270°

The Xbox 360 casualty sheet: 45 companies that didn't survive this generation

Remembering those who didn't make it
It's been a long, hard generation: financial crises, increased competition from tablets and mobile, the rise of certain mega-franchises severely limiting the success of other games' multiplayer modes. There's been a brutal shift in business models over the course of the Xbox 360's life. Spiralling development costs and uncertain returns have taken many companies to the wall; the loss of the "b-game" mid-market titles has taken down publishers and studios alike.

BadboyCivic3931d ago

Sony Liverpool? THQ?

I bash MS for the things they have done wrong. I don't blame them for everything gone wrong.

dirigiblebill3931d ago

"I don't blame them for everything gone wrong."

Nor does the article.

gaffyh3931d ago

Thing with Sony though, is that even though Sony Liverpool has closed, the IPs still exist, and they could make (and probably will) sequels to the franchises that Sony Liverpool developed.

Bathyj3931d ago

yeah, it must be one of those Sony fanboy sites.

oh wait...

shutUpAndTakeMyMoney3931d ago

Well the next gen would have been so locked down if MS had their way.

ColdFeet3930d ago

Maybe I'm just knitpicking this list but when they talk about Clover Studios, they don't even mention Okami. God Hand is hardly the reason Clover Studios were considered creative.

+ Show (2) more repliesLast reply 3930d ago
GentlemenRUs3931d ago ShowReplies(2)
Cmk01213931d ago

This is just so ignorant. 3rd party companies closing because of one console? Just beyond imagination the amount of fanboy write ups allowed on this site. def jam fighting game failed causing it to not make more games...SHOCKER. good games sell crap games dont simple as that.

DragonKnight3930d ago

Official Xbox Magazine wrote this. Are you saying that Official Xbox Magazine is a Sony fanboy magazine?

die_fiend3930d ago

So ignorant? So when you say good games sell are you saying Okami isn't good? Or viewtiful joe? Def jam was fun back in the day

Killzoner993931d ago

Just goes to show you Microsoft is circling the drain and they're trying to take everyone down with them. They're done.

DiRtY3930d ago

Yeah.

Sony Liverpool
BigBig
Zipper

ring a bell?

GameCents3930d ago

The article is about developers that used to work on xbox games, multiplats included, that have not made it through for whatever reason.
This isn't about the studios that closed because of Microsoft. Heck SONY is involved in the demise of more studios this gen than any other console maker.

Killzoner993930d ago

These are 45 companies that went out of business because of Microsoft. Sony only shut down a handful of devs this generation. The fact is Microsoft is destroying the industry while Sony is innovating and rebuilding it. "The Last of Us" alone has done more for the industry than Microsoft has ever done. Microsoft works with the NSA to spy on consumers with the required Kinect. That should be enough for you to see how evil they are.

dirigiblebill3930d ago

@Killzoner99

"These are 45 companies that went out of business because of Microsoft."

Hilarious. Literally all you have to do is read the intro paragraph, right there at the top of this page, to understand that this isn't what the article's saying at all.

coolasj3931d ago

I miss Pandemic the most.

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90°

10 Weirdest Video Games of All Time

Plenty of unforgettable games have completely messed up their players throughout the years, all the way back from the PS1 days to the dark recesses of the modern internet.

Read Full Story >>
culturedvultures.com
JonTheGod17h ago

Why are the Katamari games not on the list??

130°

70 percent of devs unsure of live-service games sustainability

With so many games fighting for players' attention and interest losing out over time, time sink games are at risk of eventually losing steam.

Read Full Story >>
gamedeveloper.com
thorstein1d 14h ago

It was worrisome to begin with.

It's a niche genre with only a handful of hits that can stand the test of time.

Cacabunga16h ago

I like the sound of that!! I will for sure never support these gaas games.
Sony must be shocked at gamer's reaction, making them cancel a few of these and hopefully go back to the good heavy hitters they had us used to..
now bring on that PSPro reveal and show us some SP 1st party awesomeness.

CrimsonWing691d 13h ago

What’s to be unsure of!? Look at the ratio of success to failure!

DarXyde20h ago

It's pretty ridiculous.

Imagine having a breadth of data at your disposal to see the statistically low success rate of these games, only to be laser focused on the exceptional case studies.

shinoff21831d 12h ago

Yes. Stop all the live service bs.

jznrpg1d 11h ago

Only a few will catch on. You need a perfect storm to be successful in GaaS and a bit of luck on top of that. But a potential cash cow will keep them trying and some will go out of business because of it.

MIDGETonSTILTS171d 11h ago

Helldivers 2 manages just fine…

Keep production costs low… don’t just make custscenes until the mechanics and enemies are perfected first.

Make so much content that you can drip extra content for years, and the game already feels complete without them.

Most importantly: make weapons, enemies, levels, and mechanics that will stand the test of 1000 hours. This might require more devs embracing procedurally generated leveled, which I think separates Helldivers 2 from Destiny’s repetitiveness.

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60°

The Battle Pass Is The Worst Thing To Happen To Modern Gaming

Nameer from eXputer: "Some exceptions aside, I don't think the battle pass is a net positive for gaming with how they're implemented in most live service titles."

got_dam1d 15h ago

Battle passes AND meta gaming both.

DivineHand1251d 13h ago (Edited 1d 13h ago )

I like the way Helldivers 2 does battle passes. It allows you to make purchases on each level of the battle pass and gives you the option of choosing which item to unlock first. The more purchases you make using medals the further you progress. There is no timer and you can earn medals towards purchasing stuff via personal orders and Major orders.

I haven't played much live service games that have battle passes but I remember some games that have battle passes where you progress through it linearly using an exp system. What makes it really bad is that the battle pass will have like 50 or more levels with the cooler stuff being closer to the end. They also have an in-game shop that sells exp boosters so you can reach the end of the pass before it refreshes. Everyone ilse will have to grind their way through.

lucian2291d 13h ago

battle pass in fortnite is perfect; buy one and it buys the rest for every other season as it gives you more money than the first cost. so 8.50 and season ends with you getting 13.00, it pays for the next and you have some pocket change to save up for cash shop. All of which is optional