Well you're right, they didn't. Their budget was zero for a while and only recently did they start getting more money to start urning things around. Hence the studio purchases.
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Microsoft has a huge commitment problem to their non-Halo, Gears, and Forza series
- Thread starter SilverX
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I've been seeing fans saying that since 2013. I know you'll come back with all sorts of reasoning as to why it's 'different this time', but it still remains true.
In my opinion it wasn't for a lack of trying but this generation has clearly been a struggle for MS. I think looking back (if things change for the better next gen) the Xbox One era will be looked back on as a transitional stage for MS gaming. They're certainly putting the foundations in place to head in the right direction so the next few years will be interesting.
in that case they had almost a year to increase the budget for crackdown 3 to prove this new management, but they rather send it out at its current state.
that is why i dont get the "dont blame phil, its all on the previous management!" they had enough time to change things.
I wouldn't call State of Decay 2 polished tbh, it was released with a huge amount of jank. Recore also felt rushed/incomplete. Ryse was fine tho. Never played Super Lucky's Tail. Is it good?
They did increase the budget. Did you see what it looked like in 2018 before they delayed it. It looks a lot better now dude, hard to believe as that might be. This game was a development mess that was sucking up time and money. Frankly they should've dumped it out last year as shitty as it looked so they could start 2019 off right with Ori and Gears.
I cannot say I entirely agree with the OP. Ori was great. Quantum Break was underrated IMO. Sea of Thieves got a lot of free expansions in 2018 and is a drastically different game than what it was at launch. That alone shows Microsoft's commitment to the IP.
Crackdown 3 is ridiculously fun to me. I don't see myself playing it for years but I am enjoying the Hell out of it just like I did with the original Crackdown.
Crackdown 3 is ridiculously fun to me. I don't see myself playing it for years but I am enjoying the Hell out of it just like I did with the original Crackdown.
A commitment of investment is not something I would say Xbox is lacking right now. They will ride this gen out and then the new consoles will come with new games from new studios.
Personally I can't wait to see what Ninja Theory, Compulsion, inXile and Obsidian can do with enough support and funding and then you fling in 343i, The Coalition, Playground One and Two with The Initiative and Xbox is looking to be in a good place. And they show no signs of slowing dòwn that investment in studio acquisitions anytime soon either.
Its exciting as fuck!
Personally I can't wait to see what Ninja Theory, Compulsion, inXile and Obsidian can do with enough support and funding and then you fling in 343i, The Coalition, Playground One and Two with The Initiative and Xbox is looking to be in a good place. And they show no signs of slowing dòwn that investment in studio acquisitions anytime soon either.
Its exciting as fuck!
I like how they just got serious about gaming. Like. Just now.
Something is going on with the smaller games. State of decay I believe was budget-priced. But otherwise, it's similar to the Sea of thieves and crackdown situation. The games are below par yet two of them were priced at $60. In all cases, the games are largely excused because they go up on the subscription service.
This should tell us something.
Something is going on with the smaller games. State of decay I believe was budget-priced. But otherwise, it's similar to the Sea of thieves and crackdown situation. The games are below par yet two of them were priced at $60. In all cases, the games are largely excused because they go up on the subscription service.
This should tell us something.
Honestly, all assessments of Xbox should be with September 2017 and onward as the baseline. That's when Xbox was no longer a subdivision of a larger division, and Phil Spencer started reporting directly to the CEO, Satya Nadella. They have a lot more control over their vision and access to Microsoft's pocketbook than they've had in a LONG time.
It was a joke. Microsoft's '2nd party' hasn't produced enough hits this generation in my opinion. And MS, before their acquisitions, relied on them for a big part.
I didn't like Ryse. Super Lucky's Tale was an 'okay' platformer.
Not in the way you think though.
I mean this is truly just a huge guess from what I've read and listened too from Giantbomb. But it sounds like they pretty much no matter what wanted the game released, in what ever form as a cancellation would reflect bad on the CLoud tech they were promoting with that game which connect into their possible enterprise business.
That to me is not commitment. Thats them just not wanting a bigger product that can be used/leveraged with other businesses shown as a failure by cancelling a game that had issues getting that tech to work.
Ori, Cuphead and Quantum Break were quite a bit better received though. Recore was rushed (sadly, because it is a cool game), State of Decay 2 and Sea of Thieves were as well (the latter should have had a longer beta), Crackdown was in development hell. Let's not go back further than 2016. We'll see in the future if MS can improve on this front. I'm positive they can.
I thought this thread would be about something completely different. I feel IPs should be allowed to grow. We're unlikely to see any follow-up to Ryse (another franchise with potential), Alan Wake, Quantum Break, Cuphead and Recore. That's quite sad. It's good Ori gets a sequel, but that seems to be about it.
It doesn't tell you anything because that was then and this is now. What has Microsoft done to fix that? They have brought developers inhouse. They have expanded those studios. They have created development studio hubs, and now encourage their studios to cross pollinate with information and expertise.
Look, I am not in disagreement about the past - I think the disinvestment in xbox as a purely gaming platform in order to make a living-room convergence device, along with boneheaded cheapness not just in 1st party games but also the frikkin console led to all the other failures.
But you can't deny the money is flowing now, and the people in charge of the purse strings are all in alignment, the x1x was made, kinect scrapped, gamepass and so on - all good moves. Software, though, takes years.
I think the launch lineup for the nextbox will be fable (playground) some forza game, and better versions of stuff from 2019. It's a weird position, or they have a bunch of unannounced projects (which given the amount of studios they bought, it wouldnt surprise me that theres a bunch of unannounced games that will be ready for 2019 and 2020.
I think MS can afford to take a bigger hit on the next console as well, and the cash on hand is another thing to consider (I think there will be 3-5 more studios purchased and shown off at e3)
Will it happen? Who can say, but I put way better odds on it now than a few years ago.
Unless it's a super small fable game, there is no way Fable is ready for a launch title.
Good idea. Let's just forget all of that happened.
Haha is true though.
We have to see MS now as a new company that acquired the old MS.
I don't think Crackdown is necessarily symptomatic of this. But there's been a general commitment problem at MS re. content development. It's flitted hither-and-tither with different management - there hasn't been one underlying vision that cuts across changes in management.
Right now though we're seeing an uptick in interest from MS precisely in future non-AAA content. The acquisitions seemed aimed at building a catalog of 'mid-level', not-quite-AAA content in support of their larger franchises, and for gamepass.
Whether this is another transient phase, or whether it's reflective of a more solid enduring vision/philosophy, we'll have to wait and see. I guess it depends a lot on how Xbox evolves in the next 5 years.
Right now though we're seeing an uptick in interest from MS precisely in future non-AAA content. The acquisitions seemed aimed at building a catalog of 'mid-level', not-quite-AAA content in support of their larger franchises, and for gamepass.
Whether this is another transient phase, or whether it's reflective of a more solid enduring vision/philosophy, we'll have to wait and see. I guess it depends a lot on how Xbox evolves in the next 5 years.
Looking at the replies in this thread....
It's weird to have such strong opinions on a topic when you don't have even the most basic information....
....such as 7 new studios, hiring significantly more developers at existing studios, expanding their centralized support and resturcturing Xbox to report directly to the head of Microsoft.
More is coming as well.
It's fine to be disappointed about the past...but I'm having a hard time believing the people with strong opinions ever were invested in the platform if they lack the most basic information.
It's weird to have such strong opinions on a topic when you don't have even the most basic information....
....such as 7 new studios, hiring significantly more developers at existing studios, expanding their centralized support and resturcturing Xbox to report directly to the head of Microsoft.
More is coming as well.
It's fine to be disappointed about the past...but I'm having a hard time believing the people with strong opinions ever were invested in the platform if they lack the most basic information.
It's been a well unkept secret for years now, I think 2020 is not too far off considering the pipeline that company has (and not only that, an engine that seems like it has been screaming for an open world RPG).
Yeah, that's the biggest shame. They haven't been able to grow any IP's this generation besides Ori and maybe Sea of Thieves? Don't think Quantum Break and ReCore will return anytime soon.
Two of the best games they've had on the platform are not MS IP's: Sunset Overdrive and Cuphead.
Sure, State of Decay is certain to return next gen. We're gonna see Battletoads come back. But Microsoft's IP's haven't grown during this generation. And their biggest IP has surely not won in popularity.
Gears and Forza are doing fine and Ori is a highlight. And they have Minecraft.
People chose to skip the logical comments like this.
People rather focused on the negative..is funnier I guess?
I don't really agree. Crackdown is a case of them trying something ambitious, failing, and then trying to salvage something out of the remains. It's unfortunate, but the fact that Microsoft was willing to keep it alive for 5 years shows that they were absolutely commited to the game.
As for their other games, Sea of Thieves was always intended as a service game, and it's recieved a ton of great free support since launch. Games like Recore and State of Decay 2 launched at lower price points. And their other games this generation like Ori, Halo Wars 2, Killer Instinct and Quantum Break all turned out well enough.
The variety and quantity of titles are issues, and hopefully the new studio purchases will help with that. But I haven't really seen anything from Microsoft that suggests that they aren't funding their projects properly.
As for their other games, Sea of Thieves was always intended as a service game, and it's recieved a ton of great free support since launch. Games like Recore and State of Decay 2 launched at lower price points. And their other games this generation like Ori, Halo Wars 2, Killer Instinct and Quantum Break all turned out well enough.
The variety and quantity of titles are issues, and hopefully the new studio purchases will help with that. But I haven't really seen anything from Microsoft that suggests that they aren't funding their projects properly.
Good idea. Let's just forget all of that happened.
You don't have to forget anything. But it's pretty clear that the Xbox division as a whole was financially restricted and had their vision confined. They were a subdivision of a subdivision, being led by Terry Myerson when reshuffled under his division - who employees largely hated, and had little to no autonomy when it came to the overall direction of the platform. That has all changed now. History is important, but so is context.
yea, fuck all that.
they've had rounds of studio acquisitions in the past too and the output was often forgettable. wake me when we have something to play from those acquired studios and its actually worth a damn. we're back to talking about "hope" and promises when talking about newly acquired studios that are years away from a product.
All of those games which you named are 1st party games. Sunset Overdrive is the only one in which Microsoft doesn't own the IP. Microsoft owns the Ori IP, it's a first party game. Crackdown 3 is the same as the ones you named. There's not a commitment issues. There was (not anymore) a financial issue in which some things couldn't be made and had to be cut because the budget was shrinking.
Well kept secret from what I've heard production literally started last year. ANd not even in full production. Unless someone with more knowledge than I can chime in and correct me?
According to this really early development: Fable 4
It's difficult to get hyped and not be skeptical for any of the new studios output when we know AAA experiences take 3-4+ years to develop. The next generation will be well underway by the time any of the talent they've acquired produces anything that truly pushes things forward. The next Xbox and PS5 will be released before games from these new studios will be available.
I'm excited that they're pouring resources into new studios, but it's so far out and given the recent history of their output I'm super skeptical to the quality of things they're planning on delivering.
I want to say QB 2 and SSO 2 might have come out next gen if they were developed by first party.
Even if the games sold bad, a proper sequel and under GP would have done much better.
But is crazy how most of the biggest titles this generation from MS were all under Global Publishing.
This. I wouldn't use Crackdown 3 as any sort of current example of MS studios output. Game has been in development LONG before the change in leadership. We have a couple examples that are current (Forza Horizon, Ori, etc), but most of the fruit won't come to bear until next gen at the earliest.
Yeah I know they got a big shake-up going on. We got to wait a few years to see how that pans out, on top of the however many years it's been of them throttling back on games. It's perfectly fair that they should endure criticism. That's a natural part of having an ongoing problem.
We could see a 2020 reveal trailer. I think release in 2022.
It's all speculation, but I would put money on it being a launch title. How's $1 ;)
I think it's fair to say let's check out next gen, with all those new studio acquisition. I don't mind a game that is rated at 7 because of gamepass :)
I wouldn't worry about it. I have 0 doubt the next games in 2019 will be really good. MS has plans for 2020, and so on. Dont forget we don't know what GP is doing for next gen either.
Bottom line, we will have games. And I fully expect them to be of quality moving forward.
Hmm. There were times in the past - specifically early Xbox era - where I would say the division was far less financially restricted than you're suggesting, and was splashing around a lot of money on content and studio acquisitions.
We have been here before. The results of that cycle of 'financial freedom' were mismanaged away or not capitalised upon.
We should remember that. It's not without foundation to be a little bit skeptical, or to take a wait-and-see approach to this latest turn in the story. That doesn't mean history will repeat, but I think all of that was symptomatic of not having a robust vision. We'll have to see now if they do, but we might not know for sure until we're 10 years down the line.
I posted a link from techRadar, but here's the original that is from Eurogamer report posted by Tech Radar as I'm at work Eurogamer is blocked:
Which is from January 2018. So they may be out of concept stage by now and into early production as the report says they are still building the team back then, growing I guess I should say.
I do not expect this to be out at launch, maybe we see it in a trailer or some on stage gameplay, but late 2021-2022 is more likely. Which is all dependent on how long ago they started, which from what it reads like is mostly just last year.
Hell yea, give me that taco bell dollar menu, bean and cheesy rice burrito here we go!!
Hes right though.
Xbox this generation wished it had the same budget as OG Xbox days. It literally night and day of a difference in budget and upper management.
OP
OP
Sorry for the delay to some of the replies guys, I´ll try to get to a few of them right now
I think thats as false a statement as a pizzeria saying ¨We may have burnt your pizza, but the fact that it was delivered shows we are committed to our customers¨
Im glad they released the game, its pretty fun. But at the same time it took way too long for what it is and nowhere near what a current gen Crackdown should be. And I cant help but feel like they dropped the ball in a way where the future of the franchise is now at risk.
But Crackdown has potential to be great with some long overdue modernizations. And they have tons of other IPs in their portfolio that should be re-examined as well. But if they dont set their sights higher for these projects then they are destined to be overlooked and not worth investing in. So I hope their mindset changes and they treat their lesser franchises better.
Really? Because everything about the game feels ¨cheap¨, not poor quality. The game plays dated but nicely and I love some of their ideas, they just feel like they were done in a nearly indie way due to the lack of money they had to work with.
I think thats as false a statement as a pizzeria saying ¨We may have burnt your pizza, but the fact that it was delivered shows we are committed to our customers¨
Im glad they released the game, its pretty fun. But at the same time it took way too long for what it is and nowhere near what a current gen Crackdown should be. And I cant help but feel like they dropped the ball in a way where the future of the franchise is now at risk.
But Crackdown has potential to be great with some long overdue modernizations. And they have tons of other IPs in their portfolio that should be re-examined as well. But if they dont set their sights higher for these projects then they are destined to be overlooked and not worth investing in. So I hope their mindset changes and they treat their lesser franchises better.
Really? Because everything about the game feels ¨cheap¨, not poor quality. The game plays dated but nicely and I love some of their ideas, they just feel like they were done in a nearly indie way due to the lack of money they had to work with.
I kind of feel like out of Crackdown, Fable Legends and Scalebound, Microsoft felt that they had to save one of them. Cancelling three 'AAA' games in a generation would have been a bad look.
Cool, here's an article from GI Biz from February 2017 where Ralph talks about work that had already started on Project Two.
https://www.gamesindustry.biz/artic...ning-second-studio-working-on-open-world-game
Im not saying it's a launch title but I don't think it's far far away.
Thats because they didnt really have a budget till late 2017. now that phil has a seat at the table xbox is getting a budget hence the hiring spree and studio accusations
Yea, but that honestly reads pre-production/Conception stage? I mean didn't they release a game in 2017? Forza right. More than likely they had a small part of the studio pre-conceptualizing while the rest finished forza. WHich would go along with the report from eurogamer in Jan.2018 where all hands on deck were on Fable and that team had more people from outside being added as to have 2 teams working on 2 projects. Unless they all focues on Fable after post launch Forza?
Not sure honestly. I'm not saying it's not well into development, but it's just unlikely it's a launch title. Maybe launch window like 2021?
Yeah, don't blame him, but he was the head of Xbox Studios for more than.....what, 8 years? So, some of the major responsibilities were on him. Reading posts here and in CD3 review thread, majority of people doesn't know or deliberately ignoring that part.