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5 Indie Games That Totally Deserve a Sequel

While a number of AAA games that fans weren't particularly happy with get a sequel, these five popular indie titles are still left without one.

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460°

Playing Ori Games On Xbox Game Pass Does Not Help The Studio, Claims Moon Studios CEO

The Ori and the Blind Forest studio CEO has asked the fans to purchase the game instead to completely support it.

Terry_B439d ago

oh really. The Microsoft /Game Pass Dream Bubble is bursting, eh?

Outside_ofthe_Box439d ago (Edited 439d ago )

I've been told that this is an outlier and 99% of devs feel the opposite of what moon studios is saying right here.

thorstein439d ago

"It can be? If you're a smaller dev and get an upfront fee to put your game on gamepass and it blows up, that's great.

I merely pointed out that Moon would make no money at this point from people playing Ori on gamepass - so not the best way to support us!" - Thomas Mahler, Moon Studios

Asplundh439d ago

"This is the exact argument people have been saying about GP for years now"

It's not. Moon studios had no say in their game going on GamePass, because it's a 2nd party game and Microsoft own the Ip and games. Moon was paid for developing the games and presumably get a cut of sales, GamePass is hurting their sales but this is a different situation.

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Lightning77439d ago

Because it is. You can name on one hand the studios GP doesn't help.

GamerRN438d ago

They make no money because they were already paid an upfront fee. So they MADE money, but make no additional money.

Markusb33438d ago

yeah of course because people renting games and not buying them is so much better for studios.
Microsoft has conditioned people not to pay for their hobby or at least not to pay to own anything

Outside_ofthe_Box438d ago

@GamerRN

"They make no money because they were already paid an upfront fee. So they MADE money, but make no additional money."

So it's a good thing that they make no additional money despite their game having continued success well after the initial payment?

Einhander1972438d ago

@Lightning77

"Because it is. You can name on one hand the studios GP doesn't help."

Just in the past few months we have had statements from Larian, 2k and now Moon Studios (as well another indie studio that released it's game pass but I can't remember who it was) have made similar statements recently about the effect of subscriptions on sales and profitability.

Heck you recently saw in Insomniac's leaked slides that after games were put on subscriptions the sales of the games almost totally dried up, which is something they have publicly been saying for years. And on top of that even though xbox fans constantly deny it, Microsoft leaks as well as their own statements and actions (like putting thier games on rival platforms) clearly show that putting games on subscriptions lowers the potential profit of a game.

It's time to accept the reality that the long term effect of subscriptions has been lowered revenue and profit for game sales almost universally across the board.

Credible research and information keeps showing that people don't buy games that are on subscriptions and more and more people don't buy games they suspect are coming to subscriptions.

RGB438d ago

Look into Outriders situation, unless you are a very small indie dev, gamepass loses money for everyone involved, including Microsoft.

+ Show (6) more repliesLast reply 438d ago
Obscure_Observer439d ago

"oh really. The Microsoft /Game Pass Dream Bubble is bursting, eh?"

I don´t think Sony agrees, because they´ll continue and release yet another brand new MBL game on Gamepass day one for the fourth time in a row!

Crows90439d ago

Because they have a choice right?

439d ago
Christopher439d ago

That's not by Sony's choice... This is a poor argument.

notachance439d ago

dude just randomly mention sony out of nowhere lol

Obscure_Observer439d ago (Edited 439d ago )

@Crows90

"Because they have a choice right?"

Yes they do. They could say no. Nobody is forcing Sony to make MLB games to Xbox at gun point, especially day one on Gamepass.

Christopher

"That's not by Sony's choice..."

Of course, it´s their choice. They could just said *no* to MLB and made their own baseball game just like EA did.

Besides, It´s a GaaS title after all and one of the most played on Xbox. So it´s not really hurting Sony in any way, and I´m 100% positive that they relly love those fat checks from MS.

"This is a poor argument."

You can say that, but, the Interesting and undeniable fact is that after four years making MBL games available on Gamepass day one, nobody from San Diego studio got fired in Sony´s recent wave of layoffs.

Just food for the brain.

439d ago
Elda439d ago

That's not a business choice that was decided by Sony, that decision was decided by the MLB. Sony will reap the rewards only because Sony's first party developers (Sony San Diego Studios) develops The Show. If it wasn't for the MLB licensing contract of The Show the game would still be exclusive to PS.

outsider1624439d ago

"Of course, it´s their choice. They could just said *no* to MLB and made their own baseball game just like EA did."

Well this isn't EA, they lost the license to Fifa, not Fifpro, or the premiere league or champions league or the euros.

MLB I'm guessing (i don't play baseball) is the only licence to it. They have no choice, indeed. American gamers will want authentic teams im sure.

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Futureshark438d ago

What an Obscure Observation!!?!!

1Victor438d ago (Edited 438d ago )

@christopher: “That's not by Sony's choice... This is a poor argument.”
Have you see him have a rich valid argument when it comes to Sony. 🤷🏿

@obscured: “Yes they do. They could say no. Nobody is forcing Sony to make MLB games to Xbox at gun point, especially day one on Gamepass.”
Sure buddy whatever keeps you happy same as no one is forcing Xbox to now and in the future release their games on PlayStation and Nintendo oh btw in the near future Xbox will go fully 3rd party like Sega 💵💰

Markusb33438d ago

do you understand the concept of licensed games? good lord the straw arguments or just lack of actual real information is astouding.

Terry_B438d ago

I don't think many of your comments are thought out.

Christopher438d ago

*** Of course, it´s their choice. They could just said *no* to MLB and made their own baseball game just like EA did. ***

That's an illusion of choice. It's not a choice. You're acting ignorant to try and serve up a bad argument.

Sonic1881438d ago

Obscure

At it again huh LMAO

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+ Show (17) more repliesLast reply 438d ago
Neonridr439d ago (Edited 439d ago )

you have to remember that these games are old now, they are given a fee upfront for their titles to be on gamepass, but for new people to play the games naturally you want to drive them to standalone sales as opposed to them playing on a service that they've already been paid for.

Outside_ofthe_Box439d ago (Edited 439d ago )

I don't understand what you are saying here. This is the exact argument people have been saying about GP for years now. In the short term the upfront cost is good, especially if your game is either trash or was never going to be popular in the first place, but long term and if your game exceeds expectations then it's not as good. Also if your game is AAA and is a sure fire going to sell millions day one, people want those titles day one on GP as well and think it's sustainable for some reason when logically that doesn't make sense.

Neonridr439d ago (Edited 439d ago )

@Outside - I don't know if MS has any incentives in place where devs get bonuses if games do well. You'd have to talk to someone in the know there.

Neonridr439d ago

I bought the collection on my Switch. Love these games.

darthv72439d ago

Same here. its a nice little compilation. Plus I have the XB special editions on disc (still sealed)... and it was all thanks to playing them in Game pass. I dont get why its so hard for people to understand how this service can actually lead to sales, not just blindly accept the few who complain about how sales weren't as good as they expected.

remixx116438d ago

Because not everyone is like you.

Most people wont go out and purchase a game on other consoles or buy special editions of games they already played if they can just try it on their cheap subscription service and move on once theyre done with it.

GotGame818439d ago

I bought Ori for Switch because it's on GP and wanted to be able to play it on the go. That being said, at 120fps and 4K on Series X, that is the way to play.

LoveSpuds438d ago

Fingers crossed for a release on PS5, I'd snap them up even though I have them on Switch already.

OneLove439d ago

No one forced you to put it on there wtf👀

Sciurus_vulgaris439d ago

Moon Studio had no choice. They do not own the Ori IP, Microsoft does.

rippermcrip438d ago

They didn't have a choice to partner with Microsoft for funding and create the game for them?

ChasterMies438d ago

I’m with OneLove on this. Don’t go begging to fans when you already took Microsoft’s money.

Kornholic437d ago

For smaller companies to even have a CHANCE to make some money on Xbox, they often have to put their games on Game Pass. Don't be dense.

SPEAKxTHExTRUTH439d ago (Edited 439d ago )

Anyone who wanted Ori has most likely already bought it. The game is not going to sell significantly anymore but GP will offer free exposure so that when Ori 3 comes out people may be willing to buy. If your game is good enough people will support in even if they can get it on a subscription. I still buy plenty of games that are available on GP and I also have played plenty of games that I would not have played thanks to GP. Bottom line is this, make a product people want and they will buy it.

badz149439d ago

Tbh, the game has never sold significant numbers to begin with.

Eonjay438d ago

I think what the CEO is implying is that the studio makes more money per copy sold vs a player on GP. But I think we know that as common sense. Even without being privy to Moon/Microsoft's contract, I think we can assume that because of the nature of GP, more money can be made per player at retail than via subscription. And honestly this would also probably apply to Microsoft as well. As in they would make more money too. Thats why the only way to maximize the utility of a subscription is to have a really large subscription base.

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70°

Study Finds Games 'Can be Good for the Mind'

A new study by Skillprint has found that video games can be 'good for the mind', amongst many other benefits.

gold_drake519d ago

eeey its been a while since ive seen that pic haha

franwex519d ago (Edited 519d ago )

Like many people, I work with crappy computers at work. I have noticed that gamers are capable of working around tech issues and get stuff done.
They need less guidance with software updates or new software that gets implemented.
Decades of buggy, incomplete games really help with problem solving.

gold_drake519d ago

yeh, work pcs are shiiit

where i work, all pcs are still windows 7 haha.

all of the programs are so old and outdated it hurts.
but that issue will stay that way as not everyone is familiar with pcs and the older generation is ... more or less helpless with them haha. not all of them of course but most of them