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bsigg

Member
Oct 25, 2017
22,562
Article 2 of 3


Tim Schafer:

"Because of Game Pass, I can see where we fit in," says Tim Schafer, studio head of Double Fine, which Xbox acquired in 2019. "There are not a lot of studios making brightly coloured, funny, family-friendly games. Well, we try to be funny."

He continues: "It does make me think about some of the crazy game ideas we've had, and some of them you're just like... I can never pitch this to any publisher. I would never get this signed. But I am now opening up that folder of documents again, and going 'oh I really love this idea, I bet I could do that now'."


Matt Booty on how GP fits in and growth:

"But with things like Game Pass and the studios we've brought in during the last year, it's all still fairly new. We're still in the growth phase and seeing how this all works. As the idea of Game Pass matures, and as our studio system matures, then we might start to think about... is there a certain type of game that we need to have more of an investment in? That's a growth phase kind-of thing. But right now, I feel really good about optimising for diversity of content. That's what we've really gone after. And we're only able to really do that because we have ID@Xbox bringing in so many good titles, and our third-party team working with the big publishers. The matrix of all of that makes it work."

Can 343i, The Coalition or Turn10 make something different? Answer below!

A lot of the diverse games that Booty and Spencer is talking about are expected to come from the newly acquired studios, which have a remit to do different things. But what about some of the more established studios? The ones responsible for the big franchises like Halo, Gears, Forza, Minecraft and Age of Empires? Could The Coalition, which has spent its life making Gears of War games, suddenly decide to make a kids platformer?


Booty laughs: "If they decided that's what they wanted to do, we'd certainly have the conversation. But one of the things about our bigger franchises, is that there's a lot of room to experiment within those franchises. I look at something like Halo, and it's starts with a universe, a fiction, and there's so many different types of things that we can do around that. If we look at Gears of War... it's funny, you mention a kids platformer, now we didn't quite make a kids platformer, but I look at what we did with the Gears Pop! game, and that was thinking about ways we can bring in other audiences.

"I get where you're coming from. But for me, I see those things as a little like Star Wars, right? Oh, I've got to go work on Star Wars. What else is there to do? But they've got things like The Mandalorian and Clone Wars. If you've got a rich universe, you just have a lot of surface area that you can just go out and explore."


Tons more a the link:

www.gamesindustry.biz

Developing for Xbox Game Pass: "I could never pitch these ideas to a publisher"

This is part of a series of features with Xbox Game Studios. Check out the teams discuss life as a Microsoft-owned comp…
 
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flaxknuckles

Member
Oct 25, 2017
4,313
I feel like if 343 tried to have the conversation to make something other than Halo they'd be humored by Microsoft initially but then pistol whipped in the back of the head and mind-wiped while unconscious.
 

Winnie

Member
Mar 12, 2020
2,628
Xbox wants to bring in new players. Ones that perhaps are not quite so obsessed with driving fast cars and shooting aliens. It's wanted this for a long time. It's why it built Kinect, and commissions games like Screamride and Viva Pinata.

Where is Viva Piñata 3? :(

Double Fine is going to be huge, so excited to see what they bring us!
 

luoapp

Member
Oct 27, 2017
505
These are first party devs. When they developing games for game pass, they ARE pitching to their publishers.
 

aerie

wonky
Administrator
Oct 25, 2017
8,037
Just reading the full article now, but those Tim Schaffer quotes are fantastic. Game Pass is absolutely one of the best things to happen this generation, and this is one of the reasons why, even if it's first party devs that are seeing these sorts of benefits the most.
 

totofogo

Member
Oct 29, 2017
5,543
Chicago
I feel like if 343 tried to have the conversation to make something other than Halo they'd be humored by Microsoft initially but then pistol whipped in the back of the head and mind-wiped while unconscious.

I could see this allowing them to spin up smaller projects, like we've seen from Game Freak outside of Pokemon. I imagine that sort of opportunity is super important for devs/artists to feel a sense of creative freedom and shake things up.
 

piratethingy

Attempted to circumvent ban with alt account
Banned
Oct 28, 2017
1,428
Yeah but I'm concerned that it's just not sustainable. A company like Microsoft needs to make a profit on each individual transaction no matter what and I need to see proof that that's happening before I can admit that GP might be a good thing.
/s
 

VeePs

Prophet of Truth
Member
Oct 25, 2017
17,370
These are first party devs. When they developing games for game pass, they ARE pitching to their publishers.

Seems like Game Pass is letting developers have more freedom than they are use to, thats ultimately what that quote means. Because diversity is a key to subscription services, you'll see a variety of games. There was a similar article that talked about this with Gears Tactics & Splash Damage/The Coalition.



venturebeat.com

How Xbox Game Pass freed The Coalition to make Gears Tactics for PC

Gears Tactics is the next big first-party Microsoft launch for Xbox Game Pass. Developer The Coalition made the game in part because of Game Pass.
 

Pancracio17

▲ Legend ▲
Avenger
Oct 29, 2017
18,814
I feel like if 343 tried to have the conversation to make something other than Halo they'd be humored by Microsoft initially but then pistol whipped in the back of the head and mind-wiped while unconscious.
I feel like itll depend entirely on how good the pitch is. If 343 stopped making Halo because they pitched something that convinced MS execs that itll be the next Mass Effect, theyd greenlight it.
 

LordBaztion

Member
Oct 27, 2017
3,812
Lima Perú
Well, that comes to me that the closest I can hope for a new IP from their main studios is a spin off.
It's dissapointing but at least I know what to not expect.
 

jon bones

Member
Oct 25, 2017
26,031
NYC
i can't help but love whomever decided to give tim schaffer a boatload of money to make games with

Well, that comes to me that the closest I can hope for a new IP from their main studios is a spin off.
It's dissapointing but at least I know what to not expect.

i mean, the Forza Horizon devs are making Fable
 

Trey

Member
Oct 25, 2017
18,025
I feel like if 343 tried to have the conversation to make something other than Halo they'd be humored by Microsoft initially but then pistol whipped in the back of the head and mind-wiped while unconscious.

I mean. That's what they exist for. They could probably spin off some devs and creative heads to form a new studio, but I would wager 343 should be making Halo games and managing the IP.
 

RoKKeR

Member
Oct 25, 2017
15,393
Interesting response on freeing up the legacy studios to do their own thing.... seems like they are allowing them some freedom but would first evaluate something that fits into an existing universe.

Definitely curious to see what happens with those big tent pole studios the more XGS grows and if they'll venture outside of their core franchises more. I think Coalition would be a team with potential for that.
 

Doskoi Panda

One Winged Slayer
Member
Oct 27, 2017
14,978
I feel like if 343 tried to have the conversation to make something other than Halo they'd be humored by Microsoft initially but then pistol whipped in the back of the head and mind-wiped while unconscious.
Think they'll jump right back into Halo after a few years of Infinite? Game's been in the works for a long time. If it's as big as I hope it is then another Halo game might not be necessary for a while, they could just keep working on Infinite while planning something non-Halo for down the line
 

Ukumio

The Fallen
Oct 26, 2017
1,415
Australia
I feel like if 343 tried to have the conversation to make something other than Halo they'd be humored by Microsoft initially but then pistol whipped in the back of the head and mind-wiped while unconscious.
I think given the context of the statement that Matt Booty is talking about different types of games within the Halo Universe. So instead of an FPS, we could see a racing game or some sort of Lego game within the world of Halo.

These are first party devs. When they developing games for game pass, they ARE pitching to their publishers.
Yes, but in the context of that statement, Schaffer was talking about games that he had ideas for that previous publishers would have greenlit. Thanks to Game Pass they have more of a chance now.
 

MistahS

Prophet of Truth
The Fallen
Sep 2, 2018
3,736
Tim when he saw the Gamepass possibilities:
WHrrZSh.gif
 

Deleted member 68874

Account closed at user request
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May 10, 2020
10,441
I feel like if 343 tried to have the conversation to make something other than Halo they'd be humored by Microsoft initially but then pistol whipped in the back of the head and mind-wiped while unconscious.

Most people at 343 want to make Halo. You dont go and work for the Halo company unless you want to work on Halo.
 

cgpartlow

Member
Oct 27, 2017
3,006
Seattle, WA
Most people at 343 want to make Halo. You dont go and work for the Halo company unless you want to work on Halo.
This is my thought, everyone who works there knows what they are signing up for. I have also come across 343 employees from time to time at various events like the pre-PAX game showcase they always have before PAX WEST every year and they always seem super passionate about Halo and their product. They go to 343 to work on Halo.
 

Cranster

Prophet of Truth
Banned
Oct 25, 2017
9,788
I feel like itll depend entirely on how good the pitch is. If 343 stopped making Halo because they pitched something that convinced MS execs that itll be the next Mass Effect, theyd greenlight it.

Eh, Halo is bigger than Mass Effect and unlike Mass Effect isn't a dead franchise currently. I think alot of people here as usual like to assume 343i developers are forced to make Halo. The fact is developers at 343i work there because they love the franchise.
 

DanGo

Member
Oct 25, 2017
6,743
Seems a little premature for some of these comments, since they're just talking about potential. Schafer's not even saying anything has actually been greenlit, just that he feels there's more of a chance.
 

flaxknuckles

Member
Oct 25, 2017
4,313
I mean. That's what they exist for. They could probably spin off some devs and creative heads to form a new studio, but I would wager 343 should be making Halo games and managing the IP.

I think given the context of the statement that Matt Booty is talking about different types of games within the Halo Universe. So instead of an FPS, we could see a racing game or some sort of Lego game within the world of Halo.
Most people at 343 want to make Halo. You dont go and work for the Halo company unless you want to work on Halo.
I feel you all. I don't think 343 should be working on anything but Halo and Halo spin-offs. But I do think it's funny that every new Xbox studio gets to make whatever they want but 343, The Coalition, and probably Turn 10 are stuck forever on their respective franchises.


I feel like itll depend entirely on how good the pitch is. If 343 stopped making Halo because they pitched something that convinced MS execs that itll be the next Mass Effect, theyd greenlight it.
Think they'll jump right back into Halo after a few years of Infinite? Game's been in the works for a long time. If it's as big as I hope it is then another Halo game might not be necessary for a while, they could just keep working on Infinite while planning something non-Halo for down the line

And these are good points. Halo Infinite could be their foundation while they work on other stuff. But that other stuff better be Halo spin-offs or I'd riot.
 

Dokkaebi G0SU

Member
Nov 2, 2017
5,922
I feel like if 343 tried to have the conversation to make something other than Halo they'd be humored by Microsoft initially but then pistol whipped in the back of the head and mind-wiped while unconscious.
Youre missing the point of the conversation - they can build other games, but it will still be in the Halo Universe. He gave examples of how Star Wars is able to do that.

Halo will always be something within 343i. Building the universe is their objective.
Same goes for The coalition. To be honest, i think they set that up due to the ending of Gears 5. They can have a time-gap and insert a different type of Gears universe game before the mainline games, Gears 6, launches.
 

Deleted member 68874

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This is my thought, everyone who works there knows what they are signing up for. I have also come across 343 employees from time to time at various events like the pre-PAX game showcase they always have before PAX WEST every year and they always seem super passionate about Halo and their product. They go to 343 to work on Halo.

Yeah, it's strange how people actively want 343 to just drop Halo, it's like hoping Nintendo will just drop Mario.

343 was specifically created to foster and grow the brand through all forms of entertainment, so that's what they're gonna do.
 

Fisty

Member
Oct 25, 2017
20,242
Hopefully the budgets and quality is there in the end. I love Double Fine's output and experimentation is good, but it all comes down to the final product
 

Quellyford

Member
May 16, 2020
4,031
Just thinking about Tim Schaffer, Brian Fargo, Feargus Urquhart and others with no limits and creative freedom, releasing games directly into Game Pass... EXCITEMENT OVERLOAD.

I don't see how Game Pass doesn't keep growing at a rapid pace once Halo Infinite hits.
 

Deleted member 68874

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I feel you all. I don't think 343 should be working on anything but Halo and Halo spin-offs. But I do think it's funny that every new Xbox studio gets to make whatever they want but 343, The Coalition, and probably Turn 10 are stuck forever on their respective franchises.





And these are good points. Halo Infinite could be their foundation while they work on other stuff. But that other stuff better be Halo spin-offs or I'd riot.

I wouldn't be shocked to see the Coalition try some new things with Rod gone. Since the studio was formed before MS had the Gears IP. I bet theres quite a bit of employees that wanna try something new.

Still waiting for my Halo spin off horror game about the flood.
 

Dabanton

Member
Oct 27, 2017
4,916
I mean, he works for them now, what's he gonna say? "Gamepass sucks" ?

Well they had a chance to turn MS down. But they liked the vison for gamepass

"When they first started talking to us about acquiring studios, we said we are not looking to sell," Schafer says. "But going up and having lunch with Mr Booty, and hearing the vision for his business and Game Pass... I started to see two things that were important to me. One was that we could keep our culture. I was concerned, I was like: Will I need to put up a big Windows logo in our lobby, and change my email address to @microsoft.com? And he was like 'no, none of that, you stay your own company, you're just part of our team'. Of course, everyone would say that, but I kind-of believed it because I started to understand their vision for Game Pass.

"With Game Pass, it wouldn't make sense to acquire Double Fine and then assign us a bunch of Forza DLC. That's not what you'd want from a studio like Double Fine. And Game Pass seems like a great opportunity to have a diversity of games, a plethora of unusual content... I can see how the type of games that Double Fine makes could fit into that."
 

Vex

Member
Oct 25, 2017
22,213
Love GamePass, but the only thing I dont like is the inability to mod games and the way files are hidden/locked away from the player. I mean, I guess you technically dont "own" the game but damn that really sucks.

Also if they could get a bit more parity with consoles, it would be MS' golden goose!
 

Pancracio17

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Oct 29, 2017
18,814
Eh, Halo is bigger than Mass Effect and unlike Mass Effect isn't a dead franchise currently. I think alot of people here as usual like to assume 343i developers are forced to make Halo. The fact is developers at 343i work there because they love the franchise.
Yeah. Its not something id expect theyd do tbh. 343i devs probably want to keep working in the franchise.