Insomniac are back making games for Sony and if there ever is a Sunset Overdrive 2 (increasingly unlikely admittedly) it will be on PlayStation also. That's not a good look.

As a bonus imagine if Remedy found a publisher for a new Alan Wake and it ended up on PlayStation as well as Xbox.

Second party supplements a console lineup, it can't replace first party. Having to sacrifice 60m potential customers likely drives the price up too; Microsoft's negotiating hand is getting weaker and Nadella isn't loosening the purse strings for Xbox to compensate.
 

sam12

Member
I just don't understand Microsoft. Don't they see declining sales of Halo and Gears, yet they still continue to develop sequels to them. You would think a company would want to create something new to excite people but in the future we will get the usual Halo, Forza, Gears, indies, maybe AA game,and a heavy reliant on 3rd party.

Should have used up all the money to revive popular IPs or create new ones, but no their focus is on. $500 premium hardware that will sell to a few.

Their most exciting moment was Xbox OG Backwards compatibility. Doesn't that tell them anything anything??
 

gamz

Member
I don't think that's what he was asking. He's saying if people really care that MS only has a few owned studios. I'd say that answer is no. If somebody watched Microsofts E3 conference, they saw 42 announced games coming to the platform. They aren't all permanent exclusive, no. But games are games are games

Agreed. In all honesty I sometimes have trouble figuring out whats exclusive, console exclusive, first party, second party, third party, original IP, exclusive, but the IP and\or studio isn't. In the end I don't really care.
 

sam12

Member
I also don't get how they announce Lucky's Tails when they could have invested money in a similar sized Banjo or Conkers game.

If I was leading the Xbox unit I would have this to show E3. I would scrap Xbox X, invest that money into building up IPs and also the next Xbox
1. Perfect Dark Reboot
2. Banjo game smaller scale
3. Fund a new Ninja Gaiden
4. Fable 4 with a multiplayer component
5. Shangheist revived via Coalition
6. 3rd parties AC, SoW, Anthem, Code Vein etc
7. Indies reel
8. No timed exclusivity, Phil just lies all the time, thought he was going away from this after TR but he just changed the wording.
9. Acquire a western or Japanese studio and showcase what to expect in future

E3 is for hopes and dreams, people want a road map of what to expect in future
 

Ushay

Member
While I don't disagree that MS needs to push 1st party (and hard), I think they have just released a new console which would have required a lot money and likely time investment from the head of Xbox. I get the feeling his next objective is to double down on software now that hardware, services and platform are where they need to be.

Listening and reading a lot of these interviews Spencer has done lately, one question that many people are asking is 1st party output and new IP, it's being drilled constantly at the guys at Team Xbox. And it should be, if we don't demand it, it will not happen. They listened to us for backwards compatibility and OG compat, if they direct the same effort and energy into building studios and IP the narrative would be very different.

If you don't request and demand it, MS will never entertain the idea otherwise and keep coasting. Nintendo and Sony players have the same expectations of each platform and they deliver (most of the time), why do Xbox players have to accept a lower denominator in this area by default and just live with it?

There is a goldmine of franchises and IP they can tap into and huge talent to be found in their own studios, fucking utilise them, diversify the output and invest.

I also don't get how they announce Lucky's Tails when they could have invested money in a similar sized Banjo or Conkers game.

If I was leading the Xbox unit I would have this to show E3. I would scrap Xbox X, invest that money into building up IPs and also the next Xbox
1. Perfect Dark Reboot
2. Banjo game smaller scale
3. Fund a new Ninja Gaiden
4. Fable 4 with a multiplayer component
5. Shangheist revived via Coalition
6. 3rd parties AC, SoW, Anthem, Code Vein etc
7. Indies reel
8. No timed exclusivity, Phil just lies all the time, thought he was going away from this after TR but he just changed the wording.
9. Acquire a western or Japanese studio and showcase what to expect in future

E3 is for hopes and dreams, people want a road map of what to expect in future

This also baffled me a little, why didn't they put that same money into a Banjo revival? Beloved franchise? Check. Amazing talent at Rare? Check.
 
Just now i saw the thread about Sony and how they kept a few exclusives for other shows like PSX and such. And i'm like...holy shit man, now much more new exclusives can you still have up your sleeve?

PS4 gamers got it damn good with Sony as a company, it's just that simple. I think a lot of us Xbox gamers would have been happy as hell if we had only had ONE of those games Sony showed at their E3. These guys just keep going and there doesn't seem to be an end to it. That is the kind of thing i want for Xbox too from MS.

At this point Sony is just demolishing them when it comes to first party effort, it's not even funny anymore. Man i remember the E3 where Sony for the first time showed Horizon and i spoke to people on several forums about how MS really had to step their game up. How much we'd love to see a developer on par with ND working on a Xbox game but instead of actually seeing improvement now it has only gotten worse when it comes to exclusives. I appreciate Xbox a lot and what the team has done to improve the system, introducing the One X and all that, but what i think they need is a good kick in the ass and wake them up when it comes to actually bothering with exclusives.

Just imagine how awesome it would be if every E3 we would have both MS and Sony throwing all kinds of new games at me, all games fully utilizing the hardware. For several years now with each E3 it's been a standard thing to expect new games with killer graphics at Sony's show and not nearly as much for a Xbox show and that's just a shame. If Xbox can ''survive'' with minimal first party input, not just small games but actual AAA with awesome graphics, it wouldn't surprise me if MS does that. It will suck big time for the gamers though and i wish we could give them a wake up call.

Maybe i'm being overly dramatic now, and let's just give Spencer a chance i guess. It would be nice if some ''insiders'' can inform us about some stuff from now until next E3. In the end the ''insiders'' were right about very little new stuff, hope we hear about some much needed changes later this year/next year. Spencer indeed spoke about new studios in the IGN podcast and during the Gamespot interview that they signed a few things.....i guess all we can do right now is believe it.

A few of my Xbox fan friends share similar views to yours. All the interviews, all the twitter exchanges with execs and employees, the forum postings...pretty meaningless at the end of the day. The only way to give them a good kick in the ass as you put it, is to vote with your wallet.

I've lost count how many times, particularly in the last year, how dissatisfied people are but continue to give them money and that goes for any business really, the dollar is what matters most.
 

blakep267

Member
While I don't disagree that MS needs to push 1st party (and hard), I think they have just released a new console which would have required a lot money and likely time investment from the head of Xbox. I get the feeling his next objective is to double down on software now that hardware, services and platform are where they need to be.

Listening and reading a lot of these interviews Spencer has done lately, one question that many people are asking is 1st party output and new IP, it's being drilled constantly at the guys at Team Xbox. And it should be, if we don't demand it, it will not happen. They listened to us for backwards compatibility and OG compat, if they direct the same effort and energy into building studios and IP the narrative would be very different.

If you don't request and demand it, MS will never entertain the idea otherwise and keep coasting. Nintendo and Sony players have the same expectations of each platform and they deliver (most of the time), why do Xbox players have to accept a lower denominator in this area by default and just live with it?

There is a goldmine of franchises and IP they can tap into and huge talent to be found in their own studios, fucking utilise them, diversify the output and invest.



This also baffled me a little, why didn't they put that same money into a Banjo revival? Beloved franchise? Check. Amazing talent at Rare? Check.
Presumably the luckys tail team was either shopping around a non VR sequel for the game or MS approached them to make a version for the Xbox. Neither is as involved as taking a team whether it be existing or new, and having them create a new banjo game from scratch. So it's not just as easy as saying they should've made a banjo game instead
 

sam12

Member
Earlier I also used to think that maybe the audience of Xbox is only into shooters/multiplayer but then I think that multi platform games sell well on both PS4 and Xbox alike so they have to have a similar audience. Horizon, Last of Us, Uncharted would sell really well on Xbox. Any good game that delivers quality entertainment will sell. A realistic a perfect Dark reboot done right would sell. A critically acclaimed Banjo would sell. Microsoft just has a history of providing half baked games and hoping they sell. When they don't they just shut the IP off. Perfect Dark Zero did not sell because it was not a quality title, Banjo Nuts and Bolts did not sell because it was not a quality title. Ori sells because it has quality, similar to games like Nier, Nioh, Horizon, Zelda, they all got rave reviews and were of high quality. So it's not really the audience, it's more so MS themselves who lack in delivering quality content and rush off incomplete games.
 
So I've been watching all the trailers again on Xbox One, all neatly placed, really cool. But what exactly are these 22 exclusives Phil Spencer spoke of?

I mean games like

Deep Rock Galactic
Playerunknown's Battlegrounds
The last night
Black Desert
Artful Escape
Ashen
Super Lucky's Tale

Etc

Are these exclusives? Or just timed ones until further notice?
 
So I've been watching all the trailers again on Xbox One, all neatly placed, really cool. But what exactly are these 22 exclusives Phil Spencer spoke of?

I mean games like

Deep Rock Galactic
Playerunknown's Battlegrounds
The last night
Black Desert
Artful Escape
Ashen
Super Lucky's Tale

Etc

Are these exclusives? Or just timed ones until further notice?

Everything is timed except Super Lucky's Tale and Cuphead.
 
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