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

skit_data

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?
As far as I understand, that game is what would become Spider-Man. It’s possible they had some sort of agreement but there’s no info on that afaik.

Edit: Ah, yeah they released the Ratchet & Clank Remake in between SSO and Spider-Man. And a few other, smaller games.
 
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Dick Jones

Gold Member
MS given first refusal, I didn't wanna say it, but it sure does read that way.
I agree. EA backed Xbox to win the last gen with Titanfall 1 and Xbone had good sales in the first year. To an outsider it would have made sense for an American Company doing very well (at that time) to be given first refusal by Marvel.
 

Leyasu

Banned
As far as I understand, that game is what would become Spider-Man. It’s possible they had some sort of agreement but there’s no info on that afaik.

Edit: Ah, yeah they released the Ratchet & Clank Remake in between SSO and Spider-Man. And a few other, smaller games.

It is not easy to say with certainty that X studio could have worked on a marvel I.P
 
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Topher

Gold Member
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.

Perhaps, but it didn't even have to be Insomniac. Microsoft could have found a capable developer. They should have found a way to make it happen.

Ok, what did Insomniac release after Sunset Overdrive?

Nothing really notable except for Ratchet and Clank which would have been done by a separate team.

 

Calverz

Member
So I’m guessing the narrative being pushed here is Xbox could have had all these marvel games since 2014 rather than focus on Halo, gears and forza? As if to say Spider-Man etc?

Well I for one could not care. In the last year 8 years I have far more played and enjoyed those trio of games series faaaaarrrrr more than any one marvel game. So Phil chose right.
 
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Swift_Star

Banned
So I’m guessing the narrative being pushed here is Xbox could have had all these marvel games since 2014 rather than focus on Halo, gears and forza? As if to say Spider-Man etc?

Well I for one could not care. In the last year 8 years I have far more played and enjoyed those trio of games series faaaaarrrrr more than any one marvel game. So Phil chose right.
You like playing iterations of the same game over and over again?
 

Goalus

Member
So I’m guessing the narrative being pushed here is Xbox could have had all these marvel games since 2014 rather than focus on Halo, gears and forza? As if to say Spider-Man etc?

Well I for one could not care. In the last year 8 years I have far more played and enjoyed those trio of games series faaaaarrrrr more than any one marvel game. So Phil chose right.
So you are not looking forward to "Spiderman with claws"?
That is shocking to hear.
 

Kokoloko85

Member
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.

I didnt say it doesnt mean anything. Its just everyone has games in the pipeline.


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.

Blind or not, they are selling the same. Series X/S has sold the same as Xbox One in 16 months and the Series is cheaper.

Xbox One‘s trajectory was also looking to outsell 360. It just didnt happen. I doubt Xbox reaches 360 numbers again. The landscape was in there advantage and probably wont happen again like that.

Both Xone and Series S/X sold better than the 360 after 16 months. 30% of the lifetime sales, but they are selling the same, so that doesnt mean much.

2 of the biggest AAA dropped last year with Halo and Forza. Gears will be another big one. Forza Sport another one. Hellblade 2. The new ip we’ll have to see
We’ll just have to wait and see
 

skit_data

Member
So I’m guessing the narrative being pushed here is Xbox could have had all these marvel games since 2014 rather than focus on Halo, gears and forza? As if to say Spider-Man etc?

Well I for one could not care. In the last year 8 years I have far more played and enjoyed those trio of games series faaaaarrrrr more than any one marvel game. So Phil chose right.
It’s not necessarily an ”either-or”-situation even if a lot of people seem to read it that way for some odd reason. As proven with how Sony used a then external studio in Insomniac.
 
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Topher

Gold Member
So I’m guessing the narrative being pushed here is Xbox could have had all these marvel games since 2014 rather than focus on Halo, gears and forza? As if to say Spider-Man etc?

Well I for one could not care. In the last year 8 years I have far more played and enjoyed those trio of games series faaaaarrrrr more than any one marvel game. So Phil chose right.

Microsoft had the resources to make all those games you loved as well as make Spider-man.

Yeah they probaby could have done. Like who though?

If not Insomniac, then perhaps Remedy.
 
D

Deleted member 471617

Unconfirmed Member
Perhaps, but it didn't even have to be Insomniac. Microsoft could have found a capable developer. They should have found a way to make it happen.
I simply disagree. At that time, they were basically two years away from shutting down Lionhead, cancelling Fable Legends and Scalebound and rumors had it that no funding was going into Xbox One so wouldn't have made any sense at that time. If anything, it probably would have back fired. As for finding an external studio, outside of Playground which are having their own issues with Fable, who else could they trust? Crytek, Remedy, etc. were external partners and both are long gone in regards to working with Microsoft exclusively.

Should Microsoft get Marvel/Disney/Lucas (and WB for that matter) now though? Absolutely.
 

Topher

Gold Member
I simply disagree. At that time, they were basically two years away from shutting down Lionhead, cancelling Fable Legends and Scalebound and rumors had it that no funding was going into Xbox One so wouldn't have made any sense at that time. If anything, it probably would have back fired. As for finding an external studio, outside of Playground which are having their own issues with Fable, who else could they trust? Crytek, Remedy, etc. were external partners and both are long gone in regards to working with Microsoft exclusively.

Should Microsoft get Marvel/Disney/Lucas (and WB for that matter) now though? Absolutely.

Well, I'll agree with you that if the rumors were true that Xbox was being defunded then it would make sense for Spencer to turn it down. Outside of that, I'll agree to disagree.
 

Leyasu

Banned
If not Insomniac, then perhaps Remedy.
Remedy? lol

Nah man, I think that there's a reason why they stopped collaborating after Quantum Break. But, if we went with Remedy, which superhero do you think that they could have done?
 

Three

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.
Ambassadors probably. Did the same thing when MS, one of the richest companies in the world invests nothing into VR. Like having less games is good but having the same games coming, that were coming anyway, with Phil writting another company fat cheques is genius and great for them. I mean they rejected this to focus on their IPs and look at all the amazing games coming from their IPs...
 

Calverz

Member
So you like playing iterations of the same game over and over, got it. Nothing against that if you enjoy repetition. You do you.
Hahahaha so salty. Iterations of the same game over and over…..do you really want to go down that road? As I said I don’t enjoy superhero games. I can’t think of one Iv enjoyed since 2014. Whereas I have had a ball with halo, gears and forza games. Sorry if that doesn’t fit your narrative preference.
 

Edgelord79

Gold Member
It’s a question. Can’t we ask question anymore? Lmao, don’t need to get defensive.
I’m not defensive. I’m just genuinely curious why you would ask something like this considering you are clearly in the Sony camp and you know precisely what you are doing.

You can use words like “triggered” and “defensive” all you want but it’s pretty clear what your intentions are whenever you get into these types of threads.
 

Swift_Star

Banned
Hahahaha so salty. Iterations of the same game over and over…..do you really want to go down that road? As I said I don’t enjoy superhero games. I can’t think of one Iv enjoyed since 2014. Whereas I have had a ball with halo, gears and forza games. Sorry if that doesn’t fit your narrative preference.
Like I said, you do you.
I’m not defensive. I’m just genuinely curious why you would ask something like this considering you are clearly in the Sony camp and you know precisely what you are doing.

You can use words like “triggered” and “defensive” all you want but it’s pretty clear what your intentions are whenever you get into these types of threads.
Because I wanted to ask.
 

Rockman33

Member
I didnt say it doesnt mean anything. Its just everyone has games in the pipeline.




Blind or not, they are selling the same. Series X/S has sold the same as Xbox One in 16 months and the Series is cheaper.

Xbox One‘s trajectory was also looking to outsell 360. It just didnt happen. I doubt Xbox reaches 360 numbers again. The landscape was in there advantage and probably wont happen again like that.

Both Xone and Series S/X sold better than the 360 after 16 months. 30% of the lifetime sales, but they are selling the same, so that doesnt mean much.

2 of the biggest AAA dropped last year with Halo and Forza. Gears will be another big one. Forza Sport another one. Hellblade 2. The new ip we’ll have to see
We’ll just have to wait and see
Series is at around 14.5 million 18 months in. Xbox one was around 12million after 18 months. That’s about a 20% increase.

Also they dropped the Kinect a half a year in or so, Making it $400. So their average sale price was the same.
 
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Leyasu

Banned
IPhvaxv.jpg


Imo there is a wealth of opportunity or possibilities with this character. but if not remedy, there is insomniac due to the whole rifts and dimensions.

If they let Quantum Break burn that bridge then they were being foolish, imo. I agree with Cyber_hunter026 Cyber_hunter026 . Dr. Strange would have been a good choice.

Yeah I have just been reading up on Dr Strange. Remedy are rumoured to be developing it too.

I agree, Microsoft should have carried on working exclusively with Remedy. They are good srtudio.
 

Kokoloko85

Member
Series is at around 14.5 million 16 months in. Xbox one was around 12million after 26 months. That’s about a 20% increase.

Also they dropped the Kinect a half a year in or so, Making it $400. So their average sale price was the same.

Xbox one hit 13 million by May 2015. https://www.thetechgame.com/News/si...les-top-13-million-units-worldwide-sales.html
Basically they are very close.

Series S is much cheaper and mostly in stock I think

Funny Aaron Greenberg didnt mention that Xbox One also outsold 360 month by month in the first 16 months lol. He just mentioned Series X/S trying to make it sound like it was something special
 
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Rockman33

Member
I’m not sure where you’re getting those numbers from. Since Xbox doesn’t release numbers it’s hard to know for sure.

This is off vgchartz. “The Xbox Series X|S has sold 14.43 million units in 18 months, while the Xbox One sold 11.81 million units.”

Also the series s is $100 cheaper and X is $100 more. Averages out to be the same. I have no idea what the split is.
 

Kokoloko85

Member
I’m not sure where you’re getting those numbers from. Since Xbox doesn’t release numbers it’s hard to know for sure.

This is off vgchartz. “The Xbox Series X|S has sold 14.43 million units in 18 months, while the Xbox One sold 11.81 million units.”

Also the series s is $100 cheaper and X is $100 more. Averages out to be the same. I have no idea what the split is.

Im just saying what I read before:
“The Xbox One reached the milestone for the week ending June 27. The console sold 94,057 units to bring its worldwide lifetime sales to 13,054,203”

People shit on vgcahrts but they have been accurate loads since 2010
 

Hendrick's

If only my penis was as big as my GamerScore!
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.
Chances are they would have been bad Marvel games anayway. I would rather see them focus on their own IP. The fact that they dropped the ball last gen, doesn't mean this would have been a good deal.
 
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It is not easy to say with certainty that X studio could have worked on a marvel I.P

Sometimes you just need to take a risk. I don’t believe Insomniac has ever worked on a Marvel IP before so there was some risk in letting them make Spider-Man. Unless you take the same risk with someone else you’ll never know if they are capable of making something good or not.
 

Lognor

Banned
What an utterly IDIOTIC move.

Just goes to show how poorly managed Xbox publishing is.

Insomniac literally used the engine MS paid to develop with Sunset Overdrive and made a huge exclusive with Sony.
Majority of Marvel games have been trash. Out sounds like ms made the right call
 

Nydius

Member
I see you are easily triggered.
If you want to brag about being an unpaid marketing shill, hey, more power to you.

If you take that "Ambassador" badge seriously though, as if that "pledge" you had to sign means anything of significance, I suggest you seek actual professional help. It's a PR campaign where Microsoft found out they can exploit their fans to do marketing for them, not the damn Freemasons or something.
 

Topher

Gold Member
Yeah cuz gotg and avengers did gangbusters. Lol

Incase you didn't know, both games did poorly.

That was a matter of timing though. If GotG had released first then it could have been a major hit. As it was, it had the Avengers stink on it. But if you are going to point to past performance then you should include Spider-man selling 20 million followed by Miles Morales selling 6.5 million.

Chances are they would have been bad Marvel games anayway. I would rather see them focus on their own IP. The fact that they dropped the ball last gen, doesn't mean this would have been a good deal.

I think you gotta go for it when given the opportunity, but @peter42O makes a good point that there could have been other circumstances that prevented it from happening at the time.
 
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