I think inside Xbox is part of the marketing for Crackdown. They have done a pretty extensive segment for all of their releases on the show.
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To me I think its probably the most exciting time for Xbox. It really does seem like its the first time Microsoft has actually committed to Xbox instead of Xbox feeling like its a completely separate company.
As for IP, they still have their three main pillars in Halo, Gears, and Forza, and Im sure we will see others return such as Fable. They just have so many more studios now, plus Halo and Gears seems to be refreshing the franchises a bit.
Personally, I would like to see some more Rare games return. We got Battletoads, and Killer instinct, but Im hoping for Banjo, Conker, and Perfect Dark to make a return as well. Also Kameo and Viva Pinata from the X360 era.
I just think what Xbox has done within the last year is so exciting as you really dont know what to expect going forward. A mix of new and old is what I want to see.
I think they'd be the perfect choice for a Crimson Skies reboot.
This is a big deal and speaks to what Phil was talking about in terms of getting the right people in place.
I have a feeling this may possibly be related to the Asia division even though Baker was American based.
I think it's happening.
I'm in agreement on this.
I think MS will retain core pillar franchise, develop new ones, and then continue to invest in shorter lived IPs and franchises.
My big wish is that they go 70:30 split on SP to MP.
MP is too damn crowded.
I would love for them to do another shooter similar to Spec Ops. One of my favorites.
Well, I get why you might feel like that, but I think that MSGP gave Xbox One its best games.
If not for them all we would've got this gen is Gears, Halo and Forza (Motorsport, not even Horizon).
They probably had budget constraints too.
I reserve my judgment on their job until 2020. 3-4 years after budget increase I expect to have played a few games coming through them
Lots of cool movers and shakers at team Xbox at the moment, they really are putting in the groundwork for next gen.
I would be very surprised if Viva Pinata doesn't get a sequel...it seems to be perfect for GP and could be adapted top fit the Gaas model.
I think a modern reboot of Crimson Skies would have to have some third person action adventure aspects to it.
High Road to Revenge + Uncharter.
This is what I think too.
I think Baker is someone that could really help them make Japanese titles in particular successful on their platform.
I think if your heading the Japanese business development side of things at Xbox then you're probably going to live there and be Japanese. This guy isn't for that role, I'm still trying to understand what he'll actually do. Work with all external parties on getting there games onto Xbox and making marketing partnerships?
I don't think he's going to be the guy heading up the Asia division necessarily, but I think his sensibilities for marketing Japanese games with his experience at Nintendo makes him suitable for the States side point man.
I'm fairly certain Damon has 0 to do with the team Phil was looking to assemble. Besides the fact Damon's already stated his role, his Linkedin doesn't really paint him to have the sort of experience he's after. I think they want a "man on the inside". Someone with extensive first hand experience dealing with the Asian market. I'd expect his ideal candidates to be a Japanese native who was the culture hard wired into them.
OR
Crazy suggestion. Assuming Scalebound didn't take too much of a personal toll on him, someone like JP Kellams. He looks like an ideal candidate from a bystanders point of view. Plenty of years of experience with Japanese studios and the culture. Fluent speaker. Creative type.
Only problem is that he seems very happy at his new gig working on Madden. If team Xbox are genuinely in the headhunting market, I'd be surprised if his name wasn't considered; assuming he fits the bill.
He worked for NoA though, surely it would have been mainly western devs he was dealing with or is the American online store awash with Japanese games - I honestly don't know?
This is telling. You don't need more management in portfolio unless you have a growing portfolio. Like I mentioned a few pages back, don't forget about 2nd party. It's not 1st party or bust. Microsoft would be best spreading themselves between both because while 1st party offers stability, 2nd party is where you can find flexibility and diversity. This is where you can find Japanese games to put on Game Pass.
Microsoft's 2nd party hit its prime late OG Xbox and early 360 days. Spencer was lower on the battlefield in those days and you have to wonder how his involvement in both the good and bad days of Microsoft as a 2nd party publisher will influence his strategy and who he's hiring and what he is asking them to do now. I wonder if this team could surpass those results when they were publishing Jade Empire, Crackdown, Mass Effect, Gears, PGR and Lost Odyssey as 2nd party projects.
This might be where could see Microsoft published games from those strong studios Microsoft isn't buying.
Also don't rule out the portfolio guy come up with Game Pass deals that aren't necessarily exclusive. If the game comes to Game Pass Day 1, I don't care if it's exclusive or not.
I wouldn't assume Baker is being hired specifically for the Asian division, I also wouldn't assume the Asian division is going to operate in a silo and never communicate with the rest of the company.
I'd imagine a lot of Baker, and anyone directly under him, will be managing and expanding the gamepass portfolio. Since that may be a direct feed in to what's available on X-Cloud, they're going to want more games that appeal to people who typically wouldn't look at an Xbox. People who go more for the kind of casual or bite sized games that Nintendo does so well with. Some of those games will probably be Japanese.
I'd imagine a lot of Baker, and anyone directly under him, will be managing and expanding the gamepass portfolio. Since that may be a direct feed in to what's available on X-Cloud, they're going to want more games that appeal to people who typically wouldn't look at an Xbox. People who go more for the kind of casual or bite sized games that Nintendo does so well with. Some of those games will probably be Japanese.
Compulsion Games is also in Montreal as well. It would fit what Phil has said before of wanting studios close by to work together.
Thing about Typhoon though is they might have better pipelines to Ubi Soft, EA and Eidos employees due to where they came from. Compulsion has ex Bioshock devs but I don't think they have the pipelines to the major studios these guys might have.
He did a lot of marketing for Nintendo, I so I would assume he has experience with marketing Japanese games to American consumers.
But I don't really know. The guy was high up at Nintendo. I think it's very possible he's basically going to take over from Shannon Loftis. He's a small potatoes or second banana kind of hire.
His job isn't first party related, so nothing to do with Shannon. It's weird seeing this strange talk around Shannon, I really don't understand the focus she gets as if it makes sense or based in reality. Feel bad for her, she's a very experienced producer and one of the oldest Xbox vets.
She doesn't seem to be as visible as the others, so people assume she's not doing anything.
Baker's job is second and third party related.
Second party would seem to encroach on what Loftis is doing.
Again, I don't think it's all that clear, I hope to be seeing him on Inside Xbox or written about on Xbox Wire, but suggesting he's here to take over is no slight to Shannon.
I don't think it's that, if you have that sort of opinion of Shannon then you must also have the same unfair opinion of Spencer.
Fair enough, just see Shannon getting an unfair amount of shit. Didn't mean to throw you in that group. In terms of Shannon's roll and MSGP, thats just first party.
That can be said for all of Xbox and first party this gen, plus I would say MSGP has done better than MS studios this gen with the same constraints.
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I like Shannon Loftis. How long has she been at MSGP?
I guess I somehow missed this.
If the acquisition is true, that would be interesting. I get The Outer World vibes from it already. Assuming they own the IP and develop sequels to it, that'd be cool, if kind of a niche style to double down in. I guess not so different from having both Obsidian and inExile potentially make isometric CRPGS.
I guess I somehow missed this.
If the acquisition is true, that would be interesting. I get The Outer World vibes from it already. Assuming they own the IP and develop sequels to it, that'd be cool, if kind of a niche style to double down in. I guess not so different from having both Obsidian and inExile potentially make isometric CRPGS.
Typhoon studios actually makes way more sense than moon studios for a number of different reasons.
I look at a potential acquisition as buying a partially pre-assembled Initiative.
As I've posted, the foundation of the studio is very impressive and comprised of veteran developers.
I would think that's a studio they acquire with the intent of building it up and leveraging the substantial talent pool available in Montreal.
As I've posted, the foundation of the studio is very impressive and comprised of veteran developers.
I would think that's a studio they acquire with the intent of building it up and leveraging the substantial talent pool available in Montreal.
Shannon was working in the gaming department at MS way before Xbox was a thing (1993.) So she has been working in MS publishing for 23 years, she has done work outside of that group though like PICS. Agreed on the Outer Worlds vibe, it's been described as an exploration game which could be interesting.
Absolutely agree, it's the initiative without the long wind up time. Which hopefully means we get a new game sooner.
It kind of makes way more sense to me to let a studio form on it's own, let them figure out their studio culture, and see if they can get into production okay, then acquire them, than it does to found a bunch of studios from the ground up in the same time frame. I'm not sure if that's the strategy here, as Microsoft seems to be making acquisitions based on unannounced projects that they see and like, but it sounds smart to my not-smart brain.
I was kind of sad that he was leaving MS. Then he just moves to another arm of MS lol. Congrats.
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