So far this generation, Microsoft’s first-party lineup has done a pretty good job! Gears of War, Project Gotham Racing 3, Halo 3, Project Gotham Racing 4, Forza 2, Ninja Gaiden 2…all big sellers, all great games. Thing is, aside from Gears, those are all sequels! And Microsoft’s two biggest games in 2008 are more sequels, one for Gears, one for Fable. Perhaps sensing an impending onset of acute sequelitis, Microsoft’s Shane Kim wants you to know that new stuff is on the way:
We’re just at a point in the cycle where you’re seeing more sequels. I can tell you we have other new properties that are unannounced that we feel very good and are very confident about. We will continue to have new IPs alongside the franchises in our portfolio, no question.
In 2007 we’d have made a joke about their “new” men-with-guns game, but we’re now looking forward to a “new” family quiz game instead!
Part Two of Inside Xbox Live [Edge]
Making an MMO can be hard. You can put years into developing not just the game, but the necessary infrastructure, only to launch it and have it die within weeks. Sure, Blizzard know how to do it, but few other developers have managed. Microsoft certainly tried, and tried twice (Marvel Universe, True Fantasy). They also failed twice, with both projects canned, something Shane Kim takes full responsibility for:
I’ll admit MGS has not had success in the MMO space, and that happened under my leadership, so I take full responsibility. It’s a tough and challenging space that’s evolving all the time – a lot of shifting sands. We haven’t been able to crack the code.
There there Shane, chin up! What do we do when we fall off the horse?
Why bother redesigning the Xbox 360′s interface? Shane Kim is here to tell us. Oh and Kim totally gets in Sony’s face. No, not really. He does talk a minute amount of smack, but no gang signs were thrown.
Halo, Halo, Halo! What’s going on with the movie? What about Halo Wars? What about Peter Jackson? How bout the Halo no show at the big press conference. No real answers from head of Microsoft Game Studios Phil Spencer or newly minted corporate vice president of Strategy and Business Development Shane Kim, but plenty of talk.
Microsoft’s E3. Was it fun for everyone or fun for just casual gamers? I think it was more about the casual gamer, Shane Kim? Not so much. Kim also isn’t a big believer in Nintendo’s big, blue ocean, it seems. Why stick to your own slice of the Pacific, when you can have it all.
It’s hard to tell whether these quotes – from a recent interview Shane Kim had with GI.biz – are genuinely new, or just pulled from a stock template Microsoft’s had ready since 2002. Because when asked about how Microsoft are doing in Japan, their thoughts, etc etc, he says “We’ve been very realistic about our near-to-mid term opportunities in Japan, specifically with respect to the current console generation. Obviously it’s a challenging market with well entrenched competitors”. He goes on to say how great it is to see Japanese developers making 360 games, how he hopes their fortunes there will “turn around”, and “I think that’s a longer-term effort, to be frank”. You know what I love? Not whether he’s right or wrong, but the sheer perseverance Microsoft are displaying. We could be seeing the same quotes in 2012. Actually, we probably will.
Microsoft Game Studio’s head Shane Kim is getting bumped up to corporate vice president of Strategy and Business Development, a new position in Microsoft’s Interactive Entertainment Business, and Jeff Bell is leaving the company, Microsoft announced today.
Kim, who headed up the studio for four years, will be replaced by Phil Spencer, who formerly headed up the Microsoft Game Studios in Europe.
“We’re strategically positioning the leadership team to drive every aspect of the Xbox business to new heights,” said Don Mattrick, senior vice president of the Interactive Entertainment Business. “I firmly believe that Microsoft will lead the next great innovations in games and entertainment. Today’s organisational announcements align us to accelerate this expansive growth.”
Microsoft has not yet found a replacement for Bell who is said to be leaving to “pursue other opportunities outside of Microsoft”.
“The time is right for me to pursue my life’s passion of consumer brand marketing and the creative and services that drive it.” Bell said “Coming from automotive, and now technology and entertainment, I am excited to expand to new industries and categories.”
Hit the jump for the full release and more Mattrick-y quotes.
Okay! Make-believe time. Let’s say that Microsoft had a lot of money to burn. No wait, start over. Let’s say that Microsoft was able to convince Square Enix to give it Final Fantasy as an exclusive. Like, Final Fantasy XIII is only on the Xbox 360 and wouldn’t be on the PS3. Would large numbers of Japanese consumers break down and buy an Xbox 360? According to Microsoft’s Shane Kim:
Speaking last week with Kikizo, Microsoft’s Shane Kim has been asked about the future of the Project Gotham Racing series, now that creator Bizarre have up and left. His response should help out any 360 racing fans who are yet to put 2+2 together:
…you know, we have a great internal racing studio in Turn 10, the creators of Forza Motorsport. And our goal is to roll the studio so that they can do more creative execution within the racing space. So you can imagine a future where they would develop a new version of Project Gotham Racing.
Think by this stage we’ve all stopped imagining it, and are just assuming it’s already happening.
Shane Kim Interview [Kikizo]
Shane Kim is ready to call the console war. Just as soon as someone sells another 90 million consoles, that is. In a recent interview with Wired’s Game|Life, the Corporate Vice President of Microsoft Game Studios says that it’s too early to declare a winner, despite colleague Don Mattrick chirping up recently to point out console sales precedents that say otherwise.
