Because there's a pretty big difference between funding a game and paying to delay one for the rest
I don't think you're getting my point. When you pay for a timed exclusivity agreement, you
are funding the game. They're both "paying to delay"
and "funding a game." It can be both of those things at once, you know. The money goes towards the development of the game either way, whether you're offsetting the costs in the balance sheet or funding it from the beginning of the process. Titanfall was originally planned for a multiplatform release. Microsoft then stepped in and funded the game in exchange for exclusivity. How is that any different or any better? By your logic, that's paying to
cancel the game for other platforms, not just to delay it. The end result is the same or even worse.
Isn't that the job of the publisher and studio management?
Sure, and by taking a timed exclusivity agreement that helps them stay afloat, they're doing that job, are they not?
But yeah, I don't think anyone would take the studio dying over a artificial delay to however many platforms, doesn't really change how shitty it is and I don't think that applies to any of the AAA money hats either.
Why would you say it doesn't change how shitty it is? Do you expect the company to give them the money in exchange for nothing in return?
Though I don't blame a platform holder for trying them, it's clearly effective, just the publisher for accepting.
Why attack the publisher? If they're at risk and they accept an agreement that lets them carry on, why is that some evil thing? The logical conclusion of what you're saying is that going into financial difficulty is better than taking cash assistance in exchange for a degree of exclusivity.
Again look up how they developed Hellblade, the way the studio is structured and how they've got by since DMC, it's something they've talked about a lot
I'm very familiar with it
Hellblade itself was made to show it's possible to do AAA like games on a tiny budget, I don't think it was sustainable personally, they were a flop away from disaster most likely
But that's just speculation
I'm sure future security was a big reason in the accepting MS offer
That may be, but it's not like it's above Microsoft to shutter one of their studios after they make a flop game. What if Ninja Theory just wanted the institutional support Microsoft could bring like larger budgets for more teams?