RetroGamingUK
Member
In the week that Microsoft announced “Muse”, a tool that allows them to generate gameplay using AI, I think Kotick’s words are very poignant.
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Bobby Kotick told Microsoft “You shouldn’t be in gaming, you’re not a creative company”
- Thread starter RetroGamingUK
- Start date
- Business
In the week that Microsoft announced “Muse”, a tool that allows them to generate gameplay using AI, I think Kotick’s words are very poignant.
Sebastian1295
Member
Microsoft used to be creative like when the original xbox launched and the xbox 360 era as well. The issue is that they lost their identity as a gaming publisher at the beginning of the xbox one era and they never had the right person in charge to steer the ship in the direction that they needed to go after peter moore left the company.
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Killjoy-NL
Member
What a question.
Everything took a nosedive.
Everything took a nosedive.
RetroGamingUK
Member
I remember during the acquisitions of Bethesda and later Activision people pointing out the pedigree and history of these companies and their IP.
But these companies peaked during the PS3/360 days. The output of Bethesda Game Studios has already declined heavily with the likes of Fallout 76, and Call of Duty is nowhere near its best.
After Fallout 76 and Starfield, I don’t expect anything great to come from Elder Scrolls VI, they’re simply not the same studio.
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Loomy
Thinks Microaggressions are Real
Imagine going to a restaurant, ordering food, expecting that food to be made by someone who loves cooking and sharing that with people, and instead being served a big mac combo.
Going to a concert, expecting to hear music from people who love music, who love creating music and sharing with people, and having to listen to whatever stolen garbage MusicAgent spat out.
These people don't care about the art and science of making games. Or the cultural relevance of video games. And then Phil, typical Phil Spencer, fucking lies about how it's going to help with game preservation.
Yes, it's a business, they're in it to turn a profit, nothing wrong with that. But at least fucking love the business you're in.
Going to a concert, expecting to hear music from people who love music, who love creating music and sharing with people, and having to listen to whatever stolen garbage MusicAgent spat out.
These people don't care about the art and science of making games. Or the cultural relevance of video games. And then Phil, typical Phil Spencer, fucking lies about how it's going to help with game preservation.
Yes, it's a business, they're in it to turn a profit, nothing wrong with that. But at least fucking love the business you're in.
RetroGamingUK
Member
Weren’t Halo and Gears “2nd party games”? They didn’t own Bungie or Epic.
JerryinSoCal
Member
Epic made Gears and MS bought it, it was originally going to be a multiplatform title, Halo was already in development at Bungie when MS bought them as well. It's totally fair that a company that gets into the hardware business has to buy developers but MS hasn't really created their own IP or successful studios that they started from scratch other than Forza.
RetroGamingUK
Member
Funnily enough it’s sim games that Microsoft do best at in terms of being ground up Microsoft games.
Flight Sim obviously being the other one.
But there’s no creativity here.
Forza and Gran Turismo are not the result of creativity in the same way that OutRun, Ridge Racer and Daytona were.
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Killjoy-NL
Member
What if Nadella only keeps Xbox around to test and develop AI?
clarky
Gold Member
They owned Bungie.
winjer
Member
Halo was nearly finished when MS bought Bungie.
For a while, Halo was going to be the killer game for the Mac.
And then it became the killer game for the Xbox.
While Bungie was a part of Xbox, they had plenty of freedom to express their own creativity. And were not bound by MS internal culture.
clarky
Gold Member
Didn't realise there was a time frame after purchase when a studio becomes first party.
Fully aware of the history of Halo btw, and yes even the existence of the PS2 version.
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Banjo64
cumsessed
And?
SkylineRKR
Member
Original Xbox had a good vision. They jumped into that PC game void that was lacking on JP designed systems. They bridged this gap, but they had ample typical console software too.
Its depends on the key people steering the ship. Original Xbox had guys like Ed Fries, who signed Bungie and had an affection with gaming. J Allard and others really pushed for the Xbox project within MS. They wanted to compete with Playstation. These are the guys that sign the correct studios and IP, because they know what they're dealing with.
Its depends on the key people steering the ship. Original Xbox had guys like Ed Fries, who signed Bungie and had an affection with gaming. J Allard and others really pushed for the Xbox project within MS. They wanted to compete with Playstation. These are the guys that sign the correct studios and IP, because they know what they're dealing with.
Insanemaelstrom
Member
Gran turismo has had the biggest impact on racing sims, none even comes close. The campaign and structure laid out in gran turismo is followed by all racing sims till date. Forza had some great games but it is plain wrong to say gran turismo hasn't been creative. Infact, even for forza, they have added their own mix and done some great things during their peak years.
kazuyamishima
Member
He really warned them.
Ogbert
Member
Sure, of course.
But that’s the case with pretty much everyone bar Nintendo and Sega.
And they were acquisitions that leveraged MS’ technology and supported the Xbox live revolution.
Reaseru
Member
He's a fucking hypocrite, that's why. For money he would sold his mother to the devil.
He should keep his mouth shut.
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SJRB
Gold Member
35 years go Steve Jobs already had Microsoft pegged and they haven't changed a bit.
They have no taste, no culture. It's a meandering blob, soulless, no spirit, no innovation. They're not in it out of a belief but because they want to make money. They try to brute force their way into a domain but tap out the moment this doesn't work because they're literally incapable of coming up with innovative ideas of their own.
Xbox is failing because they thought throwing raw power and an obscene amount of money at something would magically create customer value. How wrong they were, yet again.
They have no taste, no culture. It's a meandering blob, soulless, no spirit, no innovation. They're not in it out of a belief but because they want to make money. They try to brute force their way into a domain but tap out the moment this doesn't work because they're literally incapable of coming up with innovative ideas of their own.
Xbox is failing because they thought throwing raw power and an obscene amount of money at something would magically create customer value. How wrong they were, yet again.
N30RYU
Member
Anyone thinks otherwise? They need to release games to keep ppl subscribed... they need to release a TOP games monthy or pay anyone to put said game on the catalog... they don't even have the time or the luxury to care about the quality of what they develop by delaying something.. and with more and more studios they don't even are capable of controlling what are they even doing wrong or right... ending up closing divisions that work per se...
They don't even are wanted on PS5 for what they can bring new from their past IPs... they are wanted for what they can bring an remaster from the 360 era... and what they won't twist about the developers they just bought before they became a shell too.
They don't even are wanted on PS5 for what they can bring new from their past IPs... they are wanted for what they can bring an remaster from the 360 era... and what they won't twist about the developers they just bought before they became a shell too.
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winjer
Member
There isn't. A studio is either first or third party.
The question is how much freedom does a first party studio have.
And Bungie did have a significant leeway to make the games they wanted, as long as they wanted to just make Halo.
When Bungie wanted to make other games, and MS wanted them to keep making Halo games, that's when they split up.
cireza
Member
This does feel true for MS, but let's not kid ourselves : this applies to a ton of companies nowadays.
DJ12
Member
Two games they brought......
Chukhopops
Member
Yeah on top of all the other problems with Kotick he turned formerly unique and creative studios into GaaS factories.Says who converted all Activision Studios into COD support Studios......
It still shocks me to this day that there are Kotick defenders existing somewhere on this planet.
vaibhavpisal
Member
They offer great system, backwards compatibility, gamepass etc
While their studios take care of creative side of things. I don’t see the problem here.
Is windows team making games for xbox system? That could be problematic, but doesn’t seem the case here.
While their studios take care of creative side of things. I don’t see the problem here.
Is windows team making games for xbox system? That could be problematic, but doesn’t seem the case here.
GHG
Gold Member
I've said exacty the same thing before. They don't understand the space, and it shows. There was a brief time, when they had the right people in charge, during the 360 era when they did a miraculous job and did some amazing things in the face of the internal headwinds they would have been facing at the time, but as soon as those people left they reverted to form.
There's absolutely no synergy with any of their other business areas, it doesn't complement anything else that they do.
Of the western tech giants, Apple would be a far better fit and could yield some interesting and unique results.
Yes, the "hypocrite" who pretty built Activision from scratch since taking them over in 1991.
There's absolutely no synergy with any of their other business areas, it doesn't complement anything else that they do.
Of the western tech giants, Apple would be a far better fit and could yield some interesting and unique results.
Yes, the "hypocrite" who pretty built Activision from scratch since taking them over in 1991.
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Physiognomonics
Member
But they do know how to make money buy buying (creative) things at the right time and price. But let's not kid ourself as they are not here to help humanity (they are just pretending doing).
They are there to enslave humanity and get richer while doing so.
They are there to enslave humanity and get richer while doing so.
Banjo64
cumsessed
That doesn’t make him a hypocrite at all.
Loomy
Thinks Microaggressions are Real
That is precisely why Xbox is still around. Xbox has over 100 million MAUs. That's what Microsoft cares about.
Killjoy-NL
Member
Then it wouldn't be far-fetched to expect Nadella to pull the plug when he's done messing around.
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mansoor1980
Member
the moment bobby said it........................
SJRB
Gold Member
He’s a business man, and a great one at that.
Laptop1991
Member
I wasn't happy when Microsoft bought control of a lot of PC gaming with the acquisition of studios in recent times, i've known MS since 1995 on PC and they always want too much control and don't like open source, and drop things like a hat, ie Windows phone, Zune, Vista etc, they make most of their money from software not gaming so it's just a hobby to them in the end, and so far they haven't released great games like Phil said they wouldn't, so i for one agree with Kotick and i've used Windows more or less daily for 30 years.
P:axMagellanic
Member
Nadella even talks like a goofy twat.
MS made great pc games in the 90s, probably because they were a small enough outfit to go relatively unnoticed by Gates.
MS made great pc games in the 90s, probably because they were a small enough outfit to go relatively unnoticed by Gates.
Loomy
Thinks Microaggressions are Real
Look at what Netflix did last year. Got rid of most of their Team Blue developers in the middle of creating a game and started an entire GenAI game division inside Netflix. They're not looking to create the next Journey or Celeste here. They want quick throwaway games a small team can put together fast and use GenAI to pump out additional levels/content based on work done by humans.
This is going to be a gigantic pain in the ass in AAA space eventually, but in the short/medium term - great indie games are going to have a harder time standing out.
ToadMan
Member
Bobby is right.
Like him or hate him, he knows how to make money from games and presided over some blockbuster content.
MS made a big mistake letting him go while keeping the Xbox management they have.
All of that kumbaya shit about unions looks pretty silly from this side of the ABK acquisition. Can't unionise if MS have closed your company or put the staff on 18 month contracts.
Like him or hate him, he knows how to make money from games and presided over some blockbuster content.
MS made a big mistake letting him go while keeping the Xbox management they have.
All of that kumbaya shit about unions looks pretty silly from this side of the ABK acquisition. Can't unionise if MS have closed your company or put the staff on 18 month contracts.