Machinarium refused for XBLA

"Microsoft just refused Machinarium for XBLA after a half year of talking with them. They like the game and know it would be very successful on their platform, but they don't want to support games which aren't Microsoft exclusives."

[cain141]

I'm assuming they are talking about indy developers and not everyone...

[Blaze929]

Well...duh? Why would you ask a publisher to help you fund and publish a game when it inst exclusive to the platforms they are backing?

It's a bit misleading what was said about Microsoft refusing it for XBLA. It's more of them refusing to publish it as it went on to say, "We have another option to approach some big publisher to bring the game to XBLA." So they aren't blocking it from coming to XBLA, they just are refusing to publish something that isn't only on a Microsoft platform which is perfectly understandable. It's even on the Mac ffs.

That's like asking Sony or Nintendo to help them publish a multi-platform game - it won't happen unless it's exclusive, kinda of like what Sony did with Ghostbusters in Europe was it?

[wicko]

So if it's so obvious that they weren't going to publish it, why did it take half a year to come to that decision?

[AridSpider]

Pretty much nailed it. Let's see how many read your post before posting something stupid....like @jriquelme above -_-

@wicko

They were probably trying to work out a deal for it to be secured as an exclusive meaning the game would have to be pulled and no longer support any other platforms other than the 360 and windows. 6 months seems like a feasible time for a business matter like that and it seems ultimately, they could not come to an agreement.

It honestly makes sense though, why would Microsoft help a game which isn't exclusive to them? that's just dumb

[ProA007]

Yeah Sony helped publish Ghostbusters in Europe for Atari but only after making sure that it would be a PS3 exclusive. Same thing Microsoft is trying to do here, make sure Machinarium could be an exclusive which it seems they could not do so of course they won't publish it for them on XBLA.

[Christopher]

***Well...duh? Why would you ask a publisher to help you fund and publish a game when it inst exclusive to the platforms they are backing? ***

Actually happens a lot. Microsoft would only have to publish it for their platform and not others. Don't see how it would be bad to get it on their console only first and have them agree to a timed console exclusivity agreement.

[ChickeyCantor]

" Well...duh? Why would you ask a publisher to help you fund and publish a game when it inst exclusive to the platforms they are backing? "

Well if they simply ask for exclusive content why not?
Isn't that something MS does all the time?

[Dark General]

What a damn shame. I played the demo for this game a while back and it was incredibly good. I've been meaning to pick it up on steam but never got around to it. I love me a good point and click game.

[free2game365]

@AridSpider
Machinarium was only released on the PC, MS sees that as a competing platform now to the 360, they don't publish PC games anymore at all. They haven't published any new games since 2007.

[beardpapa]

^ the game's actually on the Mac too. Maybe that's what it is? But it appears the PC is competition. If they got too many 360 games also on the PC, that's a percentage of gamers that could have contributed in sales towards the 360 version.

[BubbleSystemSuck]

If its the true reason.. is LAME

[cain141]

It's a direct quote from the developer, but yeah I kinda question it too

[STK026]

After reading the article, I assume he only meant that Microsoft doesn't want to publish a direct port of games that are multiplatform. While it sucks for the developer and gamers, I can see why Microsoft wouldn't want to publish games on XBLA when these have been released on non-MS platforms.

In other words, they are not preventing it from ever being released on XBLA, they just don't want to publish it themselves, therefor forcing the developer to find a publisher, and reduce their income.

[BetaChris]

It's a shame MS isn't letting Machinarium be published for XBLA - the PC version is pretty darn fun.

[cain141]

What would it be comparable to?

[NeverforgetNES]

Aw, that is sad.

[VGVisionary]

I've talked to the guys from Codeglue who made RocketRiot. They had a similar situation where they eventually decided that releasing it through THQ was a much easier process.

[cain141]

That really sucks. I wonder how many other games we are missing out on...

[Mike Bell]

Really disappointed, not surprised, but disappointed none the less. Loved this game on PC.

[Captain Tuttle]

sucks

[Odion]

I am a big MS fan and even I think this is dumb, Machinarium is a great classic style adventure game I think people on the consoles would enjoy it.

[mrv321]

Ok then, stop releasing your games on PC... oh WAIT! It's not the fact it's not a 360 exclusive it's probably the fact it's on steam and now the not so awsome Windows whatever.

Why the disagrees? I honestly own a 360 and want to see more people enjoy this game.

[tdrules]

probably because MS have strict quality control
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NAH

[rawd]

Bring it to PSN!

[tdrules]

I hope it does, it's developers like this that deserved to be rewarded.
Like Steam, PSN really does foster some cool Indie developers

[bigjoshman]

Its because its not windows exclusive, but on Mac and Linux too. That is just dumb. Microsoft needs to stop acting like children.

[JasonXE]

Hey, so should I go to Sony and ask them to help me publish a multi-platform game?....if they say no (which they would) will they be acting like children too?

I didn't think so.

[Solidus187-SCMilk]

THEY just wont publish a multi-plat game. The game can still come to XBLA if the devs get a publisher just like every other multiplatform game.

[v1c1ous]

everyone knows sony has no qualms about publishing games on rival consoles....oh wait

[KidMakeshift]

That's too bad

Machinarium was the best game I played last year.

[Ninji]

Microsoft: Sorry, but Machinarium doesn't fit our view of what we want on the XBLA. We are currently only accepting shovelware.

[IHateYouFanboys]

FFS use your head - theyre not stopping it being published, theyre just not publishing it themselves.

itd be like Microsoft refusing to be the publisher for the next Tekken game simply because its coming out on PS3 too. why would they waste money publishing it when its on the competitors console as well, when some other multi-platform publisher can spend their money doing it and microsoft still get it on their console?

[hazelamy]

how bloody stupid can they get? they wont publish it because there's a mac and linux version?
this whole we want a monopoly attitude is going to cost them on this one.
maybe sony should pick it up for the psn, i doubt they'll be worried about there being a mac or linux version.

[kasasensei]

"they don't want to support games which aren't Microsoft exclusives"
It's a stupid statement... That game is great in every little pixel piece. What a shame to refuse it to 360 players. Damn you microsoft.

[IHateYouFanboys]

lol

thats not what theyre doing AT ALL. theyre simply saying 'no, we wont publish it because its on other platforms', and fair enough too. Microsoft Game Studios only publishes exclusive to Microsoft games. this is not exclusive to microsoft, and will probably be on the PS3 too, so why would they spend their time and money publishing it when some other publisher like Ubisoft or EA probably will?