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Microsoft Bootstraps "Matrix" Game Rights Purchase
richardbowers writes: "An article released today on IGN claims that Microsoft has managed to get its hands on exclusive rights for Internet-based games using the Matrix license.
According to the article, Microsoft lent Interplay five million dollars in exchange for this exclusivity and for a bunch of other contractual goodies - including characters, sound tracks, and other features that will not be included in other versions of the same game, thanks to the agreement. They also have to guarantee delivery of the game in the same time-frame as the release of the next sequel."
- A.P.
--
Forget Napster. Why not really break the law?
"Remember when the U.S. had a drug problem, and then we declared a War On Drugs, and now you can't buy drugs anymore?"
$5m buys a lot influence (with me, anyway). I can see it now...
NEO: Wait a second... I've got the codes in my palm pilot
TRINITY: Palm pilot? There's no such thing. It exists only in the Matrix. Here's a winCE PDA.
NEO: WinCE? What about a linux based one?
TRINITY: Linux? You don't believe in linux, do you? You really think it's possible to have stable code that's open source?
RMS: You mean Free.
TRINITY: Whatever. Seriously, Neo. The only company to survive the OS wars was Microsoft, thanks to their stable, user-friendly software that's well worth relicencing every six months.
NEO: I guess you're right. It is the world's favourite operating system.
TRINITY: It's not just an operating system; it's a friend.
NEO: Thanks, Microsoft!
Microsoft has played the gaming business better than anyone else ever has.
The may eventually win, and possibly make a profit, but I don't think they've necessarilly played the game all that well.
Let's take an analogy. I wrestle. The last tournament I was in, I ended up wrestling a gentleman 20lbs lighter than me. I didn't have to wrestle 'well' in order to win, because I could 'muscle' my way out of bad situations. Futhermore, everything I did looked smoother because I didn't have apply as much force as he did.
Microsoft is able to 'win' in the same way. With huge cash reserves already built up, the can stumble, fall, and roll around in the mud a while and still get up and win. They can bleed cash for years and still pull it out of their asses.
I don't think Microsoft has 'played' the gaming business at all. They've just bought up a lot of companies with their huge cash reserves.
Aah, change is good. -- Rafiki
Yeah, but it ain't easy. -- Simba
No, this is different. If you read the linked article, you'll see that MS wants to limit the featureset of Matrix games for other consoles. Amazingly, this is being treated by everybody here like a sidenote, rather than the real meat and potatoes of the deal.
It's true though...exclusive licenses are a dime a dozen. That's why this is a big deal. This is less typical: Effectively MS is castrating any future Nintendo and Sony versions.
< tofuhead >
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It is still the dark of night.
"So, if the Matrix GPFs, you die in real life?" "The body cannot live without the mind, the high memory manager, and the system tray."
Err, sorry you're wrong here. This is competing on a level playing field. Do you really believe that there is another reason Polyphony Digital haven't released a Gran Tourismo game for a non-Sony platform? Or Rare release Goldeneye for anything other than Nintendo64? Sega payed good cash to make Dead Or Alive 2 a Dreamcast exclusive for 6 months as well, so that leaves a grand total of no-one in the console market who doesn't do this. Its standard operating procedure on consoles, where people just recognise good games, not who does the most frames per second.
"I Know You Are But What Am I?"
Game companies get exclusive licenses to things like this all the time. Is there any reason to complain about this other than that the company that got the license is MS?
Outdoor digital photography, mostly in New Engl
Does this mean the blue pill is now referred to as the BPOD?
The thing I found interesting is the fact that MS lent the money, instead of giving them the money. I know the developer is strapped for cash, but I have a hard time seeing how giving $20 out of each unit sold to MS to repay the loan is going to fill their coffers. Im sure the game will be popular and all, but I dont think Interplay is getting the great deal they think they are.
Time for some tasty Shiner Bock!
If you don't have anything nice to say, say it often.
If you don't have anything nice to say, say it often.
- Ed the Sock
The exact same thing happened between Nintendo and the producers of Goldeneye. The game company bagged exclusive rights to the game, and stopped any other platform having a Goldeneye game.
But..
Goldeneye on the Nintendo64 was a fantastic game. A real killer app for the (then) fledging console. Perhaps MS want to do the same for theirs.
http://twitter.com/onion2k
Grrrrr.....if that happens, Interplay can kiss any future business from me goodbye. 'By Gamers, For Gamers' indeed....
-PARANOIA is fun. D20 is not fun. The Computer says so.
-The Computer
Morpheus: It's a prison for your mind. You can see it all around you. It's there when you go to church or pay your taxes.
Neo: But what is it, really? When you get right down to it.
Morpheus: No one can be told what the matrix is, but I can tell you this: You see that little paperclip guy?
Neo: Yeah...
Morphus: Part of the matrix. That annoying sound you get when you start your computer? Also part of the matrix. That smiling guy who asks 'Where do you want to go today?"
Neo: (gulps, realizing the severity of Morpheus's words.)
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"I just wonder what will happen to Interplay if the X-Box is a flop and the game doesn't sell well."
I wonder what would be happening to Interplay if Microsoft hadn't offered them this money. It appears the company is cash-strapped enough to accept this deal, so they obviously are in some trouble staying afloat now. At least this deal gives them cash to play with and continue development. And Microsoft is only placing a requirement on $500,000 of the $5 million loan, leaving the vast remainder entirely in Interplay's hands. The deal doesn't say they have to put all of that money into the XBox game. Yes, I know that a lot of that money will likely end up in the Matrix game, and the company's fortunes will be somewhat tied to the success or failure of that XBox game... but Interplay has at least been given a chance to stay afloat through this loan. Better to get money now and have a chance at survival, than to stop all development from a lack of funds and die sooner.
Goldeneye for N64. In fact, now that I think about it.. Nintendo has done pretty well with movie based titles. Rouge Squadron was a good Star Wars title.
And ET was fucking cool. I still remember cute little ET sticking his head up to eat a pixel (reese) and getting caged in a 16 block by 16 block cell until that guy came and rescued me. And the part in the forest type thing where you got back on your space ship?? It was probably one of my most favorite games, second only to maybe Midnight Maddness.
Good God the ignorance(maybe its bias...or maybe plain stupidity) out there on the internet and in a majority of the mainstream press baffles me.
Microsoft has pretty much won this console war before it begins. Exclusivity is a huge thing in the gaming world
You're quite right, exclusivity is, obviously, a major influencing factor behind who wins most console wars. But to compare, Microsoft easily comes in a distant 3rd place behind Sony and miles behind Nintendo. Heres a quick breakdown of major exclusives:
Sony- Gran Turismo, Final Fantasy, Metal Gear, and Dragon Warrior, four incredibly established franchises.
Nintendo- Mario, Zelda, Metroid, Pokemon ($$), Wave Race, every Rare franchise out there, etc etc etc (theres many more).
Microsoft- Halo, Oddeworld: Abes Oddyssey, which arent really even franchises yet. See my point?
especially for a game that will almost certainly be a blockbuster.
*Sigh*. Where to begin. Movie franchises converted to games over the years have been notoriously shoddy. Goldeneye, which im assuming was the basis for your comment, was the exception to the rule. Why? Because it was made by Rare. Does microsoft have Rare? No. Just have one thing to say if youre gonna start comparing Interplay to Rare. Interplays bankrupt for a reason.
In no way is Microsoft going to dominate the next console war, unless of course people like you perpetuate the image of the "kiddy" gamecube and the blatant lie that Microsoft somehow has a majority of exclusives.
Just myNintendo, on the other hand, has extremely strong first- and second-party developers, so strong that in-house development is practically the sole reason the N64 managed to stay afloat against competition from Sony. The only software publisher that even comes close to Nintendo as far as variety and great games are concerned is Sega (though Squaresoft tries to pretend that it doesn't just make RPGs). This looks to be a major asset to Nintendo in the next console war, because they'll be the only one with great exclusive games.
So, is the fact that Microsoft went out and bagged exclusive rights for The Matrix a sign that they're seriously concerned about GameCube's ability to sell on exclusive games alone?
More importantly, will a Matrix game written by Microsoft be able to stand up against Zelda, Metroid, Perfect Dark, etc, or will Microsoft just be another poser to get smacked down hard like so many before? (After the PhotoShop debacle, I'm tempted to think the latter).
Oh, and one more thing: Does the fact that Microsoft now needs to ship out patches for a bug in UltimateTV an example of Microsoft's (lack of) ability to build a solid set-top box?
I can't think of any record-setting games that were based on a movie. Most of the best-sellers are original material, such as Final Fantasy and Zelda.
"and the XBox tech looks pretty good"
Yeah, no other system runs PhotoShop quite as well...
"Microsoft has played the gaming business better than anyone else ever has."
Like hell they have! When my friends and I have a LAN party, it's StarCraft we're playing, not AoE.
"Microsoft has decided they want to break into this market, and they're well on their way to domination."
I'm sorry, but I've yet to see anything from Microsoft that suggests that they'll be able to top Nintendo. So far, everything I've seen in the way of products for the Xbox seem rather wishy-washy at best, nothing really solid. At the very least, I don't see them being able to compete with a company that has been publishing sold and record-breaking hits from Donkey Kong to Zelda. If anything, Nintendo is gearing to seriously mess with Microsoft's turf with the new Metroid.
"The XBox will have a huge selection of software when it arrives"
A "quantity over quality" kind of person, I see... And what makes you think either GameCube or PS2 aren't going to have equally large libraries?
The Nintendo platform had already been out. Microsoft is buying out game companies to make games for the so far non-existant X-Box. They are using every dollar they can to strongarm their way into the console game market.
I just wonder what will happen to Interplay if the X-Box is a flop and the game doesn't sell well..