Microsoft Game Studios

Microsoft Game Studios (MGS), branded with current logo and moniker in 2002 (formerly the Microsoft Game Division or Microsoft Games), is a wholly owned subsidiary of Microsoft Corp. which develops and publishes video games for Windows-based PCs and the Xbox and Xbox 360 video game consoles. It also, (through Rare Ltd.) develops games for the Nintendo DS. MGS publishes games for several Microsoft-owned first-party developers, such as Lionhead Studios and Rare Ltd. MGS has also published games created by third-party developers, such as Bioware and Bizarre Creations as of October 2007.

Acquisitions and announcements

Microsoft Game Studios had acquired many game development houses such as Bungie Studios in 2001, giving MGS full control of Bungie and shifting the development of Bungie’s game to its Xbox platform. [ [http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/press/2000/Jun00/BungiePR.mspx Microsoft to Acquire Bungie Software: Microsoft Corp. announced it acquired Chicago-based Bungie Software Products Corp., a leading independent developer of action oriented co... ] ]

In August 2002, MGS acquired Rare from Nintendo and the Stamper brothers (Chris and Tim), who owned 49% and 51% of the company respectively in what is believed to be one of the most expensive purchases of a video games development company yet, at a cost of around USD 375 million. [ [http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/press/2002/sep02/09-24projectrpr.mspx Microsoft Acquires Video Game Powerhouse Rare Ltd.: Developers of Such Worldwide Hits as "Donkey Kong 64," "Banjo-Kazooie," "GoldenEye 007" And "Perfect Dark" Bring Their Tale... ] ] This also meant Microsoft acquired the rights to Rare’s own original IP’s such as the Perfect Dark, Banjo-Kazooie and the Conker the Squirrel franchises.

An announcement on April 6th 2006 brought news that Microsoft Game studios had purchased Lionhead Studios for an undisclosed sum, to further bolster the range of exclusive titles it could provide for the Xbox 360 platform. [ [http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/press/2006/apr06/04-06LionheadPR.mspx Microsoft Game Studios Acquires Video Game Luminary Peter Molyneux’s Lionhead Studios: Lionhead’s hit franchise “Fable” surpasses 2 million unit sales milestone ] ]

During May 2006 Microsoft also acquired Massive Inc, an in-game advertising company to provide additional revenues from their gaming platforms such as PCs and the Xbox 360. [ [http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/press/2006/may06/05-04MassiveIncPR.mspx Microsoft to Acquire In-Game Advertising Pioneer Massive Inc.: Massive’s technology for weaving dynamic, relevant ads into video games will extend next-generation advertising ... ] ]

On May 4th 2007 Microsoft announced it would be opening a European office of Microsoft Game Studios in Reading in the United Kingdom (The present location of Microsoft's General UK offices). This office will be headed by Phil Spencer, who was General Manager for the games division before the announcement. [ [http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=13795 Gamasutra - New Microsoft Game Studios Office For Europe ] ]

In May 2008, Microsoft announced the formation of a newly created internal games studio to create "high quality digital content" for Xbox Live Arcade.cite web| author=Joe Keiser|publisher=Next-Gen.biz|date=2008-05-22|accessdate=2008-05-22|title=EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: MS to Delist XBLA Titles|url=http://www.next-gen.biz/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=10620&Itemid=2 ]

In-house studios

* [http://www.fsinsider.com ACES Game Studio] : "Flight Simulator" series, "Combat Flight Simulator" series and the upcoming "Train Simulator 2"

*Lionhead: "Black & White" series, "The Movies", "Fable" series
*Rare: "Perfect Dark" series, "Kameo", "Conker" series, "Banjo" series, Viva Piñata
*Turn 10: "Forza Motorsport" series
*Wingnut Interactive: A new studio set up in conjunction with Peter Jackson (they will be producing alongside with "Bungie Studios" a new game based in the "Halo" universe)
*Xbox Live Productions: A new first-party studio set up to develop Xbox Live Arcade games and digital video content.

Game related studios

*Massive Inc.: A studio primarily set up for in game advertising

Former studios

*Ensemble: Pending dissolution as of September 9, 2008 (to be finalized after the completion of Halo Wars)
*Bungie: Became an independent studio on October 1, 2007
*Carbonated Games: Dissolved on March 27, 2008
*Digital Anvil: Dissolved on January 31, 2006.
*Hired Gun: Dissolved shortly after Halo 2 launch for PC
*FASA Interactive: The studio was closed on September 12, 2007. [http://forums.shadowrun.com/forums/thread/126659.aspx]
*Indie Built: Sold off to Take 2 in October, 2004.

Games released under the MGS brand

This list of games is sorted by platform and includes games published by Microsoft. For those games not developed under the Microsoft name, the developer is noted after the game's release date.

MS-DOS/Windows

*1990
**"Microsoft Entertainment Pack"
*1994
**"Microsoft Space Simulator"
*1995
**"Microsoft Golf"
*1996
**"Monster Truck Madness"
**"Close Combat"
**""
**"Microsoft Soccer"
**"Microsoft Golf Version 3.0"
**"Microsoft Flight Simulator '95"
**"Deadly Tide"
**"Fury³"
**"Gex"
**"Hellbender"
*1997
**"Return of Arcade Anniversary Edition"
**"Age of Empires"
**"Microsoft Flight Simulator '98"
**""
**"Fighter Ace"
**"Microsoft CART Precision Racing"
**""
*1998
**"Urban Assault"
**"Outwars"
**"NBA Full Court Press"
**"Monster Truck Madness 2"
**"Motocross Madness"
**"Microsoft Pinball Arcade"
**"Microsoft Golf 1998 Edition"
**""
**""
**"Combat Flight Simulator WWII Europe Series"
*1999
**"Pandora's Box"
**"NBA Inside Drive 2000"
**"NFL Fever 2000"
**"Midtown Madness"
**""
**""
**"Asheron's Call"
**"Microsoft Baseball 2000"
**"Microsoft Flight Simulator 2000"
*2000
**"StarLancer"
**"Motocross Madness 2"
**"Midtown Madness 2"
**""
**"Allegiance"
**""
**""
**"Microsoft Baseball 2001"
**"Microsoft International Soccer 2000"
**"Links LS Classic"
**"Microsoft A.I.Puzzler"
*2001
**"Zoo Tycoon"
**"Racing Madness 2"
**"Microsoft Train Simulator"
**"Microsoft Flight Simulator 2002"
**""
*2002
**"Age of Mythology"
**""
**""
**"RalliSport Challenge"
**""
**"Dungeon Siege" (Gas Powered Games)
**"Links 2003"
**""
**""
**""
**"Asheron's Call 2"
**"MechCollection"
*2003
**""
**"Rise of Nations"
**""
**""(Gas Powered Games)
**"Freelancer"
**""
**"Impossible Creatures"
**""
**""
**"Links Championship Edition"
**""
*2004
**"Zoo Tycoon 2"
**""
**"Age of Mythology Gold Edition"
*2005
**""
**"Age of Empires III"
**"Age of Empires III Collector's Edition"
**"Dungeon Siege II" (Gas Powered Games)
**""
*2006
**""
**""
**" "
**""
**""
**""
**"Microsoft Flight Simulator X"
*2007
**"ShadowRun"
**""
**""
**"Halo 2 for Windows Vista"
**""
**"Viva Piñata"
**"Gears of War" (Epic)
*2008
**"Zoo Tycoon 2: Ultimate Collection"
*Announced for 2009
**"Alan Wake" (Remedy Entertainment)
**"Microsoft Train Simulator 2"
*Release Date Unknown
**Combat Flight Simulator 4
*Cancelled
**"Mythica"
**"Marvel Universe Online"

Xbox

*2001
**""
**""
**"Blood Wake"
**"Fuzion Frenzy"
**""
**"NFL Fever 2002"
**""
**"Project Gotham Racing"
*2002
**""
**"Kakuto Chojin"
**"MechAssault"
**"NBA Inside Drive 2002"
**"NBA Inside Drive 2003"
**"NFL Fever 2003"
**"NightCaster"
**"Quantum Redshift"
**"RalliSport Challenge"
**"Sneakers"
**"Whacked!"
**"Xbox Exhibition Demo Disc Vol. 1
**"Sega GT 2002 / Jet Set Radio Future (combo disk)
*2003
**"Amped 2"
**"Brute Force"
**"Counter-Strike"
**""
**"Dinosaur Hunting"
**"Grabbed by the Ghoulies"
**"Inside Pitch 2003"
**"Kung Fu Chaos"
**"Links 2004"
**"Midtown Madness 3"
**"NBA Inside Drive 2004"
**"NFL Fever 2004"
**"NHL Rivals 2004"
**"Project Gotham Racing 2"
**"Shenmue II"
**""
**"Top Spin"
**"Voodoo Vince"
**"Xbox Exhibition Demo Disc Vol. 2
**"Xbox Exhibition Demo Disc Vol. 3
**"Xbox Exhibition Demo Disc Vol. 4
**"Xbox Music Mixer"
**"Magatama" (Japan Only)
**"The Wild Rings" (Japan Only)
**"N.U.D.E.@Natural Ultimate Digital Entertainment" (Japan Only)
*2004
**""
**"Fable"
**"Halo 2"
**""
**""
**"Phantom Dust"
**"RalliSport Challenge 2"
**"Sudeki"
**"Xbox Exhibition Demo Disc Vol. 5"
**"OutRun 2" (Co-published with Sega)
**"Xbox Video Chat" (Japan Only)
*2005
**""
**"Forza Motorsport"
**"Jade Empire"
**""
**"Xbox Exhibition Demo Disc Vol. 6"
**"Xbox Exhibition Demo Disc Vol. 7"
**"Zillernet" (Korea Only)
**"Wreckless 2" (Japan Only)
*Cancelled
**"True Fantasy Live Online"
**' (Released later as an Xbox 360 game)"'
**"Perfect Dark Zero" (Released later as an Xbox 360 game)

Xbox/Xbox 360

*2006
**"Big Bumpin"
**"Pocket Bike Racer"
**"Sneak King"

Xbox 360

*2005
**"Hexic HD"
**""
**"Perfect Dark Zero"
**"Project Gotham Racing 3"
**"Every Party" (Japan Only)
*2006
**"Gears of War"
**"Ninety-Nine Nights"
**"Viva Piñata"
**"Xbox Live Arcade Unplugged Volume 1"
*2007
**"Blue Dragon"
**"Crackdown"
**"Forza Motorsport 2"
**"Fuzion Frenzy 2"
**"Halo 3"
**"Project Gotham Racing 4"
**"Shadowrun"
**"Tenchu Z"
**"Vampire Rain"
**""
**"Scene It? Lights, Camera, Action"
**"Mass Effect"
**"Project Sylpheed" (Co-published with Square Enix)
**"Xbox Live Arcade Compilation Disc"
*2008
**""
**"Lost Odyssey"
**"Ninja Gaiden 2"
**"Too Human"
**""
**"Infinite Undiscovery" (Co-published with Square Enix)
*Announced for 2008
**""
**"Fable 2"
**"Gears of War 2"
**"Lips"
**"Scene It? Box Office Smash"
**"You're in the Movies"
*Announced for 2009
**"Halo 3 Recon"
**"Halo Wars"
**"Ninja Blade"
**"Forza Motorsport 3"
*Release Date Unknown
**"Alan Wake"
**"Ninety-Nine Nights II"
**""
*Cancelled
**"Marvel Universe Online"

Xbox Live Arcade

*2005
**"Hexic HD"
*2006
**"Cloning Clyde"
**"Small Arms"
**"TotemBall"
**"Uno"
*2007
**"Aegis Wing"
**"Band of Bugs"
**""
**"Hexic 2"
**"Jetpac Refuelled"
**""
**"Spyglass Board Games"
**"Tetris Splash"
**"Word Puzzle"
**"Yaris"
*2008
**"Braid (video game)"
**"Castle Crashers"
**"Fable II Pub Games"
**"Go! Go! Break Steady"
**"Rez HD"
**"Rocky and Bullwinkle"
**"Wits and Wagers"
*Announced for 2008
**"1 vs. 100"
**"Lode Runner"
**"Banjo-Kazooie"
**""
**""
**"Uno Rush"
*Announced for 2009
**"South Park (working title)"
**"Banjo-Tooie"

ee also

*List of video games published by Nintendo
*List of video games published by Sony Computer Entertainment

References

External links

* [http://www.microsoft.com/games/ Microsoft Game Studios official site]
* [http://www.xbox.com/ Microsoft's Official Xbox Site]
* [http://www.mobygames.com/company/microsoft-game-studios "Microsoft Game Studios"] profile on MobyGames