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Microsoft Games Boss Promises Higher Quality, Fewer Games
Thanks to the San Jose Mercury News for its article discussing Microsoft Game Studios' new general manager Shane Kim's attitude to development, as the piece notes: "Some of Kim's first acts have been to ax or delay several projects. Since the fall, Microsoft has scaled back its staff of internal game developers from 1,200 employees to about 1,000." But it's argued: "Because there are now so many others making games for the Xbox, Microsoft needs to make fewer titles, Kim said... This shift toward a conservative investing style mirrors the larger shift within the video game industry, where development budgets and marketing costs are reaching Hollywood proportions."
Personally I think it's a little worrying that budgets for games have spiralled up so quickly to approach the level of hollywood blockbusters, while the process of making games is still somewhere in the early 1900s, by hollywood standards. I'm glad to see studios favoring quality over quantity, but I'll be happier when the processes mature to similarly modern levels. Once we cut out the majority of wasted work, schedule overruns, and plain old bad planning I think we'll start seeing what games can really do.
Microsoft make some awesome products until they are in a monopoly position.
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So how come they are having so much trouble with the X-Box then? If what you are saying is true, then as they are struggling with Xbox at the moment (and not holding the monopoly), surely there should be lots of great games. Instead we see mainly PC ports and a few average multi-plaform console ports.With the noticable acception of Halo and the other launch titles.
Since they are not in a monopoly in the console market (thank god) your comments would suggest that their games should be excellent. As this article suggests though, this isnt the case( why else would they be making promises?). Any how as the old saying goes. If at first you dont succeed, try, try again.
When they go after a market they make the best products, that is until they've got it locked, at which point it doesn't matter and they slack off
Just imagine, what that statement means for the future if Microsoft manage to get a hold of the console market? I personally think I'll lose interest in the whole idea of console gaming if this happens. Console gaming should be a hotbed of innovation. The last thing we want is anyone slacking off.
nick
Electronic Music Made Using Linux http://soundcloud.com/polyp
What I'm wondering is... does Alexei Pajitnov (the inventor of Tetris, for both of you who didn't know that) still work for Microsoft games division? It's kind of sad how he didn't make anything of notice since then ...
EA just announced they are trying to double in size every 5 years while Microsoft is cutting back on game dev? What does Mr. Kim have to say about EA's direction? So Microsoft is saying that it wants to produce quality games -- so it wants to only create million-selling items? Yet by cutting out all its sports titles they have left the field to be owned by EA in an areana where quality versions guarantee return of the faithful on an annual basis. The MMORPG market is flooded -- so killing Mythica kind of made sense. Except for the fact that then leaves them holding AC which has to compete with the next generation from other companies. Mythica would have been the "quality" replacement they're claiming they want to produce. Very sad. All this just seams to point to the reality that Microsoft doesn't have the stomach for a protracted building of a franchise that has more potential than Gate's Dreamworks (see http://www.wired.com/news/games/0,2101,61358,00.ht ml).
If Microsoft is truely about producing quality games, then it must realize that it could easilly cut down on marketing budget since allowing Mods, level editors, and online play all build community and word of mouth that buys you far better sales than an add in any Nothing-Gets-Less-Than-4-Out-Of-5-Stars game "review" magazine.
Sigh.