More Powerhouse Designers on Next-Gen Xbox

Just a few days after the announcement that the creator of the Final Fantasy series was joining Microsoft Games Studio, Voodoo Express has the news that more venerable designers will be joining the company. Yoshiki Okamoto and Tetsuya Mizuguchi will be teaming up with Microsoft Games to produce titles for the next generation Xbox. From the article: "Microsoft is now happy to announce that the driving creative minds behind the likes of Resident Evil, Rez, Street Fighter and Space Channel 5 have joined forces with the company to create exciting new titles for the Xbox Next, primarily designed to attract Japanese gamers to the system:"

Comments

What is MS offering that Sony isn't?

[MBraynard]

Why isn't Sony or Nintendo going after these guys? Or are they and did they get out-bid?

Note that these are individuals that were lured or companies that were wholly the support staff of an individual.

Also, it isn't clear what is meant by 'aligned' or 'teamed up.' Are they now on staff of MS Games? Are they agreeing to exclusive titles? Or are they just agreeing that anything they make will come out on Xbox along with PS2/3/Nintendo R?

The only thing to conclude from this is that MS is serious about knocking down the paper door to the Japanese market.

Re:What is MS offering that Sony isn't?

[king-manic]

Seems like the spin doctors have spun "Ted and rob are going to make a game for xbox2" to "Ted and Rob have signedon to make an amazing new project for the xbox2".

Re:Microsoft meddling?

[superpulpsicle]

I give M$ alot of credit for trying hard. But what they are doing is nothing new. Sony has always acquired creative minds in the industry. They do it so often, they make no public announcement about it.

If M$ really want to really hog up the video game space, they need to buy companies out with exclusivity. Go buy Capcom, Rockstar, SquareEnix.

Learn from the EA/Ubisoft ownership problem. You might have stake in the company or have a few famous architects working for you. But unless you claim that company yours entirely, you don't have 100% control.

beautiful

[rnd()]

It's beautiful how capitalism works. Microsoft's shareholders want to make money, management chooses video games as an avenue, and then puts shareholder dollars to work recruiting the best possible minds. Think of how powerful that is. I can't wait to buy my next gen XBox when they come out.

beautiful? hideous

[biryokumaru]

but it doesnt work.

as many people have pointed out, the great minds (eg rare, bungie) microsoft has recruited in the past have not actually produced any truely quality products since "joinging forces" with microsoft."

Re:beautiful? hideous

[scot4875]

An average Xbox game still looks and sounds better than a top-flight PS2 or GC game...

Umm, bullshit? You might be able to get away with that statement if you left the GC out, but I've not seen anything on the XBox that can compete with Resident Evil 4 graphically -- and that's only one example. ...and that's the important part.

Umm, wrong. I won't even bother explaining this one.

--Jeremy

Re:Wow! I bet they make as many games

[h0mer]

I never see anyone mention the possibility that Rare has been working on Xbox2 projects and they will launch with the system? I bet E3 will answer the question as to what the hell Rare's been doing since being bought out.

Re:Press Release Confusion

[Anonymous Coward]

Oddly enough, a slashdot poster who cites no references is not 100% reliable either.