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Xbox passed on deal to make Marvel games to focus on their own IP - Head of Marvel Games

jroc74

Phone reception is more important to me than human rights
I honestly think they could.

three things to look at

1. Whatever you want to say about Spider-Man, that character is the most valuable of all superheroes including DC. Sony or MS would pick Spider-Man first out of Marvel's library.

2. Microsoft may have looked at their first party studios but they were contracting out to devs and looking at the studios internally (accepting MS decision that they genuinely didn't have a match to dev a Marvel game) and externally, Insomniac is #1 of their outside contractors for big open world games.

3. At the time in 2014, Xbox 360 was the winner of the last gen at that time, and they did compete well initially with the Xbone that if Sony and MS both asked for Spider-Man then MS could have been given first refusal.
MS given first refusal, I didn't wanna say it, but it sure does read that way.
 

nikos

Member
The salt in this thread is already very strong.
Keep it coming boys







netflix antonio GIF

Sounds like you're salty because not everybody likes Marvel.
 

Hezekiah

Banned
Sony even let insomniac choose which marvel property they would work on. Insomniac chose Spider-Man and now wolverine.

I can't even imagine how much that Spider-Man 2 on PS5 will do. By that point the PS5 will be at around 50M units sold...crazy numbers I'm sure
Yeah even Miles must be well past 10m at this point on a much smaller userbase where the vast majority were buying the PS5 version.
 

RoboFu

One of the green rats
First of all no im not clicking on a ree link..

Second - too much red tape and liceensing issues involved with something like Marvel. They made the right decision.
 

Ozriel

M$FT
Phil is a money man. He doesnt have the ability or skills to do this stuff. Buying and paying for stuff doesn't make one a good leader.

And yet, Xbox publishing is expanding and putting more games in the pipeline.
Successfully driving the case to leadership to high grade gaming at Microsoft to a major division…

Don actually released launch games and exclusives in the first 2 years. Awful lead up though

The had the best launch lineup for the last gen, still ended with xbox outsold over 2:1. It’s a marathon, not a sprint.

Their launch lineup didn’t arrive for the series x, but credit to Phil and team for making a console that still hit all the desirability checkmarks without launch exclusives.

All the press releases about how poor launch lineup was going to hurt them and yet they’re selling everything they make.
 

Ozriel

M$FT
Back on topic.

Getting Spiderman was a major coup for Sony. It’s been a major console seller last gen, and I have no doubt it would continue to move PlayStation consoles. Helps that Insomniac are so good.

Microsoft messed up, plain and simple. I remember insomniac kept hinting to MS that they wanted to make a Sunset sequel and MS just never greenlit it. Part of a line of bad decisions made between 2014 - 2017.
 

Kokoloko85

Member
And yet, Xbox publishing is expanding and putting more games in the pipeline.
Successfully driving the case to leadership to high grade gaming at Microsoft to a major division…
Yeah, I still havent see him do anything better than Don or the 360 era, gamewise. And with alot more money.


The had the best launch lineup for the last gen, still ended with xbox outsold over 2:1. It’s a marathon, not a sprint.

Their launch lineup didn’t arrive for the series x, but credit to Phil and team for making a console that still hit all the desirability checkmarks without launch exclusives.

All the press releases about how poor launch lineup was going to hurt them and yet they’re selling everything they make.

The Series S/X is selling the same as Xbox one. After spending many many more billions and so much gamepass hype
 
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Topher

Gold Member
What is this narrative that Microsoft not making a Marvel game (not necessarily Spider-man) last gen was somehow a good thing? Xbox One's first party library was horrendous. A game like Spider-man would have been a huge boost.

But somehow, Sony getting not just that franchise, but the relationship with Marvel that created both the Miles Morales sequel and Wolverine was a good thing for Microsoft?

Confused Hanna Barbera GIF by Warner Archive


I've heard it all.
 

CamHostage

Member
Funny seeing some of the replies.

Pretty sure the replies would be the opposite if it was an Xbox exclusive with the game sales it has right now.

No need to down play.
The takes are really amusing because we all now they’re lying.
I mean...

I came into this thread expecting the first 30 replies to have been, "Damn it, we really could have had an Xbox Hulk?!"

maxresdefault.jpg


Instead, it's 3 pages of how Marvel ain't shit. Sure, Avengers was a big whiff, and Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3 was what it was, it's not a perfect track record. (In the cases of the disappointments though, that comes down to those actual publishers and their failure to fully capitalize on what they had, whereas Sony embraced the concept of best team/proper finance/cooperation with Marvel to do it right, a situation I would have hoped Microsoft would have also followed if they had taken this deal.) But to own a Marvel character and associate your brand with it the way Sony has with Spider-Man, there's clear potential there, especially Marvel 2014 Marvel.
 
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I always thought Sony money hatted Street Fighter and Final Fantasy. Games that had a history of multi-platform releases.
Final Fantasy had always been a console exclusive up until XIII, with the exception of FFXI coming to 360 a year or two after launch.

Sony helped fund SFV. Capcom was im a very different place financially at that time.
 

Swift_Star

Banned
What is this narrative that Microsoft not making a Marvel game (not necessarily Spider-man) last gen was somehow a good thing? Xbox One's first party library was horrendous. A game like Spider-man would have been a huge boost.

But somehow, Sony getting not just that franchise, but the relationship with Marvel that created both the Miles Morales sequel and Wolverine was a good thing for Microsoft?

Confused Hanna Barbera GIF by Warner Archive


I've heard it all.
They’re trying to spin that marvel properties and games suck so it’s good for MS to not make them. Of course this is not even close to the truth.
 
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Swift_Star

Banned
I mean...

I came into this thread expecting the first 30 replies to have been, "Damn it, we really could have had an Xbox Hulk?!"

Instead, it's 3 pages of how Marvel ain't shit. Sure, Avengers was a big whiff, and Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3 was what it was, but to own a Marvel character and associate your brand with it the way Sony has with Spider-Man, there's clear potential there, especially Marvel 2014 Marvel.

maxresdefault.jpg
Already replied above as why you’re all saying that. It’s too predictable honestly.
And Sony just own rights do make movies, not games.
 

Topher

Gold Member
They’re trying to spin that marvel properties and games suck so it’s good for MS not making them. Of course this is not even close to the true.

If someone personally does not like super-hero games then that is fine. I think Call of Duty sucks but that doesn't mean I don't see how it would be incredibly beneficial for Microsoft to own Activision Blizzard and the Call of Duty franchise.
 
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Ozriel

M$FT
Yeah, I still havent see him do anything better than Don or the 360 era, gamewise. And with alot more money.

I hate how platform tribalism has made people on an enthusiast gaming forum pretend that games in the pipeline don’t mean anything.
But I bet this talking point fades away soon enough.


The Series S/X is selling the same as Xbox one. After spending many many more billions and so much gamepass hype

Already closing in at 30% of the lifetime Xbox One sales, with demand not yet met and most of the heavy hitter AAA releases yet to come.

I think even a blind person can see the trajectory is definitely better this gen.
 

Swift_Star

Banned
If someone personally does not like super-hero games then that is fine. I think Call of Duty sucks but that doesn't mean I don't see how it would be incredibly beneficial for Microsoft to own Activision Blizzard.
It would be extremely beneficial for Xbox as a brand, specially back them when marvel were firing all cylinders and at all time high popularity. But we all know the reason they’re downplaying marvel right now.
 

ckaneo

Member
Microsoft fumbled the bag, but as far as we know there is nothing stopping them from getting other marvel heroes. Marvel let Square Enix fumble Avengers and GOTG so bad they sold the studios
 
They’re trying to spin that marvel properties and games suck so it’s good for MS to not make them. Of course this is not even close to the truth.

It’s not the IPs that’s bad is some of the developers that make the games that are. Which definitely doesn’t apply to Insomniac BTW.

jt97gq147fk11.jpg
 
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Leyasu

Banned
Which studio does everyone think that Microsoft could have put on a marvel franchise in 2014? How many studios did they have then?
 
D

Deleted member 471617

Unconfirmed Member
In fairness to Microsoft, I would have done the same in 2014. Look at their internal studios at that time. Who would have been able to make Marvel games because I don't see anyone capable of doing them, especially Spider Man.

Should Microsoft go after Marvel/Disney/Lucas IP's now? Absolutely. But back in 2014 and their 6 studios? Nah.
 

Topher

Gold Member
In fairness to Microsoft, I would have done the same in 2014. Look at their internal studios at that time. Who would have been able to make Marvel games because I don't see anyone capable of doing them, especially Spider Man.

Should Microsoft go after Marvel/Disney/Lucas IP's now? Absolutely. But back in 2014 and their 6 studios? Nah.

Microsoft made SSO with Insomniac. There is no reason they couldn't the same with Spider-man. I think Insomniac would have jumped at the chance whether it were Microsoft or Sony.
 
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Topher

Gold Member
Sunset overdrive came out in 2014, so that could have been a possibilty I suppose. But had they already been contracted by Sony to work on a game for them?

I don't think so since apparently Marvel went to Microsoft first.
 
D

Deleted member 471617

Unconfirmed Member
Microsoft made SSO with Insomniac. There is no reason they couldn't the same with Spider-man. I think Insomniac would have jumped at the chance whether it were Microsoft or Sony.
Microsoft picked up the publishing rights for the game after Sony passed on it because Insomniac wanted to own the IP. Microsoft didn't care back then which in hindsight is a mistake in regards to now owning the IP as I believe the publisher should always own the IP for the game(s) that they're publishing.

Also, Sunset Overdrive didn't do that well on Xbox and Insomniac went right back to Sony. I also believe that Insomniac was always a far better fit with Sony than Microsoft. Plus, with Sony owning the Spider Man movie rights, it just works out perfectly for them and Insomniac.
 
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