320°

Ninja Theory trends on X as gamers fear for studio following Tango Gameworks closure

Following the closure of 4 studios, many are now worried for the future of Ninja Theory once Hellblade 2 is released.

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videogamer.com
Sonic188124d ago (Edited 24d ago )

How is it going to sell well when it's also releasing on gamepass 🤔

Sephiroushin24d ago

Meant better to sell the studio and not closing it 🤦🏻 not to sell more games….
and games are sold anyways, you can buy it on xbox (not recommended if you got gamepass) but many pc gamers prefer to buy on steam than deal with the xbox app or pc gamepass!

On a side note to OP, the sales of studios wont happen though, especially when they want to retain the IPs, and well nobody is gonna buy a studios without its IPs; the other publishers that want a certain dev from the studio that are closing on their team can try to grab them as soon as they see they notice of the studio.

RaidenBlack24d ago (Edited 24d ago )

@Sephiroushin
Well hypothetically speaking, Ninja Theory can be sold to Sony at a lower rate sans the Hellblade IP.
Sony can then welcome them to work on the Heavenly Sword IP, which they still own.
Will be a nice proposition for Sony who can continue to offer a God of War-like hack n slash in their portfolio via Heavenly Sword 2, whilst Cory Barlog & co. decides to take a break from the God of War IP & venture some other genres.
On top of that, Ninja Theory was also interested in a sequel to Enslaved: Odyssey to the West and such Sony can come to a deal with Namco Bandai regarding the Enslaved IP.

badz14923d ago

selling the studio wouldn't be an attractive offer unless they come with their IPs. MS wants to keep these IPs, so even if MS is selling just the studio, no one would wants them

Lightning7725d ago

Because they're next come next year. HB2 won't hit some impossible metric within MS so they're getting axed in 2025. Leave gaming now MS.

XiNatsuDragnel24d ago

Ninja theory might as well be gone in 2025 at this rate

notachance24d ago

Every xbox studio is in danger now because there’s just no way they’re gonna rake in big money from game sales because of gamepass, even CoD was rumored to not come to gamepass because it would canibalize their sales number.

neutralgamer199224d ago

If they are smart they don’t put COD on GP day one. It’s one of the best selling games on yearly basis

Hofstaderman24d ago

Satya will make sure that doesnt happen. As you rightly put it; why kill the cash cow?

But then again, it is MS after all.....

thesoftware73024d ago

I agree and disagree. They should not put it on GP, but CoD makes real money from the overpriced MTX that people buy for over a year. They also have it all linked up to the Mobile CoD, which will incentivize Twitch spending from consumers.

neutralgamer199223d ago

Software

That’s true but keep in mind COD is the best selling or top 3 selling game every year. So yes micro transactions money is there but so are billions more

They should have tiers of GP subscriptions and the higher end tier received AAA games while everyone else gets them in 60 days

MontyeKristo23d ago

Wouldn't putting it on Gamepass be smarter? Cod is typically played, I believe, for far longer than 6 months.. if you get everyone playing the game for a year, on Gamepass, you've essentially doubled your profit. $10 a month for a year $120 compared to selling the game once for $60.

Not to mention MT's, on top of it. Sell on PS5, PC and Switch, keep it on Gamepass for Xbox and PC. Much smarter in my opinion..

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-Foxtrot24d ago

Also if you punish a studio for releasing a great critically acclaimed game which won some awards then what chance does anyone have

Elda24d ago

After this mess, I highly doubt the next installment of COD will be on Gamepass day one. It'll probably land on Gamepass 6 months after release date.

Noskypeno23d ago

Like I said earlier, I wouldn't even mind. There's a good selection of games on GP already, and it gives me time to play my backlog of games while allowing the games that need to sell millions of copies to make a profit a chance to succeed, a win win scenario.

badz14923d ago

not putting CoD on GP is sort of a violation of their own marketing though. they said ALL MS 1st party games will be on GP day 1, not some. CoD is 1st party, so to not put it on GP day 1 would be considered as false marketing.

+ Show (1) more replyLast reply 23d ago
Rynxie24d ago (Edited 24d ago )

Ninja theory games were never big sellers. I could be wrong, but I doubt hellblade 2 will sell millions. I would rather they go independent and make heavenly sword 2.

solideagle24d ago (Edited 24d ago )

heavenly sword is Sony owned IP. this will never happen as original didn't sell enough...

Wikipedia: "In 2008, it was reported that a sequel to Heavenly Sword was in-development at SCE Studio Cambridge, but was canceled due to Sony no longer seeing it as a commercially viable product"

Flewid63824d ago (Edited 24d ago )

I remember. I feel like the amount of time & technology that has passed would make a sequel a big seller now. The game has enough legacy recognition to build hype.

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140°

HellBlade 2 - Patch Notes – 31st May 2024

Ninja Theory writes: "We've added some fixes to improve the game experience"

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store.steampowered.com
purple10122h ago

"Misaligned peach fuzz around Senua's neck and face has been corrected"

ahh, just the patch ive been waiting for, can jump in now, safe in the knowledge, misaligned hairs have been aligned...

what a Day to be alive

Sciurus_vulgaris22h ago

You don’t even notice peach fuzz on most people, unless you look really close.

Scissorman4h ago

It's such a shame the game isn't selling too well.

jwillj2k44h ago(Edited 4h ago)

Boring + walking sim + QTE fighting = full r

Never go full r

CobraKai1h ago

I like it when devs do something different. I’d love to support every game that separates itself from the boring and tired FPSs.

My issue with H2 is that there is no physical release. Id love to play this game, but i need a physical release. If one never comes, then so be it.

babadivad3h ago(Edited 3h ago)

The story tramples over the foundations set in the first game. Senua is insane. She sees things that aren't there. Hears things that aren't there. The enemies she fights were monstrous "demons" but were they really?? Likely not. They were just men. In the old game, the voices in her head are openly antagonistic. It made you further question her sanity and her grip on reality.

In Hell Blade 2 (granted I haven't finished yet) the monsters ARE real. Everyone can see them. Gods and giants aren't just fables. They are there in the flesh threatening humanity. The voices in her head are cheerleaders now. Senua's story has taken on the "Chosen One" quasi-mary sue element.

Hellblade 2 erased the main reason Senua and her story was interesting. They butchered her.

It's been a long time since I played the original but in this game they have fully turned her father into a villain that was just "holding her back". Because of course he's just an evil man trying to hold her down. And now he's the one who led the mob that killed her mother and burned her at the stake.

Like I said before, it's been a while since I played the first game but from what I remembered, he loved his wife. She went insane like Senua and was killed. He started seeing the same signs of insanity in Senua and sequestered them away from the village to protect her from them.

If he's the one who lead the mob to burn his wife at the stake, why the fuck would he hide Senua away from the village? The puzzles are mind numbingly simple in this game too. That's secondary to the way they butchered the world they set up in the first game.

After I beat the first game, I always felt it was a mistake for Senua to have survived. She should have died at the end with her beloved like a classic Greek Tragedy. The first game was a beautiful story, the sequel ruins everything that was special about it.

Rynxie1h ago(Edited 1h ago)

I agree with everything you said, Xbox fan girls need to destroy their consoles and quit gaming.

babadivad17m ago

@Rynixe

Chill with the fanboy crap. The first time I played Hellblade was on Playstation. I obviously have an Xbox as well since I'm playing the sequel. I have had both consoles since launch. I'm giving my honest review of a video game and comparing it to its predecessor. Don't look any deeper than the words I put in my working review. I'm not a fanboy. To be honest, Playstation "fanboys" should be terrified if Microsoft really leaves the industry.

Sony with no competition is a terrible site indeed. People have the shortest memories. I have also been warning you guys about this. Microsoft leaving gaming is going to be the worst thing to happen to Playstation fans.

100°

Every PlayStation Studios game available now on Windows PC

Windows Central writes: "Many PlayStation Studios games that are ported to PC get dedicated PS5 DualSense support, which allows users to experience haptic feedback and adaptive trigger support without actually having to own a PS5.

According to Hermen Hulst, head of PlayStation Studios, it's still the company's intent to launch the bigger single-player games on PS5 first, before later bringing the games to PC. This might not be the case for multiplayer games however, which are considered okay to launch simultaneously on console and PC."

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windowscentral.com
ocelot071d 12h ago

My guess is after god of war. Probably last of us 2 that's a almost 4 year old game now and by the time it's released on pc it will be more than 4 years old or close to 5.

Elda1d 6h ago

Every old Playstation game that is now on PC.

shinoff218321h ago

Right. I definitely see what a headlined from a website named windows central was trying to do though. It's cute little wordplay to help out the green box

Flewid63820h ago

Are PlayStation games no longer good or worth playing once they are old?

Elda19h ago

I'm guessing my comment went over your head.

XiNatsuDragnel1d 5h ago

Good at least they can sell hardware

220°

Former Activision studio Toys for Bob partners with Xbox to publish its first game as an indie

Former Activision studio Toys for Bob partners with Xbox to publish its first game as an indie. This is something of a homecoming, as Microsoft owns Activision.

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engadget.com
Obscure_Observer1d 23h ago

Very very early in development. Still, fantastic news!

Let´s GO!!!

Lightning771d 21h ago

I guess.

How come they didnt either let them go or sell Tango and others to another publisher? Not saying Ubisoft, EA would be any better. (Capcome would of treated them right )

At least it wouldn't be MS of all ppl destroying them.

MS really should let go Tango go like they did TFB here.

darthv721d 21h ago (Edited 1d 21h ago )

one was under Bethesda (Tango) the other under Activision (TFB). Clearly each one handled the separations of their subordinates differently.

Obscure_Observer1d 20h ago (Edited 1d 20h ago )

"How come they didnt either let them go or sell Tango and others to another publisher? Not saying Ubisoft, EA would be any better. (Capcome would of treated them right )"

Perhaps because Zenimax and ABK handles such matters differently based on their own internal policies as "independent" publishers.

Whoever, chances are it´s simply because MS didn´t wanted Tango or Austin to be acquired by competitors and develop new bangers for them, giving MS a bad rep in a possible future. Which could also be the reason why they ensured an exclusive partnership with TFB and its new game, before anyone else.

Sad and disgusting. But it is what it is.

Lightning771d 16h ago (Edited 1d 16h ago )

"Whoever, chances are it´s simply because MS didn´t wanted Tango or Austin to be acquired by competitors and develop new bangers for them, giving MS a bad rep in a possible future."

MS has a bad rep now because those studios are no more. I rather them sell the studio continue to make multiplatform releases, while MS continues to focus on whatever they're doing. If they didn't want Tango around they should separated from them or sell them to, like they did TFB.

It's inexcusable, they have options on how to handle studios they don't want anymore with killing jobs. Not just MS but the rest of the industry also.

Sad and disgusting sure how many will get shut down next year or this year even?

I don't trust MS decisions and motivations at this point. You have to admit they make one dumb move after another.

Obscure_Observer1d 9h ago (Edited 1d 9h ago )

"MS has a bad rep now because those studios are no more. I rather them sell the studio continue to make multiplatform releases, while MS continues to focus on whatever they're doing. If they didn't want Tango around they should separated from them or sell them to, like they did TFB."

Imo, MS separated from TFB because they didn´t had a game associated with Xbox yet, unlike Tango.

"I don't trust MS decisions and motivations at this point. You have to admit they make one dumb move after another."

Fair enough. It was indeed an epic dumb move from them to close Tango.

Still, all to be forgotten, like always have. This is not the first time a big publisher shuts down a beloved and/or successful studio out of nowhere and certainly won´t be the last. Do you remember Lionhead? Do you remember Evolution Studios? Yeah... both were beloved studios and yet, those companies kill those studios in q blink of an eye and got away with it.

anast1d 6h ago (Edited 1d 6h ago )

The studio boss made some money from this transaction. Once the game releases, the studio will get chopped up.

-Foxtrot1d 23h ago

Manages to buy their freedom especially after all the shit Microsoft has been doing with its studios lately

...

Goes right back to them as partners.

Okaaaaaay...

darthv721d 21h ago

Id venture a guess that TFB working directly with MS was a better outcome than working through Activision to get to MS.

VersusDMC1d 19h ago

From the article...

"Toys for Bob spun out as an indie back in February after Microsoft instituted sweeping layoffs that impacted 86 employees, which was more than half of the staff"

I doubt those 86 employees enjoyed the Microsoft experience over Activisions.

Inverno1d 18h ago

MS shuts down studios because of lack of resources and then helps these guys by giving em resources. Also MS is what forced them to buy their freedom in the first place? What kind of logic 😂

Chevalier1d 15h ago

The best thing is that the company that is worth $3 trillion and owns the company instead of Xbox lacks resources. How the hell does a company worth $3 trillion making a measly $70 billion purchase they 'can't' support. Lol

BlindMango21h ago

The reason they would need to "partner with Microsoft" is simply to make a game that's part of a franchise that Microsoft owns. Meaning they're probably going to make a new Spyro game - they're still an independent studio, but are making a game in a franchise that Microsoft owns. It's kind of like Remedy partnering with Rockstar to be able to make the Max Payne remakes.

shinoff218321h ago

It was probably the deal to get released from Ms

+ Show (2) more repliesLast reply 21h ago
Sciurus_vulgaris1d 21h ago (Edited 1d 21h ago )

Xbox’s gaming division seems to still function as 3 semi-autonomous sub-divisions, Xbox Studios, Bethesda and ABK. The three main sub-divisions can seemingly shut down or build studios and set up partnerships independently. This would explain why Bethesda can recently shutdown studios, while ABK spins off one studio, while building a new one. Plus, Toys for Bob could be spun off by ABK, only to immediately re-partner with Microsoft.

Chevalier1d 15h ago

That's absolutely 💯 BS. Any sane 'autonomous' company would NOT put their games on Gamepass day 1 like COD will lose probably billions.

Also they're all under Xbox game studios so any autonomy is an illusion.

PhillyDonJawn1d 3h ago

No, I'm sure MS can and does step in when they want something done specifically but I'm also sure they let them also work independently

shinoff218321h ago

I highly highly doubt this. Ms controls all. The guys aren't gonna be allowed to just shut something down like that without approval. No way

Elda1d 15h ago

Either a kiddie game or something uninteresting.

Obscure_Observer1d 9h ago

Don´t worry. You won´t be playing it anyway since their next game will possible be a next gen Xbox console game.

Elda1d 7h ago (Edited 1d 7h ago )

Don't worry about my comments.

PhillyDonJawn1d 3h ago

Right probably something like astrobot

romulus231d 2h ago

Nah he said "uninteresting", lots of people are interested in Astro Bot.

Elda1d ago

Never Astro Bot. Astro Bot looks better than any exclusive released on XB this entire generation & believe there hasn't been much.

Asplundh1d ago

Crash 4 was good, so I'm hopeful.

PhillyDonJawn22h ago

Hey you said that about SOT and looks like many ppl on PS is playing it. You also found bugsnax interesting ffs your opinion hold no weight lol.

Elda22h ago(Edited 22h ago)

Bugsnax is BS, tried it & quickly deleted it. It's a game that fits right on Gamepass. PS5 owners that are probably playing the boring SOT you could count on one hand. LMAO!!...don't try to come for me.

PhillyDonJawn20h ago

So you admit bugsnax interested you enough to try? 😂 someone gotta call you out on the foolishness.

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