Microsoft on Bungie, Bizarre, BioWare, PGR5, Mass Effect 2/3, and 2008

In Part 1 of an interview with DevelopMag, Microsoft Game Studios' general manager Phil Spencer discusses what happened with Bungie, Bizarre and Bioware. He talks about Microsoft's reactions to each of the three cases, what will happen between Microsoft and the three studios, and what the future holds for Microsoft Game Studios.

Some hot topics in the interview are:
• Microsoft's current attitude towards studio acquisitions
• Microsoft's plan for Project Gotham Racing 5
• Microsoft's future in the Mass Effect franchise
• The speculation that the foundation of Microsoft Game Studios seems to be "built on quicksand"
• The lack of (announced) 2008's titles for Xbox 360
• When Microsoft will announce or show those titles
• Progress in Europe
• New talents, ideas and IPs from Europe

[predator]

just by reading his thoughts on 2008 i can sense that mgs have sumit cooking but dont want to share just yet, its gona be big.

[Nicosia]

That the same feeling i get. In the articale he discusses some very intresting stuff, but also comments on not to get ahead of yourself. The most intresting part was the europe division, i knew about them but there coming along from what i read.

Keep in mind that Bizarre and Bioware was just partners in dev, ms publishes it.

[Real gamer 4 life]

Why is microsoft losing all their game studio??

[jack who]

why do ppl like you say crap out there mouth?

let me make this clear micrsoft only has 1 game studio and its callled MGS(micrsoft games studio)...so you mind tellin me when they lost it?

[unlimited]

basically they got nothing in 2008 and lost all the best studios..they are depending on third party games that will coome on the ps3 too..microsoft blows in 2008 with no games..

[ukilnme]

Get out and stay out troll.

[Silver360]

They let Bungie become independent, but they retain first rights on any game Bungie develops. What other studio have they owned and lost?

[BIoodmask]

The funny thing is people don't seem to understand that just bc Microsoft doesn't "own" Bungie anymore doesn't mean that Bungie will be making games for other consoles. Most likely it will be just like Sony's relationship with Insomniac or Naughty Dog.

And if MGS really wanted to obtain exclusive rights to the Mass Effect sequels all they would have to do is pony up the money to EA. There was an article posted a few days ago that 50% of EA's revenue was made on 360 games. This gives Microsoft a lot more bargaining power for exclusives than people may realize. Same goes for other Games studios. The install base and games attach rate per console sold are where the money is, and right now that is Microsoft.

I think it is funny that a lot of people on this sight accuse Micro of being a buyout type company when Sony's 1st party studios consists almost solely of companies they have "bought". One of them being Psygnosis, the games producer that makes Wipeout.

Nothing wrong with that. That is just how the industry works.

[TheMART]

Exactly!

Plus: how is a trilogy, when the first part is and will stay exclusive on the 360, ever going to start with part II on another console? I bet either way, by MS money or not, Mass Effect trilogy will stay on the 360 exclusive

[Silver360]

If part one does well then MS uses their option. So how will part 3 on both console be all that attractive to fanboys especially if you are carrying your character over from games one and two?

[Witty Comment]

with the Bungie relationship. He said:

" I don’t know if they’ll be stronger as a studio in the long-term – I’m not convinced of that. And I don’t know if the strains of running a business on their own will hurt or help them".

Usually when things end on strictly good terms, or even not so good terms, no corporate officer will say things like that. These people are supposed to be politicians as well, so when somebody says something like that, it leaves a lot left to the imagination.

[PS360PCROCKS]

What? No. He's merely being level headed, their giving Bungie the option of working on their own so they can grow within themselves and become a company like Rare where they can develop more than one game at a time, he even said this. All he was merely saying was their giving them the option and that it's yet clear if that will help or hurt them, but their letting them try.

[gnothe1]

witty he's right, he doest know if they'll be stronger an a company in the long run. because they dont have that deep pocketbook of MS anymore!! thats like a rich dads son deciding to go out on his own. without his dads cash can he still do the things he once did!!

[Guitarded]

Because he doesn't know what the future holds for them it's bad blood. OK.

[Witty Comment]

I didn't mean to say bad blood, but it certainly doesn't sound like he has much faith. I just summed it up wrong. My bad, coach.

[PS360PCROCKS]

I just realized your avatar, very nice!

[Maddens Raiders]

but what exactly is an XBox 360, and what does *it have to do w/ 2008? Confusing article...I thought this "360 thing" in 2008 was an outmoded rumor ya know, "built on quicksand" . Wierd.

[PS360PCROCKS]

huh?

[PS360PCROCKS]

"One of the things we don’t want to do now is getting ahead of ourselves and showing games too early. I don’t think we do a service to our games community when we show games which we’re not completely sure of what games they are going to be. I have a real sense of responsibility to those consumers that have bought our platform, and want to be comfortable that when we show a game we have belief in that game and think it is representative of what it might be when that game comes out. I’ve seen games too early – or even things shown that aren’t the game, to try and build excitement about that game, but for us I’m not about doing that. For instance: we preferred to show Halo through the Halo Beta and actually show people ‘Here’s where we are’ and let that progress through the summer – that means we’re playing fair with our audience."

I really couldn't agree more, I love seeing the games for NOW. I hate seeing really great videos and than it's like "Summer 2008/2009" it creates unfounded hype for a game that I will probably forget about a week later. I like the way Microsoft is doing it and I for one am not scared at all because I KNOW their is more great titles coming next year, and than next christmas I am sure I will be looking at titles for 2009 and saying the same.

[Whoooop]

"I really couldn't agree more, I love seeing the games for NOW. I hate seeing really great videos and than it's like "Summer 2008/2009" it creates unfounded hype for a game that I will probably forget about a week later"

ummmm we constantly get hype from 2008 games and I don't see anybody forgetting about them in a week. Hell we talk about them almost every day. MSG4? FF? LBP? KZ2? GT5?? there are even more, but I think you get the point.

And apart from that we are still getting great games this year.. R&C, COD4, HAZE, UT3, ASSASIN'.... so It's not a bad thing to brag about future games when you know they are the most important ones.

This year was for MS what's going to be 2008 for SONY and even this year the PS3 has managed to bring us IMPRESSIVE and GREAT games.

[TheMART]

Its the trade off:

talking about great games NOW, that turn out to be real killer apps:

Bioshock
Halo 3
Mass Effect

(all are or will be AAA over 90% average reviewed)

And then on top of that the knowledge that there ARE great games coming for 2008 but just stay quiet on those

Alan Wake
Too Human
Gears of War 2
Halo Wars
Banjo K.
Ninja Gaiden 2

Well we could go on there are a lot more, but whats the use if you compare it to Sony doing it the other way around:

Overhyping Lair, Heavenly Sword, Warhawk for being killer apps while they were scoring about a 5 average (Lair) or just in the good range (about an 8 for the other two), having no AAA on or over 90% exclusive yet (besides Uncharted that might reach that status) for 2007.

Then only talking about games far, far from now, which are big franchises, but still they're ghosts still: MGS4, GT5, FFXIII, KZ2 and God of War 3.

That's not the way it seems as SOny's sales keep dropping, after each short price drop peak.

So MS is doing it right, just right. And then the killer apps keep coming. Watch 2008 happening again, the same as this year. Christmas 2008 will be owned by Gears of War 2.

Gears of War 1 had such great reviews. It's much more real anticipation then Killzone 1 having about 6 average reviews. KZ2 won't be able to keep up to Gears of War 2 for sure and won't push as many units. It's just a very good marketingstrategy that MS is rolling out.

[PS360PCROCKS]

Well I am talking about the majority of games "whooop" nobody has to even write a Halo story to talk about Halo 3, or the same for MGS and so on...my point was that it's always ok to have an idea of what's over the horizon but I prefer to live in the here and now and enjoy what's coming out rather than sit around and think about what's coming next summer, I will think about that when it's here next summer. But yes their is always those few inevitable games that you will be wanting for months out.

[Whoooop]

I understand what you're saying.. I didn't disagree with you though.. I never do, I just reply if I feel like it.

[unlimited]

at 6.2

Heavenly Sword was a great game..and warhawk was consider AAA game and Resistance and Ninja Gaiden Sigma...

why are you talking about gears of war 2?? they didnt announce it yet..and too human being AAA? are you kidding me...that game is awful..and halo wars??? no one cares about because halo 3 will keep xbox fanboys more satisfied..

also you only name a few great games coming on the ps3 next year..you forgot infamous, heavy rain, war devil, littlebigplanet, tekken 6, white knight story, gran turismo, eight days, gataway 3, Socom, and etc... all big games in 2008 thats only on ps3..the 360 is empty next year get over it..

[ukilnme]

You are mad because the 360 is not going to roll over and die for the PS3. The 360 is here to stay for another 4 to 5 years and it will be strong competition for the PS3. Get over it and get over yourself. Just stop the trolling already. Nobody wants you here.

[goodganja]

It looks as if Micro$hit is trying to cover their tracks on the issue that they're losing devs left and right because they dont treat them correctly.

Micro$hit just gives them one large lump sum of money and no incentives for the game sales. Peter Moore leaving should tell you that Micro$hit is a sinking ship. Ouch!!!

P L A Y B 3 Y O N D

[TheMART]

Aw how sad, on one bubble, no one will read your comments anymore. Ah well I will, you're pretty funny!

PLAYR3TARD3D

and

WAIT B3YOND

[Whoooop]

Mart... you did read the comment.

so I guess he won.. Damn you stupid for a 32 year old

hehe :)

[razer]

Look who ran out of Blu-ray movies to watch! poor little fella..

[Leathersoup]

I'm certainly looking forward to that game. Fall of 2008. That's a killer title. It will be multi-platform but that doesn't mean it won't be awesome on the 360!

[JasonPC360PS3Wii]

I like how PS3 fans wish Mass Effect will come to the PS3, it makes me smile :-)

[Whoooop]

I'll give u that.. I wish I could play it, but on the 360. I prefer to play it where it was maximize unless they did the same for the PS3..

I will find the way to play it in a friends house or something cause I don't want to spend money on another console right know for only this game.

[socomnick]

Whoop I do hope you play it no gamer should miss playing mass effect it looks very solid.

[fredy]

"I do think that, however, the ‘live or die’ mentality that comes from being on your own, the kind of entrepreneurial spirit that kicks in, will really help the team re-motivate themselves."

this is what RARE needs to do to become creative again..I fear for all studios that EA eats up, somewhere along the lines creativity is lost and that independent motivation.

ms has a lot of dough and being under them works because you can use them as a crutch but independent development studios are the ones that come out with sleepers most of the times. Then after a big "hit" they get swallowed and nothing is ever the same.

maybe this is what MS needed.

[God of Gaming]

Good read and no PR speak which is nice.

[theoneandonly]

Hell yeah I don't want games being shown off EARLY before everyone else, that turn out later to BLOW CHUNKS like LAIR, HEAVENLY SWORD, probably even LITTLE BIG PLANET!!!!!

I want the games revealed *RIGHT* when they are good and damn well ready!!!!!

With Project OFFSET, FABLE 2, ALAN WAKE, TOO HUMAN, NINJA GAIDEN 2 etc already coming in 2008 and BANJO 3 ANNOUNCED I can't wait to find out what surprises are in store for 2008 with INTEREST!!!!!!!

*SONY* is arrogant and stupid, MICROSOFT is just being logical about this. Not all gamers want their games hyped up the @ss a year in advance or longer, even SPLINTER CELL 5 should be RESERVED for when its time to show off!!!

Otherwise, they can end up becoming a horrible representation of the actual game and end up BLOWING HUGE ENORMOUS CHUNKS OUT THE ASS!!!!!

I'm looking at YOU LittleBigPlanet and HAZE!!!!!!!!!!! =D

And please, Bioware & Bungie are keeping their franchises published under Microsoft. VERY little is changing here, and fanboys just shut the **** up for once XBOX will NEVER be going anywhere.

Hell, LOST ODYSSEY is going to be AAA that game is becoming amazing & they just WHIPPED sales in JAPAN last week. There's nothing but GOODNESS on the horizon & that's what we want to hear, MORE GREAT GAMES and tons of them!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
=D

Nothing he said in any form was an insult to Bungie or Bizarre it was the truth, its always tougher when you go totally independent.
http://www.developmag.com/i...

[The Dark Knight]

i always thought Microsoft were doing this, because if you ask me, when they announce a game and i have to wait a year or 2 its so dam bad:P

Buti reckon hype is part of fanboyism, back in the days when i played my xbox i never came on sites like this so i never knew what games were good and bad , i never knew what games were hyped up, i just enjoyed playing them, and i reckon hype ruins games, to be honest i just dont get that feeling like i did when the warriors was coming dammmmm i couldnt wait for that, but its starting to happen now after reading that article because there are games coming. But the point to this is fanboyism and hype ruin games

BUT! 2008 is another strong year for xbox 360! :D:D:D:D:D

[Ahhhh]

@unlimited - brah, He said GREAT games not EVERY game.. I'v never heard of half those games you mentioned. No one cares bout Halo Wars? Speak for yourself, dogg.
@Leathersoup - Yeah, I wanna hear more bout that game, though.

I'd rather hear of the games coming SOON than to hear a lot about a game 2 years from now.