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Microsoft Cancels 2004 Xbox Sports Lineup

Posted by simoniker on from the take-a-mulligan dept.

madopal writes "Well, it's no secret that Microsoft has been slashing internal development (Mythica, anyone?). Now, they've announced that they're cancelling their entire 2004 line-up of XSN Sports games for Xbox. Wow, with Ed Fries gone, it sure is a different place over there." The article quotes Kevin Browne of Microsoft as saying: "We need to be making great games, and the marketplace told us that we're just not at that level."

3 of 73 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Oh no. by HeridFel · · Score: 4, Insightful
    This isn't "THE END", it's just that MS are admitting that they can't make sports games as well (consistently) as others.

    For all they are slagged off, EA still do produce the goods year in year out.

    And then there's Pro Evo Soccer... simply the best of the lot.

    Why bother pumping resources into places that other people consistently out-perform you. Just get them to build their game for your platform instead...

  2. Re:i like quote by *weasel · · Score: 4, Insightful

    I was addressing the fairly frequent accusation that Microsoft doesn't know games. If it didn't, it wouldn't have pursued Valve and Sega. Who did the developing doesn't really matter, imo. What matters is that Microsoft was sitting at the top of the decision making process, and thus their ability to identify value was tested.

    As for the yearly updates - Microsoft could easily carve a niche for themselves by simply issuing roster updates and gameplay patches over XBL several times each season, and only selling updated sports games based on actual improvements. EA and madden have been getting fat off essentially selling expansion packs each year, for full price. There is quite a bit of gamer animosity against them for it.

    But my point was simply that: Microsoft can and does identify quality titles and deliver them to their customers. They know good games, and they (demonstratively) have the balls to hold back games that aren't going to be top-of-the-line.
    (E.g. the well-documented delay of Crimson Skies until it was great, the delay of this sports lineup, and one is left to assume: the delay of halo2.)

    --
    // "Can't clowns and pirates just -try- to get along?"
  3. Re:From Sony to Nintendo, How MS is going to Xbox3 by mr.capaneus · · Score: 4, Insightful

    But one of the things Microsoft excels at is adapting their products until they work.
    That is because they have the cash to enter a market and do very poorly but still survive. Any other company (pretty much) would not have time to adapt their product while losing money.