290°

We Happy Few Devs: Trying to Maintain Creativity at Microsoft Isn't as Hard As People Think It Is

The developers of We Happy Few, Compulsion Games, commented that trying to maintain creativity at Microsoft isn't as hard as people think thanks to the leadership that understands the importance of creative games.

Overall, they've had a positive experience so far.

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wccftech.com
ccgr2004d ago

Still have to play this game

SkatterBrain2004d ago (Edited 2004d ago )

whats XGP? sounds like an early 90s game system , Buy the new Nicon: XGP with turbo 34 Graffix , XGP-The way its meant to be played

timotim2004d ago

I think every new studio acquisition at XGS has come out and spoke about how they are able to retain creative freedom. This is good news to hear...looking forward to their next project.

2003d ago
CaptainHenry9162003d ago (Edited 2003d ago )

@captaintravel
"You also said Ninja Theory is an indie developer and many other unflattering comments."

That's my opinion. A lot of their past games feels unfinished or missing depth. I thought DMC was their best game

timotim2004d ago

Yeah, his onstage bit with Matt Booty about working on Office was funny as hell.

DaDrunkenJester2003d ago

*Actual Zune

I love Tim haha

ScootaKuH2003d ago

Rare? Let's be honest, under Microsoft Rare aren't what they were. Also what about the Fable devs?

darthv722004d ago

MS has been very hands off this gen and that will continue on into next gen. They want the studios to deliver the best of their ideas without "micro" managing.

jznrpg2004d ago ShowReplies(1)
SkatterBrain2004d ago

yeah i hope they dont make good studios work on gimmicky things then close them down like lionhead studios and sony with evolution studios, that fable kinect and Psvr Rigs/Driveclub vr .... i really hope if Dreams doesnt sell that sony will keep Media Molecule i loved the little big planet games but so far the games in dreams feel a little unfinished

DaDrunkenJester2003d ago

Well luckily they don't seem to have any gimmicks yet like a Kinect for this gen. Seems like they are more focused on their content delivery through the services and need big and small devs to provide a constant stream of games.

rainslacker2003d ago

Lionhead was one of those situations where maybe MS should have had more of a hand in reigning in creativity. Molyneux is kind of one of those people who doesnt set limits on his own expectations based on what's actually possible to accomplish

Obscure_Observer2003d ago

@rainslacker

"Molyneux is kind of one of those people who doesnt set limits on his own expectations based on what's actually possible to accomplish"

He left Microsoft after Mattrick "forced" him into making a Fable Kinect game! After his departure Lionhead couldn´t create nothing relevant or very exciting. I think Playground will be a better studio than Lionhead ever could be without Molyneux.

My two cents.

SkatterBrain2004d ago

the studios from the past use to complain about how controlling microsoft was

2004d ago Replies(7)
gangsta_red2004d ago

I know Lionhead was vocal about MS wanting a specific Fable from them, the Kinect one and then the 4 vs 1 Fable that got cancelled. And they even pitched a darker more mature Fable game to MS that they rejected in order for them to work on the ones I mentioned.

thatguyhayat2004d ago

Im pretty sure bungie expressed themselves too but Lionhead studios were all over social media saying how frustrating it was working for Microsoft

DaDrunkenJester2003d ago

Yeah, I feel like MS has changed a lot with this new leadership though. Seems like all their devs are expressing they have creative freedom. You see The Coalition being able to expand Gears in new ways with Tactics, Pop, and even change up Gears 5 formula a bit.

I'm hoping we see 343 expand a bit and do some side stuff outside of Chief after Infinite.

thatguyhayat2003d ago

DaDrunkenJester

The leadership was the same. Lionhead studios was still under Phils management but after the game awards they've taken the right step. We'll see how it goes

King_Noctis2003d ago

Yeah but we are talking about the present though, and MS had learnt a lot from their past.

2003d ago
King_Noctis2002d ago

I mean, if you have to ask “like what?” then I don’t think you have actually been following any news at all.

Spenok2004d ago

Says the We Happy Few Devs who made a horrible game xD

Show all comments (52)
80°

John Marston Voice Actor Teases "Exciting" Red Dead Redemption News

During a livestream on his personal Twitch channel, Rob Wiethoff (who voices John Marston in the Red Dead Redemption series) hinted at "exciting news" to be revealed next week. According to Wiethoff, the news will be announced "before Friday".

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powerupgaming.co.uk
70°

Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun 2 devs praise games like Space Marine 2 for "lowering the barrier"

Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun 2 developers discuss the huge success of Space Marine 2 and its effect on the series as a whole.

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videogamer.com
Jingsing2d ago

How about an official level editor for Boltgun?

220°

Phil Spencer Teases 2026 As A "Really Special Year" For Xbox

2026 will mark the 25th anniversary of Xbox, and Phil Spencer has teased it as a "really special year" for the games division.

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twistedvoxel.com
TheEroica3d ago (Edited 3d ago )

You got downvotes by pathetic gamers for feeling hopeful about good games coming out next year. Imagine how small your brain must be to downvote someone excited for future gaming joy? It is pretty neat to see people's world view blow up in front of them as they realize Microsoft has put themselves in a driver's seat that Sony hasn't been able to touch all generation.... What's even more pathetic is the same people downvoting you are the same people wishlisting Microsoft games on their ps5s 😂

P_Bomb3d ago

“Imagine how small your brain must be to downvote someone excited for future gaming joy?”

My dude your post history shits on EVERYTHING. You never have a good thing to say about anything lol! 🤣

PanicMechanic2d ago (Edited 2d ago )

“Getting ready for those GaaS reveals! Sony is a shadow of themselves this gen.”

You literally said this a couple of days ago. Start applying the clown make up, you hypocritical jester

derek3d ago

Yep we'll see, they have alot releasing next year.

RaidenBlack2d ago

NGL, next year might be one of the best years in gaming ... starting off with RE9 and GTA VI ...
and then all the good games that's been cooking
Pragmata, Sands of Time, Saros, Gears E-Day, 007 First Light, Blood of Dawnwalker,
Mortal Shell II, Onimusha, Marvel1943: Rise of Hydra
current-gen only Infinity Ward's CoD, Duskbloods
+ My guess: Wolverine, Exodus, Mudang, Crimson Desert, Clockwork etc ...
~ seems like it might get too stacked

1Victor2d ago

@rokos:”Hopefully “
I downvoted you not for been hopeful but because I have seen the same “NEXT YEAR WILL BE SPECIAL “ comment for the last 10+ and hasn’t seen anything special from Microsoft.
I hope next year will be the one that everyone been waiting for since the last 3 years of the Xbox 360, it have to be after over $80 billions spent on acquisitions.

Lightning772d ago

So the new excuse is they don't count because it's from the ABK now huh. I guess all those 3rd party games count even less because they don't own them. According to your always crappy logic.

InUrFoxHole2d ago

Lol. You haven't seen anything special? Do you even game?

OtterX3d ago

Always with the "next year..."! 😂

neutralgamer19923d ago

I don't know they have delivered this year and even last year. And they have a lot more content in the pipeline right now than anyone else. We can't just keep hating on MS

Indiana Jones
South of midnight
Avowed
Flight simulator
Hell Blade 2
Minecraft update
Gears of war reloaded
Indian Jones:expansion
Gears E day
Clockwork revolution
Fable
Doom the dark ages
The outer worlds 2
Grounded 2
Call of duty

OtterX3d ago

How many of those titles were just buyouts of companies that were going about making their games anyways? *Throws cash - "Oh look what we made!"

dveio3d ago (Edited 3d ago )

This list, that's been posted again, and again, and again in every single topic like this, contains almost nothing, literally almost nothing from Microsoft's own creational thoughtprocess.

It's a bunch of former 3rd party IPs.

Now even slowly returning to Playstation in some cases like Indiana, Hellblade, probably Starfield soon too, after they were made exclusively to Xbox on purpose.

Due to Microsoft's lack for own IP material except Halo & Forza. Which, the lack of, was the sole reason for all of it to happen in the first place anyway. Please don't pretend it wasn't.

And just look at all the games that come from Obsidian alone.

You really think Obsidian wasn't already working on Avowed and South of Midnight even without Microsoft buying Zenimax?

Microsoft delivered nothing but cheques.

OtterX3d ago (Edited 3d ago )

@dveio THIS. Lol, this dude thinks Call of Duty wouldn't exist without Microsoft! smh 😂

neutralgamer19923d ago (Edited 3d ago )

Common narrative I see often — that Microsoft shouldn’t get credit for the games its studios release because they “just bought them.” But this viewpoint ignores key context and sets a double standard that other platform holders aren’t held to

No one is saying these games wouldn't exist at all without Microsoft. But let’s not pretend that having a trillion-dollar company backing a studio doesn’t make a massive difference. Obsidian never had AAA funding before the Xbox acquisition. Pillars of Eternity was crowdfunded, and their resources were always stretched thin. Now they’re working on Avowed, with proper support behind it.

Ninja Theory’s Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice was made by around 20 people, using borrowed equipment and doing mocap in a boardroom. It was a passion project held together by tape and willpower. Today, Hellblade II exists because they were given resources, time, and freedom — something many developers don’t get unless they’re owned by a company that believes in their vision.

ZeniMax (Bethesda’s parent company) was in real financial trouble before the Microsoft acquisition. Reports and insider accounts have pointed out how much they needed a cash infusion. And while some people want to write off Xbox’s ownership of Bethesda titles, they forget the alternative could have meant layoffs or even closures.

The same goes for Activision Blizzard. Would you really prefer the company to stay under Bobby Kotick, after all the documented workplace misconduct and toxic leadership issues? Say what you want about Microsoft, but their acquisition brought accountability and change to a company that desperately needed it.

At the same time, Xbox gets hated on for doing what every major company does. Sony bought Housemarque, Bluepoint, Insomniac — but no one says Spider-Man 2 “doesn’t count” because of that. Why does Xbox get treated differently for acquiring struggling or undervalued developers and giving them a chance to thrive?

And the idea that Xbox locks games away is outdated. They're pushing cross-platform releases, cloud gaming, Game Pass, and backward compatibility more than any other platform holder. They're not forcing all studios into live service. If anything, their upcoming lineup is less GAAS-heavy and more focused on narrative and creativity — Avowed, South of Midnight, Clockwork Revolution, Fable, Perfect Dark, Towerborne, and others show real variety.

Whether people like it or not, Xbox is now the biggest publisher in the industry and owns the most gaming IPs. But what matters more is how they treat their studios. Most of these teams were previously stuck making AA games with limited scope — now they’re getting the tools and support to aim higher.

So when people say “Microsoft didn’t make those games,” they’re missing the point. It’s not about who started the studio — it’s about who enabled them to do their best work. You don’t have to love Xbox to admit they’ve helped a lot of developers and are taking a player-first approach.

Instead of writing off everything they do, maybe try recognizing the good they’re doing for both devs and gamers. At the end of the day, we should want more studios to succeed — no matter who owns them

BeHunted3d ago

I'm surprised Clockwork Revolution (BioShock meets Dishonored) isn't getting more media attention. The game looks interesting and reminds me of the old RPG games.

anast3d ago

The only good game on that list is Flight sim. The rest are either average or will be average. It's not a good look for MS.

TheEroica3d ago

My god.... Look how many comments are upset about microsoft's successes... 😂 This may be my new favorite thread. Not one gamer saying thanks for all the goodness coming their way, just bitter anger and downvoting the very games they themselves will purchase throughout 2026.... Sony really worked you guys over this generation.... Condolences.

DivineHand1253d ago

@neutralgamer1992 You said what needed to be said.

I have heard for years from older gamers that fanboys are the biggest issue with any fanbase. They will defend or gloss over negative news as long as the correct logo is on the box and they bash the competing platform no matter how much good they are trying to bring.

Right now their advocacy for PlayStation is elevating that platform so high that Sony no longer believes they need to do anything to satisfy their loyal fanbase like they did in the PS4 days.

I just hope most of them will eventually start advocating for themselves and encourage others to do the same. No one should blindly support one platform because these companies do not care about anything other than profit.

neutralgamer19923d ago

Hunted

And first proper game done by the studio with proper AAA budget and saying it will be released when ready

Anast

I believe we went through this before that you are objectively wrong. Meta critic, user reviews, game sales. In Playstation top 10 best selling games were 5 from Microsoft studios

Otter

No this dude is saying so many other studios wouldn't be thriving without MS money and people would be getting abused physically and mentally with Bobby kotick and his side kicks

Also maybe look up how the original founder of Bethesda and zenimax was kicked out of his own company by his best friend lawyer. So that was always a shady place and had been struggling financially before MS paid a premium of almost 7 billion

Eroica

I use to be a die hard Playstation fan and now I only have a Pc. I see how these fans are so toxic. They just can't handle any positive news regarding Xbox. When the best selling games on playstation are Xbox titles. Look at Forza horizon being best seller and that's years old game by MS. I guess ms don't deserve credit for that success too since they are the only company in gaming making acquisitions

Forget the fact Sony paid 3.6 billion for bungie and MS 6.9 for zenimax. Which investment has turned out better

Destiny and marathon with a lot of controversy

While zenimax output is nothing short of amazing compared to what bungie has released

crazyCoconuts3d ago

Yeah it's tricky. "Xbox" has morphed to mean different things to different people.
Console, now Windows, GamePass, and the cross platform games. There's a mix of attitudes towards all those things individually, and maybe an overarching attitude towards MS. But can't argue that the game companies MS recently bought continue to flourish, and GamePass PC has been a great value over the last year.

InUrFoxHole2d ago

@OtterX
You're the dude mad at your exes new guy. She's with someone else... get over it.

+ Show (8) more repliesLast reply 2d ago
Lightning773d ago (Edited 3d ago )

They've had good output so far. So waiting for those games shouldn't be a problem.

Who cares if they're buy outs of companies or whatever excuse you want to make. They're games that are being distributed to other console. Play the games and enjoy it instead of fanboying or complaining.

ocelot073d ago

They going to be a he best and biggest publisher on Xbox, Playstation and PC next year. They not really said anything about Switch 2 though spite claiming to be big supporters.

quenomamen3d ago

If you call making one last Xbox before going full Sega, as Great. Then yea.

TheEroica3d ago

Doesn't feel like you're paying attention to what's happening.

RhinoGamer883d ago

It will be, his net work will hit 50 million and he plans to buy a new mansion in Cape Cod. Thanks everyone! #failup

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