Microsoft Says They Have 16 First-Party Xbox Studios, Hinting at a New Acquisition

Microsoft lets slip they have 16 first-party Xbox studios, but...only 15 have been confirmed. Have they been doing some more shopping?

[ziggurcat]

Maybe they purchased Moon Studios?

But MS inappropriately considers a 2nd or 3rd party game a 1st party title if MS Studios has their logo on it, so it could just be another time they claim something as 1st party when it's not really.

[littletad]

They stated recently they're not for sale.

[DJStotty]

not anymore

[Lore]

Every place has a price.

[Nodoze]

Translation of 'Not for sale' is - We have not received a high enough offer.

[DJStotty]

Or "we are not for sale" translates to "we have just been purchased so are no longer for sale"

[SyntheticForm]

That would be wise for Microsoft if they could secure that deal. Moon have proven themselves with the Ori games.

[ziggurcat]

It makes complete sense for MS to bring Moon Studios into their fold.

[littletad]

Or perhaps another built from the ground up. Exciting nonetheless.

[ziggurcat]

That could very well be another possibility.

[ElementX]

I'm sure we would've heard about talent getting hired for a new studio

[ZeroX9876]

A brand new studio would be amazing! I would prefer this over just buying someone out for exclusivity.

[BlackIceJoe]

Hopefully it is a Japanese studio. I think it would be nice to see Mistwalker turned into a full blown studio instead of just a concept studio like it is now, so if Microsoft bought them I can see Microsoft helping Mistwalker to grow.

[annoyedgamer]

Please no. Anything western developers see from Japan is immediately westernized (censored and localized). Let Japan stay in Japan.

[porkChop]

Mistwalker has been doing nothing for quite a long time now. It would be nice to see them get back to big games like Lost Odyssey.

[Atom666]

If it is an acquisition, my guesses are still either Asobo or Techland.

Asobo has the history with MS. Now that we've seen they can do solid work outside of smaller stuff (Plagues Tale was fantastic and FS looks ridiculous), I have a higher opinion of them.

Techland would be huge, and would explain the sudden delay of DL2.

Or they could have just renamed an internal sub-studio. We'll see I guess.

[Donnie81]

Would love to see techland get the chance to make big budget games. Dying light is fantastic

[CaptainHenry916]

Moon studio's would be perfect

[jsjodoin88]

Moon studios ! Its me but the xbox game studio was not there before ?? ( https://imgur.com/Ia7NArB )

[--bienio--]

Good.

[porkChop]

If you count the studios listed in the article it adds up to 16. Playground has 2 separate studios.

[Poopmist]

InXille also has 2 studios I believe

[neutralgamer1992]

Its 2 teams within the same studio even if in different cities. Like ND and GG both are one studio with 2 seperate teams. In my opinion that's the right way to grow naturally

[Obscure_Observer]

There's no two teams at Naughty Dog and Guerrilla

[neutralgamer1992]

obscure

yeah you are right the developers are wrong for releasing that information you know better

https://www.ign.com/article...

[prankster101]

Nintendo!

[THC CELL]

Typo I am guessing

[xX-oldboy-Xx]

Haha - a hear a little voice in the corner.

Purchasing a studio is great ms but imagine creating one - you'll get a lot more satisfaction that way.

[King_Noctis]

“ you'll get a lot more satisfaction that way“

Satisfaction how? Any new studio that they create will guarantee to make 90%+ metacritic scored games?

[xX-oldboy-Xx]

Maybe - maybe not, you don't think creating something from scratch and nurturing it will garner any satisfaction?

I reckon it would and it would actually be more.

Everything is so black and white isn't it mate.

There's no guarantees champ - that's why Sony deserve all the credit they get. No game is a sure thing - especially a new ip.

One console maker has a diverse 1st party line up - one relies on it's big 3. I know where my money is.

[King_Noctis]

“ There's no guarantees champ - that's why Sony deserve all the credit they get. No game is a sure thing - especially a new ip. ”

News flash, Sony also buy studios, and they had bough a sh*t ton of them. Their popular studios like Naughty Dogs, Insomniac, and Sucker Punch were all acquired by Sony. Let not act like every studios they have were opened from the ground up, shall we?

[battlegrog]

sony is not creating new studios either

[xX-oldboy-Xx]

Sony has already though, and their acquisitions put ms to shame. Going to be another long gen for ms.

[xX-oldboy-Xx]

Vasto you just named some mighty average studios, some were on their last legs. ms gave them a lifeline - so that's nice of them.

[Sunny_D]

@Vasto

Other than Playground, none of those crappy studios are even on the same level as Insomniac combined lmao.

[King_Noctis]

“ Other than Playground, none of those crappy studios are even on the same level as Insomniac combined lmao”

Insomniac had never made a GOTY game like Obsidian or Ninja Theory. Just sayin’.

[Spurg]

Sony has bought majority of their studios

[Donnie81]

It’s Relic Entertainment or IO Interactive.

[porkChop]

IO would be a great buy. Having Hitman as an exclusive would be smart.

[Donnie81]

Absolutely! It’s been rumored for awhile it could happen

[TMan101]

I am pretty sure IO interactive already has a publishing deal with WB games for future IPs, there has been no new information regarding a possible acquisition. So I think it's not IO interactive

[goldwyncq]

Organization XVI

[Smokehouse]

Can’t wait to see what these guys are up to. I have high hopes.

[milliniumstylz]

maybe MDHR Cuphead Team?

[mark_parch]

I'm hoping it's either ASBO or Techland

[medman]

:)