-
Ever wanted an RSS feed of all your favorite gaming news sites? Go check out our new Gaming Headlines feed! Read more about it here.
-
We have made minor adjustments to how the search bar works on ResetEra. You can read about the changes here.
Microsoft acquires Playground games, Undead Labs, Compulsion games, Ninja Theory for first party
- Thread starter Theorry
- Start date
I'm guessing it's just because they're such an unknown quantity at this point. I liked Contrast as well but it was also a bit janky. We Happy Few looks great but of course it's not out for everyone to play yet.
I think above all the team just seems super creative and it'll be interesting to see what direction MS wants them to go in.
I'm so happy about team ninja being Microsoft property. This means that capcom wont be hiring them to make another DMC right? Like, ever again?
Apparently they've completely changed it up since the beta .
Why do you think they would even accept such a project again? This game really did something to y'all.
I think the acquisitions were absolutely a huge step in the right direction but, clearly, they are some way out from replicating anything close to what Sony are doing at the moment. Particularly when the likes of Compulsion (and Undead Labs in particular) are not going to be working on huge budget titles. They will more than likely occupy that sort of Media Molecule space (in terms of budget).
That leaves Playground (who are a really talented developer who are no doubt AAA), NT (who can absolutely make AAA games and are also supremely talented) and The Initiative (who are obviously an unknown quantity at the moment but are clearly being pushed as a developer on the level of 343, Coalition etc).
I think Microsoft still need more but it is exciting that they have hugely bulked out their first party.
That leaves Playground (who are a really talented developer who are no doubt AAA), NT (who can absolutely make AAA games and are also supremely talented) and The Initiative (who are obviously an unknown quantity at the moment but are clearly being pushed as a developer on the level of 343, Coalition etc).
I think Microsoft still need more but it is exciting that they have hugely bulked out their first party.
Did you read the Fake Kaz tweet 5 days ago with this exact joke, forget, and then think you were being fresh here?
OP
OP
That was always been said about studios like NT. To big to be indie and to small for triple AAA. Reason so many went under.
Nope. I'm just jumping in.
Oh snap! Isn't that the xbox slogan?
I'm on a row baby! Yeah!
Edit: I thought Fake kaz retired.
Slight point of clarification: this is Ninja Theory, not Team Ninja. Team Ninja is currently working on Ni-Oh 2.
He did on Friday after e3 ended, sadly.
Also, it's "I'm on a roll"
Maybe safer if they go 3rd party now to save everyone so much pain...
Jeff Gerstmann says they completely changed the game. It's now a Bioshock narrative type of game with light elements from the beta.
It reminded me of double helix's video after MS announced Killer Instinct to the world at E3.
Everyone expected a shit game because of their resume. They even got boo-ed at EVO but that video was genuine. It wasn't some PR bullshit because you could feel the passion behind every word and their eyes.
Then Amazon came and Double Helix was history. Oh well, at least they brought Killer Instinct back! Lol
Just someone who doesn't know what they're talking about.
They've closed a whole bunch of studios in the past but things has clearly changed now with Phil Spencer's new position and focus on trying to solve the 1st party problems. I'm not worried for these new studios, I'm actually excited to see what they can bring to the table now that they'll have bigger funds.
Just search. At least 6 come up over a recent timeframe . Off quick glance some include Lion head, press play, pioneer studios, the age of empires people, bungie being dissatisfied and leavinh..etc...
Bungie left 11 years ago, I wouldnt exactly call that recent, Ensemble shut down in 2009? 9 years ago... I think we're looking quite back into the past when there have been big changes since then. LH and PP yes, disappointing turn of events.
You mean typical business?
Sony close the same number of studios in a similar time frame.
OP
OP
News flash! Companies close down business that aren't producing and keep the ones that are. OMG!
You figured out business 101. Congrats!
I think there is a reasonable discussion to be had on how MS seemingly run their studios and closure but bringing up unannounced studios and others that left 11/9 years ago is about the worst way to go about it.
I'm still salty about liverpool and zipper on the PS side. Rest in spaghetti, never forghetti
User Warned: System Wars - If you’re going to discuss this, refer to Microsoft’s own history, not how it compares to Sony’s
I went off online articles. They were studios that got the axe. Plenty more show a trend just as you said run into the ground or just trash production under MS. I'd fully expect rush jobs out of these newly aquired studios. And yes 10 years is fairly recent in a business.
Sony has shut studios down yes. They have shifted reources closed for strategic reasons but at least they were productive in some ways prior. Some worked on multiple franchises before closing shop or moving.
Not sure I get your point? Studio closure doesn't occur on a whim, there's obviously reasons involved both internal and otherwise. It's only bad when MS does it?
I did not say they had run some into the ground. And no, I dont think 10 years ago is pretty recent when MS have had multiple leadership and other changes, its clinging onto the past too much.
"Trash production" also seems incredibly questionable and expecting rush jobs just seems like projecting what you hope will happen. Playground are launching FH4 on the normal schedule and the second team we have no idea on the dev time for. Undead Labs just launched SOD2 after 4/5 years of development, Compulsion are about to launch We Happy Few on Xbox/PS/PC and nothing else announced, Ninja Theory have been working on new stuff for a while (for which we have no info for) and The Initiative we have no information, all seems baseless speculation.
And the final line on Sony just probably shows where you are at in general, Sony have closed studios recently but im not going to go into those because this is an MS thread and I dont care.
The only thing producing trash here is you. Thanks for the conspicuous fanboyism and attempt at thread derailment. Enjoy the temp ban!
I'll never forgive them for what they did to SOCOM and Zipper. A real shame.
You obviously came in here with an agenda and to derial the thread. You're not fooling anyone.
No I came in to talk on Microsoft's history with studios.
So name all the success they have had with purchasing and owning studios? There is more negative results than positive . They don't give studios any freedom really at all in the past.
This topic is about the future. There's new management now, so bringing up stuff that happened 10 years ago isn't really a good comparison
Phil already mentioned he's getting actual support now until the new CEO and he also has more say now in his new role. Ninja Theory has also gone on record saying that was part of the deal, to be able to make games they want to make. This is about its gaming division moving forward, not Microsoft 10 years ago. Did anyone think 10 years ago they would be partnering with Nintendo on some of the biggest games in history?
You have to wonder if they actually want Microsoft to improve its game status.
I think MS will steadily talk what the studios are working on, just to build hype. Maybe Gamescom but I am kinda expecting next year at the earliest.
Good.
After Hellblade I want them to stick with original ip's. Really good get by MS.
I think we'll see a Ninja Theory announcement in 2019.
The rest are probably years away since SoD2 just released, WHF is releasing in a few months, Playground Games is still building its second team and The Initiative only just began building its team.