Pixel Cheat's Tom Fahey get's an exclusive interview with the co-founder and studio director for recently closed studio Press Play, Ole Teglbjaerg.
Pioneers may look familiar as the game was originally named Project: Karoo back when Press Play was active.
Xbox chief Phil Spencer has moved to reassure fans concerned about the future of Xbox following yesterday's announcement that Lionhead Studios and Press Play Studios are to close.
I think the only people that are worried are the Sony fans.
Company restructuring happens all the time, its part of running a business.
Sony did the something similar last year where they had to let go a lot of employees and also close some Sony stores, does that mean that they are doom...no just means that they will cut off any part that is not making a profit and bleeding money.
Difference is Sony didn't dump all their games on the Vita just to sell more vitas and games, they stuck with their console and have offered support for all 3 of their consoles like no one else.
Sony fans only are worried about a ms studio(s) closure...?
Everyone should be worried, and there's nothing wrong with that. That's a very nasty way to fanboy up a topic that realisticly affects everyone, moreso real peoples livelihoods.
Xbox doesn't have a great presence in Europe as it is, so it's naturally worrying that yet another european studio has closed down.
Studio Liverpool, big big, these two of MS' yesterday, and that's just UK. For those living in the UK hoping to join a veteran studio in the UK to develop games, it's not looking as good as it was 10 years ago.
Your choice may be either go indie and risk your life savings (not everyone can kickstarter what they need) or go contractual and risk potentially weeks without work, it is worrying
I'd say this is really the only answer to listen to at the moment.
It really sucks for those involved, but restructuring is a thing that all businesses in all industries go through.
Microsoft was pumping money into those 8 studios and saw that they were getting absolutely no return (2 of them made F2P games, others were small Kinect-based devs), so of course they're going to consider shutting off the money tap.
Funding isn't infinite, as any developer or publisher will tell you
"I think the only people that are worried are the Sony fans"
?
I know right, if your an XB fan, you just welcome Lionhead closing huh bud? /s
I'm sure more folks who own an XB will be upset over this news then some fanboys that had no effect over this.
The studios Sony closed weren't working on something as big as Fable Legends and for so long.
They trimmed some fat sure but they didn't take off such a huge chunk like Microsoft have just done. It wasn't just Lionhead aswell other smaller studios fell.
When Phil Spencer says that Xbox 'isn't going anywhere' notice he is talking about the software development division and not the hardware platform!
^Agreed Pumblechook. Phil says, "Xbox isn't going anywhere"...Yes, Phil, that could very well be the problem you're faced with if you keep on giving up exclusives, cancelling games and closing down development studios.
This is what worries me; People WANT xbox to go somewhere and want to know where it's bloody going. Right now it doesn't even seem like you know - how are the fans supposed to trust that there is a future for the platform outside of PC?
Restructuring....closing many studios in xbox division and making First party IPs slowly multi-plat. That's downsizing not restructuring
@prince-Ali
So you're telling me that because of one group of people, not all the fans mind you obviously, that you want to be exactly like those people? Why not be better then them? Be bigger than them!
Bad comparison, eliminating popular studios that drive software sales of your hardware is not the same as closing Sony tech retail stores. These eliminations are Xbox only, not office, or their mobile phone division. It seems they're slowly but surely moving away from Xbox exclusives forever, simply because they can't compete in that category with Sony or Nintendo for that matter in the CONSOLE market.
Move Microsoft-owned software to PC, now there are two areas to profit from instead of one. Why are people making this seem more difficult than what it is?
@Prince so this link Im about to provide isn't the same as getting shut down but you get the jist of it and will have the same reaction.
http://n4g.com/news/1480794...
Tell me where Xbox fans FLOCKED made hateful comments doom and gloom where's that majority here doing that?
Sony also sold off or broke ties with SOE which were making them a a bunch of games also.
Sony trims the fat, MS trims the fat. That's what happens when these billion dollar companies get fat and have summer around the corner.
The thing I'm having a problem with is that besides the fact that Microsoft must've greenlit every project Lionhead started they also are one of the most resourceful companies in the world.
Is it really too much to ask MS to build a network of proper game development studios? All they work on is Halo, Gears and Forza which are far from exiting at this point.
Know a good way to not make money? Cancel a game just weeks before putting it on the market.
That's weird because most of the videos I seen on YouTube were from fans of the series.
Difference was it followed studio expansion. And it was nowhere this level in terms of series of bad news.
I think what you are doing is just damage control.
How are comparing what Sony did regarding divisions of the company to what MS is doing within a division? Things which directly effect the production of product which is suppose to make that division appealing.
Selling off laptops, PCs, cell phones and even buildings has nothing to do with Playstation. MS started this gen saying was going to have content, that they were going to make that content directly, reaffirmed that commitment after the DRM shakeup if not doubled down on it, yet now they're closing studios and canceling games.
@2pacalypsenow
"Difference is Sony didn't dump all their games on the Vita just to sell more vitas and games, they stuck with their console and have offered support for all 3 of their consoles like no one else."
really? so where is this love from sony for vita software?
ask yourself this, who is trying to make this a huge deal. those who never really had much support for the xbox brand or everyone else?
phil and the ceo of microsoft have both shown commitment o the xbox brand. e3 of this year will show whether or not they are in it for the long haul. fable legends never really did look like a aaa game.
To all fanboys:
I just turned on my X1, it is still running great.
I am still able to play all my fantastic games.
My game library is filled with titles I can only enjoy on a Windows platform.
There are upcoming releases that can only be enjoyed on a Windows platform.
My X1 is still awesome.
That is all. thanks for your "concern"
Personally I don't care what each corporation does with their various assets as long as they are straight with us and not lie to us if they are in the process of exiting a market where the only thing keeping it together and is somewhat pro-gamer(yeah this is debatable)inevitably destroying competition and making console gaming for us non-viable.
This is not the time to pick sides and take jabs at each other. We, as in all gamers, need MS and Sony to keep competing with each other. If one exits then our favorite pass time is doomed.
@Bdub2000
Good for you man I'm happy for you. One piece of advice though, do your self a favor and don't do any future planing by yourself.
I'm more Sony than MS and I don't want them to stop. No competition isn't a good thing.
"Phil Spencer responds to Lionhead closure, promises Xbox isn't going anywhere"
http://i.imgur.com/Ufbr5ej....
Pretty much, they started doing the necessary steps for this to happen so I wouldn'T be surprised by anything at this point.
In 2 years Xbox could be built into every device that runs Windows 10, would that still mean that "Xbox isn't going anywhere"?
Exactly. It Isnt going anywhere but its becoming a steam machine (aka a pc)
It could actually not be like the PC, but more like tablet or smart-phones.
A new version of the console each year. Each version has a fixed hardware. Each device can use cloud gaming and computing.
True. I just dont think i like that idea. Basically it means no more consoles if this strategy pays off. Im mainly a console gamer. Always been. I love consoles. They are great value. But what im seeing is that MS will abolish console gaming when they take half the console gamers unto their steam-like/PC "console". This is what Spencer said earlier.
"described by Phil himself, of a future where the Xbox might end up as a service rather than a hardware line. He also spoke of a future where the Xbox hardware could be upgraded, similar to a PC."
I dont know but I dont like where this is heading guys...
What would help his case if MS buys a dev and make games for the x1 only.
Words are just words.
Why is it required that they own a studio? Wouldn't it be better for the developer to keep their freedom an simply work with ms on a game by game basis?
It certainly doesnt matter to a Xbox gamer who remedy is owned by, for example. they just want qb.
n4rc
Because that's how you stay in the console race. Look at Nin for example.
If you recall what happened with Mass Effect, BioShock and then Gears.
Luckily MS bough Gears IP this gen
Look at how low the impact of both Titanfall and TR 1 year exclusive sofar.
The key to staying in the game is to have your own inhouse talent that will produce the content for your platform to make it relevant for people to support it.
In the future Remedy might not be there anymore like how EPIC didn't do anymore Gears.
Like MS are finding out the hard way this gen. You can't completely rely on 2nd and 3rd party always.
But the content is always there.. And games come and go..
Titanfalls impact would have been exactly the same if they were first party.. The only impact there is Sony gamers will get to play their next game as well as Xbox gamers.. That's a win for everyone involved as I see it.
Having content is important, how you get it isn't. There are pros and cons for the platform holder, but really irrelevant to the gamer.
We can agree to disagree but Ive always said 1sr or 2nd party makes no difference at all to the consumer.
This guy is not James Allard, he doesn't even wish to be like him.
Allard is the one who believed he can actually make a difference with Xbox ,and make it the next big thing.
Regardless of what happens in the end, Xbox dying would be bad for all gamers. Sony is only were it is because it had continue to innovate because market share seriously dipped. If they have no competition, it gets stale. They will not spend R&D bucks when there is no need to compete, they will, again tell you what you need.....PC gaming, steam boxes will benefit, and it will become a full shift away from hardware, and more about streaming, delivery of content devices..... Be careful what you wish for....
Yeah, Phil, you can be totally trusted. MS totally hasn't mislead it's customers time after time.
Maybe I'll finally get my wish and see MS get out of the console space.
True, not like others have ever mislead a consumer when letting credit card details walk freely into the hands of not so nice people.......
Replies(4)People shouldn't hate on xb1. If ps4 didn't have competition, Sony would take even more advantage of its user base.
Funny how people forget how ignorant Sony was with the PS3, I mean they actually told us to get two jobs to buy a PS3.
The PS4 is what it is because of the XBox and if you can't see that then you're a blind fan.
Edit: PS2 had no competition because Sony killed the Dream Cast with money by making the most popular games exclusive.
Have you forgotten the statements Don Mattrick made at the launch of the X1? Yeah, execs make silly comments - it happens.
They didn't tell you to get 2 jobs. They said they want you to feel like you'd get 2 jobs to get it.
and like stated above me it's funny to harp on a MIS Quote and yet stick up for the company who said quotes you can't take out of context because no matter what way you read them or hear them they are negative.
It's hard to take anything you say seriously when you repeat a quote incorrectly and completely out of context. If you're going to quote something at least do the research to use it correctly.
For the most part the best console of all time is the pS2 it's up for debate obviously but that happen when PS basically held the entire market itself.
Hell the ps4 practically has the entire market, and look at the lineup we have this year....it's friggin nuts from 1st part exclusives to 2nd and 3rd party exclusives......
I say let them dominate. Just avoid the BS emulated game prices.
It's looking like the ps2 all over again.
Well......I don't think @fro is enjoying it....
--
xoxo
PS2 had no competition and Sony didn't take advantage of anyone. Now Nintendo on the other hand that's another story.
@Finn
The price point has nothing to with the incredible software the PS3 has. Sony has been around for one more generation than MS, and their first was during the last great mascot era.
Yes because Sony is taking advantage of us so much lol. I'd be happy if Xbox packed up and went away from the console market, no more silly timed deals on games and DLC.
Then you are not a gamer and a mindless fanboy, competition is key to any device in any eco system, this will make the company selling that product push to make it as good as possible to be the best for the consumer.
Personal dislike is one thing but to remove them from the market would be stupid and you would not benefit in any way whatsoever.
And your deals and DLC remark.... Hypocrisy at It's finest
You really will not want that, honestly, now Sony sometimes feels pressure because customers want features the other one has, the have to set a price point for their hardware that can compete with the other one, if there is no on to compete with they can do what they want.
I really would not want that and you shouldn't either.
@Unreal01
Congrats for the most ignorant comment of the day.
Be careful... don't let hatred consume you.
Gotta love this one!
DLC! while forgetting that Sony was the 1st company to introduce paid DLC on console with Wipeout pure on PSP in 2005.
But Hey if it help you feel Better... Microsoft is evilllllll!!!!
@zeref
To compete with Microsoft, yes they do. But securing exclusive & timed content is something Microsoft had made popular starting with the 360.
and has since moved away from. The Division will be the last time you see this happen in a very long time on the XB side of things, and thats cause the deal was cut 2 years ago
Lol
Tomb raider 2 was a paid exclusive by Sony to keep it off of the sega Saturn after tomb raider one was on both. Gta San Andreas was paid exclusivity for 1 year on PlayStation 2 to keep it off of Xbox. There were plenty of games Sony paid for timed exclusive or full exclusive before MS even entered the console market, do a little research before you blindly post
Actually... Sony started this trend with PS1 and PS2 3rd party exclusive games.
If you want to blame somebody, blame Sony.
I hate how people blame other people for things people now.
So you are blaming MS for everything anti-consumer Sony is doing just because they did it first?
So it's okay for Sony to make timed-exclusivity deals because MS did first?
I don't understand how people like you have 10 bubbles.
@MrEnglish
I suggest you have a good look at the PS2, very little competition there and it was some of the best years for gaming.
And look at my other comment relation to DLC and timed deals. That is not something that Sony started. Stop being quick to call someone a fan boy, usually people who do that are fan boys themselves.
Buddy I'm 40 years old, ive been through all console generations since the Atari 2600.
Your comment history shows you want Xbox out of the console market and left to just Sony, this is pure stupidness, I've been in business long enough and been around tech long enough to know competition is key.
In your opinion gaming when the PS2 was around was some of the best, myself I find that gaming was at It's best just before the PS1 came around. With Sony came a lot of hate from people protecting the purchase mommy and Daddy bought them.
Also I'm a gamer.... I own all consoles, not just one so I dont need to feel that my console has to be king.
I suggest you ask someone who was around before the PS2 era, Those are the times that made it possible for Sony to be popular...
Kids...
And after the PS2 we got the PS3. €600 at launch, barely any worthwile games until MGS4, extremely difficult to develop for and being outperformed in its initial years by a console that cost €200 less than it. PS3 initial years were the result of them resting on their laurels from the PS2 days.
All in one console, HDD, achievements/trophies, unified online service were all things brought by MS to console gaming.
Oh and Uncharted which is only Sony's 2nd biggest IP after GT is what it is today because Sony saw how successful shooters were doing on the 360.
http://www.nowgamer.com/nau...
I'm not going to sit here and say that MS only did good things for gaming but they, without any doubt shaped many of the things that we came to expect from our consoles.
Not saying I want Sony to have a monopoly again but when Sony had a monopoly during the PS1 and PS2 era those were arguably some of the best years in gaming.. Just saying lol
Yup, if MS stops making consoles all gamers who prefer consoles over PC gaming will be negatively affected. Sony without Xbox competition would be really bad too.
I really do hope the NX is going to be as good hardware wise as the current gen systems and 3rd party developers are going to release all the multiplat AAA games on it as well.
Heck even if Xbox is not going anywhere that would rather be awesome anyways :)
You guys say that competition is good which is true but not always.
Don't forget that competition has also affected us in a bad way. Having to pay for multiplayer is the thing I despise the most about the PS4 right now....all thanks to your glorified competition.
As a Sony fan, that's exactly what worries me. Nintendo doesn't put up much of a fight, the recent moves by MS make it feel like they've given up trying to compete with Sony and are more interested in stopping SteamOS from getting a foothold in the PC space.
Without real competition, Sony will likely rest on their laurels more.
No chance of xbox division dissapearing. They will continue to make investments in big titles. I think they are though eventually going to have a windows box in the gen after this. XB1 has sold alot of units, but yes the focus will shift more towards windows gaming on both pc and console.
Logos for Lionhead Studios and Press Play Studios have both been removed from the Microsoft Studios website following yesterday's announcement that both are set to close. But that's not all.
A further five studios and the Project Spark logo were also removed from the website last night, including Kinect Joy Ride developer BigPark, along with Function Studios, Good Science, LXP and SOTA.
Looks like Microsoft is serious about quality. Almost all the studios being closed were making no games I was interested in. So no loss from a consumer point of view.
No games 'you' were interested in. Key word there, others might have been and it's a loss to them.
Very true but on the other hand, do we as gamers really want sub-par games? Naturally there is no accounting for tastes, but if Microsoft as the publisher felt they were not making quality games, it may be better that they were closed down.
The flip side is it's definitely a sad thing for the employees themselves and I hope they can all move on to bigger and better things but from a business standpoint as well as a value for gamers, this may be the best thing in the end.
@Elwenil
Comeon man. THat is the most desperate damage control I've heard.
Really? No one is forcing bad game down anyone throat and it is not like MS is protecting you. Not to mention the fact that there are tester gamers who helps game retain quality.
Quit damage controlling... Past few weeks have been crazy.
-MS gives away Xbox exclusives:
Fans spin losing exclusive as good thing.
-MS mentions converting Xbox into PC steambox:
Everything fan didnt like about PC is like best thing ever.
-MS closes studios down:
Fans spin into MS protecting gamers from bad quality games.
Is Xbox One finally Xbox Done?? Games are delayed more than a whole year. Many of those stated to be releasing this year do not have release dates or even gameplay videos. Most former exclusives heading to PC. Executives talk about releasing upgradeable consoles and essentially turning it into a service. First party studios closing and big-name exclusive game cancelled. Phantom Dust cancelled. Lionhead Studios producer calling them "destroyer of first party."
What is next? Seas of Thieves cancelled? Recore cancelled? We still havent seen Crackdown 3 running on an Xbox One even though it is supposedly releasing this summer. Nobody has seen the single player campiagn that will supposedly released later. It looks like the end for Xbox once they release or cancel all the games currently in development.
@Elwenil
Microsoft owns the IP's for Lost Oddessy, Jade Empire, PGR, Conker and Crimson Skies and spent 400 million on an NFL deal.
Who made the deal between Xbox One and the NFL? Phil Spencer.
Seems Microsoft is trimming some fat today. Although I read in the comments from the tweet that this may be re-branding of some of those studios, perhaps merging a few together but other than Lionhead with Fable Legends I'm not going to make much of studios like "Good Science" closing when there's really not a body of work we've played or known games were looking forward to. -Anyone know of any past or present game from any of these 8 studios???...any names of cancelled games from them??? Either way I hope all the good folks get offers to stay employed elsewhere.
-Edit, ahhh just read most of these studios are Kinect related, makes more sense now.
Overload you do know that Microsoft is a huge company that makes a pc/tablet line called Surface Pro, that deal involves a full NFL ad campaign with Surface Pros used during pregame analysis, halftime, etc and by coaches during every NFL game...or are you suggesting a mega billion dollar corporation should ONLY pour all their resources into gaming?, lol
To me this is just Microsoft doing a little belt tightening. I remember Sony had to shut down some studios after the Ps3 faltered out of the gate. They had to trim the fat big time. Microsoft is probably doing the same thing. Makes no sense to invest heavy in first party studios if no confidence that the sales will make the venture worthwhile. Makes sense to shut some down to refocus resources where they could matter.
Just speculating though
It's common knowledge the in order to diversify your software lineup you need to diminish your talent pool. How else or they going to show gamers they care?
Nasty "oversight" there snookie. *smh*
@4sh0w If they continue to trimming the fat like this, they end up trimming the Xbox one to.
You know, going to PC and all of that...
For their next console they are already trimming the console cycle for the hardware, for the one year cycle like the smartphone...
@NameGameFame,
Check my comments, pal. I don't even own an Xbox. Never have, never will. But the facts remain that with a lot of the less than stellar games coming out these days at full price with all sorts of promises, if publishers shut down under-performing studios, I have no issues with it other than the impact on the employees, which is a sad but necessary fact of life. I was not happy when Sony shut down Zipper, but considering MAG's issues and SOCOM 4 being a complete bomb, yeah, it was time for them to go. Not all games can be hits and even if fans and devs love an IP, it takes more than love to make money and that is what the publishers are in the business for.
I can think of quite a few games which many would consider sub-par that I quite enjoy.
@Griever "Games are delayed more than a whole year."
That means nothing games get delayed all the time.
"Most former exclusives heading to PC."
That MS PLANNED all along not bad news.
"Phantom Dust cancelled."
Of all ppl I know all about Phantom Dust and its not cancelled. Though realistically I wouldn't be surprised if it did.
"We still havent seen Crackdown 3 running on an Xbox One even though it is supposedly releasing this summer."
The beta's coming this summer and will probably release late summer We have to wait till E3 for details.
Those other games Im sure are safe MS would have to be out of their minds to get rid of the rest of their line up, I mean obviously.
Had to correct you on some points.
Next up
Halo on playstation
More gamers get to play and ms gets more money right. .......
I say this because from what I hear on here, exclusives don't matter and it's selfish not to want other people to play the same game.
Its funny how fast xbox fans sh!t on these devs.
I can remember most of them put these studios on their list to compete with Sony first party list and were touting them.
Now its just MS trimming the fat lol!
Hate this news and gets me very worried about future games on X1.
But there's no way N4G gonna try and tell me about Phantom Dust. Yall gonna believe Griever a guy who knows little about Phantom Dust when PD is my most favored game of all time so clearly I keep up with it. No the game is not cancelled trust me I know better. If theres anyone to believe on that its me or anyone else who actually follows the game closely.
Everything I said was fair, rational and level headed so its not me I checked my facts. But all the fanboys are getting a kick out of the news. Upvote the fanboy comments no matter how dumb they are, Of course you guys will do just that. Since that's the case no point in arguing since Im a get smothered down anyway I'm right you guys are wrong and there's nothing nobody can say or do about it ( :
@Why Well PC isn't the same as PS4 when it comes to overall appeal or popularity. Halo going to PS4 will change the gamingscape forever if it went to PC it would be a big deal but not the same as if it were on PS4 not nearly the same actually. Everything you said only applies to PC WIN10 specifically MS own software not another competing console so that doesnt make sense.
But ppl will swear that I'm "wrong" somehow though watch lol.
im just having a sly dig Angelic. I know the differences but despite that, MS would gain more money if they put all their exclusives on playstation. Many seem to think games going to pc won't affect the x1 so why couldn't the same apply to them being on ps too
@rdgneoz3
**"" They got rid of 8 studios and never told anyone until the last moment pretty much... Twitter mentioned people being in a meeting being told what was happening as the article went up...
Hell, a Lionhead community manager just 5 hours before the announcement was talking about how they were going over feedback and trying to make the best game possible.
https://twitter.com/VG_Dave... **
Wow, that sucks
I don't understand how some xbox fans are saying Microsoft is trimming some fat or getting rid of "bad" studios or whatever excuse they will come up with.
8 studios closed and ppl losing their jobs...that's sucks
no matter how much you spin this and not a good sign at all.
You know what I find really weird, 90% of the people in this thread are Sony guys just looking to have a dig at Microsoft. It's so lame. As an Xbox gamer, yes I'm slightly disappointed in Fable legends but that's it. Theses other studios were mostly making Kinect games which I'm sure none of us Xbox guys are gonna lose sleep over. It's sad theses developers won't have jobs, but I wish them all the best, they may even end up in a better studio. I have never seen so much over reaction in my life.
@ people calling this trimming
Sony was in financial trouble with years of losses and potentially its survival at stake so they had to resort to extreme measures. What kind of trouble is MS in that they have close so many studios, cancel games and think about adopting smartphone model for Xbox? Xbox fanboys always boasted the infinitely deep pockets and massive profits of MS compared to Sony. We clearly know they are not in financial trouble so the only other explanation is they are getting out of the home console industry or at least the traditional home console industry.
@AngelicIceDiamond
Look at the gif posted by Cupid Viper. That is what is going on with Xbox fans right now. They are just refusing to acknowledge what is unfolding before their eyes.
Sure, there are game cancellations here and gamers lose out. But the biggest loss here is to the employees.
This is crazy, it's like Xbox is imploding before our very eyes.
I just hope those employees manage to come out of this alright in the end and move on to bigger, better things. I'm sure they will.
@Why o why I don't think MS are really in it to sell games OR hardware, which might initially sound odd but makes sense when you think about it.
Their ultimate goal in publishing is to sit back and make money off of the work of others. They primarily make games to build up a closed ecosystem (The Xbox platform, the Windows store). Once they have that, they get to syphon money from everyone else that wants to publish games there.
You only need to look at what they did with the 360 to confirm that part of their strategy.
That might make them sound nefarious, but it's really a core concept of the console gaming industry, and consumer software industry in general (see Apple).
Personally I'd love to see all exclusive games spread across consumer-friendly open platforms, but it's catch 22. Platform holders wouldn't be injecting the cash to make these AAA games at all if they weren't trying to build up these closed ecosystems.
@AngelicIceDiamond
I'll agree with you that games getting delayed aren't that big of a deal since It's kind of like the norm for games to get delayed nowadays. As a matter of fact I can't remember a single recent AAA game that didn't get delayed.
However I have to disagree with you here,
""Most former exclusives heading to PC."
That MS PLANNED all along not bad news."
First of all MS focusing on pc from the start is pr and it's quite recent pr as a matter of fact. Let me give you a real example here, have you heard of the kickstarter unsung story? The devs (lead by the producer of final fantasy tactics, I believe?) promised a game in the veins of fft. However approximately a year later they send of an update informing backer that pvp will start in june 2016. They never talked about a multiplayer in this game and when questioned they said that multiplayer was the plan all along. From the very beginning. Sounds familiar?
Secondly MS losing exclusives isn't a good thing...no wait let me rephrase that, xbox1 losing exclusives isn't a good thing. It's a win-win scenario for MS as people might purchase their games on xbox1 or pc however the lack of exclusives devalues a console. Why should I go for a xbox1 when I can use that money towards a gaming laptop (or desktop for people who doesn't play games on laptops)? If all or most exclusives end up on pc then people might as well pick up a ps4 and a pc (or a wii u if they don't like sony exclusives and only care for the multiplatform games). Exclusives define a console. I might pick up a xbox1 because I love the simplicity of console gaming but do I represent the entire gaming community?
EDIT: I changed "will" with "might". I have to wait and hear about MS plans for xbox before making a purchase.
@AngelicIceDiamond
You're right about games getting delayed all the time.
You're right about the fact that PD isn't cancelled (It's in a dormant stage for now).
You're right about the fact that we need to wait and see carckdown 3 before we judge it.
However you're wrong about MS's plan for xbox and that fact that losing exclusives is a good thing.
"I'm right you guys are wrong and there's nothing nobody can say or do about it ( :" - a bit childish attitude here :)
I can only point out whether you're right or not and to point out you're wrongs as well. What more did you expect?
@Welkin
"I can remember most of them put these studios on their list to compete with Sony first party list and were touting them. "
Really?
"including Kinect Joy Ride developer BigPark, along with Function Studios, Good Science, LXP and SOTA."
These devs appeared on which lists?
@Septic Yes even those studios were on some lists. I remember people putting lists with every single MS studio when trying to compare their first party vs Sony first party
Can't belive people still are ignoring this.
Something clearly is happening and it's not looking good for the future of xbox as a console.
Like it or not this is how bowing out of the competition looks.
Cancelling putting big exclusives on pc, fable cancelling, now this.
Wake up.
@abzdiine
not many people were happy about fable legends most people made it quite clear they wanted fable 4. gutted for all the people at lionhead though the game looked beautiful
Other than lionhead/Fable, please tell me the name of one game that any one of these studios has released, or is working on
So let me get this straight ... If Sony trims down some studios it's no biggie, but if Microsoft trims down some studios (mostly Kinect studios) it's the end of Microsoft, they're doooooomed... Just not seeing the logic here hey.
@mark_parch
"@abzdiine
not many people were happy about fable legends most people made it quite clear they wanted fable 4. "
Yeah precisely but people like to pretend don't they? Disingenuous and uninformed people aside, it is hardly felt as a big loss...unless of course you desperately want to make a point about it. Mind you, I've seen the same people believe its some sort of downplaying when they themselves thought Fable Legends looked poor. And these same people liked knack and the order and think there was a media conspiracy against them lol.
Its not a good thing having a studio shut down of course...but it was shut for a reason and if the quality isnt up tp scratch you don't want a rushed, u unfinished and poor game on your hands. We have seen a few examples of those this gen
@Overload- MS doesn't own the Jade Empire IP, Bioware does. MS was simply publishing their game like they published Mass Effect.
EA bought the IP of Mass Effect from Bioware, not MS as Bioware owned the IP to Mass Effect, Mass Effect etc, MS never owned an IP from Bioware.
In the business world, this is what you do when you plan on selling the company. Cut the fat, and make it look as lean as possible to buyers. Watch this space, the XBOX brand will be sold by MS very soon. It's over.
@Septic:
Everytime fanboys like christolus and others bring up x1 list of exclusives Fable Legends is among these.
Fable Legends not being a big deal all of a sudden is hypocritical.
And here we go with Knack again.. i like it.....because i PLAYED it.
That is the craziest spin possible at the possibility of Microsoft losing 8 studios.
@Bigpappy They got rid of 8 studios and never told anyone until the last moment pretty much... Twitter mentioned people being in a meeting being told what was happening as the article went up...
Hell, a Lionhead community manager just 5 hours before the announcement was talking about how they were going over feedback and trying to make the best game possible.
https://twitter.com/VG_Dave...
Overall, hopefully those people find jobs. Not fun getting fired without notice and having a family to feed.
I think we should just wait and see what all of these recent changes mean for XB1 before jumping to conclusions.
For all we know, MS could be ditching the studios that aren't profitable in favor of spending the money on new IP that people have been asking for. Hell, some of these studios were Kinect devs, so why keep them around anyways? What we do know is MS already has unannounced IP in development, but does anyone here know how many, or who's developing them? Will MS use the available resources from these closures to buy Remedy or other studios to broaden their portfolio of 1st party devs?
We can all speculate, but too many people around here are blowing things out of proportion based around assumptions IMO.
@TheCOmmentator
While certainly possible that MS is making new studios, or something akin to WWS like Sony has, it seems that just closing down so many studios, regardless of their stature, and not stating such a plan going forward is rather dumb from a PR point of view.
All the negativity they have right now could be lessened if they just said those people were being reassigned, or they were restructuring their corporate model. Or maybe not....Most of Sony announcement about studio closures was accompanied by such statements and most people ignored that little tidbit.
I think the biggest problem facing XBox/MS right now, at least from a public relations point of view, is they seem to have no clear plan of how they are moving forward. MS as a whole seems to have a clear plan with all the one platform/Windows stuff, but the Xbox brand just seems to be in this kind of obfuscated limbo of PR jargon and feel good hyperbole from it's executives. Those kinds of things tend to compound over time, and I think the last couple weeks just was the tipping point where people really start to see that something more is happening with the Xbox brand than what meets the eye.
That being said, just because these studios focused on Kinect games, doesn't mean they didn't have the skill to make more expansive games. It takes a lot of money to close a studio(wierd premise I know), and it takes a lot more to open a new one, not to mention how time consuming it is to open a new studio/studios. If MS plans to open new studios, then it'll be about a year before they begin production on games, whereas these other studios could have been restructured into AAA class developers with nothing more than hiring some more staff and setting up the internal infrastructure
I understand your point about the financial burdens associated with closing and opening studios, Rain. It is entirely possible, however, that there are 3rd party studios like Remedy that MS would rather buy than continue to spend money on studios that aren't made up of people MS believes can put out the quality necessary to be successful. Sometimes it's better to cut losses and start over.
Maybe GDC or E3 will shed some light on what MS intends, but I agree that there's a lot of negativity that could have been reduced with the insertion of news about new studios or IP. Let's face it though, MS has never been known to be very tactful when it comes to releasing information, lol.
Way to spin it this situation my good man, such positivity
Has nothing to do with quality, more to do with software that sells more to the Xbox fanbase
What the hell is happening with Microsoft? Are they broke or something?
At this moment I wouldn't be surprised if Microsoft closed down Mojang.
Not possible, this is Microsoft we are talking about, the company make a shit ton of money. They make so much money that Xbox Fan says loosing some in the Xbox division would not hurt them at all and that they will keep investing on Xbox because they have the money for that.
Replies(7)Nice damage control there.
I wonder if this is MS's first move toward turning xbox into a steam machine? What is going on with closing studios of late??
lol, if thats the case then they should close Rare since they didnt make any good quality games
Hate to hate on CD3, but seriously, the 2nd game wasn't that great. First one was pretty decent. All three were/are developed by different studios with lackluster releases in their portfolio. So if quality is an issue that causes games to get cancelled and studios shut down, CD3 isn't safe.
Something to ponder since not much has been shown of CD3 and it's less than stellar critical reception history. Most of the hype around CD3 seems to be around it's destructible environments and cloud, yet the game play I've seen hardly any mention of.
So it is the fault of these 8 studios that they suck?.
MS and how they treat their devs like Bungie do not get any of the blame?.
Yeah sure.
It is a MASSIVE loss for consumers! They basically removed all the studios that gave the Xbox One the little diversity of games it so badly needed to get gamers of ALL types onto the console.
All the studios left are dude Bro shooters and Car sims.
Rare being the only possible exception. Can Rare really churn out a diverse selection of tastes for gamers who don't like Gears of War, Halo and Forza? I very much doubt it.
The other studios can't just keep churning out sequels, as console owners want original IPs at some point.
More nails in the console's coffin. Might as well switch to PCs as this ship is sinking fast.
Why is everybody forgetting that it's outpacing the 360?? Just because it's a distant second to Sony, does NOT mean they are losing money. BOTH companies are selling more. The "Pie" is MUCH bigger than it used to be. If these "Xbox is dead" people had their way, all other car manufacturers other than number one are "failing". It's a joke.
@jojo if it was the success Microsoft expected it to be.
1. we would know official sales numbers for the console.
2. The Xbox One would actually have console exclusives rather than multi-platforms.
3. They would not be shutting down 8 game studios as there would be demand for all the games.
4. They would not be talking about an upgradable console when they messed up by releasing an under powered machine in the first place.
5. They would be investing in new AAA IPs for their "fastest" selling console.
Do you need more reasons??
Yet, so many xb1 fans were claiming to have enjoyed the beta.
Ppl loved it when they thought it was releasing, and now those same ppl are praising ms for axing a "bad game" and protecting the innocents.
Duuuude... That's... The highest "Disagree" count I've seen on this site :O
Rightfully so, if I may add.
Well thats one way to spin Microsoft having to close studios and people losing their jobs.
Microsoft I thought they lost 8 studios not 5 but input error on there part, and there's trimming fat and then trimming muscle which can be a dangerous game.
More like they're hurting financially and needed to make slashes. Companies don't toss out assets and sunken costs like this when they have the flexibility of a gaming business. Devs can always be redirected to new projects researched to be good investments. Instead they opt to toss these studios in the trash.
Just to note: Some of these could be a part of reorganization and not necessarily closing of studios. Perhaps 3 studios working on Hololens get folded under one studio.
Despite the massive disagrees, I agree with you. How much software where those teams even pushing though?
I know folks like games and all and its subjective, but based on pure business...if it isn't moving large enough units to justify operation cost, why keep it?
I believe gamers want good games above all else and if MS felt the team wasn't making good enough games, they are correct to go this route.
I mean...if those games were moving massive units, they would not be getting rid of those teams in the first place.
Wow... so they are closing studios because they are serious about quality? If this was the case they would support the games and studios by investing in quality testing... not shutting them down. Extremely deluded point of view
MS has no direction when it comes to X1 unless they are planning a full force push on PC next gen. All the other moves they are making are puzzling to me as far as their console presence is concerned it should be troubling if you own an X1. Fanboys are rejoicing I frankly don't care but it's interesting to see the MS strategy moving forward.
Quality over quantity?
Oh that's right, I guess it's impossible to have both? Oh wait, MS loves to give you choices. Silly me, I forgot!
No. They love to make you pay for choice.
As for topic, missing how they're closing studios when they started this gen by buying/creating them in order to make more content. Sort of a quality within quantity kind of thing.
Com on dude 7/8 of these studios closing (even the one core studio, Lionhead haven't been relavent for many years now and made Fable Kinect), BigPark (Kinect Joy Ride; Kinect Sports), Function (Kinect), Good Science (Kinect Adventures; Kinect Fun Labs), LXP - (Kinect),Press Play (Max: The Curse of Brotherhood; Kalimba), Team Dakota (Project Spark), and State of the Art (Kinect) only makes Kinect/indies titles. Unless you guys still want Kinect titles, then the money saved will be taken to greater use for core gaming.
LOL, I like how you all of a sudden have so much concerns for Kinect studios. It is just trimming excess fat before the full plan of core gaming explosion with the XB1/Windows 10 initiative. I and many sees it as a good thing. It is like Sony letting go of studios that are making Move titles.
@Rookie
Damage control. A lot of people had good things to say about Fable Legends and with it going into open beta THIS SPRING, there's no reason not to give it a little more time, especially since it was going to be PC/X1 cross play.
Press Play was working on a title people were excited about, Team Spark had a lot of talented people.
You also don't know the definition of indie titles. MS doesn't make indie titles BY definition. Smaller games do not equal indie titles and you should know that right now.
There's also no indication of the resources for those studios being redirected so you are simply making an assumption. You say there's going to be an explosion of core games for X1/PC but legends was supposed to be part of that. Even assuming you're right, then MS needs to have better messaging about it, not letting people continue to wonder if they are losing faith in the Xbox brand.
@Gority
You said Damage Control. BUT real Xbox fans don't even care about those games. Can you specifically tell me when was Project Spark officially released? I thought it was still in beta, like everyone else. I THINK you got it all wrong as the damage control are you guys that are hating on Xbox as 7/8 of those studios were Kinect and indies. And for Lionhead Studios that hasn't made a good game since Fable 2, another Fable could be easily made by another studios just like Halo Wars 2 is currently being coded by RTS masters, Creative assembly after The original Halo Wars creators were dissolved.
I can't believe the day I came to witnessed when people are saddened over indies and Motion control studios being dissoved. LoL, Concerned trolling at its best.
@gority
"There's also no indication of the resources for those studios being redirected so you are simply making an assumption. "
There is also no indication to the contrary so not only are YOU making an assumption you're trying to call someone else out for doing the same.
Move along.
So these studios are irrelevant because at a time they were kind of forced to make Kinect game...
I'm wondering whom forced them to do kinect games.
It's going to be fun when MS demands studios to do software for their gimmickly augmented reality thingy...
'real xbox fans'
wtf was that, is Xbox supposed to be a cult or something? you get anything from defending them bro? real gamers should criticized questionable moves from any companies no matter what.
'I can't believe the day I came to witnessed when people are saddened over indies and Motion control studios being dissoved'
PEOPLE ARE LOSING THEIR JOBS, a normal thinking people would be concerned, or at least someone with conscience. You really think these people involved with kinect without MS telling them to, bro?
I swear, MS fanboys say the darndest things.
@rookie, outside of Halo, Gears and Forza which other studios have actually been relevant?
0.
Do you really only want 3 devs making the same 3 games every 1-2 years?
^So, Rookie, 'real xbox fans' don't care about these Kinect games, you say? Yeh, screw the family market, I guess?!
How times have changed...I could have sworn it was the most amazing thing in the world, according to fanboys.
Can you clarify, was it when MS finally realised it was actually pretty crap for playing games that it became cool to be indifferent about it?
Tut tut, what would Milo* say to you now? :(
*if that game had actually been real and had the AI it slyly portrayed. lol
Rookie, these arent Kinect Studios... these are talented people who were mandated to make Kinect games and then thrown away. This isn't like they were companies who dropped the ball. They got screwed. Why not use their talents to create something AAA? Why just dump them off?
@Rookie
Dude I can't even take you seriously when you call MS published titles indies. Look up the definition of indie please.
Project Spark came out two years ago in retail. You, a "real" xbox fan didn't realize because you weren't an Xbox fan back then. You were a PS4 fanboy, and suddenly switched from being a terrible PS4 fanboy, to an Xbox fanboy. Either way, it's just bad.
@ThePope
Actually no, I said MS messaging has been bad most of this generation so they need to be clear about it. So yeah, I called him out for making an assumption, and now I'm calling you out for putting words in my mouth.
Can you please enlighten us on what Forza game is released every year. The only simularities i see in Forza Motorsport and Forza Horizon is the first word in the title.
Since when is Forza Horizon the same as Forza Motorsport?
I thought Playground Games make Horizon and Turn make Motorsport.
@badz149 & Kudostoyou
By your logic, NBA 2k and NBA Jam or the same game, just because the both have NBA in the title. One is a NBA/basketball simulator and the other is an arcade style, unrealistic basketball game.
Forza Motorsport and Forza Horizon are two completely different games by two completely different devs. One is a racing simulator and the other is an arcade style open world racer. Have you guys even played the games????
You guys are ridiculous...lol
@MELMAN26
I was not implying that Forza MS & Horizon are the same game but kudostoya did say Forza, not what type of game they are and that's the truth so far this gen!
just like how most people here tend to see only CoD and still say things like "it's the same game since CoD4" when that can't be further from the truth, I bet most people are looking at Forza the same way, which is, "Forza is released annually"!
It would be a shame for them to face the same prospective fate as the likes of Rare though, no?
Better off allowing them a little freedom by staying well away from an MS buyout, rather than watching them fade away.
Yes MS should purchase Remedy and Play Ground...those guys have proved that they can be first party.
Also Iron Galaxy should also be considered by MS.
I would not want Remedy destroyed in years to come.
I would rather see Remedy go multiplatform. Story driven games thrive on the Playstation and Alan Wake would have gotten the recognition it deserves if it was.
t is a MASSIVE loss for consumers! They basically removed all the studios that gave the Xbox One the little diversity of games it so badly needed to get gamers of ALL types onto the console.
All the studios left are dude Bro shooters and Car sims.
Rare being the only possible exception. Can Rare really churn out a diverse selection of tastes for gamers who don't like Gears of War, Halo and Forza? I very much doubt it.
The other studios can't just keep churning out sequels, as console owners want original IPs at some point.
More nails in the console's coffin. Might as well switch to PCs as this ship is sinking fast.
Well MS does want to have the most diverse contents available, but since they are closing these studios, it means they might be able to get contents from some where else and they don't need these studios for that. Here is a theory, but most likely something MS had in mind given the current situations:
- unify window app across devices
- azure -> an all out digital space for all digital contents providers/application designers
- xbox one = PC, so digital contents providers (steam, EA Access, GOG, etc....) should be enabled on xbox one as well with ease
- Sataya and Phils already made it clear since the beginning, that they want to provide the most contents ever
with those in mind, it means one thing:
- MS want to be a central hub for all digital content providers/application designers using Azure as leverage. If this is true (which most likely is the case), MS don't really need these 8 studios to provide or diversify their contents if at all, given most contents do come from 3rd party.
@baodeus Based on that logic of "most contents do come from 3rd party" why keep the other studios at all then?? So Microsoft just becomes a publisher on all platforms. They can sell off or get rid of the financial overhead and burden of the teams behind Gears, Halo and Forza and let them self-publish or publish through EA or some other company.So get rid of them and wait for other 3rd party devs to come up with something interesting for their PC store?
I'm sorry but that doesn't make sense to me at all.
@cartblanche
so how come steam is doing so well without having any contents of their own? Same goes for Apple and Android? look at MS previous and current attempt at providing their own contents for their mobile devices (since most digital contents provider just focus on apple and android), has it working? No, nobody care. If you want to succeed in getting the most contents, it has to rely on 3rd party/independent/indie, etc...developers.
Same with x360, PS4, PS2, PS1, supernintendo, Nintendo, as well, see how 3rd party support can turn the tide. Did having the most unique exclusive IPS like Nintendo help them prosper against xbox one and ps4? Do you really think exclusive matter? Contents matter, and who ever get the most contents win, regardless if it is exclusives or not.
What MS is doing is no different than what apple and google is doing, that is to provide a digital ecosystem made easy for any digital contents provider/application designer to distribute/sell/promote their contents.
The difference is that MS already has their foot in the console gaming (hence they do keep some of the more prominent 1st party contents developers), where as apple, android, steam do not. Most PC gamers also use windows anyways. So why not combine all of them into one? It is the only place where MS has a chance to compete the likes of apple and google in the digital entertainment. MS is not competing with Sony if at all in the overall scheme of an all out digital entertainment future. That is why they invested so much into expanding Azure (same goes with google, apple, amazon, etc...), Sony is not even on the radar in that field.
You don't understand where they are going because you probably don't know the economy really well, don't do trend analysis and where the economy are headed, or just plain ignorance/deny of what is coming. It is actually pretty obvious, in your face kind of obvious, of where everything are headed if you willing to accept it.
I believe if you look at MS as more than just a console and beyond the stupid imaginary console war on here, you might see a better picture. :D Hopes that help.
What happened to MS investing in games development? In new IPs? Was this not all the talk from the xbox camp... praising MS for studio development and IP investment over the life cycle of the XB1? Now they are doing the opposite and the story has now changed to "quality over quality"...? Another 180 more like.
If it benefits the company by getting rid of studios that weren't productive, then I'm all for it otherwise Microsoft has some serious explaining to do. ;)
So they just completely clean house? I find it hard to believe that 8 full studios weren't productive. Even if that is the case, MS shares a large portion of the blame being that it is their job to keep their studios productive. Also, if we are believing everything the execs say, then those studios were doing amazing jobs only a week ago.
I've never seen so much spin...I mean these devs are out jobs & the best that the MS fanbase can give them is a "good riddance"? It's beginning to sound more & more like some people are more "Microsoft fans" than they are "game fans"...it'd be foolish to think that there was no talent at any of these 8 studios, and if they were all being sluggish, it may have been a better course of action to hire new management than to lay them all off entirely.
Seems like the writing is on the wall that rolling into a new fiscal year, MS is cleaning house in the Xbox division, and they will be working with a skeleton crew until they can bring their numbers up. Sounds more like Xbox is officially on notice from the brass at MS proper, so I see no cause for celebration, this isn't trimming the fat, this is cutting the legs off.
Very dramatic reply, but to which xbox fans are you speaking of? Sounds pretty general what your implying. I love how people group others and then add their own biased view to it so as to make them into this sinister, heartless group that feeds on the misery of others. Grow up.
More logical course of action would be to manage the studio in a way that is productive instead of wasting money on projects which never see the light of day for release.
I am more surpirsed at the fact that rare survived till now, but futurr does look gloomy as you rightfully said friend.
rare survived because of company's accomplishment in the past, but since MS bought the studio made nothing good, and most of employees left anyway, now its just a name
"Rare may be next if Sea of Thieves fails to be successful."
Lionhead weren't even given a chance with Fable, who's to say MS will give that luxury to Rare?
Rare has a more iconic history than Lionhead with a much larger stable of IPs. Not to mention that it was Rare that created the Xbox Avatars that Microsoft has grown so fond of.
In other words Rare is a much higher priority than Lionhead.
That's the issue that people have with the Lionhead closure. Rare is still about (as of now) because of history, not because of their AAA games since MS bought them. I'd argue Lionhead has put out better games than Rare since the original Xbox. Another thing too, what you mention, they've closed several casual focused studios yet Rare do the avatar stuff that is more casual than core focused.
Very weird, bizarre, how fast this happened and people should be worried about Rare in the coming years.
People keep bringing up Lionhead but in my opinion this was the most tragic of all the closures MS did.