Microsoft Game Studios

Microsoft Game Studios
Microsoft Game Studios.svg
Type Division of Microsoft
Owner Microsoft
Country United States
Introduced 2002
Related Brands Games for Windows, Xbox
Markets Worldwide
Website http://www.microsoft.com/games/

Microsoft Game Studios is a brand owned by Microsoft and introduced in 2002 to represent the company as a video game publisher, coinciding with the launch of the Xbox. Games published by Microsoft under the MGS label are typically released for the Windows and/or Xbox (360) platforms exclusively, regardless of whether the developer is a first or third party.

Contents

History

Microsoft Game Studios have acquired and lost many game development houses since its inception.

In September 2002, MGS acquired Rare Ltd. from Nintendo and the Stamper brothers (Chris and Tim), who owned 49% and 51% of the company respectively in what is believed to be one of the most expensive purchases of a video games development company yet, at a cost of around USD375 million.[1] This also meant Microsoft acquired the rights to Rare’s own original IPs such as the Banjo-Kazooie, Conker and Perfect Dark franchises.

In April 2006, MGS announced that they had purchased Lionhead Studios for an undisclosed sum. This has allowed them to further bolster the range of exclusive titles for their Xbox platforms, notably with the Fable video game series.[2] The following month, MGS also acquired Massive Incorporated, an in-game advertising company to provide additional revenues from their gaming platforms such as PCs and the Xbox 360.[3]

In May 2007, Microsoft announced it would be opening a European office of MGS in Reading in the United Kingdom (the present location of Microsoft's General UK offices). This office will be headed by Phil Spencer, who was General Manager for the games division before the announcement.[4]

In September 2007 Microsoft disbanded FASA Studio best known for their MechWarrior series.

In October 2007, Bungie announced that it had split with Microsoft and become a privately held independent company.

In March 2008 Microsoft disbanded their casual games studio - Carbonated Games.

In May 2008, Microsoft announced the formation of a newly created internal games studio to create "high quality digital content" for Xbox Live Arcade.[5]

In January 2009, Microsoft closed both Ensemble Studios and ACES Game Studio due to a process of ongoing job cuts due to financial crisis and restructuring of their game studios.

Microsoft has also opened up MGS Mobile Gaming a new Studio focused on bringing games and entertainment to the mobile life that people lead.[6]

Software Development Studios

Microsoft Game Studios
Affiliated Studios
1st Party
  • 343 Industries: A studio set up to develop future Halo related productions.[7]
  • BigPark: Kinect Joy Ride.
  • Firebird Studios: Set up to help push the visual boundaries of all Xbox 360 titles. Also working on an unannounced game.[8]
  • Good Science Studio: Kinect Adventures[9]
  • Lionhead Studios: Black & White series, Fable series.
  • MGS Mobile Gaming: focused on bringing games and entertainment to the Windows Phone 7.
  • Rare Ltd.: Banjo-Kazooie series, Battletoads series, Conker series, Perfect Dark series, Viva Piñata series, Kinect Sports
  • Turn 10 Studios: Forza Motorsport series.
  • Xbox Live Productions: Fable II Pub Games, South Park Let's Go Tower Defense Play!
  • Wingnut Interactive: A studio set up in partnership with Peter Jackson to produce "filmic games".

3rd Party Affiliates

  • Bungie: Halo Series
  • Epic Games: Gears Of War series
  • feelplus Inc.: Lost Odyssey, Ninety-Nine Nights II.
  • Frontier Developments: Kinectimals.
  • Gastronaut Studios: Gel: Set & Match, Small Arms.
  • Mistwalker: Lost Odyssey.
  • NinjaBee: A Kingdom for Keflings, Cloning Clyde, Dash of Destruction.
  • Remedy Entertainment: Alan Wake.
  • Robot Entertainment: Age of Empires Online.
  • Ruffian Games: Crackdown 2.
  • Sarbakan: Lazy Raiders.
  • Signal Studios: Toy Soldiers.
  • Silicon Knights: Too Human.
  • Ska Studios: The Dishwasher
  • Twisted Pixel: 'Splosion Man, The Maw.

Former Affiliates

  • Just Add Monsters/Ninja Theory: Kung Fu Chaos series.
  • Bizarre Creations: Project Gotham Racing, Geometry Wars Acquired by Activision Blizzard
  • ACES Game Studio: Microsoft Flight Simulator series, Combat Flight Simulator series and Microsoft Train Simulator series. Closed on January 23, 2009 in a process of ongoing job cuts due to Financial crisis of 2007–2010.[10][11][12]
  • Ensemble Studios: Age of Empires series, Age of Mythology, Halo Wars. Disbanded on January 29, 2009.
  • Carbonated Games: Developed for MSN Games and Windows Live Messenger. Disbanded on March 27, 2008.
  • Digital Anvil: Brute Force, Freelancer. Disbanded on January 31, 2006.
  • Hired Gun: Halo 2 for Windows Vista. Disbanded in October 2007.
  • FASA Studio: MechWarrior series. Disbanded on September 12, 2007.
  • Indie Built: Amped series, Links series, Top Spin series. Sold off to Take-Two Interactive in October 2004, now disbanded.

Other

  • Massive Incorporated: A studio primarily set up for in-game advertising.

Owned franchises and properties

  • Aegis Wing
  • Age of Empires
  • Alan Wake
  • Azurik
  • Banjo-Kazooie
  • Bankshot Billiards
  • BattleTech
  • Black & White
  • Blinx
  • Blood Wake
  • Blue Dragon[13]
  • Brute Force
  • Combat Flight Simulator WWII Europe
  • Conker
  • Crackdown
  • Crimson Skies
  • D.OT.S
  • Fable
  • Forza Motorsport
  • Freelancer
  • Fuzion Frenzy
  • Grabbed by the Ghoulies
  • Halo
  • Hexic
  • Hydro Thunder
  • Infinite Undiscovery
  • It's Mr. Pants
  • Jawbreaker
  • Jetpac
  • Joy Ride
  • Kakuto Chojin
  • Kameo
  • Kinect branded games
  • Kung Fu Chaos
  • Lips
  • Lost Odyssey
  • Magatama'
  • Maximum Chase
  • MechAssault
  • MechWarrior
  • Microsoft Flight Simulator
  • Microsoft Train Simulator
  • Midtown Madness
  • Ninety-Nine Nights
  • N.U.D.E.@Natural Ultimate Digital Experiment
  • Perfect Dark
  • Phantom Dust
  • Project Gotham Racing
  • Quantum Redshift
  • Rallisport Challenge
  • Rise of Nations
  • Shadowrun
  • Starlancer
  • Sudeki
  • Tao Feng: Fist of the Lotus
  • The Movies
  • Tork
  • Viva Piñata
  • Voodoo Vince
  • Whacked!

Games released by Microsoft

This list of games is sorted by platform and includes games published by Microsoft. For those games not developed under the Microsoft name, the developer is noted after the game's release date.

MS-DOS/Windows

Xbox

Xbox 360

Xbox Live Arcade

Windows 7 Mobile

See also

References

  1. ↑ Microsoft Acquires Video Game Powerhouse Rare Ltd.: Developers of Such Worldwide Hits as "Donkey Kong 64," "Banjo-Kazooie," "GoldenEye 007" And "Perfect Dark" Bring Their Tale...
  2. ↑ Microsoft Game Studios Acquires Video Game Luminary Peter Molyneux’s Lionhead Studios: Lionhead’s hit franchise “Fable” surpasses 2 million unit sales milestone
  3. ↑ Microsoft to Acquire In-Game Advertising Pioneer Massive Inc.: Massive’s technology for weaving dynamic, relevant ads into video games will extend next-generation advertising ...
  4. ↑ Gamasutra - New Microsoft Game Studios Office For Europe
  5. ↑ Joe Keiser (2008-05-22). "Exclusive Interview: MS to Delist XBLA Titles". Next-Gen.biz. http://www.next-gen.biz/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=10620&Itemid=2. Retrieved 2008-05-22. 
  6. ↑ "Microsoft sets up MGS Mobile Gaming Studio". 1800PocketPC. 11 August 2010. http://www.1800pocketpc.com/2010/08/11/microsoft-sets-up-mgs-mobile-gaming-studio-just-so-you-have-games-for-wp7.html. 
  7. ↑ IndustryGamers- Halo Anime to be overseen by 343 Industries
  8. ↑ Firebird Studios: Dedicated Graphics Department for Xbox 360?
  9. ↑ http://www.gamersdailynews.com/company-Good%20Science%20Studio.html
  10. ↑ Microsoft Makes Big Cuts At Flight Sim Studio
  11. ↑ Microsoft Confirms Aces Closure
  12. ↑ Microsoft closes Aces Game Studio
  13. ↑ http://www.microsoft.com/about/legal/en/us/IntellectualProperty/Trademarks/EN-US.aspx
  14. ↑ Microsoft E3 Announces Codename: Kingdoms

External links

Microsoft Game Studios
North America
BigPark • Turn 10 Studios • Xbox Live Productions
Europe
Lionhead Studios • Rare
Australia
Wingnut Interactive
Franchises
Banjo-Kazooie • Black & White • Crackdown • Fable • Forza Motorsport • Gears of War • Halo • Viva Piñata
Video game products by Microsoft
Consoles
Mobile devices
Zune (Zune Games) · Windows Phone 7 (Xbox Live)
Personal computer
Games for Windows
Games
Xbox (Xbox Originals) · Xbox 360 (Games on Demand · Kinect games) · Backward-compatible · Platinum Hits · Xbox Live Arcade · Game Room · Games for Windows · Zune Marketplace
Online services
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Accessories
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Promotions
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Tools
Xbox Development Kit · XNA
Miscellaneous
Microsoft Game Studios · Xbox Live Productions · Xbox 360 launch · Xbox 360 technical problems · Xbox 360 System Software · Microsoft Points