Microsoft cancells Fall sports games- "Quality"

[speng]

Here is the link:

http://biz.yahoo.com/rc/040330/media_microsoft_games_1.html

They cancelled all these games stating that they want better quality.

I think this may be just a reason to pull back development for Xbox Next and focus on that platform to have a solid line-up of quality sports games.

More and more I'm beginning to believe that Xbox Next could be released Winter 2005.

This decision was probably made months ago but just announced.

Speng.

 

[AzBat]

The source of the news was from IGN. There's also an extensive 2 page interview with Kevin Browne, XSN Sports Studio Manager. Here's the link...

http://sports.ign.com/articles/502/502713p1.html

Good stuff there.

Tommy McClain

 

[Lazy8s]

During the time that a company is more concerned with selling their platform than making money off the games they publish for it, ensuring an attractive sports line-up is critical. Sure, sales of the games are nice, but it's more about rounding out the library to help sell the platform.

But once a console already has the need for strong sports games covered by third parties like the Xbox does now, it's not such a critical thing to self-support anymore. The handling of their games is then dictated by the share of the sports market they think they can get.

 

[zurich]

Never a good sign to have a first party cancel an entire (especially one as important to both the console and online services as sports) because of 'quality'.

Hmm, some significant changes since Fries left.

 

[AzBat]

Never a good sign to have a first party cancel an entire (especially one as important to both the console and online services as sports) because of 'quality'.

Hmm, some significant changes since Fries left.

I could see them adding more functionality to existing XSN Sports titles with just updates from Live. They could see them offering XSN Sports titles cheap($20) and then if you want the latest stuff(rosters, etc), then add new content from Live for $5 or even free. Also, the guy did mention a Tsunami release this spring that Sega could take advantage later this year. What if they made a downloadable update for XSN Sports titles that supported the new features from it? I don't think Microsoft isn't going to sport-less this fall, but time will tell.

Tommy McClain

 

[Johnny Awesome]

Good move to extend the dev time for the Xbox 2 XSN titles to 2 years.

 

[marconelly!]

http://xbox.ign.com/articles/503/503012p1.html

Now they canned Psychonauts... What the hell are they doing, that was the most promissing and charming Xbox game, if you ask me. Rumor is, they almost canned it last Christmas, but decided to gave them some more time. I hope someone picks it up, like Ubisoft did for Tork (another nice looking game MS caned for no apparent reason)

*edit* Ah, yes, just the other day, they canned Oddworld's next game as well:
http://www.1up.com/article2/0,2053,1555482,00.asp

 

[Qroach]

The sports title weren't really canned. They are just concentrating on xbox 2 for launch.

 

[marconelly!]

Yeah, they are just delayed. But frankly, I couldn't care less about those sports titles either way. The limbo that Psychonauts is right now is worrying and hurting though, especially coming from the personal shock after recent cancellation of Sam & Max 2 It seems as if anything adventure games related is doomed nowadays.

 

[ben6]

I like it. I'm a bit tired of the every year release a game mood for most sports games....

 

[DemoCoder]

I still wish there was a Top Spin 2, with features like mixed doubles, elimination of some of the mega-loading delays, australian rule doubles, etc.

 

[archie4oz]

I like it. I'm a bit tired of the every year release a game mood for most sports games....

Same here... Although some studios may look more into simply supporting/providing updates (e.g. uniforms, rosters, expansion teams, venues, etc) to their title rather than just releasing whole new titles with some minor feature updates. (although I imagine things like rule changes would be a bit tricky)

 

[Nick Laslett]

Is this more evidence that the Xbox2 will launch Fall 2005? (With a stunning line-up of sports titles!)

Without online support from EA Sports titles, this is a big missing for Christmas 2004. The PS2 will have shiny new editions of this line-up with online features. Going by the sales figures of the MS sport games this is a lot of sales to pass up.

Now that Microsoft is backing away from the Xbox will other publishers start to follow suit?

 

[Gollum]

Not sure how much this interview is about damage control and how much is real. Kevin Browne says their intentions are still for the Sports titles to come out on Xbox (not sure about that), just not this year because they can't compete in quality vs. EA and SEGA (true) and reviews/feedback and sales showed that (true). They also want to make sure to take full advantage of the XBox hardware (he makes it sound more like delaying and polishing than cancelling). As for Amped and Top Spin, those were never intended to be followed up by yearly rehashes so they're not really affected by this (sounds believable to me). Most games seem to stay in care of their current development studios, except for High Voltage Software's NBA title.

 

[_phil_]

MS canceled a lot these days...
Changed heads and representatives here and there also...