I would like to see a list of Xbox events in 2021, I really don’t think it’s as bad as some of you guys allude. There is definitely a drought in the beginning of the year but after that there has been a pretty steady stream.
Events like GDC also moved due to the pandemic. We’ve had a number of AoE events. More Forza Horizon than we need, etc.
The events were not bad, they lacked some mic drop moments and personally Gamescom could be skipped as other events were kinda good. Which is the achievement for Xbox lol
Grubb hinting - IO, CD being possible tryouts – is a bonkers take by him. CD, IOI don’t need tryouts, and are well established studios - unlike say Housemarque.
I have no idea on the Avalanche Studios Group situation and the relationship between Xbox and a prominent Sony games distributor in Sweden like Nordisk. Some form of a tryout does make sense there, for instance.
I dont even think a tryout for Avalanche is needed (but I do think Contraband works as one) considering they have worked for Bethesda already so you would assume you know how they work and are one group supporting game pass too.
IO is exciting for obvious reasons - first party James Bond + Project Dragon.
Crystal Dynamics is exciting because it opens to the door to Eidos-Montreal.
What makes Avalanche very exciting as well is that its owner, Nordisk Films, notably also owns:
40% of MercurySteam (Metroid Dread, Castlevanias: Lords of Shadow, Spacelords)
30.7% of Supermassive (Until Dawn, Dark Pictures Anthology)
If MS could find away to land those two studios in addition to Avalanche, that would be a huge boon as each of those studios offers they type of games MS really needs.
I don’t think the tryouts are about ability, but more about fit.
Not that I buy it myself either.
MS knows AAA studios are hot commodities and there’s fewer and fewer of them out there. I have no doubt MS and SE are already negotiating or laying down the groundwork for it.
Both CD and EM have been disappointments for several years now and SE could probably use the influx of cash to double down on the massive success they’re seeing with their Japanese gamese and externally managed franchises like Life is Strange and Outriders.
Late to the party but LMAO. Why would you buy Ninja Theory and Double Fine? Psychonauts 2 is great but why would you??? what about dat culture? also let’s talk about Scalebound and Phantom Dust to make our salty comments sound better! You can almost smell the fear of another megaton from MS.
Some people really can’t handle Xbox being a strong player again and potentially having a great generation aren’t they? this generation will be really difficult for some folks and this time it ain’t gonna be the Xbox community.
Another thing I’m thinking about regarding SE, CD and MS.
What if another reason why SE put CD on an Xbox IP, besides the money, is because MS reached out to negotiate the sale of SE’s western gaming studios and potentially assets like tech and IP - a lengthy process that could take us well into 2023 and beyond.
It would make sense for SE to allow CD to work on Perfect Dark as a show of good faith, after all, MS would prefer it if the studios they closed on could work on exclusive content straight away.
Another thing to potentially consider is what happens next with Eidos-Montreal. We know Initiative wants to do multiple projects, which makes sense given the talent there, and it’s fair to assume Gallagher knows people at EM from his time as Studio Head at CD.
If Eidos-Montreal teams up with Initiative on a project as well, then I think it’ll be undeniable they’re negotiating.
The biggest hurdle I imagine to any acquisition here is probably Tomb Raider. SE won’t deal it without a massive premium and MS won’t be the only party interested.
The takes these last two weeks were kinda crazy. But regarding tryouts it is just about timelines and the teams working together and so on if MS is buying a single studio. For the publisher - nobody cares lol as they work independently anyway.
I expect James Bond to be multiplatform games. But there is a chance of it being exclusive, however it is a third party IP, so hard to say.
If MS can’t grab the whole Square Enix - at least its gaming division and I believe it is hard to do considering that its japanese is again has ties with anime, manga and so on - they should grab Eidos part at least with all the IPs.
In Japan their only chances to buy something are either Sega Corp. (division) or Capcom. Only those two has no ties with other industries.
Personally I always want MS to buy everything because with Game Pass, games will be extremely accessible and won’t require 70$ upfront.
trials to assess “fitness” for culture or punctuality? how did the other acquisitions happen - mind meld?
DoubleFine is a good example - how did that acquisition happen then?
Ok seriously – all the game studios and platform holders know each other to a large extent. They know the working style of each other generally, and are aware which studios could be a fit quite early. CD clearly knows Xbox, and IOI deals with Xbox regularly. There are actually little to no mysteries about studio compatibility in the gaming industry.
This is also one of the reasons Grubb’s take is bonkers - because you have a good evidence of capability and good knowledge about general compatibility fit very early anyway. Besides CD and IOI are very good studios - which are clearly hungry for more recognition and success.
If CD is up for grabs, it would already have been discussed as a target rather than them being “tried out”.
If missed milestones is a criterion for acquisitions, it is surely a weird one. Talent, tech, and growth potential are usually the metrics for acquisitions, and nothing else – and especially not _just punctuality.
So I’ve been playing World War Z, and I’d like them to add a mode where you can send your survivors on a mission like in World War Z. Do it for supplies and such but I think being able to match make into that would help the game with longevity.
7.5bn for Zenimax should tell you MS is putting its money where its mouth is. They paid a hell of a premium on Zenimax.
MS has billions ear-marked for more Xbox content acquisition. That doesn’t mean they’ll pay a premium every time. It’s still going to be a question of opportunity and evaluation.
I think it comes down to timing.
If MS acquires IO any time before platforms are formally announced, consider it an Xbox console exclusive. Otherwise, the sequel will be or there won’t be a sequel at all.
Ditto for Indiana Jones.
As much as rights owners would like projects to remain multiplat, it’s not going to happen with MS. The main point of these game adaptations is to act as adverts for the more prestigious movie divisions, so I’m guessing rights holders of James Bond and Disney/Lucasfilm would prefer to accept guaranteed payouts (and probably work out some some deals to sweeten the pot) rather than start over their search process for capable studios available to make games.
