30 Studio Challenge

Gaming
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24 - Dimps: Not only a studio with an amazing history with fighting games, but they already make a ton of different games in the genre, like arena fighters (DB Budokai and Budokai Tenkaichi) and competitive fighting games, like Street Fighter. One of the few that I think that could also work on a KI 2.

25 - Remedy: I know they have a contract with epic, but damn, Sam Lake with almost all his games under one roof, being able to make that crazy multiverse born in Control. More money and the possibility to grow Remedy’s tech even further them already is? That’s the dream.

26 - Ryu Ga Gotoku: MORE YAKUZA… That’s it :joy:

27 - ArtPlay: According to LinkedIn, they have something between 11-50 employee’s, so hear me out.

  • expand the studio so that we can have more possibilities with Bloodstained, keep the metroidvania and make new takes on the IP, like a good hack n’ slash.
  • explore new ideas and bring new talent for new games But Iga would remain free to make the games that he wants, which shouldn’t be a problem.

28 - DONTNOD: For me it’s almost like Ryu Ga Gotoku, I love their games and I want more of that. And they would have bether resource’s.

29 - Asobo: Guess it’s obvious why

30 - Platinum: Hideki Kamiya and his team are beyond amazing. The games they deliver are top notch, even when the budget is low, would love to see them with a bether suport.

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  1. Creative Assembly (give me Halo Wars 3 + Total War, Alien)
  2. Relic Entertainment (Company of Heroes)
  3. Koei Tecmo (Dead or Alive, Ninja Gaiden)
  4. Remedy (Alan Wake, Quantum Break, Control)
  5. GSC Game World (S.T.A.L.K.E.R.)
  6. Moon Studios (Ori)
  7. a studio which makes family / E-rated / casual content but I honestly don’t have any idea
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It is nice to dream AKA get GP to reach 100+ million subscribers:

Bungie Rockstar NetherRealm Rocksteady Crystal Dynamics SuperGiant Games

Likely to happen -WB Studios -Moon or Remedy

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With Unlimited budget?

  1. Splash Damage - They are crucial to all of the major shooters and haven currently been acquired by Tencent could be difficult so buying them out would be best.
  1. Epic(Epic Store would have to be seperated) - MS loses alot of money every game licensing the Unreal Engine out to Epic so acquiring them the engine would not only save them money, but would resemble MS current global funding strategy similar to Windows 10 on PC.
  1. BluePoint - The level of talent and flexibility that studio has shown would make them a powerhouse with the number of dormant exclusives that could be remastered.
  1. Valve(Steam would have to be seperated) - Besides the globally known IP, Valve would being all there VR technology that MS lacks and leap them year forward in VR development. Add with that Remasters/Remakes and you don’t even need to make a new game for you to be set for the next decade.
  1. Konami - Japanese Studio plus globally known IP.
  1. Crytek - Game engine plus I want a Ryse 2
  1. Asobo - Because they make kid games/MS Fight Sim/A Plagues Tale and I want Quantum Break 2.
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The open world in Rage 2 was developed by Avalanche Studios who developed the 2015 Mad Max game for WB Games. Id Software was responsible for the shooting and gunplay mechanics.

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I guess the issue here is, do you include Psyonix with Epic? Since Epic does own them.:slight_smile:

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Oof didn’t think about that. In my head of was think more Epic games the developer rather then Epic games the publisher so we would get Fortnite and Unreal Engine while leaving the rest to be managed independently along with the Epic Store. Or they would just go with Tencent.

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I love the relic and creative assembly choice. Deffo need a halo wars 3 made by creative

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I took a more realistic angle to the topic of the thread, hope that’s ok.

Itagaki Studios: Microsoft needs more Japanese studios, Itigaki just opened one and even said it would be an honor if Microsoft approached him. Sure people may point to Devil’s Third as a sign that he’s past his prime but that game was plagued with development problems all throughout. Give him the budget, resources, and the ninja blade IP (if he wants it) and let him make the ninja game that the industry is sorely lacking.

Ys Net: Another Japanese studio with a legend in command and is hungry for success. When members of the development staff slept at their desks to stretch the budget on their last game, you know they are still passionate about making games. I don’t think dedication or talent is really an issue here but instead the lack of money and resources, both of which Microsoft can provide.

Remedy: From what I understand the damaged relationship here has been mostly repaired. Regardless Phil should be standing outside of the studio holding a boombox blasting 80s music (bonus points if you get that reference) to win them over for good. Remedy has a deal with Epic and are a publicly traded company, so acquiring them wouldn’t be easy, but if MS can work something out, they would fill a much needed void in the Xbox game studios lineup.

Playtonic Games: The Microsoft we see today is not the same Microsoft we knew 20 years ago. So I hope the people who left Rare to make Playtonic would be willing to come back to the fold. Phil has expressed interest in finding more studios to cater to the younger crowd and Playtonic has expressed interest in working on a Banjo game, so the studio sounds like a good fit for XGS.

From Software: This studio doesn’t need an introduction, the quality of their titles over the last couple decades speaks for itself. Not only would this bring over a legion of Souls fans but with more resources, and the possibility of expansion, we could see them branch out and create other games. Maybe we could even see a Chrome Hounds 2?

Piranha Games: They have experience as a support studio and are also now working on Mechwarrior 5 for the Xbox consoles, which they have licensed the IP from Microsoft. Let them finish Mechwarrior for the sim fans and then maybe see if they would like to make MechAssault 3 for some additional explosive action.

Boober Team: These guys know horror and that would be a great genre to exclusively cater to. Again another void in Xbox Studio’s line up, having a horror focused studio can help them expand, grow, and realize their potential in the field.

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Sure, this might be fun. I’ll keep things within the realm of feasibility.

Larian Studios: Give them financial stability and the ability to expand to handle both their own Divinity franchise and Wizards of the Coast licenses like Baldur’s Gate.

Playtonic: Banjo studio

Asobo: self-explanatory. Flight Sim Plague’s Tale sequels etc.

IO Interactive: A ton of talent that unfortunately tends not to get its due on the sales charts. And having a new AAA 007 game exclusive and/or on Game Pass Day 1 would be huge.

Level 5: Decent JRPG studio in dire financial straits. In terms of JRPG studios that are up for grabs and worth acquiring, there just aren’t many options.

Soleil Games: Solid contract Japanese action game developer with ambitions to return to producing its own games after paving over its bad reputation from Devil’s Third. Really just a sub for PlatinumGames which I think is no longer feasible because of the Tencent investment.

Hello Games: Has turned No Man’s Sky into one of the biggest redemption stories of the generation. Could greatly expand their vision for a sequel with the backing of a major publisher.

Koei Tecmo is six divisions: Team Ninja (Ninja Gaiden, Nioh), Omega Force (musou), Kou Shibusawa (Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Nobunaga’s Ambition), Gust (Atelier), Ruby Party (otome games) and Midas (mobile games). As well as a handful of support studios throughout Asia. I think the main divisions are all technically one studio but it would be like acquiring all of Square Enix or Bandai Namco.

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My top 7 -

  1. CD Projekt Red

Negatives aside, 13M sales at full price in ten days after refunds is massive because while their games would be on Game Pass day one, the point is that outside of Rockstar, Nintendo and a few Sony franchises, CDPR would bring in millions of gamers/consumers into the Xbox eco-system and Game Pass. Management would most likely stay but the pressure and rush would be gone completely and with the money, time and resources that Microsoft would have behind CDPR, they could become dominant at a high quality and polished level on an every game consistent basis. Plus, The Witcher IV and possibly a second Cyberpunk game being exclusive to the Xbox eco-system would bring in even more gamers/consumers.

  1. Crystal Dynamics
  2. Eidos Montreal

Square Enix doesn’t put as much effort or care into these two western studios compared to their Japanese studios and after The Avengers (seriously, how can they fuck up The Avengers??? SMH) disaster along with Tomb Raider and Deus Ex being on hold for a while, both development studios would be huge for Microsoft. This would include the Tomb Raider, Deus Ex, Legacy of Kain/Soul Reaver, Thief and Gex IP’s. I like both of these development studios, enjoyed Mankind Divided and the rebooted Tomb Raider trilogy as well as the two Lara Croft isometric twin stick shooters so getting these two development studios would be huge and add so much value.

  1. Techland

I loved Dying Light and looking forward to Dying Light 2 as it’s a great open world survival horror game. With more money, time and resources while not having the pressure due to Game Pass and Microsoft backing them, they could most likely release games in a quicker turnaround than what they’re currently doing now.

  1. Game Science

A few months into the current generation, Black Myth Wukong is still the most impressive game that I have seen thus far and best of all, it was all actual gameplay that was played by a developer at the studio. This is also supposed to be a trilogy. Game Science is a Chinese based company as far as I know and it may be difficult to acquire them but Microsoft should because that level of talent and at a pure gameplay level as their first demo. Just wow. Extremely impressive. I’m very hyped for Black Myth Wukong.

  1. Remedy

I like Remedy a lot as they’ve made a lot of great games but haven’t quite reached that excellent bar yet in my opinion. I liked and enjoyed Control more than Quantum Break but I don’t want to see a sequel to either franchise or Alan Wake for that matter. With Remedy acquired, I go purchase the Max Payne IP from Take Two Interactive which appears to be rotting away and have them develop Max Payne 4. Either way, pure third person single player story driven games with excellent gameplay and combat.

  1. Housemarque

I love Housemarque in regards to their twin stick shooters and 2D platformers. I loved Outland. What an excellent game. Dead Nation, Alienation and Nex Machina were excellent twin stick shooters. I would love to see Microsoft acquire them, have them be two studios. One for the isometric twin stick shooters and one for the 2D platformers. They usually complete one of these games on a two year average. Two good sized teams, can get a twin stick shooter one year, platformer the second year, shooter third, etc. Both teams would have a two year development cycle and they’re perfect for Game Pass. Most of all, I want DinoNation damn it!!!

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I will treat this more as a realistic task rather than a personal dream list. I don’t think SEGA or Konami (they have other entertainment/arcade businesses not fitting with Microsoft’s portfolio) or From Software (part of a larger conglomerate) are realistic options - though I feel SEGA would be a gold fit for both sides. I will include studios that have publishing agreements because this has not stopped Microsoft from acquiring companies in the past.

  1. Asobo. Let’s get the obvious one out of the way first. Not only does Asobo have close ties with Microsoft from the past, they are also committed to working on Microsoft Flight Simulator for ten years. That’s significant internal resources which makes Microsoft the natural partner for the next step. I also love that Asobo has created their very first internal IP with A Plague Tale: Innocence. Their portfolio could enrich Game Pass a lot.

  2. Hello Games. No Man’s Sky has come a long way from its release, and has also enjoyed tremendous success on Xbox Game Pass. The Last Campfire is a totally different (and much underrated) game that also shows the level design and puzzle skills of Hello Games. They’d be very high up on my list if I was Phil Spencer.

  3. JP Games. Surprised nobody has mentioned Tabata’s new Japanese studio. Unlike most of the other big publishers, JP Games is independent and fits one of the strongest requirements for Microsoft’s past acquisitions: a proven and capable studio head. Tabata has said that they are aspiring to make a big AAA game after their Paralympics title. On the flipside, I have not seen Tabata appear in the official Xbox stream for TGS. I feel they would be the ideal partner for Microsoft in Japan.

  4. Playtonic. While I’d prefer Toys for Bob or Sumo’s platformer talent, Playtonic with its Rare veterans is the much more likely candidate for acquisition. They would need significantly more resources to pull it off but could really fill the void of family-friendly games on Xbox… and start with a remake of Banjo-Kazooie!

  5. Bloober Team. Another no-brainer. This team has tremendous output and makes very interesting horror titles - a genre not covered by many studios anymore these days. While continuously improving, I can see Bloober needing more resources and perhaps longer development cycles to really take it to the next level.

  6. Dontnod. Having partnered with Microsoft on Tell Me Why and various Game Pass titles, I could see the company having the need for more stable finances given their recent expansions with multiple studios. Narrative experiments work well with Game Pass and their titles like Remember Me and Vampyr are extremly interesting and refreshingly different, too.

  7. Moon Studios. The head of the studio has expressed that they like their independence and that if they would ever sell out, it would make much more sense after their next and biggest game yet, a new attempt to top the Diablo franchise. Therefore, I don’t see Moon Studios under Microsoft’s umbrella very soon, but I do think the opportunity will present itself at some point. Microsoft should be quick to act in this case. Moon Studios is also fascinating as they do not have a proper studio but all work from home.

Wildcard: Shin’en. This formerly exclusive Nintendo developer has brought The Touryst to Xbox Game Pass which I found very surprising at the time. They are a technically extremely capable studio who have also made the closest to a new F-Zero game. I could see them wish to grow. Also, Xbox Germany is located in Munich very close to their studio.

I also predict an exclusive game from Bungie for Xbox consoles this generation, thought not an acquisition. Would also love to see another Japanese exclusive game, e.g. from Itagaki. I unfortunately don’t see Remedy being acquired anymore - this feels like the big opportunity missed by Microsoft.

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I’m gonna bump this thread with a challenge of my own I thought of on my way home:

I present to you, the 5 Studio Challenge!

Here are the rules:

  • All studios have to be private or part of a conglomerate.

  • You can buy individual studios from a third party publisher, but not an entire third party publisher.

  • No buying from Sony or Microsoft

  • You can create a studio with “waiver wire” talent if you’d like (i.e. Ono, Sudsill, Raymond, etc.)

You must find studios that fit the following niches:

  1. A studio that appeals to everyone (family friendly, party type games)

  2. A studio that provides a “Naughty Dog” style experience.

  3. A Japanese studio

  4. A studio that strengthens one of MS’s big 3 strong areas (FPS/Immersive Sim, WRPG and Racing)

  5. A studio that appeals to the PC audience (simulation or strategy)

Ready? Let’s go! You can combine if you’d like.

  1. Harmonix. Even if most of their games are rated T, with a few changes they could easily be E10+

  2. Crystal Dynamics.

  3. Arc System Works. Solves the Japanese niche and lack of fighting games on Xbox concurrently.

  4. Eidos Montreal.

  5. Asobo

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Fun idea!:slight_smile:

  1. The Behemoth

  2. Crystal Dynamics

  3. FromSoftware

  4. Fat Shark (totally could see them expand upon their Vermintide formula)

  5. GSC Gameworld

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Great choices! :slight_smile:

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Forgot to do the 30 studio challenge but will do the 5 studio one. I want to go for some smaller names in this list, excluding cyberconnect2.

1: Ghost town games. Overcooked games are great and I’d like to see them with more budget and expanding to several teams.

2 Hazelight. A way out was pretty good for a AA cinematic action adventure game. They deserve the backing of a AAA studio imo.

3 Cyberconnect2, they’ve done action games before and would fill that action adventure and Japanese game niche at the same time.

4 Cold symmetry. Studio was made in 2017 so in 2 1/2 years give it take they built up their studio and made mortal shell, one of the better souls likes out there. Souls like RPG is a big enough niche that it is worth filling and seeing another studio expand on the souls genre would be great. I mean elden ring is always spammed in every game event, for Xbox to have their own series of souls like would be huge.

5 Petroglyph, they’ve worked on tons of RTSs like Star Wars empire at war, universe at war and command and conquer remastered. They pitched empire at war 2 in the sequel trilogy to EA so they still do want to make RTSs. Would be nice to have an established XGS studio to work on age of empires, halo wars, and new IP.

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How many studios are part of Nintendo Entertainment Planning & Development? I couldn’t find an actual breakdown, but if its only considered one, this would be a knockout for the E-rated games segment. Though it would likely never be sold without the rest of the Nintendo company.

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If I read it right

From Software

NetherRealm

Playful games

Remedy

Larian Studios

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1 - The Behemoth: I want Xbox to have a studio that can make fun, arcade experiences, and I think the Behemoth would be a good fit for that role.

2 - Crystal Dynamics: The Tomb Raider reboot trilogy was great, and they would be a great addition for XGS.

3 - RGG Studio: I LOVE the Yakuza games. They’re quality, story-driven games, and RGG is very efficient with these games, Yakuza is basically an annual franchise at this point.

4 - Respawn Entertainment: Love the Titanfall games. They would be a great studio to further help MS’ FPS output. Plus, Fallen Order is a third-person action-adventure game, and if Respawn continues to make games like that, it could help Xbox with one of their weakpoints.

5 - Creative Assembly: They have a very popular PC series in Total War AND they help MS even more in FPS, with their console team working on one.

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denzel washington GIF

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