What are Microsoft's First-Party Studios Up To?

Microsoft owns many game development studios. All of them are working
on next-generation software, and while a few of the projects may be
obvious, some of the developers are toiling away very, very quietly. So
what are they all up to? We’ve examined the facts, the rumors, and the
good ol’ common sense to piece together our best bets on what
Microsoft’s first-party studios are up to. Bookmark this page and come
back at E3 to see how many we got right, and in the meantime, chime in
with your thoughts in the Comments below.



Halo 5
STUDIO: 343 Industries


ODDS OF IT HAPPENING: 99%

This is the only absolute no-brainer on the list. 343 Industries was
created specifically to make Halo games. Halo 4 was announced as the
first game in a new trilogy dubbed the Reclaimer Trilogy. Oh, and Halo 4
has sold over 4 million copies thus far, which in and of itself pretty much guarantees there will be another one.

In the meantime, Halo 4’s Spartan Ops episodes have come to an end,
and the story appears to lead directly into Halo 5 – with Dr. Halsey
smack-dab in the middle of everything. Halo 5 from 343 Industries isn’t a
question of if, it’s merely a question of when. 2014? 2015? It’s
unlikely it will be heard from at this year’s E3.


Fable: The Free-to-Play MMO

STUDIO: Lionhead Studios


ODDS OF IT HAPPENING: 95%

Of every Microsoft-exclusive developer, Lionhead makes the most sense
to lead the massively multiplayer charge on the next Xbox. The Fable
franchise has been building out the world of Albion for a decade, so
there’s an established interest in the world and its inhabitants. Here’s
where it gets good:

Lionhead is hiring a lot of online-focused positions, veteran MMO developers, as well as someone to configure “monetization features
within our upcoming game,” and to “coordinate pricing of virtual goods
and balance free vs. paid currency in the game economy.” Given the
direction many developers are moving, a free-to-play Fable game with
microtransactions for in-game goods is fully within the realm of
possibility.

Also, while we’re making bold calls: Lionhead will use Unreal Engine 4 for the Fable MMO.

Forza Motorsport 5

STUDIO: Turn 10


ODDS OF IT HAPPENING: 90%

Not only is Turn 10 working on Forza 5, but we’re also rather certain
that they’re prepping it for the Xbox 720 launch. “But how can they
have something ready that fast?” you might be asking. “Didn’t they just
finish Forza Horizon?” Actually, no! Though Turn 10 did have input on
Horizon, the overwhelming majority of that project was handled by
startup studio Playground Games out of the UK. Turn 10 has been quietly
working on their next project since they shipped Forza 4 in fall 2011.
They’ve also been on a two-year development cycle for the last couple of
games, thus pointing to a Forza 5 release for the Xbox 720 launch in
fall 2013.

Is an Xbox 360 version also possible? Yes, but we suspect Microsoft
and Turn 10 will go next-gen only in order to showcase the new console –
just as Project Gotham Racing 3 did for the Xbox 360.
Kinect Sports Season 3 and New IPs
STUDIO: Rare


ODDS OF IT HAPPENING: 80% (Kinect Sports), 50% (new IP)

Save your rants about how Rare isn’t the same company ever since
Microsoft bought them…or better yet, write them in the Comments below.
The fact remains that Rare continues to be a very important cog in the
Xbox machine. They were a big part of the Xbox 360 launch (Kameo,
Perfect Dark Zero) and were also responsible for designing the Xbox
Avatars that we all now take for granted. So what are they doing?

We expect a new version of Kinect Sports for Xbox 720 designed with
the specific aim of showing off the improved capabilities of the Kinect
2.0. And there’s only one other studio well-suited to such a task. We’ll
get to them below…

Meanwhile, Rare’s sheer size likely means that they have another team
working on a second Xbox 720 project. It’s not likely to be Kameo 2 or
another Perfect Dark game. Instead, a new franchise might be the ticket.
That is, unless Rare works this snafu out and is finally making a new Killer Instinct…
Also Kinect Sports Season 3
STUDIO: BigPark Studios


ODDS OF IT HAPPENING: 70%
After Joy Ride Kinect failed to sell, Microsoft had BigPark help out
on the development of Kinect Sports Season 2. The team here is obviously
focused on Kinect products, so it would only make sense, as the success
of Kinect Sports rises, BigPark sticks with its ol’ buddy Rare to
create more motion sports.

Let’s be honest, we’re probably not looking at a Joy Ride sequel here.
Unannounced AAA First-Person Shooter New IP

STUDIO: Black Tusk


ODDS OF IT HAPPENING: N/A

Microsoft quietly opened a Vancouver, Canada-based studio a few years
ago and christened it Black Tusk Studios in 2012. Their job listings flat-out say
they’re working on a “AAA console title,” and in fact it seems their
aim is to create the next big thing – or as they phrased it, “the next Halo.” Their job listings suggest the game is a first-person shooter. And really, would that surprise you?

Interestingly, the Vancouver development community is a very
talented, very active one, and Microsoft has no doubt been able to pluck
a lot of great talent in recent years, with Vancouver-area studios like
Radical (Prototype series), Propaganda (Turok), and Rockstar Vancouver
(Bully) shutting down – giving Microsoft quite a talent pool to draw
from. (That’s not even mentioning the fact that EA Canada – arguably
EA’s best people – is also in the area.)

Xbox TVSTUDIO: Microsoft Studios LA


ODDS OF IT HAPPENING: 80%

Microsoft wants to own your living room. With Xbox 360s apps
expanding from HBO Go and Netflix to Hulu and Red Box to Microsoft’s own
Xbox Video and Xbox Music service, your console is arguably all you
need from a home entertainment device. With the LA TV initiative, Microsoft wants to guarantee you’re only using your Xbox.

Microsoft Studios LA is hiring experienced executives
to oversee original video content, from pilots to full-blown series,
that’s “compelling to the Xbox demographic.” This place sounds as though
it operates like a full-blown network or production company. It’s a bit
of both, and bringing exclusive channels or shows to your console is a
brilliant tactic to keep you on your Xbox.

Whether this is an expensive experiment on Microsoft’s end or
something it’s committing to long-term remains to be seen, but if you
think broader entertainment applications are going away from your gaming
platform, think again.

Cross-Platform Tablet GamesSTUDIO: Lift London


ODDS OF IT HAPPENING: 50%

Microsoft’s new Lift London, headed by former Sony exec Phil
Harrison, focuses on Windows 8 and tablet stuff. In an ideal world,
Lift’s goals to “showcase functionality of Microsoft platform”
via “new entertainment franchises” will apply to the home console
platform, too. Skulls of the Shogun marks an important next step for
Microsoft -- its cross-platform play across all Windows devices,
including Xbox 360, paints an incredible picture of the future of
gaming. If Lift’s digital games apply to tablet, PC, and console,
hopefully the mandate is to keep us playing Xbox and Windows games
together and everywhere.

Kinect TV

STUDIO: Microsoft KALE


ODDS OF IT HAPPENING: 1,568%

Remember the NatGeo and Sesame Street Kinect "games"? Unless you're a
parent, probably not -- but you should be aware that they were pretty
awesome. The Kids and Lifestyle Entertainment division of Microsoft is
definitely going to keep on with the fun family stuff in its future, as
it plans to continue with Kinect TV with "high profile IP partners."
Again, Microsoft is going whole-hog on the entertainment front, and it's
going to do everything it can to expand original, alternative lifestyle
brands like this, especially as we drive forward to the next generation
of Kinect. Or, even farther down the road, the potential for Illumiroom
immersion is enormous in regards to involving kids in interactive,
educational TV.




AND THE SECOND PARTIES TOO!

Unannounced Kinect 2.0 New IP

STUDIO: Harmonix


ODDS OF IT HAPPENING: 75%

Following the fall of the plastic-instrument music game genre, the
game-developers-by-day/musicians-by-night folks at Harmonix Music
Systems found their next big thing: Dance Central. It became a killer
app for Microsoft’s much-maligned motion controller, and the series
remains the most fun you can have with the controller-free device. So
clearly Harmonix will be milking that cow as long as possible, right?

Don’t count on it. The dirty not-so-secret secret you may not know is
that most of Dance Central 3 was developed by Backbone Entertainment,
with Harmonix providing the design framework only. That means the
Boston-based rockers/developers have been working on…something…for the
last two years, and we have it on good authority that the studio has had
access to Kinect 2.0 developer kits longer than anyone outside of
Microsoft’s own walls. Put two and two together and…well, don’t be
surprised if Harmonix is a big part of the next Xbox’s unveiling.

Gears of War 4

STUDIO: Epic Games
ODDS OF IT HAPPENING: 50%

We have a conspiracy theory around here about Gears of War creator Cliff Bleszinski’s unexpected departure from Epic
last fall. See, Bleszinski had always talked informally about wanting
to move onto his Next Big Thing. He’s a big proponent of creating new
IP. So here’s our thought: what if Cliff didn’t want “a much needed
break,” as he put it? What if, instead, Microsoft signed a new deal with
Epic to produce another series of Unreal Engine 4-powered Gears of War
games on the next-gen Xbox and Cliff didn’t want to spend another decade
of his life working on the same franchise and decided to leave instead?
Food for thought…