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[REMEMBER CITADEL]

LXP sounds like they've actually helped out with some launch games already, so maybe they've always been "Uncredited MS Devs" who is now getting a proper name/studio to their banner?

Perhaps, plenty of Microsoft studios collaborate with each other or their independent partners (or even serve as incubation teams for small indies, like Lift London does) in addition to developing their own products.

And wasn't Dakota an off-shoot of FUSE Labs folks who made Kodu?

It has its roots in Microsoft Research, but it was still an unexpected surprise to see them form a new studio in another branch of Microsoft (and I was even more surprised to see Silicon Knights' Henry Sterchi with them).

Now I wonder if we'll ever see another game from the Path of Go people.

 

[Doffen]

Nice!

 

[Superjay779]

We all know MS only money hats games away and doesnt invest in internal projects so this has to be a farce.

lol

 

[Jarmel]

Really need to see what games they're producing before I get hyped.

 

[klodeckel]

Okay, after some research on Linkedin and so on, these are some of the things I found out: most of these teams already existed for years internally at MS Studios. Or better: maybe not the teams, but the developers themselves.

Pretty much all of them were somehow involved in Kinect developement, app creation, small-medium sized games, tech demos or overall console design. However, they never had a real branding (Logo, name etc.). They started to give these teams a real "face" about 5 months ago. Pretty much around the time Phil became Head of Xbox. Kinect developement is probably pretty much done at this point. The next-generation of consoles is still too far away - so you do not need too many teams researching this now already. Also, they all seem to have open job positions on pretty much every role.

Now, so far, so good. The question now is: why would someome be interested in suddenly giving internal teams an actual branding? The only answer on this is that these teams will probably have some more public appearence in future. Some of the job listings suggest they work on games, some are very general.

I don't think they just created 6 studios developing AAA Xbox One games out of nowhere. That will not be the case. But I still think we will see some output of these teams in the future - be it apps or games.

 

[Alx]

Kinect developement is probably pretty much done at this point.

I'd still doubt that, with one of the companies being named "Nui Publishing".

 

[klodeckel]

I'd still doubt that, with one of the companies being named "Nui Publishing".

I inartfully expressed myself. What I wanted to say is: the research and developement on Kinect itself is done / not as much happening anymore as in the beginning of researching the Kinect technology. The device is available to buy, it won't change significanly. Of course you still need a team that will work on the software/OS level integration itself in future.

 

[Heretic]

We all know MS only money hats games away and doesnt invest in internal projects so this has to be a farce.

They'll probably money hat their own studios too!

 

[Nightengale]

I don't think they just created 6 studios developing AAA Xbox One games out of nowhere. That will not be the case. But I still think we will see some output of these teams in the future - be it apps or games.

I don't think one can do that in this day and age.

Sure, a team of 10-20 could be hidden, but once you expand to over 50 and are basically hiring top-flight AAA talent, it's impossible to do that without projecting to the world that you need hundreds of people to make the game.

In the best case scenario, a pre-production team could be hidden, but games need to get out of pre-production to production eventually, and that will take hundreds of developers a minimum of two years full production. In other words, it's practically impossible to hide a AAA studio that is planning to release a game within 2 years.

 

[Alx]

I inartfully expressed myself. What I wanted to say is: the research and developement on Kinect itself is done / not as much happening anymore as in the beginning of researching the Kinect technology. The device is available to buy, it won't change significanly. Of course you still need a team that will work on the software/OS level integration itself in future.

Oh right I got it wrong. My bad.

 

[klodeckel]

I don't think one can do that in this day and age.

Sure, a team of 10-20 could be hidden, but once you expand to over 50 and are basically hiring top-flight AAA talent, it's impossible to do that without projecting to the world that you need hundreds of people to make the game.

In the best case scenario, a pre-production team could be hidden, but games need to get out of pre-production to production eventually, and that will take hundreds of developers a minimum of two years full production. In other words, it's practically impossible to hide a AAA studio that is planning to release a game within 2 years.

Y, I know. I wrote "I don't think ..."

 

[Dr. Kitty Muffins]

So long as they all aren't making first person shooters, I'll be happy. But yes, the prospect of new IP's does sound nice.

 

[Dicer]

All of those sound made up...

 

[REMEMBER CITADEL]

Y, I know. I wrote "I don't think ..."

Precisely. Why not just A instead of AAA? I'd gladly have more mid-sized games like Killer Instinct, Max: The Curse of Brotherhood or Powerstar Golf.

All of those sound made up...

Oh Microsoft, you rascals, we're on to you!

 

[Alx]

Yeah we don't need everything to be AAA. I'm fine with big budgets being limited to "safe" licenses like Halo, Gears or Fable, but have many "regular" games with more risks and creativity done on the side. Those can still become the safe licenses of tomorrow.
As a matter of fact, my favorite games of the previous gen were not AAA.

 

[Doffen]

Did they take down the site?

 

[BananasWithGuns]

Did they take down the site?

Seems like they did, yeah.

Now I'm curious as to why they would bring it down.

 

[kadotsu]

Seems like they did, yeah.

Now I'm curious as to why they would bring it down.

My guess is that too many obviously unqualified people applied because this got some press.

 

[PanicFreak]

All of those sound made up...

If you get right down to it, isn't everything just made up?

 

[Doffen]

My guess is that too many obviously unqualified people applied because this got some press.

Shouldn't be a problem. It goes through Microsoft's Career portal.

 

[Steverulez]

This just popped up on my twitter feed:

xboxjobs: Hot #Job! Join #Microsoft's State of the Art Studio (SOTA) as a #UX Visual Designer. Transform ideas into reality! http://t.co/aVN6wtvahi

Perceptive Pixel by Microsoft is changing the game with a new category of large screen touch products. Join the Perceptive Pixel Team and make your mark on our next generation of devices. The team is looking for an energetic Senior Electrical Engineering Architect who has a proven track record of designing, developing and releasing to manufacturing high quality complex products.

MS careers

We're not getting anymore games studios are we

 

[Ray Wonder]

This just popped up on my twitter feed:





MS careers

We're not getting anymore games studios are we

Sounds like maybe VR, or something.

 

[Shmuely Bully]

Hopefully these guys can stick around for awhile, it's pretty mind-boggling how many studios Microsoft has opened and closed over the last five years or so.

 

[Doffen]

This just popped up on my twitter feed:

We're not getting anymore games studios are we

Microsoft gears up to mass produce large-screen touch displays.

 

[Steverulez]

Microsoft gears up to mass produce large-screen touch displays.

So, do we think this actually has no a lot to do with SOTA then? Unless that is what SOTA is, but that would be weird considering the OP

 

[Doffen]

So, do we think this actually has no a lot to do with SOTA then? Unless that is what SOTA is, but that would be weird considering the OP

Yeah. Perceptive Pixel was bought by Microsoft back in 2012.
Seems to me like they just posted the wrong link.

Edit: Found the correct link: https://careers.microsoft.com/jobdetails.aspx?ss=&pg=0&so=&rw=1&jid=159344&jlang=en&pp=ss

 

[CassidyIzABeast]

lol. 2 months later the lxp site is still locked down

 

[Lynn616]

I think it's time to add 'Secret Xbox One game' to the chalkboard

That is not how the chalkboard works. It has been completely misused so far this gen.

 

[Vigilant Walrus]

We all know MS only money hats games away and doesnt invest in internal projects so this has to be a farce.

 

[Leflus]

Some interesting stuff is starting to pop up on Linkedin now:

I can finally post this
I Lead 4 amazing experience/game studios within XBOX that create amazing consumer experiences for Microsoft Hololens
Manage an organization of over 125 rockstars that want to change the world every single day.

-State Of The Art - Onsight - Hololens on MARS
-LXP - Holostudio - Build your own Holograms
-Good Science - Secret stuff
-FIT - Holobuilder / Minecraft on Hololens
-And 1 more secret project

Edit: Sorry for the bump. I hope it's okay.

 

[Steverulez]

So the studios are all using Hololens... mega lame.

 

[Leflus]

So the studios are all using Hololens... mega lame.

It's better than converting existing studios to Hololens studios, I guess.

Still a bit disappointing though.

 

[Final Verdict]

Well at least we know what they are now, thanks!

 

[Steverulez]

It's better than converting existing studios to Hololens studios, I guess.

Still a bit disappointing though.

Well it seems that in the process they swallowed up Good Science Studios, or they became part of the team but this is not what Microsoft need at all, their first party studios line-up is very thin compared to Sony and Nintendo.

I'm personally of the opinion that Microsoft have a lot of work to do before they can afford to be spending time on something like AR tech for games.

 

[amardilo]

So the studios are all using Hololens... mega lame.

I kind of had a sinking feeling when I read that all those studios were working on Hololens stuff as I wanted new AAA games.

It's better than converting existing studios to Hololens studios, I guess.

Still a bit disappointing though.

Good point.

 

[Steverulez]

I kind of had a sinking feeling when I read that all those studios were working on Hololens stuff as I wanted new AAA games.

I wasn't expecting AAA games from them, but I was expecting something I might vaguely be interested in, of which Hololens experiences do not fit that criteria.

 

[amardilo]

I wasn't expecting AAA games from them, but I was expecting something I might vaguely be interested in, of which Hololens experiences do not fit that criteria.

I wasn't expecting all those studios to make a big budget game but I was hopeful one of them would make one. Oh well...

 

[Leflus]

Well it seems that in the process they swallowed up Good Science Studios, or they became part of the team but this is not what Microsoft need at all, their first party studios line-up is very thin compared to Sony and Nintendo.

I'm personally of the opinion that Microsoft have a lot of work to do before they can afford to be spending time on something like AR tech for games.

Well. Good Science has only released kinect games so far, so the transition into HoloLens development seems like a natural step for the studio.
I was a little surprised to see GS on list actually. I thought that they had been absorbed into the mothership after the kinect craze died down.

I agree that Microsoft could use more internal AAA studios though. Especially on the PC front.

 

[Raide]

Kinectimals with Hololens. Make the room look like a jungle with trees and stuff. Then throw in the pets to play with as they navigate overgrown tables and chairs.

 

[blakep267]

I mean, somebody has to make stuff for hololens.

 

[Steverulez]

Well. Good Science has only released kinect games so far, so the transition into HoloLens development seems like a natural step for the studio.
I was a little surprised to see GS on list actually. I thought that they had been absorbed into the mothership after the kinect craze died down.

I agree that Microsoft could use more internal AAA studios though. Especially on the PC front.

They have opened a strategy game studio, I don't really think they need more PC specific studios, they can work with outside developers too.

Lionhead are working on PC, there will undoubtedly be cross-overs between Xbox One and PC development in their studios, they need more regular games studios though, they have a complete aversion to buying studios they have long-term partnerships with and when they finally open 4 new studios they're all on AR stuff which apart from probably being years away from giving us anything to actually play doesn't help them on Xbox One at all.

 

[Triggerhappytel]

So the studios are all using Hololens... mega lame.

Pretty sure these guys and Lift London (and maybe others?) were only formed for smaller games, so moving to experimental stuff for Hololens makes sense.

 

[Leflus]

They have opened a strategy game studio, I don't really think they need more PC specific studios, they can work with outside developers too.

Lionhead are working on PC, there will undoubtedly be cross-overs between Xbox One and PC development in their studios, they need more regular games studios though, they have a complete aversion to buying studios they have long-term partnerships with and when they finally open 4 new studios they're all on AR stuff which apart from probably being years away from giving us anything to actually play doesn't help them on Xbox One at all.

Not going to put any stock in Decisive Games until I hear the official word from Microsoft.

More regular studios would be great. They seem to have a good mix of studios in all shapes and sizes atm, but they should try to expand with 1 or 2 more AAA studio(s).

 

[Ales]

Some interesting stuff is starting to pop up on Linkedin now:



Edit: Sorry for the bump. I hope it's okay.

I am very disappointed the x1 needs new AAA exclusive from new first party and yet the resources are wasted in a technology-years away.

 

[LordBaztion]

Ok, so we have a strategy game designer (Joe Thompson) making something for hololens. That may result interesting.

 

[Ales]

They have opened a strategy game studio, I don't really think they need more PC specific studios, they can work with outside developers too.

Lionhead are working on PC, there will undoubtedly be cross-overs between Xbox One and PC development in their studios, they need more regular games studios though, they have a complete aversion to buying studios they have long-term partnerships with and when they finally open 4 new studios they're all on AR stuff which apart from probably being years away from giving us anything to actually play doesn't help them on Xbox One at all.

None of this is good news for x1 owners.Without true exclusive x1 becomes useless.I'd rather that the first party / second party would work only on x1.

 

[Hibiki Kurosawa]

Oh boy, hololens, eh? Well sure, there has to be some support for hololens, but I hope we can get 1 or 2 interesting original Xbox One games from these studios.

 

[Steverulez]

None of this is good news for x1 owners x1.Without the true exclusive x1 becomes useless.I'd rather that the first party / second party would work only on x1.

Microsoft doing games on PC is the reality whether Xbox One owners like it or not, PC is to Xbox what PSVita is to Sony, only presumably Microsoft are actually going to start releasing games for it.

Notice how on Steam very few if any of the Microsoft Studios games are Steamplay with Mac and Linux? Because they aren't Microsoft platforms and they aren't going to develop for platforms that aren't theres.

 

[Banjo-Kazooie]

I told you Steve!

 

[Doug Heffernan]

It's better than converting existing studios to Hololens studios, I guess.

Right. We don't want Rare making Hololens games.