Xbox Game Studios |OT7| Discover Your Next Favorite OT

Wake_Lestat360 · Jan 21, 2020

In Amber Clad said:
Badass women with huge swords? I reckon they'd have a shot.

Me and my wife are big fans of both Berserk and Claymore, and I asked her what would she prefer. She said that even though she loves Berserk, playing as Clare would be a dream. And I agree, we need more badass woman's with huge sword in the gaming world.

Klobrille said:
I wouldn't call it rumors but officially statements by Phil.

I think we can reduce "Asia" to South Korea + Japan, because this is where they'll be looking at.

There are quite a lot of options here.

Japanese Indie Studios:

- Platinum Games (but as you said unlikely)
- CyberConnect2
- Arc System Works
- Cave
- Tri-Ace (may be owned)
- Q Entertainment
- Mistwalker
- White Owls
- Acquire
- Comcept Inc (owned by Level-5 I think)
- Grounding Inc
- Experience Inc
- JP Games
- Nihon Falcom
- Kojima Productions (ha!)

There may also be a scenario in which you acquire a non-independent studio if the owner wants to do so as well, e.g. Comcept Inc from Level-5 or Team Ninja from Koei Tecmo, just as examples.

Not an easy task for the XGS team. But I expect to see something this year.

I hope your expectation comes to fruition, I truly do.

MrDeveus said:
The back looks removable

Ohh, beautiful and definitely not so big as I thought.

StudioTan · Jan 21, 2020

MrDeveus said:
The back looks removable

I can't wait to pick up my shiny new Xbox Product Name Placeholder this fall!

Samanosuke Akechi · Jan 21, 2020

NippleViking said:
Dunno why anyone is putting any stock in what OsirisBlack says, or why the Gaf mods are continuing to let him run wild. His track record is dismal, and the things he's been suggesting are either outlandish (The Order 2? Seriously?) or completely opposite to what more credible insiders have said (e.g. KI2 is explicitly not in development)

According to him, Microsoft might have a bought a previously third party game and will have a much stronger first year software wise, than Sony.

He seems pretty certain Xbox is gonna kill it next gen.

Sampo · Jan 21, 2020

Klobrille said:
I wouldn't call it rumors but officially statements by Phil.

I think we can reduce "Asia" to South Korea + Japan, because this is where they'll be looking at.

There are quite a lot of options here.

Japanese Indie Studios:

- Platinum Games (but as you said unlikely)
- CyberConnect2
- Arc System Works
- Cave
- Tri-Ace (may be owned)
- Q Entertainment
- Mistwalker
- White Owls
- Acquire
- Comcept Inc (owned by Level-5 I think)
- Grounding Inc
- Experience Inc
- JP Games
- Nihon Falcom
- Kojima Productions (ha!)

There may also be a scenario in which you acquire a non-independent studio if the owner wants to do so as well, e.g. Comcept Inc from Level-5 or Team Ninja from Koei Tecmo, just as examples.

Not an easy task for the XGS team. But I expect to see something this year.

Fumito Ueda (Ico, Shadow of the Colossus, The Last Guardian) runs an independent studio in Japan named genDESIGN. That team would be high on my list personally, though they clearly have a history with PlayStation. Also the thought of Matt Booty announcing the acquisition of Kojima Productions is unimaginable haha.

NippleViking · Jan 21, 2020

Samanosuke Akechi said:
According to him, Microsoft might have a bought a previously third party game and will have a much stronger first year software wise, than Sony.

He seems pretty certain Xbox is gonna kill it next gen.

Haha sorry, but I could have told you those things and I'm no insider.

Of course they're going to kill it next-gen - they'll have the cheapest SKU on the market, the most studios, and Gamepass which is hands-down the best deal in gaming atm. And Year One being in Xbox's favour is an extremely safe bet - they're launching with Halo for christ sakes, and have so many studios who clearly have content in the wings for Scarlett at the ready. Meanwhile two of Sony's heavyweights (Naughty Dog and Suckerpunch) will have just released a title.

Wake_Lestat360 · Jan 22, 2020

Replaying Halo 4 on MCC and man... It's gorgeous. If they did something right in this game, it was all about the visuals. Concept arts, art style, lighting, colors... Everything is gorgeous in this game. I feel constantly amazed while playing, it's a step up from all the past games.

Hope that 343 can go crazy again on this department in Infinite.

OneBadMutha · Jan 22, 2020

Dreazy said:
How hard would it be for MS to just start a New Studio in Japan an inviting the best talent in that country to work for them on their own game vs trying to Buy a already known studio ?

Personally I think that would miss the benefit of having a studio in Japan. The studio Microsoft buys doesn't have to be big. It does need to be led by someone with a presence, with experience and credibility in the industry. Someone who can sit at Microsoft's table of execs and help Microsoft get a better understanding of the market. Someone with connections who can recognize top tier Japanese talent. Be a liaison of sorts. I think whoever they get in Japan is part of a long term play. The first important piece in the big picture. I think what they want is the Japanese equivalent of InXile.

In my mind, White Owls always seemed like the rumor that made the most sense. Swery meets a lot of the checkboxes. Question is whether he'd want his studio owned by an American megacorporation. If the answer is yes, hope Microsoft jumps at that.

Super Havoc · Jan 22, 2020

Tonky said:
I recognize Techland's talent, but I don't see what they add to the portfolio 💼

Sorry 🤷‍♀️

They're great developers who can create vast and creative worlds. Also, this same sentiment has been said about other developers who later made iconic or all time great games. Guerrilla Games comes to mind immediately.

They would easily be one of the best acquisitions we could hope for.

Icky Thump · Jan 22, 2020

MrDeveus said:
https://twitter.com/doug_dragox/status/1219794270518947840?s=21

Woah, this seems legit? Guess something like this would happen sooner or later. Leaks are a bummer. How awful for the engineering team that this is the leaked photo with the rear ports, with dust all over it, and that awful couch fabric in the background or whatever that is. Ugh, I feel like I need a shower. Hopefully they release a real marketing photo tomorrow.

OneBadMutha · Jan 22, 2020

Super Havoc said:
They're great developers who can create vast and creative worlds. Also, this same sentiment has been said about other developers who later made iconic or all time great games. Guerrilla Games comes to mind immediately.

They would easily be one of the best acquisitions we could hope for.

Agree. I would be surprised if Microsoft went for someone so big to start in a new territory but Techland is clearly talented. I think they could move beyond zombie shooters. Guerrilla Games is exactly who I was thinking.

DeoGame · Jan 22, 2020

I may be dumb just realizing this now, but if you own a game on disc and it's on Game Pass (i.e. was added), you can play without putting the disc in. That is awesome.

Deleted member 59519 · Jan 22, 2020

OneBadMutha said:
Agree. I would be surprised if Microsoft went for someone so big to start in a new territory but Techland is clearly talented. I think they could move beyond zombie shooters. Guerrilla Games is exactly who I was thinking.

Super Havoc said:
They're great developers who can create vast and creative worlds.

And Playground, Obsidian, Rare, etc. can't create vast and creative worlds? What unique thing does Techland add that the other studios don't have?

RE: Xbox Series X pics — they look legit to me, lookin good!

DeoGame · Jan 22, 2020

Tonky said:
And Playground, Obsidian, Rare, etc. can't create vast and creative worlds? What unique thing does Techland add that the other studios don't have?

RE: Xbox Series X pics — they look legit to me, lookin good!

Undead Labs is the biggest issue I have with Techland talks. Them and Undead doing Zombie games is redundant, and Undead built their entire studio on making Zombie games. It's in the damn name. Techland would have to branch out, but then they face redundancy with your mentioned devs. IDK. Maybe it'd work, but likely one studio would have to pivot under MS.

Super Havoc · Jan 22, 2020

OneBadMutha said:
Agree. I would be surprised if Microsoft went for someone so big to start in a new territory but Techland is clearly talented. I think they could move beyond zombie shooters. Guerrilla Games is exactly who I was thinking.

Great minds.

Tonky said:
And Playground, Obsidian, Rare, etc. can't create vast and creative worlds? What unique thing does Techland add that the other studios don't have?

RE: Xbox Series X pics — they look legit to me, lookin good!

Why do they have to have something unique other studios don't have? What weird barometer are you using that adding more talented developers isn't a good enough measure?

They are their own studio, just as Obsidian is their own studio, just as Playground is their own studio and the potential is what we should bank on based off what they've already created and they're excellent developers. Enough said.

OneBadMutha · Jan 22, 2020

Tonky said:
And Playground, Obsidian, Rare, etc. can't create vast and creative worlds? What unique thing does Techland add that the other studios don't have?

RE: Xbox Series X pics — they look legit to me, lookin good!

I would have no idea what they're cooking up. Just stating that they're clearly talented. I'd be excited to see what any studio with talent, manpower and a resume could do with a little creative freedom....just like I'm excited for Playground, Rare and Obsidian.

Let's also not forget that it's not like Obsidian's big team, Playgrounds RPG team and Rares new team are going to be putting out games every year. Probably looking at 3 to 4 year dev cycles for big games. Then there's Game Pass. I like diversity of content more than most but there's room.

That said, my expectations would be a smaller studio to start. Seems more practical to gain understanding of a new territory.

Deleted member 59519 · Jan 22, 2020

Super Havoc said:
Why do they have to have something unique other studios don't have? What weird barometer are you using that adding more talented developers isn't a good enough measure?

They are their own studio, just as Obsidian is their own studio, just as Playground is their own studio and the potential is what we should bank on based off what they've already created and they're excellent developers. Enough said.

How else are they going to diversify their portfolio? If the goal is to just purchase talented development groups, then we can on and on go all day about studios that could be purchased. But what have recent discussions focused on? Japanese studios. Why? Because there's an apparent lack of them in the portfolio. They're not looking for just any good team, they're looking for good teams that add to what they already have.

Deleted member 6235 · Jan 22, 2020

DeoGame said:
Undead Labs is the biggest issue I have with Techland talks. Them and Undead doing Zombie games is redundant, and Undead built their entire studio on making Zombie games. It's in the damn name. Techland would have to branch out, but then they face redundancy with your mentioned devs. IDK. Maybe it'd work, but likely one studio would have to pivot under MS.

I don't think Techland is happening - they are way too big, expensive and have a publishing arm - but Dying Light 2 and SoD have nothing in common besides their general themes. One is a game with a deep focus on narrative and player choice (as in - dialogue and actions that change the story) and one is a game focused on co-op and systems that make the story.

I suggest watching this demo. Dying Light 2 will be a hugely succesful game and probably one of the biggest surprises that are coming in the end of this generation.

Handsome James · Jan 22, 2020

Granjinha said:
I don't think Techland is happening - they are way too big, expensive and have a publishing arm - but Dying Light 2 and SoD have nothing in common besides their general themes. One is a game with a deep focus on narrative and player choice (as in - dialogue and actions that change the story) and one is a game focused on co-op and systems that make the story.

I suggest watching this demo. Dying Light 2 will be a hugely succesful game and probably one of the biggest surprises that are coming in the end of this generation.

I seriously can't wait for DL2. Looks so much better than the first which played great

Super Havoc · Jan 22, 2020

Tonky said:
How else are they going to diversify their portfolio? If the goal is to just purchase talented development groups, then we can on and on go all day about studios that could be purchased. But what have recent discussions focused on? Japanese studios. Why? Because there's an apparent lack of them in the portfolio. They're not looking for just any good team, they're looking for good teams that add to what they already have.

Adding talented developers is diverse in itself. You're treating it like they need to tick a certain box and I don't get why you're doing that. Again, being great developers is more than enough because whatever they take on will likely be high quality be it a FPS or third person action adventure.

Seeking a Japanese company is specific because of the region and culture in an area MS is lacking at. That's an entirely different metric than simply adding another great developer.

Techland would be a great acquisition.

OneBadMutha · Jan 22, 2020

Tonky said:
How else are they going to diversify their portfolio? If the goal is to just purchase talented development groups, then we can on and on go all day about studios that could be purchased. But what have recent discussions focused on? Japanese studios. Why? Because there's an apparent lack of them in the portfolio. They're not looking for just any good team, they're looking for good teams that add to what they already have.

I'm not betting on Techland. But I wouldn't rule out a dev because they don't look diverse enough. If Microsoft feels the need to add another big studio, it's not going to be a super unique studio known for creating their own genres. Big expensive games need to check a lot of mainstream boxes. AAA niche games don't make business sense and beats the purpose of AAA games to begin with. Big studios will either be making shooters, open world games, RPGs....or some combo. Their purpose is to drive the mainstream.

With that in mind, I could almost talk myself into Techland. If Microsoft has plans for one more big studio, Poland apparently is cost effective. Also the reason it's so hard to predict targets as an outsider, we don't know Microsoft's strategy. There's a lot of factors that go into any purchase. Some purchases could be strategic beyond how their immediate next game blends into the lineup. Maybe they make sense as a Polish company where they wouldn't have made sense as a Texas company.

OneBadMutha · Jan 22, 2020

Super Havoc said:
Adding talented developers is diverse in itself. You're treating it like they need to tick a certain box and I don't get why you're doing that. Again, being great developers is more than enough because whatever they take on will likely be high quality be it a FPS or third person action adventure.

Seeking a Japanese company is specific because of the region and culture in an area MS is lacking at. That's an entirely different metric than simply adding another great developer.

Techland would be a great acquisition.

Yes. What Microsoft gets out of purchasing a studio in Japan is very different than what they're getting out of a Polish dev. Japan isn't only about diversifying the lineup. It's also about having a liaison or voice between Xbox and Japan to better understand how to bridge a giant gap to a very important videogame market.

Which goes back to my point previously, there's a strategy from Microsoft that likely requires different types of moves made for different reasons. So one move shouldn't always be looked at as a predictor for another.

Super Havoc · Jan 22, 2020

OneBadMutha said:
Yes. What Microsoft gets out of purchasing a studio in Japan is very different than what they're getting out of a Polish dev. Japan isn't only about diversifying the lineup. It's also about having a liaison or voice between Xbox and Japan to better understand how to bridge a giant gap to a very important videogame market.

Which goes back to my point previously, there's a strategy from Microsoft that likely requires different types of moves made for different reasons. So one move shouldn't always be looked at as a predictor for another.

Perfectly said my dude.

Kordelle · Jan 22, 2020

Icky Thump said:
Woah, this seems legit? Guess something like this would happen sooner or later. Leaks are a bummer. How awful for the engineering team that this is the leaked photo with the rear ports, with dust all over it, and that awful couch fabric in the background or whatever that is. Ugh, I feel like I need a shower. Hopefully they release a real marketing photo tomorrow.

I thought it would have USB-C ports :/

Tsubasa · Jan 22, 2020

Montresor said:
I think Microsoft only needs 4 more studios to round out their team to perfection (for my tastes).

Remedy (AAA story-driven action games)

Dontnod (AA story-driven adventure/puzzle games)

White Owls (AA quirky adventure/puzzle games)

The Initiative-esque, built-from-the-ground-up, JRPG studio located in Japan

Their 1st party group would then look like:

343 Industries

Compulsion Games

Dontnod Entertainment

Double Fine

inXile Entertainment

JRPG Studio

Mojang

Ninja Theory

Obsidian Entertainment

Playground Games

Rare

Remedy Entertainment

The Coalition

The Initiative

Turn10 Studios

Undead Labs

White Owls Inc.

World's Edge

Xbox Game Studios Publishing

I'd add a polish studio. Techland or Bloober Team are my bets.

darthpaxton · Jan 22, 2020

Granjinha said:
I don't think Techland is happening - they are way too big, expensive and have a publishing arm - but Dying Light 2 and SoD have nothing in common besides their general themes. One is a game with a deep focus on narrative and player choice (as in - dialogue and actions that change the story) and one is a game focused on co-op and systems that make the story.

I suggest watching this demo. Dying Light 2 will be a hugely succesful game and probably one of the biggest surprises that are coming in the end of this generation.

Techland closed their publishing arm last year. They also were originally planning on self-publishing Dying Light 2, but they couldn't get to the finish line and Square Enix has now stepped in as the publisher. The delays that Dying Light 2 keeps seeing obviously wouldn't help any financial problems they may be having.

Obviously, I'm not suggesting that it's likely, but there is evidence that Techland isn't as big or financially sound as we once thought.

Deleted member 6235 · Jan 22, 2020

darthpaxton said:
Techland closed their publishing arm last year. They also were originally planning on self-publishing Dying Light 2, but they couldn't get to the finish line and Square Enix has now stepped in as the publisher. The delays that Dying Light 2 keeps seeing obviously wouldn't help any financial problems they may be having.

Obviously, I'm not suggesting that it's likely, but there is evidence that Techland isn't as big or financially sound as we once thought.

Techland is still self publishing Dying Light 2 in Europe. Square Enix is not funding the project, they are just acting as a distributor for the game in the Americas. Here's the PR.

You are right about their publishing arm, though it's strange since they just released a game in December. Maybe it's their last one. There were only 13 people on their publishing arm and they still have more than 400 employees and are hiring more than 50. They don't sound in any financial trouble, especially with Dying Light's sales getting better year over year.

T0kenAussie · Jan 22, 2020

Hi everyone long time lurker first time poster. Just wanted to drop in and say hello. Also prayers for perfect dark and Phil and Satya buying zenimax to reunite Bethesda and obsidian so we can have new Vegas 2.

SuikerBrood · Jan 22, 2020

T0kenAussie said:
Hi everyone long time lurker first time poster. Just wanted to drop in and say hello. Also prayers for perfect dark and Phil and Satya buying zenimax to reunite Bethesda and obsidian so we can have new Vegas 2.

Welcome!

christocolus · Jan 22, 2020

Montresor said:
I think Microsoft only needs 4 more studios to round out their team to perfection (for my tastes).

Remedy (AAA story-driven action games)

Dontnod (AA story-driven adventure/puzzle games)

White Owls (AA quirky adventure/puzzle games)

The Initiative-esque, built-from-the-ground-up, JRPG studio located in Japan

Their 1st party group would then look like:

343 Industries

Compulsion Games

Dontnod Entertainment

Double Fine

inXile Entertainment

JRPG Studio

Mojang

Ninja Theory

Obsidian Entertainment

Playground Games

Rare

Remedy Entertainment

The Coalition

The Initiative

Turn10 Studios

Undead Labs

White Owls Inc.

World's Edge

Xbox Game Studios Publishing

Going by previous acquisitions, I believe any Japanese dev they plan to bring into XGS will have multiple teams capable of churning out good content quickly and efficiently.

Eroke · Jan 22, 2020

Xbox Project xCloud usage 1.75 times longer in Korea over U.S. and UK

https://n4g.com/news/2320802/xbox-project-xcloud-usage-1-75-times-longer-in-korea-over-u-s-and-uk

solis74 · Jan 22, 2020

MrDeveus said:
The back looks removable

nice!!

christocolus · Jan 22, 2020

Wake_Lestat360 said:
Ohh, beautiful and definitely not so big as I thought.

It really is.

solis74 · Jan 22, 2020

MrDeveus said:
Sr. director of HW at Xbox Dave Prien said it is a fake on RDX Live

https://youtu.be/MVS5IsJwi2Y

thats a great fake if true.

T0kenAussie · Jan 22, 2020

MrDeveus said:
Sr. director of HW at Xbox Dave Prien said it is a fake on RDX Live

https://youtu.be/MVS5IsJwi2Y

Is there a time stamp for that I tried to skim through but it sounded more to me like David was shook that it leaked.

dealer released a video after saying that DP didn't say it was fake explicitly but he did refuse to confirm it was real which is something a dept head would do if a big leak got out

solis74 · Jan 22, 2020

MrDeveus said:
Brad Sams works fast

:)

Bigfellahull · Jan 22, 2020

T0kenAussie said:
dealer released a video after saying that DP didn't say it was fake explicitly but he did refuse to confirm it was real which is something a dept head would do if a big leak got out

Exactly. He avoided the question - he didn't say it was fake.

Super Havoc · Jan 22, 2020

T0kenAussie said:
Hi everyone long time lurker first time poster. Just wanted to drop in and say hello. Also prayers for perfect dark and Phil and Satya buying zenimax to reunite Bethesda and obsidian so we can have new Vegas 2.

Welcome to what is imo, the best discussion of Xbox games and the future on the internet.

I definitely share your wish of MS acquiring Bethesda, even if it involves buying the whole of Zenimax, which would be astronomical.

crazillo · Jan 22, 2020

A philosophical question for you all: I've played and completed The Red String's Club on Xbox Game Pass for PC yesterday (you should check it out, BTW). The game has no achievement support. Does playing a game like this still feel like playing "on Xbox" for you? Or would you label it "within the Xbox ecosystem" then?

I'm not a big achievement hunter but I do like to browse through them to see what I've played over the years, sort of a legacy of your own gaming 'career'. So I kinda feel like I just played The Red String's Club "on PC", I must admit.

But then I played Morrowind without any support last year on the BC program and I still felt like playing on Xbox. It's weird.

I know Microsoft doesn't really care where you the customer play their games, but I do feel I'd like if these games at least somehow showed up more visibly in my list even if there are no achievements.

Black Mantis · Jan 22, 2020

DeoGame said:
Undead Labs is the biggest issue I have with Techland talks. Them and Undead doing Zombie games is redundant, and Undead built their entire studio on making Zombie games. It's in the damn name. Techland would have to branch out, but then they face redundancy with your mentioned devs. IDK. Maybe it'd work, but likely one studio would have to pivot under MS.

UL have stated previously that they'll tackle other themes in the future. The genre will remain based around survival, but we'll see other games that won't have zombies as the threat.

I think they want to deliver a truly great SoD first, hopefully free of the jank the previous games have had, before moving on. Right move imo and hopefully being fully backed by Xbox will help them reach that goal.

In Amber Clad · Jan 22, 2020

Wake_Lestat360 said:
Me and my wife are big fans of both Berserk and Claymore, and I asked her what would she prefer. She said that even though she loves Berserk, playing as Clare would be a dream. And I agree, we need more badass woman's with huge sword in the gaming world.

Somebody gets it!

WhoCaresLtsPlay · Jan 22, 2020

In Amber Clad said:
Somebody gets it!

I had almost succesfully forgot Teresa's fate after all those years, thank you sir...

rrc1594 · Jan 22, 2020

If they do buy a JP studio, how long would it take to see or play the project? If I have to wait 3-4 years for the game does that take a little air out the announcement? This why IMO it's still important that they don't miss out on big prolific 3rd party games. Another thing is how big of a studio would it be? If this studio is the backbone of your JP support it can't be just putting out AA game only. I'm not one for that everything has to be a huge budget AAA game. The studio should get the same amount to support an Obsidian gets.

THEY NEED A BIG BUDGET AAA JP GAME!

dodmaster · Jan 22, 2020

Sorry but that series x prototype looks fake. Half of the air intakes are blocked at the back and the xbox logo is an xbox guide button from a controller. You'd think that it would be designed a bit better for air intake than that - if it was real.

Typhoon20 · Jan 22, 2020

They need to invest more in Europe as well, been saying that for ages. Europe isn't just UK MS.

In Amber Clad · Jan 22, 2020

WhoCaresLtsPlay said:
I had almost succesfully forgot Teresa's fate after all those years, thank you sir...

My sincerest condolences, good sir.

Banderdash · Jan 22, 2020

Any studio or publisher purchase would have to be of a company that isn't publicly traded...

That'd narrow the list pretty significantly I'd guess.

NippleViking · Jan 22, 2020

Black Mantis said:
UL have stated previously that they'll tackle other themes in the future. The genre will remain based around survival, but we'll see other games that won't have zombies as the threat.

I wanna see UL take what they've got with SoD, and apply it to a War of the World's alien-invasion esque setting

RF Switch · Jan 22, 2020

dodmaster said:
Sorry but that series x prototype looks fake. Half of the air intakes are blocked at the back and the xbox logo is an xbox guide button from a controller. You'd think that it would be designed a bit better for air intake than that - if it was real.

Well it's a prototype and it is real

Wake_Lestat360 · Jan 22, 2020

https://majornelson.com/2020/01/22/...ague-tale-innocence-indivisible-and-sea-salt/

- A Plague Tale (Tomorrow / Console & PC)
- Indivisible (Tomorrow / Console)
- Sea Salt (30th January / Console & PC)
- Fishing Sim World (30th January / Console)

Hudsoniscool · Jan 22, 2020

A polish insider says that cyberpunk got delayed because current gen consoles can't run the game well. He pointed to Xbox one.

If true than it kinda shows people that Microsoft's strategy of supporting the Xbox one for a couple more years while still doable is going to be tuff.

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