370°

Why Ninja Theory has joined Microsoft Studios

Huge News! Ninja Theory has joined Microsoft Studios!

majiebeast2184d ago

This studio is dead when the next game inevitably bombs.

BiggerBoss2184d ago

Nahhhh, Microsoft has a good history with studios, just look at Rare!

Skull5212184d ago

Microsoft has the best hardware, best network, and most resources, why wouldn’t you join if offered?

2184d ago
Godmars2902184d ago

" why wouldn’t you join if offered?"

Kinect says hi - (Like the uncle your family warns you about...)

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Silly gameAr2184d ago

Well, let's not jump the gun yet NT is a good studio. Let's see what they have planned for the future.

michellelynn09762184d ago

Jumping the gun? Or sour grapes?

Manic20142183d ago

He's been on every article, I'm guessing sour grapes.

2184d ago
Prubar2184d ago

The upvotes shows how pathetic these fanboys are for a comment so negative. You guys sure make this site a fun place to visit.

zerocarnage2184d ago (Edited 2184d ago )

grow some brains or testys if you can and be real..

gangsta_red2184d ago (Edited 2184d ago )

There it is! here we go with the RIP comments.

joab7772184d ago

So disappointed because they talked so much about owning their IPs and doing it a new way. Hell Blade must have been too hard to make.

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showtimefolks2184d ago

i am glad for them because they went though a lot to make their last game. please watch some of the making of their last game. They were struggling for equipment/money so hopefully ms will provide both and creative freedom

rainslacker2184d ago

Yeah. I can see why they'd want to partner, or in this case be brought out by a major publisher, because they couldn't get funding to make a big game like they wanted. They did great with what they had though, and it's quite impressive what they did with what they had. I wish them the best of luck in the future, but since I can't see them releasing another game this gen, I'll likely not play their next game because I have no interest in buying another Xbox unless MS turns things around big time. PC will likely be an option though, and I can live with that.

jukins2184d ago

Well based on their past they really never delivered a real hit. Everything they release is like 50/50 love or hate it. The exception seems to be their latest which is mostly critically acclaimed but has a niche audience.

Hopefully Microsoft let's them have creative freedom and doesn't just stick with an old ip

showtimefolks2184d ago

jukins

that's true sony did have them do a new IP in heavenly sword and they couldn't deliver but their story telling is good

xer02184d ago (Edited 2184d ago )

Wow. The only winner is the CEO of Ninja Theory.
I'm sure he knows this deal can seriously backfire and shutdown his company.

Heavenly Sword was the only game i bought from Ninja Theory... and it was only half decent.

Does anyone remember what happened to Crytek?
Although they are still independent... they aren't doing as well as they hoped when they inked a deal with MS.

2183d ago
OffRoadKing2183d ago

@ Reaprr

Tell that to Lionhead Studios and Ensemble Studios. Someones clearly fooling them self but its not me

SuperSonic912184d ago

NT had a very bad cocky reputation among the development community. They talked shit with PS3 gamers for getting compared to Naughty Dog and they suffered for that.

Kribwalker2184d ago

they stated in the video they have full control of everything

OffRoadKing2183d ago

lol, we'll see about that. "Full control" as long as they follow the MP/GaaS model Microsoft is pushing, which isn't what Ninja does.

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I_am_Batman2184d ago

Agreed. Even in this video they are emphasising how important creative freedom and risktaking is to them. They were in a position where they achieved that freedom and now they are going back to a major publisher. Hopefully everything pans out for them and Microsoft really gives them the creative freedom they got promised. I'm sceptical though.

SpringHeeledJack2184d ago

Correct, the UK company was just bragging a few months ago how they are independent and don't need anyone big publishers. have these companies not learned from Rare and others? This company will go down hill like the rest, the talent will leave.

Manic20142183d ago

I'm sure they know better than you.

mkis0072184d ago

Well as long as they get that creative freedom this could allow them to 100% focus on making the title they want at high quality.

luckytrouble2184d ago

Too bad creative freedom is what comes with a Sony partnership, not Microsoft. Microsoft’s history of killing acquired studios after forcing the studio a specific direction does not bode well for Ninja Theory.

mkis0072184d ago

Well I assume it's in the contract based on this video.

2184d ago Replies(1)
Kribwalker2184d ago

same reason heavenly sword was exclusive right? because they got paid money?

showtimefolks2184d ago

Correct and they made a good game than talk crap about the community but yes every developer gets paid for making a game

OffRoadKing2183d ago

No wrong, they chose to develop for Sony's platform Sony didn't own them like Microsoft does now. You seem to be confused by what an acquisition is. At least you tried.

Kribwalker2183d ago

@offroadking

they were hired with money to make heavenly sword 🤣🤣🤣

OffRoadKing2183d ago

Look I get that you have to try but the title of the article stated "Why Ninja Theory has joined Microsoft Studios" the answer is as I stated, money. i.e. Microsoft opened up that briefcase and showed them stacks and all that "we want to be independent and do what we want" talk went right out the window. If you think theres another reason I'm happy to hear it otherwise go bother someone else, although I'm sure you already are.

Gazondaily2183d ago

"Microsoft opened up that briefcase and showed them stacks and all that "we want to be independent and do what we want" talk went right out the window. If you think theres another reason I'm happy to hear it otherwise go bother someone else, although I'm sure you already are."

Lol wtf is this post? 😂

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230°

Take-Two CEO Doesn’t Think AI Will Reduce Employment or Dev Costs; “Stupidest Thing” He’s Heard

Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick doesn't think AI will reduce employment or lower development costs, and calls it "stupidest thing" he's ever heard.

lodossrage19h ago(Edited 19h ago)

They already have AI trained to do coding.......

How he thinks it's stupid is beyond me, Especially since we see it happening in real time.

CS717h ago

Company A has 300 employees and lays of 200 to replace them with AI to release the same quality game.

Company B has 300 employees and keeps all 300 but instead uses AI to release a game with dramatically larger scale, scope, complexity, short dev cycle etc.

Company B would release a dramatically better product by using humans + AI and consumers would buy the better game.

I actually agree with this concept.

Huey_My_D_Long17h ago(Edited 17h ago)

This is key facet. Its how the AI is used. It's actually is impressive as is and really would make an amazing addition to alot of people in their jobs, not just tech. It also has the potential for businesses to use to lay off large amounts of people, as much as they could to save money on labor. I hope too many companies don't go with the latter. But since usually companies are worried about bottom line over people...we will see some try and hopefully fail. But yeah, if its to help workers like in your company B scenario I'm totally down...Just scared Company A may be too enticing to some ceos and businesses.

Darkegg16h ago

Value of AI and value of humans will both be increased with human-AI complex. Each, by themselves, will not be independently better than the other. Whether AI will ever be independent from humans is the fear question of humans, ironically because of our doing. At this stage, most of the doing is because of humans, not because of AI. AI is doing exactly that by our design, until we have failed ourselves with an AI development that went awry. The biggest take is that humans have only ourselves to blame when things become wrong, and we have to decide what is the ultimate goal with AI we want to accomplish. It would take a person with high morals and high ethics to make right of AI. I would not want businessman to decide what AI should do or what capabilities it can have. AI should be in the hands of people with high moral fiber, or those operating on love, kindness, and compassion.

BlackOni16h ago

AI is SUPPOSED to be used as a tool, not a replacement. It's designed to do two important things artists can take advantage of immediately.

- Make the ideation/reference imaging process much quicker and easier (basically using it as a google search)
- Make mundane and time consuming tasks faster and easier so more time is spent on creation.

Unfortunately, what many have done is used it as a way to replace rather than supplement.

Einhander197213h ago(Edited 13h ago)

CS7

In the ideal world yes.

In the real world where companies have shown little desire to innovate and spent every effort to maximize profits the end result will be the same quality games (if were lucky) made by less people and more AI.

Company Real World: Fires 200 people and makes the same game cheaper using AI and the executives get record bonuses.

Edit:

Lets look at history, specifically auto manufacturing.

In the 70's and 80's the auto unions tried to oppose automation of jobs (robots) stating that they would take peoples jobs. And the people in charge who wanted to make more money said the exact same types of things that are being said about AI. But we can look at history and see that countless types of jobs were in fact replaced by automation, that was of course even compounded upon by computers.

The net effect was that the rich got richer less jobs were needed so wages were forced down by competition for the jobs that were left.

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Number1TailzFan17h ago

You can already make your own SFX with text prompts now as well, of course it will lower development cost and time

1Victor17h ago(Edited 16h ago)

WARNING WARNING ‼️ SARCASM AHEAD
Sure Strauss and robots didn’t take jobs from car factories.
Edit:Sad thing is he believes it and unfortunately he won’t be replaced for a long time by AI

senorfartcushion15h ago(Edited 15h ago)

He doesn't, he's just lying. These people lay people off so they can get bonuses. If AI takes jobs, their bonus goes bigger and the workforce goes smaller.

porkChop13h ago

Because he sees AI as a tool to aid development. He wants to use AI to help make bigger and better games in the same timeframe. Other CEOs want to replace devs with AI to cut costs and make lifeless games faster for a quick buck. Strauss has the right idea, this is how AI should be used. To extend and expand the capabilities of devs.

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jambola19h ago

Ceo says stupid thing
Part 5837384

Zeref17h ago(Edited 17h ago)

I think maybe sometimes we give people in these positions too much credit when it comes to intelligence.

romulus2317h ago

As long as it doesn't effect his inflated executive salary or his ridiculous bonuses I'm sure he's fine with it.

RNTody17h ago

Hahaha yeah trust the CEO suit over the actual developers making the games. Good one.

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100°

Every PlayStation Studios game available now on Windows PC

Windows Central writes: "Many PlayStation Studios games that are ported to PC get dedicated PS5 DualSense support, which allows users to experience haptic feedback and adaptive trigger support without actually having to own a PS5.

According to Hermen Hulst, head of PlayStation Studios, it's still the company's intent to launch the bigger single-player games on PS5 first, before later bringing the games to PC. This might not be the case for multiplayer games however, which are considered okay to launch simultaneously on console and PC."

Read Full Story >>
windowscentral.com
ocelot072d ago

My guess is after god of war. Probably last of us 2 that's a almost 4 year old game now and by the time it's released on pc it will be more than 4 years old or close to 5.

Elda1d 19h ago

Every old Playstation game that is now on PC.

shinoff21831d 10h ago

Right. I definitely see what a headlined from a website named windows central was trying to do though. It's cute little wordplay to help out the green box

Flewid6381d 9h ago

Are PlayStation games no longer good or worth playing once they are old?

Elda1d 8h ago

I'm guessing my comment went over your head.

XiNatsuDragnel1d 18h ago

Good at least they can sell hardware

220°

Former Activision studio Toys for Bob partners with Xbox to publish its first game as an indie

Former Activision studio Toys for Bob partners with Xbox to publish its first game as an indie. This is something of a homecoming, as Microsoft owns Activision.

Read Full Story >>
engadget.com
Obscure_Observer2d ago

Very very early in development. Still, fantastic news!

Let´s GO!!!

Lightning772d ago

I guess.

How come they didnt either let them go or sell Tango and others to another publisher? Not saying Ubisoft, EA would be any better. (Capcome would of treated them right )

At least it wouldn't be MS of all ppl destroying them.

MS really should let go Tango go like they did TFB here.

darthv722d ago (Edited 2d ago )

one was under Bethesda (Tango) the other under Activision (TFB). Clearly each one handled the separations of their subordinates differently.

Obscure_Observer2d ago (Edited 2d ago )

"How come they didnt either let them go or sell Tango and others to another publisher? Not saying Ubisoft, EA would be any better. (Capcome would of treated them right )"

Perhaps because Zenimax and ABK handles such matters differently based on their own internal policies as "independent" publishers.

Whoever, chances are it´s simply because MS didn´t wanted Tango or Austin to be acquired by competitors and develop new bangers for them, giving MS a bad rep in a possible future. Which could also be the reason why they ensured an exclusive partnership with TFB and its new game, before anyone else.

Sad and disgusting. But it is what it is.

Lightning772d ago (Edited 2d ago )

"Whoever, chances are it´s simply because MS didn´t wanted Tango or Austin to be acquired by competitors and develop new bangers for them, giving MS a bad rep in a possible future."

MS has a bad rep now because those studios are no more. I rather them sell the studio continue to make multiplatform releases, while MS continues to focus on whatever they're doing. If they didn't want Tango around they should separated from them or sell them to, like they did TFB.

It's inexcusable, they have options on how to handle studios they don't want anymore with killing jobs. Not just MS but the rest of the industry also.

Sad and disgusting sure how many will get shut down next year or this year even?

I don't trust MS decisions and motivations at this point. You have to admit they make one dumb move after another.

Obscure_Observer1d 22h ago (Edited 1d 22h ago )

"MS has a bad rep now because those studios are no more. I rather them sell the studio continue to make multiplatform releases, while MS continues to focus on whatever they're doing. If they didn't want Tango around they should separated from them or sell them to, like they did TFB."

Imo, MS separated from TFB because they didn´t had a game associated with Xbox yet, unlike Tango.

"I don't trust MS decisions and motivations at this point. You have to admit they make one dumb move after another."

Fair enough. It was indeed an epic dumb move from them to close Tango.

Still, all to be forgotten, like always have. This is not the first time a big publisher shuts down a beloved and/or successful studio out of nowhere and certainly won´t be the last. Do you remember Lionhead? Do you remember Evolution Studios? Yeah... both were beloved studios and yet, those companies kill those studios in q blink of an eye and got away with it.

anast1d 20h ago (Edited 1d 20h ago )

The studio boss made some money from this transaction. Once the game releases, the studio will get chopped up.

-Foxtrot2d ago

Manages to buy their freedom especially after all the shit Microsoft has been doing with its studios lately

...

Goes right back to them as partners.

Okaaaaaay...

darthv722d ago

Id venture a guess that TFB working directly with MS was a better outcome than working through Activision to get to MS.

VersusDMC2d ago

From the article...

"Toys for Bob spun out as an indie back in February after Microsoft instituted sweeping layoffs that impacted 86 employees, which was more than half of the staff"

I doubt those 86 employees enjoyed the Microsoft experience over Activisions.

Inverno2d ago

MS shuts down studios because of lack of resources and then helps these guys by giving em resources. Also MS is what forced them to buy their freedom in the first place? What kind of logic 😂

Chevalier2d ago

The best thing is that the company that is worth $3 trillion and owns the company instead of Xbox lacks resources. How the hell does a company worth $3 trillion making a measly $70 billion purchase they 'can't' support. Lol

romulus231d 15h ago

Stockholm syndrome, maybe?

BlindMango1d 10h ago

The reason they would need to "partner with Microsoft" is simply to make a game that's part of a franchise that Microsoft owns. Meaning they're probably going to make a new Spyro game - they're still an independent studio, but are making a game in a franchise that Microsoft owns. It's kind of like Remedy partnering with Rockstar to be able to make the Max Payne remakes.

shinoff21831d 10h ago

It was probably the deal to get released from Ms

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Sciurus_vulgaris2d ago (Edited 2d ago )

Xbox’s gaming division seems to still function as 3 semi-autonomous sub-divisions, Xbox Studios, Bethesda and ABK. The three main sub-divisions can seemingly shut down or build studios and set up partnerships independently. This would explain why Bethesda can recently shutdown studios, while ABK spins off one studio, while building a new one. Plus, Toys for Bob could be spun off by ABK, only to immediately re-partner with Microsoft.

Chevalier2d ago

That's absolutely 💯 BS. Any sane 'autonomous' company would NOT put their games on Gamepass day 1 like COD will lose probably billions.

Also they're all under Xbox game studios so any autonomy is an illusion.

PhillyDonJawn1d 16h ago

No, I'm sure MS can and does step in when they want something done specifically but I'm also sure they let them also work independently

shinoff21831d 10h ago

I highly highly doubt this. Ms controls all. The guys aren't gonna be allowed to just shut something down like that without approval. No way

Elda2d ago

Either a kiddie game or something uninteresting.

Obscure_Observer1d 22h ago

Don´t worry. You won´t be playing it anyway since their next game will possible be a next gen Xbox console game.

Elda1d 21h ago (Edited 1d 21h ago )

Don't worry about my comments.

PhillyDonJawn1d 16h ago

Right probably something like astrobot

romulus231d 15h ago

Nah he said "uninteresting", lots of people are interested in Astro Bot.

Elda1d 13h ago

Never Astro Bot. Astro Bot looks better than any exclusive released on XB this entire generation & believe there hasn't been much.

Asplundh1d 13h ago

Crash 4 was good, so I'm hopeful.

PhillyDonJawn1d 12h ago

Hey you said that about SOT and looks like many ppl on PS is playing it. You also found bugsnax interesting ffs your opinion hold no weight lol.

Elda1d 11h ago (Edited 1d 11h ago )

Bugsnax is BS, tried it & quickly deleted it. It's a game that fits right on Gamepass. PS5 owners that are probably playing the boring SOT you could count on one hand. LMAO!!...don't try to come for me.

PhillyDonJawn1d 9h ago

So you admit bugsnax interested you enough to try? 😂 someone gotta call you out on the foolishness.

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