Possibly my favorite Microsoft studio (Rare would be if they ever started making Rare games again), I even enjoyed Lococycle. It's good seeing them seperated from Microsoft, because they had a - I'm hesitant to say soul, knowing it'll be misunderstood - company feel to their games. Something that I'd expect to disappear eventually, if they had stayed with Microsoft.
-
Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.
Twisted Pixel is an independent studio once again
- Thread starter killercow
- Start date
SEGAvangelist
Member
MS gave them a lot of freedom based on what we've seen since MS took them over.
Huh. That's surprising. I wonder if the project they were working on got canned.
The artwork was interesting.
Why? They stayed with Microsoft for what, four years? And didn't lose their "soul".
I really doubt that Spark is worse than Lococycle and Gunstringer.
The artwork was interesting.
Why? They stayed with Microsoft for what, four years? And didn't lose their "soul".
I really doubt that Spark is worse than Lococycle and Gunstringer.
I think it's a matter of not fitting into the Xbox team's strategy for increasing Xbox Live usage. Phil has mentioned several times how growth of users on Xbox Live is a primary focus.
If I'm not mistaken, all the other first-party studios are working on games that have multiplayer aspects. Even PressPlay's three concepts they shared with us recently all had online multiplayer at the core of the game. I think Quantum Break and Recore are the only games being developed by external studios that don't have multiplayer.
Steverulez
Member
Flooding the market and their own line-up with a bunch of multiplayer [only/heavily focused] games is a stupid idea though and also completely at odds with the strategy of their chief competitor who hasnt really been very successful at creating a lasting popular multiplayer game/franchise and still manages to wreck them in sales. Its a crowded area and sometimes you have to keep improving and sticking with titles to do that, which is something I find Microsoft notoriously bad at doing (see Project Spark, no MP but something they gave up on rather quickly)
Not to mention it does little to enhance that idea of "diversity" Phil was talking about, or wanting to be like Nintendo.
That said, for all we know Microsoft could have decided that the quality wasnt really what they were looking for but TP wanted to carry on with it, we'll find out when its announced I guess (and if MS are still publishing/owning it)
I don't really think that's necessarily the strategy based on what we've seen. Even if a lot of the games do have multiplayer, not all of them are experiences focused on that.
He did say that the sell-in of consoles were not the main source for income, but i don't think they want only multiplayer experiences. I also don't think that the PressPlay concepts were forced or anything, like, they just happened to want to make a multiplayer focused experience, and Karoo wasn't really focused on that part.
Project Spark is akin to Minecraft in that they wanted to build community with it. Even Team Dakota was saying on their forums how they hope the community keeps growing.
Community is how the Xbox team often refers to Xbox Live users.
Of course there is diversity in the portfolio and I think there will continue to be SP titles published by Microsoft, and most of their games will have great SP components to them, but I think the majority of their efforts will be focused on games that build online communities and increase Xbox Live usage. I'll repeat that this doesn't mean multi-player only, just that most games (read: not all) will feature something that utilizes Xbox Live.
If Twisted Pixel's new IP is in fact a multiplayer game or features a multiplayer component that looks really promising then I'll reconsider my perspective on how I see things lining up for Xbox.
Didn't say multiplayer only, said multiplayer aspects.
Are you misunderstanding intentionally?
That said I agree. Their games still maintained their company feel, but I'd still wonder for how long? Now they're not suddenly forced to create multiplayer games to sell Live subscriptions, make endless sequels if they ever made a (big) hit, or motion games to sell Kinect or whatever shape the next gimmick takes.You may maintain that they never were forced to do so anyway, but then start looking at exactly how Microsoft manages its studios..
Garcia el Gringo
Member
I agree with you. I like Twisted Pixel's output after The Maw, specifically the Splosion games, but I much preferred the tone of The Maw and would have appreciated them exploring and refining their craft in that collectathon genre.
Good luck to them! Put me in the camp that wants to see new IP.
Shrennin
Didn't get the memo regarding the 14th Amendment
Compared to other publishers that just kill developers off when they are done with them, I would say Microsoft letting a studio keep its independence when they don't fit in is exactly the opposite of what you claim Microsoft does. That policy makes me want Microsoft to acquire first party studios because at least I know that if they don't work out then the studio won't cease to exist but instead go back to being independent.
Ricky Ricardo
Member
It's like you've completely ignored the recent developments with Rare, upcoming first and second party exclusives, and the last exclusive TP put out on Xbox One. We're not in 2010 or 2012 any more.
Bits N Pieces
Member
Just hope we see soon what they have been working on (for years!), don't really car about releasing multiple platforms - the more people who get to experience there craziness the better 
Extra Sauce
Member
Splosion Man v Ms. Splosion Man: Dawn of Justice
RiccochetJ
Gold Member
I like that they were able to gain their independence instead of just getting shut down. Take notes EA and Activision.
eot
Banned
Absolutely not.
Dead Prince
Banned
well Microsoft had a good run.
ShockingAlberto
Member
I was baffled why Microsoft bought them in the first place.
What about you start looking at how they are doings thing recently? None of that is happening.
Microsoft positions its studios as (mostly) single franchise factories, following what ever policy has taken hold.
I believe a company like Twisted Pixel will suffocate under those conditions in the long run and letting them go is probably the easiest.
Shrennin
Didn't get the memo regarding the 14th Amendment
The only single franchise studios right now are Coalition (which consists mostly of the original Gears team now, I believe), 343 (designed from the ground-up as such), and Turn10 (a studio specializing in racing so one racing franchise makes sense). You could put Mojang in there if you wanted, but they were already basically a one-franchise studio before Microsoft bought them -- and I feel like they'll be pushing things VR wise for Microsoft. Also, with Coalition Microsoft gave the studio heads (then Black Tusk) the option of handling Gears or continuing with a new IP.
Rare and Lionhead are working on new IP. I doubt Twisted Pixel wanting to work on different IP had anything to do with it. Press Play also let the public vote on what they wanted their next game IP to be!
Splosion Man Jr, please. I would also accept Splosion Land.
Kinect is obviously dead at this point and was only used as an example of how company policy could take hold. Right now they are focused on selling Live subscriptions = no singleplayer only focus from internal studios (aside from maybe games with a smaller budget). And that's exactly what Rare's upcoming pirate game looks like: Not classic Rare, but something molded according to some Microsoft policy. And I don't believe that it's a coincidence that Lionhead's next Fable is yet another multiplayer game.
But hey, I've said my piece. I'm fine with you not believing that Microsoft's policies influence their studios. Personally, I think the proof is in the pudding and am glad seeing Twisted Pixel being independent again.
"We won't kill you, we'll just send you out into the jungle armed with a pointy stick"
Shrennin
Didn't get the memo regarding the 14th Amendment
I think Bungie is doing just fine.
CambriaRising
Member
"This is a way we can decrease some overhead.."
That's just a little different
Triggerhappytel
Member
That's... odd? Good for them if they wanted to return to being indie.
Banjo-Kazooie
Member
I wonder, did Microsoft sell them their IPs (or give them to them) like they did with Toy Soldiers and Signal Studios, or are MS keeping them? Not like there's much value to keeping them now, I doubt MS has any plans for them.
Shrennin
Didn't get the memo regarding the 14th Amendment
Seems like the same deal to me. It's just that the studio will have to live or die by its own successes or failures. I would rather that then what EA does. Twisted Pixel was independent once, you know. They'll just be back in the position they were in before their buy-out.
It's not like they give leeway to a lot of studios, right?
Yeah, no.
Sure, i mean, Quantum Break is definitely a smaller budget title. And no, Sea of Thieves looks like something from Rare. It's the dream game of Mayles.
I mean, it souns like you are trying to project your opinion into reality, when it's really not like that.
Finally something we can agree on.
but you're assuming the PS4's success is because of the games and that if MS adopted their strategy they would be doing better. Its more that the PS brand is stronger globally than the Xbox and the launch wasn't a disaster like the ps3
Maybe not everyone was happy with the situation? The higher-ups, something like that? (from twisted pixel's side, i mean)
Strange indeed.
PrivateRyan
Member
Yeah, agree with this, although some of my Twisted Pixel love has shifted over to No Goblin nowadays I guess - I much prefer Roundabout to any recent Twisted Pixel output.
Doug Heffernan
Member
Not surprising that Microsoft would cut ties with them.
The only contribution they made since the acquisition was fucking Lococycle. (Gunstringer was in development before the acquisition)
You would expect more from 4 years of studio ownership.
It's a shame because I was such a fan of Splosion and The Maw.
The only contribution they made since the acquisition was fucking Lococycle. (Gunstringer was in development before the acquisition)
You would expect more from 4 years of studio ownership.
It's a shame because I was such a fan of Splosion and The Maw.
Personally, I didn't like any game they made other than Splosion Man, which is my favorite X360 exclusive game. I was super hyped for Comic Jumper when they announced it, and though I don't think it's as bad as most people do, it was severely disappointing. LocoCycle was straight up garbage.
So yeah, please another cookie cutter Splosionman game.
Steverulez
Member
I think making more single player focused games has been a good plan for Sony and we are seeing them sell very well (TLOU, Uncharted, Infamous SS, Bloodborne + others) too.
Microsoft on the other hand are going completely in the opposite direction for their internally developed games which I don't think is a great idea.
PS4s success is down to many things but I think creating a good line-up of diversity (in the PS3 years particularly) has certainly helped them, Microsoft aren't leading from the front on their own line-up with that, instead choosing to focus their resources more and more on what will end up being much more similar experiences.
I don't think focusing so much on one things like that will be a particularly good idea, or a good use of the resources, perhaps it would be less of an issue if MS had more studios though.
I think the general consensus has always been that Twisted Pixels peaked with Splosion Man, and with the exception of Gun Stinger, everything else has been some degree of disappointing.
Bungie was a household name coming off one of the biggest franchises in gaming over a decade long period. Their success was guaranteed in the short term, evident by the fact that they were given an unprecedented 10 year publishing deal with the biggest publisher in gaming - with an absurd $500 million development budget. Twisted Pixel is a small studio who develops downloadable games, and they're coming off of consecutive disappointing titles.
It's not the same thing, at all.
We don't know if MS isn't publishing their unnanounced title, though. Also, do you prefer that they closed them than this chance?
Completely agree. But i don't think that they will only have multiplayer experiences. It just happens that a lot of AAA games these days happen to have multiplayer. I mean, you talked about TLOU and Bloodborne and both of those have a strong multiplayer component.