Microsoft Blocking the PS3 Version Caused the Death (and Rebirth) of the MechWarrior Reboot

Many thought that the complete radio silence about the MechWarrior Reboot was due to the dispute with Harmony gold about a Mech shown in the trailer that was clearly coming from the first edition of the MechWarrior/Battletech games, and that was actually copied from one belonged to the Macross series. But the truth was different.

[NYC_Gamer]

wow,so MS ruined the reboot out of spite.

[JoelT]

It's pretty low, but there are no friends in business.

[Aloren]

It's not even "low", it's common sense. I'm pretty sure they made it clear when they licensed Mechwarrior to that developer that they wouldn't allow a PS3 game... Too bad they couldn't find anyone to publish it though.

[NEW-AGE]

Is this what ive Heard Mech Assault? I need to google this

[ChrisW]

What about Sony Entertainment and Netflix/StarzPlay? Corporations disagree all the time. Especially when concerning similar forms of media. Thus, a dispute between two major console makers is nothing but OBVIOUS!

[Gamer1982]

They say hainvg multiple consoles is good for the consumers.. Not in cases like this obviously.

[Godmars290]

Its not like a 360 version would have sold poorly. Not that I thick I would have bought it on PS3.

Oddly, despite being a mech fan, never been that much into BT.

[kevnb]

it would have most likely sold poorly.

[kevnb]

chances are it would have lost money, just like most of these high cost games do now.

[JsonHenry]

As a long time fan, it becoming a PC exclusive is not what I would call "ruined". However there is always the option later for a port so maybe it isn't all bad news.

[Abriael]

As a long time fan, I would have enjoyed both having the MMO on PC, and the story-driven single player reboot they were working for.

[WeedyOne]

Right, wasnt MechWarrior originally a PC game anyways? I remember playing the old old ones on my pc in the mid 90's. They were pretty cool.

[Aloren]

Even if there's a port, it still wouldn't come out on PS3 though.

[r1sh12]

thats good business.
Its ethically quite bad, but its business.

[MrBeatdown]

Not sure why you think it's good business. Microsoft screwed themselves out of a game. A multiplatform game would have made Microsoft more money than no game at all.

[rdgneoz3]

Making no money at all just so your opponent can't make any money, still means you made no money at all...

If they wanted to block the PS3 version, the better business idea would have been publishing it themselves and promote it.

[r1sh12]

@MRBeatdown...
If MS didnt publish the game then they wouldnt be making money anyway.

[Marquis_de_Sade]

r1sh12, no, MS (and Sony) receive royalties from publishers for every game sold on their platform, so they would have still made money even if the game went multiplatform and they weren't publishing.

[morkendo]

so, let me get this right. MS bought RARE and others to block sony so in future SONY would not do this to them???
thats pretty low.

MS try blocking greed and expand your wealth.

[theEx1Le]

You start by saying "let me get this right" and still manage to spout complete jibberish, smh. MS owns the Mech IP, the can do whatever they want with it! And its obvious to everyone, even the author (even though he denies it in the comments section of his site) that MS will not allow one of their IP's on a different platform. Would Sony let MS have Uncharted? NO. Flamebait all over the place in here.

[palaeomerus]

MS bought FASA Interactive way back and thus owns the rights to Battletech in video games. They licensed it to 'Smith and Tinker' (Jordan Wiseman's company, Jordan Wiseman founded FASA) who hired Piranha to make a video game with them.

MS OWNS the video game IP. It's theirs. Deal with it. They don't want a competitor to use it. They consider it to be an exclusive in the console space. It's no different than Halo, Fable, Project Gotham, Forza, Killzone, Resistance, Uncharted, Gran Tourismo, or Little Big Planet.

The pen and paper, board game, card game, and miniature rights are still owned by Topps who license it out to Catalyst Labs who make the Classic Battletech board game.

[Marquis_de_Sade]

That such an idiotic statement as yours has actually received agrees is beyond me, morkendo.

[gamingdroid]

Wow... would you say the same if Nintendo said, we don't allow Mario on PS3? What about if Sony said we don't allow Uncharted on Xbox 360?

Oh, wait! They DO!

If it is MS franchise, why would they allow it on a competing platform. That's common sense 101!!!

Talk about being either really dumb or being a fanboy. For your sake, I hope it is the latter!

[RedDead]

Fanboys are worse than Dumb people imo

[Legion]

What does spite have to do with it? MS owns the rights to MechWarrior. No different then you not seeing a Halo game on PS3 or a God of War game on Xbox 360. Are you angry that Zelda isn't coming to PS3 either??

[miyamoto]

How about the slow death of video gaming industry.

[papashango]

sony is blocking 360 gamers from having franchises such as uncharted or god of war. Greedy bastards

[SuperSaiyan4]

Mechwarrior/Mechassault was a Microsoft Games Studios game and was exclusive to the Xbox so I dont get where this was supposed to ruin Sony's chance of getting it.

[Abriael]

MechWarrior has been a pen and paper RPG/tabletop wargame franchise a whole lot of time before it happened to become a video game :D

[darthv72]

you are partially right. Mechassault was a MS game but the Mechwarrior nomenclature exceeds that. It all takes place in the "battle-tech" universe.

If anything, MS should have just focused on rebooting their own Mechassault series instead of blocking the use of anything mech related. Then again it is like EA blocking other companies from making a licensed NFL game.

Underhanded and low but a business move that proved advantageous for EA and the NFL.

[sxbrady]

You mean fake gaming ok!

[DeadlyFire]

Well MS can't block Hawken.

[nondecaf]

Not to discredit your statement,do you have proof they were exclusive with Microsoft because reading the article they never mentioned any allegiance with them.

[Chaoshead]

http://www.microsoft.com/ab...
BattleTech
MechAssault
MechCommander
MechWarrior

[frostypants]

Mechwarrior/Battletech have been around DECADES longer than Microsoft has even had a games division. Microsoft does not own the IP.

[Ulf]

Sadly, they do. They purchased the IP in 1998 or so, when they purchased all of Fasa, and they still own the rights to it.

They purchased it during the development of MechWarrior 3 by a then little-known dev studio named Zipper Interactive. Ironically, Zipper is now owned by Sony Computer Entertainment. If Sony hadn't purchased them, Zipper would probably be making MechWarrior games to this day, as a MS internal studio. Conversely, if MS hadn't purchased the MW IP, MW games would likely also still be made.

MW3 was the last truly great MechWarrior game, although MechCommander wasn't half bad. MW4 (done interally by MS) was an arcade abomination made by people who had NO clue what MechWarrior was all about.

[BlackTar187]

i would like a good Mech game been along time since i got down on some armored core mechwarrior or crazy ivan

[kevnb]

mechwarrior on console sounds like a failure to me anyway. @ NYC_Gamer thats true, investors dont see the market in high budget pc exclusives these days... but battlefield 3 (even though its not exclusive) shows that if you build it they will come.

[NYC_Gamer]

well,now we won't get a proper version even on pc we are stuck with that f2p edition

[Abriael]

I don't see how it would fail, Mech games are rather popular on consoles.

[BlackTar187]

Mechwarrior on Sega genesis was awesome lo. The coop where 1 person controls the legs nd another the top 1/2 . I miss that game

[plmkoh]

Microsoft being the root of the problem is quite ironic considering they were so liberal with giving the mod team for Mechwarrior: Living Legends the go ahead.

[Roper316]

just another example of why MS is bad for gaming.

[lategamer]

Microsoft owns the IP. I don't see Nintedo putting Mario on iOS, or Sony putting Uncharted on Xbox. But wait, only Microsoft is evil and bad for gaming, continue being a fanboy.

[QuodEratDemonstrandm]

I don't know if you've noticed or not, but Nintendo and Sony actually do publish Mario and Uncharted. Microsoft decided to pass on publishing MechWarrior, maybe they felt it was too risky or something.

Common sense suggests, if you own the IP you publish the game. Don't. Pass. The. Buck.

[awi5951]

Mech warriors was my favorite game i didnt get another great mech game untill Chrome hounds. Thats the only other true mech game after mech warriors series died off. Mech assault games sucked hard.

[Death]

Some of you make me so proud.

If Microsoft has the ability to block a developer from using an IP on another platform it is due to the fact they own the rights or atleast partial rights to the IP. How many Sony exclusives do we see on the Xbox? I'm thinking it's close to zero. It's funny when people say Microsoft is ruining gaming when they dont give Sony fans what they want, but Sony having exclusives is good business. That is either stupidity talking or hypocrisy. I'm betting on a little but of both.

-Death

[ATi_Elite]

well said...........bubbles +

anyway M$ no longer owns the IP as it was sold to Smith & Tinker along with other FASA titles like Shadowrun, Crimson Skies, etc. (which will be Developed by Piranha Games) who interned said screw both consoles and decided on a F2P PC Exclusive.

never mind the platform....i just hope the game is good.

[Chaoshead]

MS still own the IP
http://mwomercs.com/
scroll down
"MechWarrior® is a registered trade-mark of Microsoft Corporation and is used under license."

[ATi_Elite]

Oooops I was wrong.

M$ still owns the Mechwarrior I.P.

Smith and Tinker are just using the licensing right along with Piranha Games to make a game.

http://www.microsoft.com/ab...

[DonMingos]

Sony owns the rights of a lots of movies, like the gosthbusters franchise. Though, they have allowed that the games based on those movies, when made by third party companies like atari, to come out on xbox 360

[Chaoshead]

do you think ghostbusters(game)is important for Sony nowadays?or the game sold very well in this gen?

[krazykombatant]

Ummmm dude, its movie.. That would mean making those Sony movies, strictly blu-ray. Because of the fact that Sony will make more money if they release a movie on DVD they'll make more money than blu-ray alone. What does it matter if the movie can be viewed on the 360 or not..

If that is the case, then MS allows windows OS to work on Sony laptops... See where I'm going with this.. Hopefully you do realize that sony laptops run on MS OS.

[Biggest]

You're mixing too many things, krazykombatant. Sony has been a part of DVD from day one. They aren't going to shut themselves out of their own DVD profits because DVD isn't fighting BluRay. Microsoft doesn't stop Windows from being on Sony PCs because they are PCs. Microsoft doesn't make a PC to directly battle Sony PCs. The 360 and PS3 are in direct competition.

[Micro_Sony]

LOL - MS owns Skype but are letting Sony use it on the VITA does that make them evil.

Ghost Buster thats just crapping for straws.

[DaTruth]

I'd agree with you, if MS had plans to actually make a game from the IP, but if not, they are just preventing games from being made!

Sony sells its IP's to Nintendo all the time when they're not using them anymore! You should have thought about Spiro the Dragon and Crash... and practically all of their cartoony games actually! Tenchu use to be owned by Sony Music and went multiplat later!

Ex-Sony IP's go to Nintendo all the time! Now that I really think about it, you're flat out wrong!

[maniacmayhem]

What IP's did sony sell to nintendo?

Spyro was published by Sony, the rights went to universal then to Activision.

Crash went to Universal Interactive also.

in fact what other sony ip's did sony sell to anyone?

[Marquis_de_Sade]

An ignorant person is one who doesn't know what you have just found out.

[MoveTheGlow]

I mostly agree, Death, but DaTruth has a point. Microsoft is basically playing "IP hog" with the MechWarrior franchise. If they thought it would sell, MS would have funded the project to the point that Piranha wouldn't have to worry about extending their market with a PS3 version, but they didn't. They just restricted Piranha from doing stuff while sitting on the IP. Which is sad, but perfectly legal and, in a way, "fair."

My immediate response? "Just call it something else!" But Mechwarrior has a diehard following, albeit a lying-in-wait one, so maybe they're taking MechWarrior in the right direction with a free-to-play. They might just make a ton of cash off of the fans that want to trick out their mech with microtransactions and take it into battle.

[Bolts]

I don't see what the problem is as MS still own this IP. Thats like Sony allowing a Heavenly Sword remake to go multiplat, it isn't going to happen.

[willie6289]

the problem is that their actions have caused the game to not be made at all. If it came down to a multi plat uncharted or no uncharted, I would still want to play uncharted...

[OC_MurphysLaw]

Well in fairness the game is being made, just now a free to play PC game. If successful I am sure MS would look to license a console version but for now I am guessing they don't see it thriving on consoles so they are taking a "wait and see" approach.

But it does suck...cause I was looking forward to this on consoles. This could be a game to get me to fire up my PC.

[Jdrm03]

Microsoft owns the Mechwarrior IP....

[Ulf]

What's sickening about this whole affair is that MS didn't create the MechWarrior IP -- they merely purchased it, and have basically let it rot.

Sad, sad treatment of a truly spectacular, rough, "frontier" style sci-fi universe -- the best kind.

[BitbyDeath]

EA are also known for doing this.
MS is not the only evil company around.

[XDF]

How is Microsoft ruining gaming? Because they owned an IP and is not allowing the competition to use it? Give me a break.

That is like saying we can expect a Ratchet and Clank on X360 since Insomniac is now third party but Sony owns the IP, of course they won't allow it

or

Bungie wants to publish the next Halo on multiple platforms but...you get the idea.

[Biggest]

As stated by Ulf above you: They merely purchased it, and have let it rot. Ratchet & Clank is not rotting. It's one thing to have exclusive games. It's another to have exclusive cockblocks.

[Sidewinder-]

I don't really warm to the idea of it being turned into a Free to play MMO...

Anyway, we'll see.

Console bro's can still play Hawken to scratch their mech fighting itch I suppose.

[Tres21]

yea ppl just want 2 complain...specially about MS, if its a game on another system going multi-plat ppl complain, if its MS not havin IP's dey complain...if its MS doing what they want with an IP they own they complain...& if its microsoft buying an IP so others dont get it they complain cuz we all kno only MS does these kind of things...

[Vega75]

what do you expect from this site filled with sonyfanboys that think everything MS does is evil and everything sony does is god gift. instead of looking at it as MS owns the IP. they want to start complaining that MS didn't create the IP and aren't doing anything with it. that now they are evil for doing it. how many IP sony owns and doees nothing with hum? but it's ok cause it's sony.

sonyfanboys claim the world is against poor little old sony. when it's acually the other way around.sony get negative press on this site it's reported and put in the failed section or negative comments aganst them will be marked as trolling or prepare to have your bubble taken. yet all negative comments are welcome when it comes to nintendo or MS. a dev speaks bad about MS. it's "MS is the worst and should be ran out of business". yet a dev speaks bad about sony. it's "bu bu bu what good game have they ever done for sony for them to say anything. come back when you make a triple A game like uncharted then say something" really so if a game isn't up to uncharted quality then they can't say anything. lol

at one time i thought apple fanboys was the worst. but sadly sonyfanboys take the cake easily.

[Canary]

Even if Harmony Gold didn't have an active role in the Mechwarrior cockblock, they're still an awful company more than deserve all of the hate--and the blame.

[Bathyj]

I cant really blame MS for this one, it is their IP.

But then again, its a long dormant IP and if its the difference between a game and no game then you think they could stop squeezing our tits just this once.

After all, they are not losing anything. They are either worried they just wont make as much as they could, or that Sony will just make more and show them up. Its the only 2 downsides for them, and both still have them coming out in front.

[Leviathan]

In my opinion, Microsoft let themselves lose yet ANOTHER possible exclusive. They need all the games they can get.However, they dont care because they dont make money on games.
Truth is, Microsoft has made a business out of selling you access to online gaming. They don't need to sell you games, just access to the internet so you can play that third party game online.
Here's an example: Cosco makes its money on memberships. Some dude pays 50-100 per year to buy stuff at a discount. In return the store sells you stuff at 1 to 2 cents over cost. They don't care because they already got your 50-100 bucks in pure profit. Multiply that by the millions of customers you get and bam! You just made money.
Microsoft didn't greenlight this project because they don't need it to make money.

[creepjack]

Umm, being pissed that MS blocked Mechwarrior is like being pissed off that Sony blocks anyone from using the God of War franchise. It is literally no different since they own the IP. Why does this make them so greedy where it doesn't on the Sony end? Stupid fanboy troll articles.

[Relientk77]

Thanx for ruining it Microsoft

[DiRtY]

Microsoft did not ruin anything.

If u r a developer, who wants to develop a game around an intellectual property of a console manufacture,u just know that this game will be an exclusive.

Every company would have done the exact same thing.

[godofboobees]

Zone of the enders >mech assault

[MWH]

sad news to me. i wish one day MechWarrior single-payer experience becomes a reality and meanwhile i hope this knuckle head Kojima start making ZOE3.

[EVO-OM3GA]

Why do you all the comments at the top who havent got a clue got so many agrees, when they couldn't be more wrong.

MechWarrior5 is still I development and it's a MS iP.

Who writers this garbage and get away with it.

I bet Sony has never tried to block a game from going multiplatform (sarcasm)

[Jdrm03]

you sure man? I can't find anything of the sorts.

Not trying flame or anything, I really am intrigued because I would like to see Mechwarrior 5.

[EVO-OM3GA]

The game is set for Summer 2012 Release.

I been following this game since I saw the teaser a good year ago the only problem the game has come across was the use of certain mechs that were licenced by another company.

This game was never gonna go on the PS3 this article is full of fail

[PixL]

The day Microsoft quit console gaming I'll be dancing on the table.

[Somebody]

I'm a bit confused here :

Is Piranha Games talking about two games (MW5 and MW Online) they are developing for next year or changing directions for the one they've promoted years ago (MW5 into MW Online)?

I've been waiting for MW5 since the promo video came out a couple of years back. Now I see it's being "rebirthed" into an MMO? I have nothing against with MMOs but I have my ass kicked everytime in World of Tanks and I really don't have the time (yet) to invest in a persistent game world. A singleplayer campaign and some standard non-MMO online fragging around suit me fine, thank you.

Even so, it's good to see the title still alive and kicking. The strangest thing is that for the past couple of days I was playing around with the free version of MechWarrior Mercenaries (under MekTek) and my X-Box controller. I opened up N4G today and saw this article.

[Bladesfist]

I don't own either console, Im a pc gamer. But I swear half the people in this article would love to see the death of microsoft. I don't see why every article like this turns into a load of playstation 3 owners attacking micorosft and xbox 360 owners. How about you accept that the exclusives on your platform are yours and the exclusives on the other platform belong to the other platform. And how is microsoft a plague to gaming. Without microsoft I would have no chance creating games on my own.

Its just not realistic without all the tools that microsoft give for free to hobbyist and indie game devs such as XNA, Visual Studio, DirectX SDK and more. The only support i see coming towards hobyists and indie developers is from microsoft.

[Jdrm03]

Playstation fanboys man. If it isn't something positive about the playstation brand it's immediately shit.

[Chaotic_Cannon]

All I can say is that I am very disappointed. I am a huge fan of the franchise and I was waiting in excitement for the reboot. I can not discuss how badly this lets me down and all the gamers out there.

I am a PC, PS3 and Xbox gamer and I would have bought this for PC, but now no one gets the pleasure of the game. I prefer stand along games to MMO's as I dont have the time to put into MMO's where as stand along games give me the freedom to do as I like on my own.

[Captain Tuttle]

MS owns the IP. Think Sony will let Infamous on the 360?

[mjsmufc99]

typical microsoft! glad ive got a PS3!

[rickybadman]

Microsoft owns the IP and it was probably part of the licensing agreement that only a 360 version could be made. PS3 fanboys are just jumping on this to bash MS. They didn't do anything wrong, and Sony would have definitely done the same in their position

[ZeV]

Really bad moves,as usual when Microsoft decide something that could ruined a license like that...It's stupid ! They could make an arrangement with Sony after all,but no ! Microsoft don't care what the gamers want...

[zero_cool]

Well im sure sony could hire fresh talent to create a new mech series under a different company & trademark it!

[blakstarz]

A stunt like this only shows MS growing fear of the momentum the PS3 is gaining and right on their heels.

MS really defines the term "hater".

[Saryk]

Another reason in the long list of reasons I do not like consoles.

[svoulis]

Ok then, so after reading all these comments are you guys still not getting the article or even what the developers were saying?

Let me translate for people who don't get it.

Microsoft Owns the rights to the title of the game.

Developers want to make the game but since Microsoft owns said title they wont let them release on any other console.

Developers looking for Publishers to help push the game.

Publishers say "NO we want multi SKU's or we don't want it"

Developers go to Microsoft tell them the news.

Does anyone see what happened?

WHY DIDN'T/DOESN'T MICROSOFT PUBLISH IT!?

Because as stated at this point they didn't see the potential, it wasn't really that Microsoft C@#K Blocked it; they didn't let the Developers out source, and they didn't want to publish the game themselves.

THUS

Microsoft owns an IP that they wont publish for because they don't see it a desirable or profitable where others do..even though it could've been a 360 exclusive IF Microsoft decided to publish the game themselves

THUS, Microsoft ruined any MW games from ever existing aside from what they see fit (PC and F2P).

EDIT: Just to clarify it isn't about the PS3 version not being possible that caused it to not come out more so that it was Microsoft who wouldn't publish its own game...

That's like if they decided to stop making Halo games, and just kept the name so it could never be made for a competing platform. Which in any sense is a dick move. They should just sell the rights to the title. That's selfish, not even greedy cause they aren't even getting anything from it. They are simply hindering any gamers from enjoying what could've been an amazing comeback to a series.

It has nothing to do with fear of Sony, or any competitors. It has nothing to do with greed or exclusivity. It ONLY has to do with pure selfishness.

I love my 360 honestly but it's momentum has died down since the Kinect. It seems Microsoft has been putting the hardcore gamers in the dark and not caring about Exclusives or reason. They only care about who buy's there product. What happened to us gamers who love playing games that are fun. NOT waving our arms at the TV to feed Cookie Monster.

Sad times for true gamers. Thanks Microsoft. At least i enjoy my PS3 currently as Gears 3 was the last thing i have played on my 360.

[yourfather]

MS licensed out this title at 2009,and that game should be for 360/PC,but now,they change it to MMO,so PC-exclusive by now,i don't see what's the problem with Microsoft

but you know what,"Because as stated at this point they didn't see the potential"<-thats right,MechWarrior is mecha sim,it should be only on PC and can't fit with console,if they want to develop a Xbox version,they should develop MechAssault,not MechWarrior

well...a comment in first page is right,some people just want to complain anything about MS no matter for what reason

[svoulis]

Did you even read the Developers Blog? Microsoft Owns title, Microsoft won't PUBLISH the game themselves so the developers were out sourcing for publishing. No Publishers would fund them cause they wanted multiple SKU's.

That Sir is truth, and in statement means Microsoft blocked a fan base from owning a potentially great game cause they wouldn't even publish it themselves.

[yourfather]

"All material on this site is copyright © 2011 Infinite Game Publishing Inc. / Édition Jeux Infinis Inc."
yeah No Publishers

why don't just admit it you want to complain anything about MS for any reason,here is N4PS3G,many people stand with you,don't need to worry

[svoulis]

Oh boy, you really don't get it. Clearly you misunderstood the entire blog. That is fine though Ignorance is Bliss.

you call me a Fanboy yet your only argument is that a PC game is coming out of this. Last I checked the 360 was Microsoft's console.

I am a gamer, I call it like I see it.

[krokwik]

And people still wonder why everybody hates MS outside the US and 360 sells less ?

All MS does is destroying gaming, making competitors get their games late and so on... Then asking for money even for free p2p gaming, and putting ads everywhere.

Meanwhile Sony just use its money to make 1st party games. Giving us games.

MS must change they way they behave, or they'll always be last in Europe or everywhere outside the US.