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Microsoft Developing Games For Nintendo DS
DerekJones writes "This week, evidence surfaced confirming that Microsoft is indeed developing games for the DS. It came in the form of two job listings on the official Web site for Rare Ltd., the Britain-based developer of Conker: Live and Reloaded for the Xbox and Perfect Dark Zero for the Xbox 360. Given that Nintendo's handhelds are its main source of revenue, Microsoft creating new content for the DS would be giving ammunition to its archrival in the current- and next-generation console wars."
Sure, I'm anti-microsoft, but that's me as a programmer and system adminsitrator. As a gamer, however, I kind of like what Microsoft does. I'm glad to see them supporting the DS, because it seems to me that the handheld seems to be a little underrated, having been eclipsed in the press by the PSP. Which is a better handheld, I'm not sure, but my wallet says that the DS is more attracitve. ;) Also, two screens is a novel concept, and I'd want to play with it just for that.
I'd wager that MS would consider Sony its primary adversary, not Nintendo. That's probably why they're supporting the DS. It doesn't hurt them because they don't have a portable system, but I bet they'd love it if this hurt Sony (by influencing people to favor DSs over PSPs). In a heads up fight between MS and Nintendo, MS is probably sure they would dominate so they'd like to see Sony as weakened as possible even if it means Nintendo gains a little ground.
The laws of probability forbid it!
I don't think this is too surprising. MS isn't too worried about Nintendo right now, they're really just fighting with Sony in the console domain. Nintendo is out doing their own thing, and even if they weren't, the DS isn't all that connected anyways.
MS sees a potential source of profit with the DS, they don't have a competing portable to push, and if they can make things a little tougher for Sony and their PSP, then that's just a bonus.
MS has been making software for Macs for a long time. They rarely pass up a market that looks like it could make them some money.
One time I threw a brick at a duck.
This seems like it might be a smarter move for MS than one might think. Consider this:
At the moment, Nintendo is the leader in the portable market. The road is littered with machines made by Nintendo's competitors that failed. Microsoft, at the moment, knows nothing about portable consoles, and has no experience. If they were to try right now to produce a handheld X-Box, the attempt might be successful, but it would more likely end in miserable failure. By working with Nintendo, they are gaining experience regarding how running a portable console works. And they're making a profit while they're doing it. In 2-3 years, they'll know quite a bit about how and why GameBoy and the DS are successful. Then, if they feel like it, they can use their knowledge to produce their own handheld. Combine the knowledge they'll have gained with Microsoft's resources and ability to tie into the X-Box and PC market, and they stand a good chance of succeeding where Sega, Atari, and many others have failed.
However, it now appears that Microsoft may be crazy like a fox. This week, evidence surfaced confirming that the company is indeed developing games for the DS.
One word: No. Microsoft is not crazy. Considering that Microsoft is not in the handheld business producing games on a handheld system of a competitor does not hurt them any. This only can add a little bit of profit for them if the game does well.
Additionally, Microsoft gets to choose which handheld they want to support. Since Microsoft seems to be gearing up for a direct confrontation between the Xbox 360 and the PS3, they obviously do not want to support Sony. Since Nintendo has a lower market share in the console division, Microsoft wouldn't feel as threatened by them.
Also, Rare developed a fair share of games for the Nintendo 64. While not all of these were the IP of Rare, I could easilly see a few DS rehashes of Conker's bad fur day and Perfect Dark on the DS. They've still got the code for the 64 versions of those games and a little bit of reworking could get them two games that are likely to do well. Considering their recent dry spell and their lack of any other exciting titles coming out (the next Perfect Dark doesn't look very good at the moment) they need to put something out the door to make some money.
I think this works out well for everyone involved. Rare gets to produce some games that have the potential to sell well. Nintendo gets some games that might sell more DS systems. Gamers get some more games that have the potential to be worth buying.
That is what this is. To ensure the PSP keeps faltering and the DS more attractive, and with owning Rare this is a smart move. Rare has craploads of Nintendo experience and can pump out titles quite easily (something both the DS and PSP desperately need)... however what I don't want to see is Nintendo go the way of Sega and just make software for MS down the road. Nintendo is the last breath of fresh air in the market today, Stealing Rare was a big blow (and one Nintendo should have fought to the death over), I just don't want this to get ugly.. and with MS that is most likely the only outcome.
http://teasphere.wordpress.com - A little spot of tea
I think it is fine that Microsoft is writing game content for the DS, but I hope that is as far as it goes. I don't expect, or believe it is advantageous for Microsoft to port games to the GameCube, or any other competing console.
Microsoft has to learn the difference between total market penetration, and targetted penetration. Rather then dominating the entire market (as they are always intent on doing), they need to learn how to carve out their own niche, and excel in it.
The XBOX has way too many games ported to other platforms, if you have the PC or PS2, or even Gamecube version of an XBOX game, then why buy the XBOX version? Better graphics does not change the fact your playing the same game over again.
I think this is also interesting as it indicates MS is no where near entering the handheld game console market. If MS has anything up their sleeves, I think they would want to keep as much exclusive titles as possible.
I actually don't understand why MS hasn't come out with a portable yet. With the populatrity of PocketPC for PDA's, and the fact that new PDA's are actually coming with 3D graphics accelerators, it would be very easy for MS to create and market their own portable. Time will tell.
I haven't thought of anything clever to put here, but then again most of you haven't either.
1) Assist Nintendo in the hopes that Sony's fledgling handheld business goes the way of the NeoGeo Pocket Color
2) Nintendo again has no competitor in the handheld market
3) Microsoft enters the handheld market
you know it's coming.
Microsoft has made this move before. They teamed up with Sega on the Dreamcast, which despite eventually losing the war to Sony was a pretty decent machine. The DC pioneered online console gaming with its built in modem and ran a version of Windows CE. I suspect that Microsoft took a lot of lessons from the DC into the Xbox later.
To the making of books there is no end, so let's get started
In spite of the DS seeming a little gimmicky it is selling remarkably well due to the original and inovative games that are being released on it.
"Few could have imagined it, but the DS is becoming the most significant new console in Japan since the PS2. What started as a rumbling -- with great novelty games such as Wario and XX/YY -- has recently turned into a full-scale dual-screen uprising led by Electroplankton and Nintendogs. For the past month or so, the DS has been outselling all other hardware (including the PS2 and PSP) and its software is performing equally well. To date, there are around 2.5 million DS owners in Japan."
http://www.gamespy.com/articles/629/629905p1.html
In a lot of ways the DS may be a sign of things to come with the Nintendo Revolution. To start off games that are developed for it are nearly imposible to port to other platforms and yet it can still have games from other platforms ported to it; it is a platform where the Best Ideas seem to be surviving, not just the games that have the largest budget; and it provides simple methods to interact with games that are easy to pick up and understand. In general everything Iwata or Myiamoto have said about the Revolution is also true of the Nintendo DS.
Nintendo may (or may not) succeed at changing the current direction of videogames (and develop new markets); but regardless of the outcome I think that most people will agree that the attempt is needed and that the industry will benefit.
I have seen several people write that if Nintendo fails with their Revolution that we could soon see a colapse in the market. I don't know whether this is true or not but I suspect that if gamers reject inovation in place of bland generic videogames we may see an outcome that is similar to what the movie industry is facing; the focus on 'Big Budget Blockbusters' that are essentially pretty garbage (for example Starwars Episodes 1-3) is what is shrinking the demand, and thus the box office tallies, for movies.
This isn't really all that shocking, really. There's a few points to look at:
1. Microsoft actually isn't a game "developer", they're a game "publisher". The actual developer in question here is Rare, and they've worked with Nintendo oh so famously in the past as a second party. It's all a matter of Microsoft giving an OK and making some bucks off of the Conker, Dark and Banjo games. Why WOULDN'T they do this?
2. Microsoft does have a "handheld" but it's the PocketPC. Being Nintendo has no intentions to enter the PDA market, and Microsoft probably has no intentions to enter the game handheld market (they probably have grown to accept the inevitable Windows-like dominance of Gameboy), they do not view each other as competitors in the handheld market. So this is how Microsoft can make money in this market. An unlikely but possible "payback" would be Nintendo publishing classic games on PocketPC platform, the way Sega does.
3. Related to #2, Sony however DOES have a PDA as well as a game handheld. These being the PalmOS-based Clie and PSP. So they are a rival to both Microsoft and Nintendo. There's no reason Microsoft and Nintendo wouldn't "team up" to compete with Sony here.
4. Microsoft plays nicely, sort of, with its respected competitors. This is why you see Office, Internet Explorer, Windows Media Player and VirtualPC available for Mac OS. They do not have to make these for Mac OS, as they don't make them for Linux. Just as Bill Gates and Steve Jobs have a friendly-competitive history, remember Nintendo and Microsoft are both neighbors in Redmond.
5. As Nintendo has been in the gaming business more than twice as long as Sony, and makes a different type of product aimed at a different crowd, Microsoft probably has some respect for Nintendo in a way that they would not want to try to put them out of business. They probably do not feel the same way towards Sony, who seems to have this "let's put Nintendo out of business" attitued as well as making a game system that targets the same same crowd of people as Xbox. This might be Microsoft's way of sort-of supporting Nintendo and keeping them just that much away from out of business (even though Nintendo does not need their help).
6. Handheld games sell. Franchises like Conker and Dark need handheld homes, and the PocketPC and definitely the PSP are unlikely choices for these.
7. Nintendo has market dominance with both GBA and DS killing PSP in sales. With three systems already in existence, Microsoft probably thought they'd make more money, and it would be safer, to just develop for a platform that already exists rather than making their own.
Point being mainly with #4, Microsoft views Nintendo as an Apple-like competitor (plays nicely with them, realizes they make different products) where as Microsoft views Sony as a Linux-like competitor (product is very similar, viewed as an actual threat).
I just hope this sorta-alliance between Nintendo and Microsoft doesn't fuel the 360-Revolution relation rumors floating around that don't seem to die (Hint: "360" and "Revolution" are related terms)
MS still needs to make good games for the DS, or if what you are saying is true then it will be a wasted effort. MS is probably supporting the DS or infact getting into the handheld market as they probably see them selves with their own handheld in about 3-6 years.
Microsoft already is licensing games for the DS. Majesco is bring out Age of Kings this Christmas.
Dude, I think I can see my house from here.
Please read what I have to say before you mod me offtopic....
This whole thing reminds me of how M$ originally got Apple. They come along offering to make software for their hardware just to get a good peek inside and then take all the info they need and then use it to make a competing product.
DEAD DEAD DEAD DELETE ME
What I really hope for is that this is a signal of things to come. This hint at cooaperation makes me wonder if MS will allow Nintendo to offer old n64 games created by Rare to be downloadable on the rev. Some have wondered if Nintendo needs their blessing at all, Microsofts help would be good. While this by no means proves that MS would make that move, if makes me think that they may be willing to consider it.
Rare also released a couple of GBA games after being bought out by Microsoft. Sure they're entirely owned by MS, but Rare is just one studio. This isn't MSFT iniating a policy of developing games for Nintendo's handhelds, it's merely some of their developers, arguably the ones with the most freedom vs. studios like Bungie (cf. The Rushing of Halo2), continuing to make games like the ones they've been making for years. I'd wager that within five years they won't be making any more games for Nintendo. So basically what I'm saying is that they're not making MORE games for the "competition." If anything, they're making the same amount they used to make for the handhelds, and I'm betting they're actually making fewer and that the number will decrease as time goes by. Goodnight.
Rare developing for DS is hardly unexpected - they have produced GBA titles too (umm, Sabrewulf or whatever it was called?) since the Microsoft bought them!
Rare switched from GameCube to XBox because their owner made it and could also sell it too (<fangrumble>to ignorant sheep</fangrumble>); I guess Rare folks just told Microsoft "nobody buys WinCE devices for gaming, so we'll do handheld games for Nintendo platforms, until you can make something more popular". Microsoft hasn't made anything even remotely as interesting as GBA or DS, and they aren't even *trying*, so they can't have any plausible reason to tell Rare not to develop for GBA and DS!
Hell, even Square-Enix makes GBA games, even when they're part owned by Sony...
A quick search on google shows that Microsoft has several titles available for GBA and Age of Empires is coming soon to DS....this is hardly news.
More over the lessons learned, and paid for by consumers, can make their way into making their third version of XNA studio something of *the* way to make a commercial game. Sony only starts to look like a pretty crappy choice if Microsoft can reasonably deliver on a write once, target anything promise. Maybe our OpenBSD toaster ovens will be able to run Commander Keen X courtesy of Microsoft.