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Xbox Game Studios |OT5| The Cult of Phil in the Age of Booty: A Case Study
- Thread starter Figments
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Microsoft rewards if it's available in your country. I haven't paid for Live/Game Pass in years.
On the Mixer topic: I think Mixer will be invented. Or at least it's purpose will feel quite different in the future. I agree with Zedox that it'll have some sort of integration with Xcloud.
If you read Nadella's statement on his business philosophy for Microsoft, Mixer has no place at Microsoft in its current form. It's not leading in the industry in any meaningful way. I don't mean in terms of users or profits. I think it's going to have to pull people with some unique benefits you can only get there.
I believe if it's a place...the place to demo games, it could stand out. Even more so than Stadia on Youtube. Xbox has a wider library of games and Microsoft could drive people to go there for free demos.
Imagine this...imagine the evolution of free to play weekends. Instead of having to own a Xbox and Xbox Live to take advantage of some of that stuff, all you need is an internet connection and any laptop or phone with the Mixer app on it.
If you read Nadella's statement on his business philosophy for Microsoft, Mixer has no place at Microsoft in its current form. It's not leading in the industry in any meaningful way. I don't mean in terms of users or profits. I think it's going to have to pull people with some unique benefits you can only get there.
I believe if it's a place...the place to demo games, it could stand out. Even more so than Stadia on Youtube. Xbox has a wider library of games and Microsoft could drive people to go there for free demos.
Imagine this...imagine the evolution of free to play weekends. Instead of having to own a Xbox and Xbox Live to take advantage of some of that stuff, all you need is an internet connection and any laptop or phone with the Mixer app on it.
Speaking of mixer from the sounds of it, it doesn't sound like MS giving up on the platform anytime soon.
I know. That's what I meant, when I said it's already halfway there :)
There's basically only two ways to do a long running service game. You can do versus or you can do grinding. Since Gears is already doing the first, the way they're expanding it is by adding more grinding. It works well with microtransactions, where it's easier to tie progression into them, which is why we've seen AAA games generally move in that direction. They can both keep players around by adding variations of slot machines and sell more microtransacions, typically in the form of boosters that makes progression faster, so publishers are happy.
The problem is not just how predictable it is, but also how it ends up affecting the design of the game themselves. It's a slow process with an ad here, some experience levels there and after a few installments, you have variations of the grinding template, where suddenly you're assembling loot, crafting cards, raising levels or similar, regardless of what the gameplay loop was originally about. There'll be ads in your game informing you of what's new or on sale at the store, and the store/marketplace option will be specifically highlighted on the menus, so you're never left in doubt that that's the most important menu selection on the entire screen.
It's not a random occurrance when we see a third party series like Assassin's Creed, suddenly start implementing mechanics and communicating like an MMO. It's how they tie their wish for player retention together with their other wish to make more money on microtransactions. And it affects the games on every level and if in doubt, just try and play games from before they started chasing live services + microtransacions and notice how the numbers/grinding loop is typically absent except from specific genres like RPGs.
With first parties I always (oftentimes naively) hope for better, due to their priviliged position. So seeing Gears moving in that direction is not a positive and numbers are yet another step on those stairs. A step which itself is a poor way of solving the issue of "how do we communicate to the player that something is hurt". In an RPG it would be fine. In an action game it adds an extra abstraction layer on top of the action, instead of trying to solve it on the action layer itself. If there's already too much going on, on the action layer itself, maybe it would be too confusing to try and solve it there - making numbers a good solution - but I don't think that's the case here.
So it's that double whammy of moving the game further towards the service grinding model, in addition to being a poor solution to solve how to communicate an enemy's been hit, that's the reason I don't prefer numbers to be further integrated into Gears. I'd much rather see reactions from the enemies themselves, the physics or the sound effects.
But I know there's no stopping this train. It doesn't matter if it's Ubisoft Game, God of War or Gears. The numbers are here to stay.
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Yeah for some reason it just clicked for me recently. Most I've played any racing game since PGR.
I would get Ninja, Dr.Disrespect, Shroud, Summit1G, Tfue etc. to stream on Mixer maybe once a week by paying them a lot. Not sure if they are contracted to Twitch or that bars them from streaming on a competing platform.
Just getting these guys to stream on Mixer will give them more publicity than any marketing activity they have done so far.
A DLC campaign for the dude who accidentally electrocuted himself in a bathtub?
Awesome.
Being a twitch partner generally prevents you from streaming on other platforms. I think they even have limits on how quick a cod can go up on Youtube.
I agree with you, but escape has eight difficulty levels and few amno, so it's definitly extremely useful.
Personally I hope that in Horde they will bring some ideas from escape and arcade
I'm the only one who was let down by combat evolved back in 2001?
To me this comment means just a thing: yikes
I find difficult to forget such a saga. With the only exception of judgement they were all critical success, and simply critic could not understimante that GEars 5 is an opulent package.
And personally, screw the critics, we travel on different roads since a decade and I think that the critical reception is one of the main reson why many series are loosing identities and converging on the same mechanics, both online and offline
Unknown, but the community is spotting the kind of hints that lead us to season 1, small changes, dialogues and revamping the look of empty areas
The kind of numbers that makes a company giving up
Disingenuous. You can both want them to do whatever they want and also not like what they are doing. Those things aren't mutually exclusive.
Bing is a multi-billion dollar business on its own (as well as being an important tie-in with a variety of technologies that tie to Azure services), but you'd still see people that say "it'll never beat the Google market share so there's no reason for it to exist". These things are not a zero-sum game, there's no reason to believe that multiple streaming platforms aren't viable and competitively healthy.
Man that's an uncomfortable answer. I know English isn't his first language but man that was tough.
God, I wish Sam Lake narrated my daily life. It'd be so boring for him, but it'd sound so good.
They talk about that moment during the development of every halo game and have yet to capitalize on it.
The fact that that is the only good moment they think is in the halo franchise kind of disuades me a little bit. The reason that is a good moment is because it shows you a console shooter doesnt have to be a corridor shooter.
We already know that. Doing the same thing again would be an irrelevant fail so Im interested on seeing what they think will be so revolutionary.
His answer pretty much confirms that the "convoluted" development processes of both AW and QB were a key reason why Microsoft dropped them. It's unfortunate as it seems Control's development has been a smooth process in comparison, so they really should have been given a third chance. But AW was plagued with delays and development hell, and QB didn't set the world on fire, I don't blame Microsoft from wanting to move on. But at the same time, they are an extremely creative studio with strong director; which ticks the boxes of what current-MS is looking for.
I mean...what could MS do with Remedy even if they did acquire them? If they gave them all the funding and resources, would that suddenly stop Remedy from having developmental issues and put out games in a timely manner? Control is coming out only 3 and a 1/2 years from Quantum Break which is a lot faster than the dev time of AW and QB.
However from what I have read, Control was in development before QB was released so it doesn't seem like Remedy kicked the tendency to take long with their games.
Maybe if these games were high caliber we can look past the 5 year development cycles but neither Alan Wake nor Quantum Break set the world on fire.
However from what I have read, Control was in development before QB was released so it doesn't seem like Remedy kicked the tendency to take long with their games.
Maybe if these games were high caliber we can look past the 5 year development cycles but neither Alan Wake nor Quantum Break set the world on fire.
I think Remedy should forget gameplay and only create narrative games. They're really great with narration, so they should focus on that. Their games would be cheaper and easier to create.
I just finished Alan Wake today. The game is great, even if I enjoyed more Quantum Break. But I don't understand how a game like that could be profitable. It's quiet open and it has a lot of unique content, so I think it was long to create. Furthermore, it's a really specific game, not the kind of game I would recommend to anyone (unlike Quantum Break). Finally, survival horror games (especially without zombies) usually aren't huge sellers.
I enjoyed it and I'm really impatient to play Control, but I don't see how an Alan Wake 2 could be profitable, except if it is a really different game that the first one.
Yup. I've said it before it's just how it turned out. No more, no less. Personally wish it would have gone differently but it doesn't sound like it was beneficial to both parties.
I'm glad Remedy is striking out on their own. Every studio should get the chance to try what Ninja Theory or Double Fine did, or something like it. Make the games they want to make in the way they want to make them. Obsidian and InXile were pretty successful at something like it too.
Platinum wants to do the same thing. Maybe after these studios have tried self publishing / indie publishing, they'll decide they don't like it and they'll be open to an acquisition, from anyone not just Xbox. Or maybe they'll be hugely successful and just keep doing it that way.
Whatever happens man, great games is great games.
Platinum wants to do the same thing. Maybe after these studios have tried self publishing / indie publishing, they'll decide they don't like it and they'll be open to an acquisition, from anyone not just Xbox. Or maybe they'll be hugely successful and just keep doing it that way.
Whatever happens man, great games is great games.
People always assumed that the relationship between Remedy and MS broke down in a bad way after Quantum Break, but it seems a lot less dramatic in this interview.
It sounds like Remedy pitched Alan Wake 2 and Microsoft wasn't really sold on it, so they refocused on something else.
Plus now they have more multi platform experience, which is another tick box we know about.
Which is why it's been difficult for Remedy to get a publisher to fund a sequel among other things.
Although a service like Game Pass would make a big budget Alan Wake 2 viable.
Realistically, if Alan Wake 2 does happen I'd imagine it'd be a smaller modestly budgeted game like Control.
Every Halo game? 343 made 4 and 5. We know 5 was supposed to be much bigger but was in dev gridlock then rushed to hit deadline. Infinite was given a much longer cycle.
Halo has been missing those big open sandboxes since CE. With Halo's balancing and gameplay, I think it could be quite great if they go back in that direction. Not irrelevant. Games that have tried open world FPS have had real generic sandboxes and gameplay. Halo would stand out.
Without a region lock it will also be a failure. How are people supposed to compete when they have enormous pings and appear on their opponents screen before they appear on theirs??
Region lock should be default. I can't believe that this is still a fucking question.
343 will totally fuck the next halo again with the same bullshit as well
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Even there was only few Xbox gamers in Asia, they still count as gamers, and all of them was very upset with Gears 4 matchmaking region lock.
There should be an opt in opt out toggle. I'm in Europe, and I would rather wait a bit longer for a match in my region tbh
I think people try to search to much into the MS and Remedy relationship. Like something bad must of happened.
I mean its logical abit because they made exclusives for MS for two games and now not suddenly anymore so there must be a problem for people. I think thats kinda weird.
Nobody thought Insomniac and Sony had a bad relationship when Insomniac announced a xbox exclusive. Wich is even a step further then what Remedy is doing with Control and multiplatform.
Its business and Remedy is a stand alone company so every game or project is a standalone project.
I mean its logical abit because they made exclusives for MS for two games and now not suddenly anymore so there must be a problem for people. I think thats kinda weird.
Nobody thought Insomniac and Sony had a bad relationship when Insomniac announced a xbox exclusive. Wich is even a step further then what Remedy is doing with Control and multiplatform.
Its business and Remedy is a stand alone company so every game or project is a standalone project.
What many fans have been saying for years now is that Microsoft should be a lot better with sticking with games/IPs, and building upon them even if they don't hit it big immediately. I agree, so I won't give them an easy pass because Alan Wake, and Quantum Break weren't hugely successful.
Ryan Trowbridge former Tech Art Director at Sony Bend Studio joined The Initiative.
Please check his resume:
So are The Initiative hiring all their 'leader' positions at the moment? I'm still curious to know what kind of size they will end at, my gut feeling says they are aiming to become one of the headliner studios alongside Playground, 343 etc
Yes. To build a (large) studio you initially hire the leaders for each department. And then it is for those leaders to recruit their own teams.
I think their problem is both that they're giving up too soon if something doesn't become a hit immediately, but also that they stick around too long/too much when it does. It's their biggest imbalance. Some of it might also have happened due to not owning many of the studios doing games for them, so they'd always be in competition with other publishers over the developer's output. Commisioning a sequel to something might've been difficult, if someone else was offering them another contract. That shouldn't be a problem any longer with all the new studios.
I do feel passing on more from Remedy was the right decision. Their games have been too slow and quite expensive, and with too little impact except in their early years. They should've gone for more from Insomniac instead, if they weren't already locked into Sony contracts. Their potential was always obvious and their effeciency undoubted.
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I think they should've gone for both, to be honest. If I'm trying to look at things from their perspective, I can understand their reasoning for Remedy. But most of the time I'm looking at things from my perspective, and Remedy are one of my favourite studios, so...
Remedy released two triple-A games in the last 15 years. Inbetween they had the XBLA Alan Wake spin-off, a mobile game and a Death Rally remake, all relatively small projects all around. Alan Wake was a critical success and a solid seller, but then the spin-off was pretty irrelevant. Quantum Break wasn't received that well and sold even less hot, though much also had to do with the Xbox One's installbase obviously. That's it, with their third game coming soon.
For comparison's sake, let's look at some other triple-A third person cinematic action/adventure games/franchises/developers in the same timeframe. Naughty Dog released 4 (and a half) Uncharted games and a The Last Of Us title. Crystal Dynamics started and finished TWO different Tomb Raider trilogies (although the last game was not developed by them, so let's just leave 'em at 5 games). ALL God Of War games were released in the same timeframe, including last year's soft reboot. The 5th mainline Gears Of War is coming around the same time as Control and that franchise started later. Entire franchises lived and died (sort of) during this timeframe like Mass Effect, Dead Space or Dragon Age.
During Microsoft's decade long partnership, Remedy released a whopping one successful and appreciated game, one that also cost shittons to develop after years of development hell. That's it. As far as we know, Control might break sales records and be the best thing since sliced bread, but as much as I love Alan Wake (and the original Max Payne), keeping Remedy around until eternity hoping that once every decade or so they pull off a truly great game is a hard ask. Rockstar can get away with releasing what is essentially a game every 5-6 years now, because they sell dozens of millions of copies out the gate and then get billions through MTX. Remedy can't get away with the same.
For comparison's sake, let's look at some other triple-A third person cinematic action/adventure games/franchises/developers in the same timeframe. Naughty Dog released 4 (and a half) Uncharted games and a The Last Of Us title. Crystal Dynamics started and finished TWO different Tomb Raider trilogies (although the last game was not developed by them, so let's just leave 'em at 5 games). ALL God Of War games were released in the same timeframe, including last year's soft reboot. The 5th mainline Gears Of War is coming around the same time as Control and that franchise started later. Entire franchises lived and died (sort of) during this timeframe like Mass Effect, Dead Space or Dragon Age.
During Microsoft's decade long partnership, Remedy released a whopping one successful and appreciated game, one that also cost shittons to develop after years of development hell. That's it. As far as we know, Control might break sales records and be the best thing since sliced bread, but as much as I love Alan Wake (and the original Max Payne), keeping Remedy around until eternity hoping that once every decade or so they pull off a truly great game is a hard ask. Rockstar can get away with releasing what is essentially a game every 5-6 years now, because they sell dozens of millions of copies out the gate and then get billions through MTX. Remedy can't get away with the same.
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