In the final chapter of this epic journey, we will uncover the last piece of the puzzle. We will conclude by unveiling all the possible announcements to be made from Microsoft at E3 09 and throughout the rest of the year. The announcements will include the expected, the predicted, and the rumored.
Before we begin this final chapter, I must urge you to read the previous articles if you have not done so already. My reason for insisting is that we are on a journey to reach a certain outcome. If you choose not to read the previous articles, you will not have a solid foundation for the main concept that will be presented later on. As a result, neither will you be able to comprehend all the important aspects of this argument, nor will you enjoy this experience at the level you truly deserve. Therefore, I will provide you with the proper tools to journey back in time, if you ever choose to do so; the links to the past are as follow:
(Chapter One: The Beginning): http://www.hiphopgamershow.com/?p=8866
(Chapter Two: The MMO): http://www.hiphopgamershow.com/?p=9583
(Chapter Three: The Newcomer): http://www.hiphopgamershow.com/?p=9642
(Chapter Four: The Ally): http://www.hiphopgamershow.com/?p=9734
(Chapter Five: The Paradigm): http://www.hiphopgamershow.com/?p=9825
(Chapter Six: The Following):: http://www.hiphopgamershow.com/?p=9927
(Chapter Seven: The Massacre): http://www.hiphopgamershow.com/?p=9963
Back to the topic at hand, let us begin this last chapter, in our epic journey, that will reveal to you the final reason for the inevitable domination of the Xbox 360 in 2009.
21 ) Announcements:
Announcing titles that will not be coming out this year would generate quite a buzz for Microsoft; it would create a ripple effect that would continue beyond 2009. After all, when Killzone 2 and Metal Gear Solid 4 were revealed for the first time, back in 2005, not only did the hype last for three years until they were finally released, but it actually succeeded in convincing a large number of gamers to ignore the Xbox 360!
This section will cover all the possible announcements regarding future titles, and will include all predictions and rumors that could materialize as being true in 2009. Even though Microsoft is known for announcing titles that are only close to being released, it would make sense for them to make a few exciting announcements this year regarding future projects; after all, the last time they did that was back in 2006!
Therefore, it is my belief that the possible announcements are as follow:
Kojima Titles:
Imagine Hideo Kojima taking the stage during the Microsoft press conference to announce one or more of the following:
1. Metal Gear Solid 4 will finally be coming to the Xbox 360 some time this year.
2. The New IP by Kojima will be an Xbox 360 exclusive.
3. Zone of The Enders 3 will be an Xbox 360 exclusive.
4. Metal Gear Solid 5 will be an Xbox 360 exclusive!
Before anyone has an embolism, let me explain why this scenario is highly likely to occur.
First, from a business standpoint, releasing MGS4 on the Xbox 360 would be a smart move due to the fact that it has a larger installed base and a more tempting price tag; it is also common sense to state that releasing a title on multiple platforms would increase the potential profit expected from that title.
Konami would be naive to announce an Xbox 360 version of the game before releasing it on the PS3 or right after simply because it would dramatically hurt the sales of the PS3 version. Meaning, if an Xbox 360 owner wants to play MGS4 but doesn’t own a PS3, he would have to buy a PS3 in order to play that game; however, the only thing that would stop him from doing that would be to know that an Xbox 360 version is on the way. Therefore, I believe that E3 09 would be the perfect time to announce an Xbox 360 version of the game. After all, having the title as a PS3 exclusive for a whole year is more than enough to satisfy PS3 owners and maximize sales. In fact, if they do not release an Xbox 360 version of the title, from a financial aspect, that would have to be the dumbest move that Konami has ever done in history.
Second, in several interviews, not only did Kojima express his interest in working on the Xbox 360, but he also hinted at his next project possibly being an Xbox 360 title. Furthermore, he made it quite clear to everyone that when he develops a title for a specific platform, he likes to focus on that platform alone, in order to take complete advantage of its hardware.
Third, in several interviews, when asked about Zone of the Enders 3, Kojima stated that he has not yet decided which console to release it on; according to him, it could the PS3, or it could be the Xbox 360! Given the fact that he always expressed his excitement to work on the Xbox 360 hardware, I would expect Zone of the Enders 3 to be exclusive to Microsoft’s machine.
Fourth, back in December of 2005, in issue 152 of Game Informer, when asked about the possibility of MGS4 coming to the Xbox 360, Kojima stated that he started the project on the PS3; therefore, he would prefer to focus on that version only. However, in that same interview, he did hint at the possibility of developing MGS5 on the Xbox 360 and focus on that version only! In fact, his exact words were the following: ” if I were to create MGS5 or another title for the 360, I would create solely for the 360, taking advantage of the hardware, and would not convert to PS3″.
Fifth, according to Kotaku, the current countdown on the flash page, created by Kojima, is but one of five clocks that will run on the site over the next few weeks. However, what’s interesting about this is that the fifth one runs out on the 1st of June 2009. In other words, the day of Microsoft’s E3 press conference, which would suggest an Xbox 360 exclusive announcement is imminent. In fact, I truly believe that when the countdown ends, the title that Kojima is teasing gamers with will turn out to be Zone of the Enders 3! If you don’t believe me, then click on the following link, and you will change your mind:
http://www.hiphopgamershow.com/?p=10072
Lastly, correct me if I’m wrong, but as far as I remember, during the Metal Gear announcement in GDC 09, Kojima did not reveal a specific platform, did he?
The Sons of Ensemble:
On the 9th of September 2008, Microsoft announced that Ensemble will be closing after the release of Halo Wars. In an email announcing the closing of Ensemble, Phil Spencer, Head of Microsoft Game Studios, stated: “Following the closure, the Ensemble leadership team will form a new entity and have agreed to partner with Microsoft to develop future products and provide support for Halo Wars post launch. While the new company will be hiring a portion of the Ensemble employees, its size and resources prevent it from offering positions to the entire Ensemble team. We hope to integrate much of this creative talent into MGS or the broader IEB team”.
As expected, in early 2009, out of the ashes, three development houses emerged: Robot Entertainment, Bonfire Studios, and Windstorm Studios.
Robot Entertainment was founded by Tony Goodman, Founder and Former Head of Ensemble Studios. Its 45 staff members are made up entirely of former Ensemble employees. They are currently providing online support and community management for Halo Wars, and are working together with Microsoft Game Studios on Halo Wars DLC, which was recently released. In addition to providing support for current titles, they are also making the next installment of Age of Empires, as well as their own original IP. With Robot teaming up with the internal MGS team, all made up of former Ensemble employees, it would only be a matter of time before the Halo Wars sequel is finally revealed. In fact, according to the latest rumor, Halo Wars 2 is already in development. In case no one was paying attention, the 100% Completion achievement description in Halo Wars did read “Ready for the Sequel”.
Bonfire Studios was founded by David Rippy, former Producer of Ensemble Studios. The studio is comprised entirely of former Ensemble staff members. In an interview with Game Informer, when asked about working on RTS games, he replied: “Ensemble was kind of a victim of its own success as an RTS shop. As hard as we tried, we were never able to have one of our non-RTS prototypes greenlit, largely because we were ‘the RTS guys’. Our first game is something completely different than what we’ve done in the past. I think our games will always have a strong strategy element to them, though, since that is one of the core strengths of the team”. Rippy also added: “Ensemble had an incredible group of highly talented people and the companies coming out of it are really made up of the best of the best. Ensemble was one of the few studios with two A-teams”. David Rippy is currently serving as the CEO of Bonfire.
Windstorm Studios was founded by Dusty Monk, former Ensemble staff member. According to its Founder and President, Monk, Their mission is “to bring a new era to online gaming“. He also said: “We’re not quite ready to reveal all of the details of what we’re working on just yet, but we can promise you this - it will be an online game unlike anything you’ve ever seen“.
According to my research, Ensemble Studios had several titles in the works including a rumored MMO Halo Project. In fact, according to a Gamasutra tour around the Ensemble offices prior to its closure, there were many games that never saw the light of day. Internally, the studio would prototype new game ideas, select the best ones, develop early builds, and then pitch them to Microsoft. Of those games, Gamasutra witnessed the concept art of the following:
1. Sorcerer: is a fantasy-adventure RPG title.
2. Nova: is a Diablo-like game that is set in space and involves pirates
3. Wrench: is a platformer game.
4. Bam: is a Ratchet & Clank-style platformer title.
5. Agent: is a platformer title with Tomb Raider gameplay, and The Incredibles-inspired art style and universe
Now that all three development houses are independent, they have creative freedom and control over their pet projects. Thus, it would make sense to expect some of these titles to emerge in the near future.
Smith & Tinker:
This electronic entertainment company was founded in 2007 by Jordan Weisman, Tim Lebel, and Joe Lawandus. The name of the company is based upon the fictional characters Smith and Tinker, an artist and an inventor who are briefly mentioned in the Land of Oz series of books. This is supported by the mention of Emerald City on the company’s Website.
This company was founded over a year before the official closing of FASA studios, the Microsoft-owned developer responsible for the cult classic Crimson Skies: High Road To Revenge that was released on the original Xbox. In fact, FASA’s last title was Shadowrun, a highly-creative multiplayer FPS that was released in May of 2007.
In September of 2007, Microsoft officially closed FASA Studios. However, on the 15th of October 2007, FASA founder Jordan Weisman announced that his new venture, Smith & Tinker, had licensed, from Microsoft, the rights to his previous creations including MechWarrior, Shadowrun, Crimson Skies, and other FASA titles. He also mentioned that he would be announcing plans for these intellectual properties at a later date.
It would be quite interesting to hear announcements, at E3 09, regarding sequels to these franchises.
Ruffian Games:
According to Gamesindusrty, in January of 2009, Ruffian Games was announced as a new independent studio currently working on a project for a major international publishing company. The team includes veterans from Climax, DMA Design, and Realtime Worlds, who have worked on a number of AAA titles including Crackdown, Project Gotham Racing, Fable 2, and Grand Theft Auto. Nevertheless, it would be important, at this point, to clarify that the majority of the team has worked on Crackdown.
Additionally, Billy Thompson, Ruffian’s Creative Director, made the following statement: “We want to provide an online experience rivaling any other through co-operative and competitive multiplayer gaming“. He went on to say: “Online play is the future of gaming and we’re incredibly excited about where that is going to take us.”
More importantly, according to VG247, Microsoft is currently funding Ruffian Games specifically to develop Crackdown 2. That would make sense, especially since Realtime Worlds is too busy with APB. Interestingly enough, in a recent podcast, Major Nelson, Xbox Live’s Director of Programming, told Phil Spencer the following: “I’m here to tell you on behalf of the community, I want – we need – another Crackdown. That’s all I’m going to say, so you don’t have to confirm nor deny anything. I’m just saying we want it”. Surprisingly, Spencer replied: “Yes, Crackdown’s one of my favourites. I’ll leave it at that”.
From a financial standpoint, the safest investments in games, in these harsh times, would have to be sequels to blockbuster franchises. Meaning, Ruffian would be better off making a Crackdown sequel than a new IP. If we also add the fact the the first installment sold more than 1.5 million copies, it would be obvious to everyone why a Crackdown sequel is not only possible, but inevitable. In fact, I believe that E3 09 will be the place in which this blockbuster sequel will finally be unveiled.
Project Dimitri:
According to an article posted on Ripten, in early 2008, the only piece of information that we know regarding Project Dimitri is that it will allow the player to relive their individual life. However, in an interview with Gamersglobal in March of 2008, when asked about his next project, Peter Molyneux, Founder of Lionhead Studios, replied: “Dimitri was always an experimental thing, which is why I never showed it. And then it moved from that experiment to a moment in time that happened six months ago when a discovery was made, and this discovery has been so exciting that it has lead to Lionhead focusing on it and sculpting a game around that. I think that discovery is so significant… This discovery has lead us to start a game and that game will be on the front cover of Nature magazines and Science magazines“.
Despite the fact that this title will probably see the light of day in 2010, I believe that Peter Molyneux is only a week away from unveiling Dimitri to the masses.
Turn 10 Studios:
According to an article posted on Addictgaming in September of 2008, Turn 10, the developer of the Forza franchise, is currently working on the next installment of the Project Gotham Racing series. The idea makes sense since Bizarre Creations is no longer able to develop the PGR series due to the fact that it is currently an Activision-owned studio. More importantly, Turn 10 is more than qualified to take this franchise to the next level. The news came from an undisclosed Turn 10 employee that said that Microsoft assigned them to PGR5.
It would be very interesting to observe how this rumor plays out.
Gearbox Software:
I would not be surprised if, at E3 09, Microsoft announces the acquisition of Gearbox Software in addition to announcing it as the developer of the next Halo installment. They are the best choice for the next Halo project and my reasons for stating that are as follow:
First, this video game developer started with developing expansions to the game Half-Life. Prior to Half-Life 2, Gearbox had developed or helped develop every Half-Life expansion game or port, including Opposing Force, Blue Shift, Counter-Strike, Condition Zero, Half-Life for the Sony PlayStation 2 (Half-Life Decay), and Half-Life for the Sega Dreamcast. As a result, not only are they currently experts in the FPS genre, but they are experienced in developing games for consoles as well.
Second, they also worked on porting games from console to PC; their most important project was Halo: Combat Evolved. Meaning, not only are they familiar with the franchise due to the fact that they have worked on it, but they have a good professional relationship with Microsoft as well.
Third, the fact that they are developing Borderlands means that they are adding to their experience the open-world FPS genre, which could be an interesting new direction for the Halo franchise.
Lastly, the fact that they have been working on Aliens: Colonial Marines and Borderlands means that they are becoming more experienced in sci-fi, which is exactly the kind of developer that Microsoft would need for the Halo franchise.
Thus, it would be fair to expect such an announcement to come from Microsoft at this year’s E3, and when it does, do not be surprised.
Capcom:
On the 28th of April 2009, on the Capcom-Unity Twitter account, the company wrote the following: “You think we have great titles now? Wait ’til we announce two more at E3!”. According to Gamezine, one of the titles will surprise us, and the other will not. According to Gamepro, on the 20th of May 2009, Capcom Unity blog and OMG Nintendo revealed that the Tatsunoko VS Capcom will be making it’s way to the U.S. The game was set to be one of two “mystery games” that Capcom was to reveal at E3 09, but due to a photo that was released, displaying the new issue of Nintendo Power with a two page spread of the game, they had no choice but to reveal it as soon as possible.
Interestingly enough, according to criousgamer, when asked whether or not Devil May Cry 5 would be the secret title to be unveiled at E3 09, Capcom immediately replied by saying: “It’s a title fans have been waiting for, everyone will have to wait until E3 to find out what the secret title exactly is but we can tell it is definitely not Devil May Cry 5“.
To make things even more interesting, according to NintendoEverything, immediately after responding to criousgamer, Capcom wrote, on its unity twitter, the following: “Hot rumor bust of the day: Capcom E3 Mystery Title #2 is not — repeat, NOT — Devil May Cry 5. Now, what do you think it is? Ooo, yer asking for a big hint. So: established Capcom IP…It is NOT a remake”.
Regardless, I believe that at E3 09, Capcom will announce one of the following titles:
1. Onimusha 5: this will be my pick.
2. Dino Crisis 4: it will have a lower chance than the rest, but still possible.
3. Power Stone 3: it would be like a dream come true.
More importantly, the title to be announced is rumored to be an Xbox 360 exclusive.
Edge of Reality:
Cipher Complex is a third-person action stealth title that is currently being developed by Edge of Reality for both the Xbox 360 and PS3. It will be the first fast-paced stealth title in gaming history. According to IGN, the gameplay will revolve around “aggressive infiltration”. In other words, instead of sitting in a dark corner waiting for a guard to walk by, players will actively push through enemies in order to move forward in the game. More importantly, Edge of Reality has hired Mark Bristol to write a compelling story for the game. For those of you that are not familiar with his work, he is a storyboard artist and film director that has worked on multiple Hollywood projects including The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe, and Equilibrium. Bristol’s major source of inspiration, for the game’s story, was the documentary Why We Fight.
Regardless of the long period of silence, according to several sources, Edge of Reality will be revealing the game to the public, for the very first time, at E3 09. Despite being announced as a multiplatform title, there have been recent rumors suggesting that the title might actually be published by Microsoft; as a result, it would be exclusive to the Xbox 360. Lastly, my question to you is this: Could this title be the rumored “Metal Gear Solid Killer” that Microsoft saw behind closed doors in late 2007?
Modern Warfare 2:
Despite the fact that many gamers will violently oppose this prediction, there is a very good chance that what they fear most might actually take place. I believe that Modern Warfare 2 might be coming to the Xbox 360 exclusively, and my reasons for stating that are as follow:
First, despite the fact that Microsoft will have a strong line-up in the Fall with Halo: ODST, Splinter Cell: Conviction, Forza Motorsport 3, and possibly Alan Wake, they still need all the help they can get. To be more specific, they need more third party exclusives, and Modern Warfare 2 would be a perfect one.
Second, they have proven beyond a shadow of a doubt that they are willing to do whatever it takes to win this console war, and they know that securing this title would be a massive boost towards that desired outcome.
Third, they clearly have the financial backing that will support them in taking such an action. A permanent exclusive will obviously cost them an arm and a leg; therefore, a timed-exclusive would be a better way to go. In fact, three months would be more than enough to tip the scales in Microsoft’s favor. After all, do you actually believe that anyone would wait for the PS3 version of the sequel to one the best games of all time when the Xbox 360 version would be available in stores?
Fourth, they are known to pay third party publishers in order for their titles to be released on the Xbox 360 exclusively instead of being released as multiplatform titles. Why do you think The Last Remnant, the JRPG developed and published by Square Enix, never saw the light of day on the PS3 despite being previously announced as a multiplatform title?
Fifth, they are currently finalizing a deal with Activision to release Tony Hawk: Ride exclusively on the Xbox 360 in the UK. Thus, it would not be too hard for Microsoft to discuss another deal involving one of Activision’s best selling franchises.
Lastly, this game is a system seller. If they wanted to choose a single third party title to secure as an exclusive this would be it, and Microsoft is well aware of this fact; they know exactly what this title can do for them; they know that it has the potential to move consoles like there is no tomorrow. After all, Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare has sold over 7.3 million copies on the Xbox 360 and over 4.2 million copies on the PS3. In fact, according to Activision publishing CEO Mike Griffith, he recently stated that the game has sold over 13 million copies worldwide since its release in November of 2007.
Regardless of your reaction to this, one thing is clear, the possibility exists, and we will soon find out the truth regarding this matter. However, if Microsoft does make that announcement, just remember the source of that prediction.
Epic Games:
It would make sense for Microsoft to announce, at E3 09, that it has finally acquired Epic games. Let me explain why this prediction would be more than likely to take place:
First, Epic Games has been licensing the Unreal Engine to many developers. By acquiring Epic Games, Microsoft will be acquiring the Unreal Engine. As a result, they will be licensing the engine to other developers and will be profiting in the process.
Second, it is well known that Epic has been working on several new IPs that are expected to be multiplatform. If Microsoft were to acquire the Gears of War developer, not only would they be securing these titles as exclusives for their console, but they would be expanding their first party library as well.
Third, given the fact that Epic games owns the Gears of War IP, it would be wise to secure the franchise as an exclusive by acquiring its developer and owner. Besides, that would give Microsoft the chance to expand the Gears of War franchise in the same way they are expanding the Halo one.
At the end of the day, even if an acquisition does not take place, I would still expect Epic to announce a new exclusive IP for the Xbox 360.
On a side note, I believe that Brute Force was an interesting idea that was executed poorly. Despite the fact that it broke records and beat Halo in its first-week sales, it was nothing more than a mediocre game. Regardless, its issues can easily be corrected if they decide to take their time with the sequel. More importantly, I believe that the only developer that would be able to do this franchise justice is Epic Games, wouldn’t you agree?
Oddworld Inhabitants:
This development studio is responsible for a list of games that are considered, by millions, to be some of the most innovative games of all time. Lorne Lanning, President and co-founder of Oddworld Inhabitants, is a genius; he is one of the most creative minds in the gaming industry. In fact, I would go as far as calling him “Kojima of the West!“. The only difference would be that he has more talent than the Metal Gear Solid creator. After all, he is a Writer, an Artist, a Creative Director, a Game Designer, a Voice Actor, and an Animated Film Director! He developed both Oddworld Munch’s Odyssey and Oddworld Stranger’s Wrath for the original Xbox, which were considered to be two of the best games on that platform.
Munch’s Odyssey was one of the best adventure platformers in the last decade, and Stranger’s Wrath was one of the most creative and innovative FPS titles in gaming history. In fact, when asked by TeamXbox what makes Stranger’s Wrath stand out as an FPS title, Lanning replied: “The sheer size of the acreage in our playing fields, the number of characters and animations on screen when in full combat, the AI combat and NPC witnessing behavior, real time music scoring that relates directly to the NPC AI mind states, memory management and streaming, set decorators (plantlife), the number of destructible objects, Depth of Field and other various real time distortion visual effects, etc. All of these aspects and more were pushed hard to try to make Stranger a unique experience“.
Moreover, there are a few more creative and innovative elements in Stranger’s Wrath that have not been mentioned. For example, it was the first title to introduce depth of field in games. It was also the first FPS title to introduce First-Person to Third-Person instant shifting. Meaning, you were able to switch from FP to TP and vice versa seamlessly and instantly at anytime during the game rather than in certain situations, which gave you the ability to play through the entire game with either perspective! Furthermore, in addition to it being the only title in gaming history that requires hunting your ammo, it is also the only title in history that has live ammo! In other words, throughout the game, your ammo is composed of living creatures! In fact, when it comes to stealth kills and setting traps for enemies, Stranger’s Wrath easily surpasses Farcry.
For those of you that are not familiar with the franchise, Oddworld is a fictional universe presented in video game form. It is a planet with the main continent being Mudos. The games that are set in the Oddworld universe have a common theme: the planet’s peaceful nature is in danger of being consumed by the industrial ambition of sadistic corporations.
Originally designed as a quintology, the only official Oddworld titles were Abe’s Odyssey and Munch’s Odyssey. However, there were other spin-off titles like Abe’s Exoddus and Stranger’s Wrath. Despite the fact that there were three titles remaining in order to complete the quintology, Oddworld Inhabitants decided to put aside these projects due to their decision to move into animated films. Titles that were expected from the studio but never actually made it out the door include Squeek’s Odyssey, Nod’s Odyssey, Munch’s Exoddus, SligStorm, The Hand of Odd, and the rumored game titled “The Brutal Ballad of Fangus Klot“.
The studio is currently working on Citizen Siege, a CGI movie produced by John H. Williams, the Producer of Shrek, that will also spawn a game. According to an interview with Gamereactor back in 2007, when asked about the movie, Lanning replied: “Citizen Siege is scheduled to be a computer animated action political thriller with a little bit of Sci-fi. It’s kind of intense, so it’s much more mature than we would expect for animated films out of America today. So it’ll probably be PG13, but it’ll have a lot of intensity that we’re familiar with from more live action films. It’s dark and uplifting for dark times that need hope. The inspiration that created Oddworld is very similar to the inspiration that’s creating Citizen Siege’s universe, except it’s more relevant to exactly today, and what’s going on today in the political landscape. It’s sort of a menacing view of a possible future“.
Despite being hard at work on their upcoming CGI movie, according to several sources, they are also developing a new Oddworld game. It is not clear, at the moment, whether or not it will be the third quintology title or another spin-off game. According to an article posted on Gamasutra in May of 2008, Jeff Braun, co-founder of Maxis, the studio behind The Sims and Spore that was also co-founded by Will Wright, confirmed that they are working on a new Oddworld game. In fact, Braun told the audience that the game would feature a “revolutionary new 3-D animation system” that would feature “cinematic quality on a ‘1 to 1 scale’ to that of computer-generated motion pictures” and would utilize the same assets as a CG film version. No further details were reported on the game or any potential film or television versions, apart from the fact that the Oddworld title could be delivered in episodic format.
In addition, according to Destructoid, a week after the Jeff Braun confirmation, Lorne Lanning made the following statement: “I can confirm that we’re working with Jeff on Oddworld stuff. That’s all I can say at this time. [Braun] was giving a talk to a school, but there hasn’t been a formal announcement, yet”.
Moreover, according to an article posted on Gamedaily in September of 2008, Lorne Lanning is working on a next generation Oddworld game, as well as some other interactive products. During the Gamedaily interview, when asked about the next Oddworld game, Lanning replied: “Something’s next and we haven’t been talking about it“. He then went on to say: “Ideas and innovation are like a fetus in the womb. There’s a reason no one gets to see the baby for nine months. Ideas incubate in privacy better, longer. We have been taking a while (with Oddworld) and that is disappointing to some fans. But we believe if we deliver excellence, they’ll be thrilled. All is forgiven if you do it right“.
To make things even more interesting, according to an article posted on gamesetwatch in December of 2008, when asked about upcoming projects, Lanning replied: “We’ve still got secrecy around another “Hollywood meets gaming” project that we’re very excited about, and while it’s taken us a while, we’re also working on something new for Oddworld. He also went on to say: “We’re open to exploring how to best maximize our existing library, but haven’t been focused on creating huge story games with 40 hours of linear gameplay recently. We’ve been focused on a slightly different chemistry that we believe will prove appealing to gamers and Oddworld fans alike, but it’s a big risk because it’s way outside the box“.
Back in 2000, when Oddworld Inhabitants announced that they were switching development from Sony’s PlayStation 2 to Microsoft’s Xbox, they specifically stated that the main reason for the change was due to the shortcomings of the PS2 hardware and the difficult task of programming for it. By keeping that in mind, it would not be far-fetched to assume that the studio would prefer to develop their title on a developer-friendly next-generation hardware, which, in this case, would have to be the Xbox 360. In fact, according to a recent rumor, not only will the title be exclusive to the Xbox 360, but it will be published by Microsoft as well!
Silicon Knights:
In case no one was paying attention lately, Denis Dyack is missing; however, he is missing for a very good reason; he learned his lesson well. To be clear, I believe that Denis Dyack is the main reason why Too Human was so violently opposed and aggressively criticized by both journalists and gamers. After all, he did overhype it, describe it in a way that mislead everyone, and show it too early. Regardless, to be fair, there were other factors beyond Dyack’s control that prevented this title from living up to the hype, but that would be another story to be told at a later time.
Despite being flawed, I know that every gamer that went through it more than once would agree with me when I state that it was an extremely fun and highly addictive experience. It was the kind of game that would grow on you if you gave it the time, but I will leave this argument for another article that Too Human truly deserves.
According to my sources, Dyack is hard at work on the sequel to Too Human titled “Rise of the Giants”. Gamers that enjoyed the first installment should get excited about this sequel, especially if they are familiar with Norse Mythology. More importantly, we need to keep in mind that Microsoft will not continue the trilogy unless they know something exciting about it that we don’t.
In fact, in an interview with MCV, on the 19th of August 2008, after a few days of mixed reviews, when asked about the level of commitment to the Silicon Knights franchise, Stephen McGill, Microsoft’s head of gaming and entertainment, replied: “Too Human is an overarching epic with a rich and vast game universe that cannot be told in one installment. This game will begin the saga of the god Baldur in the narrative tradition of classic trilogies, such as Star Wars and Lord Of The Rings. We will talk about the full trilogy and we are very excited about its potential“.
In the end, as long as Dyack does not overhype this title, describe it incorrectly, nor show it too early, it will turn out to be a great one. Mark my words, when Too Human: Rise of the Giants is finally unveiled, it will be something very special.
Square-Enix:
If you pay close attention to the Square-Microsoft relationship and its progression, you would begin to notice a pattern materializing before your very eyes. The pattern is more like water testing. Let me explain, if you are at a lake, and you suddenly feel the need to swim, your first thought would not be to jump in; the first thing you would normally do is test the water temperature; if it’s too cold and you are still feeling the urge to jump in, then you would need to slowly and gradually immerse yourself, in order to avoid jolting your system with a sudden temperature shift, until you are completely immersed in water; only at that point will you be able to swim freely and enjoy the experience. That is exactly what Square-Enix has done.
If you notice the gradual story progression of the Square-developed titles for the Xbox 360, you would easily be able to predict where things are going. In April of 2006, they released Final Fantasy XI Online, a title that was released, over two years prior to the Xbox 360 version, on both the PS2 and PC, and was therefore, nothing more than a port of a title that Square had already profited from. In July of 2007, they released Project Sylpheed, a third-person space shooter from a genre that is not one of Square’s strong points.
In September of 2008, they released Infinite Undiscovery, a JRPG title developed by tri-Ace, one of Square’s most important second-party developers. In November of 2008, they released The Last Remnant, a JRPG title, developed by Square’s internal studio, that was initially announced as a multiplatform title, but was suddenly released as an Xbox 360 exclusive. Finally, after being fully immersed in the Xbox 360 waters, in February of 2009, they released Star Ocean 4: The Last Hope, a JRPG title, developed by tri-Ace, that was a sequel to one of Square’s biggest first-party franchises, exclusively on Microsoft’s console!
If we also add the fact that, at E3 08, Square-Enix announced Final Fantasy XIII as a multiplatform title, and the fact that Front Mission Evolved has been recently announced for the Xbox 360, it would be quite clear to us where things are going. Therefore, it is my belief that in 2009, one or more of the following predictions will surely be realized:
1. Final Fantasy XIII will finally be announced for the Xbox 360 in Japan.
2. Final Fantasy Versus XIII will finally be announced as a multiplatform title.
3. Kingdom Hearts 3 will be announced as an Xbox 360 exclusive!
On a side note, to any gamer that was not able to survive my last prediction, may you rest in peace.
Back to the topic at hand, if you still doubt my words, then let me explain my reasoning behind this from another angle:
First, given the fact that Star Ocean 4 had both the highest first-day sales and first-week sales in the history of Microsoft in Japan, and the fact that, in the Land of the Rising Sun, the Xbox 360 currently has an installed base of over one million console owners, a large library of exclusive AAA JRPG titles, a tempting price tag, and a new reputation, it would not be too hard to figure out why Square has decided to continue their relationship with Microsoft and why they would decide to release Final Fantasy XIII in Japan; after all, they know that if released, it would easily surpass the Star Ocean 4 numbers and would become the best selling game in Microsoft’s history there.
Second, in case anyone wants to argue that Tetsuya Nomura, Director of Final Fantasy Versus XIII, does not have any experience with the Xbox 360 hardware, and, as a result, would not be able to develop it for the Microsoft console, you need to understand that all Square needs to do is outsource the Xbox 360 project to another internal studio that is familiar with its hardware and assign them to take over the task of porting the game to Microsoft’s machine. Furthermore, if anyone wants to argue that its trailer contained “Only on PS3″, you need to remember that the first trailer for Final Fantasy XIII had the same statement, and yet here we are waiting for the simultaneous release of this title in 2010!
In fact, the first trailer for Final Fantasy Versus XIII only contained “On PS3″, which lead gamers to expect that this title might actually have a chance to be released as a multiplatform title as a compensation to Microsoft for not receiving Final Fantasy XIII on their console. In other words, statements in trailers are meaningless nowadays; thus, expect the unexpected from Square this year regarding Versus XIII.
Third, if anyone would like to argue that Kingdom Hearts 3 will not be announced this year simply because Nomura, the Character Designer of the Kingdom Hearts series and the Director of both installments on the PS2, is already hard at work on Versus XIII, and, as a result, would not be able to work on the third installment now, you need to understand that the solution to this issue is quite simple. All they have to do is outsource the project to another internal studio, and reassign over 40% of Nomura’s team, that had previously worked on the Kingdom Hearts franchise, to that project in order to benefit from their experience with the franchise.
More importantly, in addition to mainly focusing on the Versus XIII, Nomura can also oversee the Kingdom Hearts 3 project. All he needs to do is design the macro-concept of the game and then allow the other internal studio to execute the project with his supervision. This is a very well-known strategy to give developers time to focus on multiple projects simultaneously; Sakaguchi used it for Blue Dragon and Lost Odyssey by outsourcing them to Artoon and Feelplus respectively, and Lorne Lanning is currently using it for his next Oddworld game by outsourcing it to Maxis.
Lastly, let me ask you this: why would gamers assume that it would be necessary to have Nomura on the Kingdom Hearts 3 project anyway? After all, David Jaffe was not involved in the second installment of his creation, and it turned out fine; Cory Barlog, the Creative Director of God of War2, was not involved in the upcoming third installment, and we all know how that will turn out. Thus, it is my belief that Kingdom Hearts 3 will be announced this year, and my prediction is that it will be an Xbox 360 exclusive!
Team Halo:
Are you aware of the fact that Microsoft is creating an internal studio dedicated to the Halo franchise? According to several sources, this studio will be creating titles in the Halo universe as well as overseeing any other Halo project developed by other studios. Let me break down the facts at hand regarding this matter:
First, in September of 2008, Gamasutra discovered new job postings indicating a new internal Microsoft Game Studios division called Spawnpoint Studios. Apparently, they are composed partly by members of the Gears Of War 2 team. My question to you is, could this be the name of the company’s internal Halo development division?
Second, in September of 2008, in a GamesIndustry.biz interview with Phil Spencer, Head of Microsoft Game Studios, when asked about this matter, he replied: “There are more than two or three teams building Halo things right now. Some of them we will own, some of them we won’t”.
Lastly, in October of 2008, Phil Spencer told Edge that the company has added a “group of industry heavy hitters” to its lineup, including Ryan Payton, former Kojima Productions Assistant Producer, Corrinne Yu, former Gearbox Software Director of Technology, Kenneth Scott, former Id Software Art Director, David Wu, former Pseudo Interactive Technical Director, and Frank O’Connor, former Bungie Content Manager.
For those of you that don’t know, Payton was the assistant producer on Metal Gear Solid 4, playing a role in injecting Western design elements into the Japanese series. He also helped in the actual design of Metal Gear Online and Metal Gear Solid Portable Ops. To gamers, he’s best known as the Western Liaison for Kojima Productions, the studio behind Metal Gear. In early 2008, due to family-related issues, he left Kojima Productions and went back to the US. Interestingly enough, he is rumored to be directing a new Halo project; even though Microsoft would not confirm that information, they did state that “The team is working on upcoming and existing Halo games.”
More importantly, Corrinne Yu was the Director of Technology at Gearbox Software; her final projects at Gearbox included programming Brothers in Arms: Hell’s Highway, Aliens: Colonial Marines, and Borderlands. In addition, while working at 3D Realms, she was the Lead Programmer on the Prey Engine. Interestingly enough, She was also the Lead Programmer for the Asian launch of the 3DO. In fact, she is known as “the John Carmack of female programmers”. In August of 2008, according to Kotaku, they have come across an interesting internal Gearbox e-mail that Yu sent out. The most important part of it reads: “I was offered and recruited to the position of Principle (Lead) Engine Architect of Halo Franchise Team at Microsoft. I accepted the offer to lead the team to build the engines and games for future Halo’s on Xbox’es and PC’s at Microsoft”.
Additionally, Frank O’Connor was the Content Manager and the lead writer for Bungie. He lead the team responsible for writing Halo material, including game scripts, dialog, and books. As a result, he became the public face of Bungie.
As for the rest of the Dream Team, Kenneth Scott was the Art Director of Doom 3, and David Wu was the Co-Founder and Technical Director of Pseudo Interactive, the developers of Full Auto, in addition to being the actual creator of Full Auto.
Spencer also stated that “Microsoft Game Studios is thrilled to have such talented people working to develop new and exciting projects within the Halo universe and supporting existing projects from studios like Bungie and Ensemble”.
As long as their current project is not for the next Xbox console, I believe that E3 09 would be the perfect launching pad for an official unveiling of the Halo Team and its currently ongoing title.
Itagaki:
If this turns out to be true, then Microsoft has won itself an unrivalled ally. The circulating rumor is that when Tomonobu Itagaki, creator of the Dead Or Alive franchise and the 3D Ninja Gaiden titles, left Tecmo along with over 30 key members of Team Ninja, he was embraced by Microsoft!
According to the rumor, not only has Itagaki formed his own development studio that is composed of the key Team Ninja members that left with him, but he is currently working on a new IP and is being funded by Microsoft as well!
As we have discovered in the first chapter of this article, the Xbox 360 has 11 exclusive titles for 2009. However, if we also add all the titles presented in the previous chapters that are guaranteed to be released, in 2009, exclusively on the Xbox 360 including the second GTA4 DLC, the unannounced Rare title (if not two), Section 8, Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures, Venetica, Risen, Infernal: Hell’s Vengeance, Dead Island, Kodu, and the unannounced BigPark title, while keeping in mind that I have just excluded many possible titles previously mentioned, we would discover that the number of titles to be released in 2009 exclusively for the Xbox 360 is 21! Therefore, it is no longer a question of “Will the Xbox 360, in 2009, be able to match the PS3 line-up?“. In fact, the real question would have to be “Will the PS3, in 2009, be able to match the Xbox 360 line-up?“.
When I started writing this article, it was never about one reason. Let me clarify, it is not a single reason, but the sum of all reasons that both makes a solid argument and constitutes the inevitable domination of the Xbox 360 in 2009. In other words, it is the overwhelmingly larger line-up, the hardware potential, the release of a larger number of sequels to blockbuster franchises than the competition, the anticipated exclusives from Rare, Mistwalker, and Team Ninja, the possible exclusive deals for the upcoming AAA sequels, the highly ambitious MMO titles, the continuous support from major third party publishers, the constant exclusive DLC offerings, the successful penetration of the Japanese market, the massive Xbox Live updates, the flood of XBLA games, the targeting of the casual gamer, the new approach towards achievements, the introduction of a new controller that is set to surpass anything on the market, the expected price drop, and the potentially mind blowing announcements that makes me believe beyond a shadow of a doubt that this will be the year of the Xbox 360.
Now that we have come to the end of the final chapter of this epic journey, once again, I would like to extend my gratitude for you patience, and my respect for your dedication and commitment to read through this entire Eight-Chapter Article. It is an honor to have you read through it. More importantly, it brings me pleasure to offer you an enjoyable experience; after all, that was my main objective for this endeavor, and I truly hope that it has been met.
God Bless You All
Master Samo
