Microsoft Actively Looking Into Working with Independent Studios, Says Obsidian

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ccgr3174d ago

Great news, hope they get some gems

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Mostafeto3174d ago

Absolutely. There is a number of independent small studios that deserve recognition, with the most recent example being Hellblade's developer, Ninja Theory.

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butchertroll3173d ago

This isn't so easy. One of the post from MS insiders on GAF and why it's not so easy as it sounds. Few post from GAF :

http://www.neogaf.com/forum...

http://www.neogaf.com/forum...

http://www.neogaf.com/forum...

Especially this post :

http://www.neogaf.com/forum...

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3174d ago

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Princess_Pilfer3174d ago

No it's not. The ideal is to have independant studios be free of publisher influence because publishers ruin just about everything. Especially ones like Obsidian that keep being burned by publishers and almost shut down *because* of MS cancelling a project on them.

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UCForce3174d ago

Interesting. I remember Sony and Microsoft have worked with some others independent studios.

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Jackhass3174d ago

Let's hope Microsoft doesn't get cold feet and cancel these games like they have with past indie team ups!

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LordJamar3174d ago

Kick em while there down huh

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morganfell3174d ago

No. MS supporters raked Sony over the coals for their indie efforts on this site. Even remarks about how indies titles were not real games. Suddenly they are cool games to have and support. The key here is that MS is looking into it while Sony has been doing it on a grand scale. Looking at it vs delivering.

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Silly gameAr3174d ago (Edited 3174d ago )

So, Ubisoft and 2K are "most publishers?" What a hyperbolic statement. Didn't seem like MS was to interested in working with indie studios much at the start of this gen. Glad their tune changed.

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Alexious3174d ago

Ubisoft and 2K are the only two examples their CEO explicitly cited, but there were others.

And yeah, I'm looking forward to these new projects.

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Yohshida3174d ago

They made indies big last gen with their summer of arcade and constantly promoting them. Also where the only ones showcasing Indies for the past 2 E3's

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3174d ago

Yohshida3174d ago

whoa one indie they didnt even promote, such big support.

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letsa_go3174d ago

The Indiebox 1

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3174d ago

Fishy Fingers3174d ago (Edited 3174d ago )

Spider-Man and Detroit are from independent developers and pretty sure Hellblade was the #1 download in August. Not really slipping through the cracks.

A little more reading and a little less spamming fanboy crap goes a long way Niko.

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3174d ago

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LordJamar3174d ago

That does not seem to be true.

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3174d ago

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PressXtoBacon3174d ago

That would be nice. Maybe they could get some good exclusives under their belt instead of bringing back Gears or Halo every time they need some sales

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nitus103174d ago

Well, there is always Forza.😎

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PressXtoBacon3173d ago

Forizon

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MegamanXXX3174d ago

Probably the best news I have heard from Microsoft in a long time. Focus on games Microsoft

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xX-oldboy-Xx3174d ago

Seems they're doing everything but making new games. Also seems money doesn't buy sense. Good luck MS, lingering in 3rd place is where you feel comfortable - it's where you'll stay.

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Kiwi663174d ago

So the independant studios they are wanting to work with won't be doing new games they'll instead be doing other things, so do you have inside knowledge of what they will be doing if they aren't making games

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xX-oldboy-Xx3174d ago

Yes the independent studios will be making new games, just not MS. They'll do anything but invest in new ip's, it's like they're afraid of failure.

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TheUndertaker853174d ago (Edited 3174d ago )

Xbox One outsold Wii U & still sets over 6X the Switch count. Xbox One also hosts more titles than both of them, possibly combined.

Where's the third place again?

I'd also imagine this exact story would support Xbox getting more titles in the future, both exclusive and not due to Microsoft stepping up independent support.

Not to mention Xbox One X launching with more content available to it compared to PS4 Pro and Nintendo Switch.

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xX-oldboy-Xx3174d ago

History tells the tale, MS has finished 3rd in any generation they've been in. They should have smoked Sony last gen, but alas Sony caught them and kept the momentum going.

I'm sure you would know the reason Sony caught and overtook them.

Xbox one X customers are more than likely owners of Xbox ones. They'll get a few more customers no doubt, I was nearly one of them.

I'll hasten to guess that come generations end, they'll be 3rd again. We'll just have to wait and see.

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Godmars2903174d ago

Which doesn't address issues with MS getting in the way of their dev teams.

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christocolus3174d ago

Interesting. Can't wait to see what they have planned.

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-GreenRanger3174d ago

Great, but this should've been done long ago though. We would've already see some games by now.

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LordJamar3174d ago

F*** if they do f*** if they dont you people cant be pleased

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-GreenRanger3174d ago

I'd be pleased if they do. Don't just blindly defend the situation and attack me over proper criticism against Xbox. This is MS' worst year this generation...maybe ever. In 2017, MS released...Halo Wars 2 and...uhh can you help me out here?

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trooper_3173d ago

But they should have been building on these games, not just coming out of the gate.

That's legit criticism.

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LordJamar3172d ago

Sounds like i was right f*** if they do f*** if they dont

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TheHan3174d ago

Awesome, can't wait for what the future holds

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stokedAF3174d ago

It's about time lol.

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yomfweeee3174d ago

Wow, talk about cherry-picking things from the article to make Microsoft look like awesome dudes.

Completely ignoring the part where Microsoft wasn't giving the studio any independence and kept forcing them and forcing them to do things, specifically with Kinect and probably the cloud. Unrealistic stuff and then Microsoft just dumped them in the end.

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LordJamar3174d ago

Stop making stuff up

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yomfweeee3174d ago

I didn't make anything up. Read the Euro gamer article.

This is just one paragraph...

"Nevertheless the demands from Microsoft to reinvent the wheel were high. Kotaku writer Jason Schreier talks about Kinect-powered verbal haggling in Stormlands, in his new book Blood, Sweat and Pixels, which I heartily recommend. Chris Parker and Feargus Urquhart don't recall that exact feature when I talk to them but concede there were so many ideas it may well have been one. Ideas piled upon ideas and all the time the immovable deadline to be ready for Xbox One launch loomed closer."

There were many specifics things mentioned. Microsoft kept asking for more and more from a small studio... then crapped on them when they couldn't deliver those impossible things.

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LordJamar3172d ago

Still making stuff up your logic is very broken and one sided clearly your a xbox hater which is fine hate on friend hate on your on the right website

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yomfweeee3172d ago

Still saying I'm making stuff up but can't provide anything to back it up.

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TejasTV3174d ago

I hate on the Xbox quite a bit but they get thumbs up from me today.

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Automatic793174d ago

I like Independent Studios, they take more risk and have provided some fantastic games this generation.

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Automatic793174d ago

Kudos to team Xbox.

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guyman3174d ago

For what?

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jznrpg3174d ago

Of course they are they cant make enough of their own games after ruining several studios , its too bad because you can only get a handful of games this way . They should really start a few studios and grown them slowly over the next couple generations and maybe they could get somewhere, but instead they want mega blockbusters all the time and they will fail more than not .

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totallysane3174d ago

They almost have to at this point. Not a lot of First party AAA going around.

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DJStotty3174d ago

They may be looking into "acquiring" some talented indie studios to bolster their 1st party?

After all the banging on about "no 1st party" now its "paying for games" lol MS can never win on this site

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xX1NORM1Xx3173d ago

And so they should be being as how few games they have atm hopefully now the Xbox one x is done they will focus on games

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obidanshinobi3173d ago

Can we have Sunset Overdrive 2 please ?
The first one was excellent, one of the XB1's best exclusives, a full exclusive at that.

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Bleucrunch3173d ago

So they figure that NOW they should work with independent studios? Who is running things over there at M$? They seem rather inept and slow with their practices and decisions.

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3173d ago

Show all comments (65)

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