Microsoft Game Studios Will “Never Cancel” Games
By Chris on Thursday, June 12th, 2008 at 10:25 PM PST In Game Companies, Game Consoles, Game Platforms, Games, Microsoft, Microsoft
In light of the recent cancellation of a pair of PlayStation 3 games by Sony Computer Entertainment Europe, Microsoft Game Studio Europe’s Peter Zetternberg made it clear the way MGS Europe works is to “never cancel games.” He made the comments in a new interview with GamesIndustry.biz discussing the challenges of establishing Microsoft Game Studios’ European division when it was formed last year.
Around 600 games a year are pitched to Zetterberg, but vary from a single email to a full demo or video. Of those, MGS takes in a smaller number of games than your average third-party party would at around 30 games which make it into a discussion phase. Of those 30, roughly five games will be given the go-ahead.
“MGS Europe can have its own greenlight presentations,” explained Zetterberg. “We do have our own decision making process but when we commit to large, franchise developments it’s obviously something where we need the entire MGS approval. Of those five games, we maybe sign three a year. And we never cancel games, we work with them to get them out. Maybe we sometimes announce them earlier than we should, but we stick with them, we have our resources team work with them as much as we can. It’s crunch time down in Guildford now and we have people working their butts off to make Fable 2 happen. We do not, we shall not cancel games.”
He was obviously very adamant about their dedication to not canceling games. In unrelated news, I’m still waiting for True Fantasy Live Online to come out.
Quick Norbit, attack!
I wioll point out the glaringl;y obvious fact that Sony cancelled a pair on in house games while the majority of Microsoft Games Studios titles are developed for them for 3rd party studios.
It obviously costs far more to get a 3rd party to develop a game than your own in house team doing so which is why they will be more reluctant to stop development.
If you look at the l;ast 5 years of Microsoft Games the only original games they have developed are these;
Links 2003: Championship Courses
Links Championship Edition
Microsoft Flight Simulator 2004: A Century of Flight
Microsoft Flight Simulator X
Microsoft Flight Simulator X: Acceleration
Viva Piñata
every other title they released was developed by companys not owned by Microsoft.
I’m not even going to bother trying to list all of the titles developed in house by Sony in the last 5 years.
You can always count on Norbit to be an ass…it’s like death…..and taxes…
Go Marlins!!!!
What do you expect from a guy who’s on Sony’s payroll…
“every other title they released was developed by companys not owned by Microsoft.”
Yes, let’s ignore the existance of Lionhead, Rare, FASA (RiP), Ensemble, & until recently, Bungie & Bizarre…
Because we all know that second home in Florida doesn’t really count as a home. I mean, come on, it’s in Florida…
Um,, lol, I know their a tad upset with kinda feeling the heat as of late in gaming. But thats not a smart comment. You can games for good reasons. And if you dont can some of them. God help your gaming lineup latter.
Yeah, erm Norbit…like Steve said, maybe you don’t understand this but Microsoft owns/has owned numerous companies that have developed quite a few games over the last 5 years. Just because it isn’t made exclusively by Microsoft Game Studios doesn’t mean its not made by Microsoft.