this post was submitted on 04 Jul 2025
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[–] rdri@lemmy.world 1 points 1 hour ago

Freelancer 2. Will not forget.

[–] oyzmo@lemmy.world 28 points 22 hours ago (2 children)

The problem in most big companies (and organisations or countries) is that leaders promote people who think like themselves or at least are very agreeable. And as time passes they end up surrounding themselves with yes-people; every bad idea is cheered on, because all the critics have been fired or are way down in the hierarchy.

[–] Hackworth@sh.itjust.works 13 points 21 hours ago* (last edited 21 hours ago)

And in that environment, everyone who actually understands how things work quits or gets quit. It's my understanding that there are large sections of code bases that MS just doesn't touch, because everyone who understood how they function is gone. Continuity of institutional knowledge is difficult in the best cases and impossible under leaders that discourage dissenting perspectives.
/gestures about wildly

[–] CatDogL0ver@lemmy.world 8 points 21 hours ago

So true. All those suck ups are at the top and the bosses overestimate themselves. What we need more smaller studios.

[–] Clbull@lemmy.world 47 points 1 day ago (2 children)

Eighteen months ago, I was an advocate for Microsoft buying Activision Blizzard, because I didn't think anybody could have done a worse job than Bobby Kotick.

Phil Spencer has proven me wrong. This arsehole tried to shut down Tango Gameworks after they literally shadowdropped a critically acclaimed GOTY contender.

[–] Blackmist@feddit.uk 10 points 21 hours ago

Bizarre Creations had the misfortune of being owned by both of them before being shut down.

It really shows that something is fucked up in businessland that they're so bad at managing studios, when managing studios is literally all they fucking do.

Same with EA. It's just a wasteland of dead companies. The list of studios they've closed is bigger than the list of ones they still own.

[–] Duamerthrax@lemmy.world 13 points 1 day ago* (last edited 17 hours ago) (1 children)

I still kinda want Microsoft to buy Activision Blizzard, but not for altruistic reasons.

[–] dubyakay@lemmy.ca 5 points 21 hours ago (1 children)

But Microsoft already bought Activision Blizzard.

[–] Duamerthrax@lemmy.world 2 points 19 hours ago

Shows how much I care about the output of either company.

[–] MITM0@lemmy.world 9 points 20 hours ago* (last edited 20 hours ago)

Yeah, remember when we had a proper alternative to twitch that had a better & faster Streaming Protocol called Mixer. Which was actually focussed on Gaming ??

Yeah it was run by Microsoft & then they killed it.

Then Glimesh revived it in a way& now it's dead too. Shame, it was OpenSource too

[–] callouscomic@lemmy.zip 32 points 1 day ago (4 children)

They're really good at killing them though. I'll never forgive the death of Ensemble.

[–] boaratio@lemmy.world 25 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Don't forget they also murdered Rare.

[–] Clbull@lemmy.world 14 points 1 day ago (2 children)

I 100% believe the claim that Microsoft executives mistakenly thought they've just nabbed the Donkey Kong IP by acquiring Rare. Definitely seems like something some c-suite ghouls who are totally out of touch with the games industry would believe.

Also, I'm not sure how much of Rare's downfall was due to Microsoft's mismanagement or their core talent leaving to form other studios. Maybe a bit of both.

[–] BurgerBaron@piefed.social 1 points 11 hours ago

Given how Microsoft handled the Conker's Bad Furday remake I think you're not far off accusing them like that here.

[–] Blackmist@feddit.uk 5 points 21 hours ago

I assume a lot of the top level staff stick about until their contractually obliged period for getting a massive payday is over, and then look very closely at whether they actually want to be told what to do by a bunch of suits all day long.

Realistically they're working to make somebody else richer at that point, and there's only so much enthusiasm anyone can have for that. Certainly not enough for the long hours needed in the games industry.

[–] prole@lemmy.blahaj.zone 14 points 1 day ago (1 children)

I couldn't believe it when they shut down the studio that did Hi-Fi Rush. They put out a great game that received universal praise, then shut them down like a few months later. Infuriating.

[–] Gt5@lemmy.zip 1 points 19 hours ago (1 children)

Hot take, but I did not like hi fi rush

[–] AwesomeLowlander@sh.itjust.works 9 points 19 hours ago

It's not a hot take, it's fine to dislike popular games for personal reasons. You're not calling it a horrible game, it just didn't click for you.

[–] SaharaMaleikuhm@feddit.org 18 points 1 day ago (1 children)
[–] Blackmist@feddit.uk 16 points 1 day ago

We've bought these studios that are loved by gamers for their niche content.

What do you mean they're not making the next Fortnite? Shut them down immediately.

[–] Clbull@lemmy.world 7 points 1 day ago (1 children)

To be fair, Age of Empires III was bad, and the last project Ensemble was working on before they got shuttered was a Halo MMO.

Also, Robot Entertainment (the studio that rose from the ashes of Ensemble) were the initial developers of Age of Empires Online, which was P2W slop that 90% of players couldn't run because Games For Windows LIVE was a buggy crock of shit. And since then they've released nothing but Orcs Must Die games.

[–] CeeBee_Eh@lemmy.world 3 points 1 day ago

A Halo MMO could have been cool.

Speaking of MMOs or open world games, I wish that Stargate MMO game got off the ground. That would have so much potential.

[–] mrfriki@lemmy.world 136 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (8 children)

But that is the whole point. You don't buy studios to make games, you buy them to get rid of competitors.

[–] dual_sport_dork@lemmy.world 5 points 20 hours ago

Obligatory.

And for Microsoft, to get a back catalogue to ensure your subscription service remains attractive.

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[–] BurgerBaron@piefed.social 73 points 1 day ago (8 children)

I'm not really all that bothered. Unlike movies, new start ups for making games happen a lot. When the greedy giants topple, like a forest something grows in the new patch of sunlight.

[–] MurrayL@lemmy.world 21 points 1 day ago

I wish that was true, but funding has dried up across the entire sector and that affects the viability of smaller studios more than it does the mega corps with bottomless warchests.

[–] zipzoopaboop@lemmynsfw.com 54 points 1 day ago

We probably wouldn't have expedition 33 if Ubisoft gave people a reason to stay

[–] burgerpocalyse@lemmy.world 26 points 1 day ago (5 children)

i don't believe the next video game collapse is going to be very pretty for anyone. also, most independent studios and developers make little to no money at all

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[–] psx_crab@lemmy.zip 21 points 1 day ago (15 children)

All this to feed 545 insatiable hunger for another halo slop.

[–] Xttweaponttx@sh.itjust.works 6 points 1 day ago (1 children)

RIP halo, my favorite competitive shooter ever 😭 infinite is such an absolute botch.

[–] Omegamanthethird@lemmy.world 1 points 12 hours ago

Even Halo 5 had redeeming qualities. I legit wish Infinite would be treated like a fan made game and ignored so they can make a Halo 6 that concludes the Promethean saga.

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[–] cybervseas@lemmy.world 48 points 1 day ago (1 children)

“You’ll have GaaS and you’ll like it.”

[–] Lost_My_Mind@lemmy.world 31 points 1 day ago

Microsoft owns taco bell?

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