Good games are the ones that ultimately sell consoles, so Microsoft has been working for a long time on developing their own titles with which to strengthen the confidence of their community and expand it with the incorporation of new users who trust the ecosystem. For this reason, Xbox Game Studios was born.
What is Xbox Game Studios?
The concept will surely sound familiar to you from before, and that is that PlayStation did exactly the same with PlayStation Studios. The idea is to gather development teams to work privately on games that will only be released for one platform. In this way, they focus their efforts on a single console, receive funding from the parent company and achieve the maximum possible impact by being a game created at home.
Microsoft’s interest in video games was born for many years, and games like Minesweeper or Solitaire marked the free time of millions of users around the world. Because yes, those two were games that marked an era, but it was not until years later when in 1997 Age of Empires hit the market thanks to the work of Ensemble Studios , which was bought by Redmond’s in 2001.
But a year earlier, the giant would formalize the purchase of Bungie and Digital Anvil, the first being a fundamental piece for the launch of the first Microsoft console, since they would be in charge of giving life to the mythical Halo: Combat Evolved. These movements were the beginnings of everything, and after several name changes, going from Microsoft Games Group to Microsoft Game Studios, and later to Microsoft Studios, finally in 2019 Phil Spencer announced the creation of what we now know as Xbox Game Studios .
What studies make up the group?
Today, this continuous market for the purchase of development studies has reached a total of 15 different development teams, which we are going to list below:
343 Industries
Ahead of the launch of Xbox Series X, 343 Industries has a very important role, and that is that they are in charge of giving life to Halo Infinite. The new installment of the Master Chief will be the cornerstone of the new generation project, so Microsoft has quite high hopes for the work of this study.
World’s Edge
In charge of the Age of Empires saga (Ensemble Studios closed and Microsoft retained the rights), they recently completed the final versions of Age of Empires and Age of Empires II, including new textures and 4K resolution. Today they work on Age of Empires IV, about which not much more is known since their last trailer presented.
The Coalition
What a few years ago was Microsoft Vancouver, now publishes under the name of The Coallition, and from here all gems related to Gears of War come from since Microsoft bought the license from Epic Games. At the moment nothing is known about what projects they are preparing for Xbox Series X, so a new Gears of War for Xbox Series X would be something that many would be waiting for.
Compulsion Games
Characterized by their Art Deco aesthetics, the Compulsion Games are Contrast and We Happy Few , so we are dealing with another study that has not yet shown its cards for the new generation.
Double Fine
Since Tim Schafer founded Double Fine Productions in 2000, the company has been launching games with the help of crowfunding campaigns, something they also turned to when it came to presenting their next big project: Psychonauts 2. This game will not be Xbox exclusive, so it will also come to PC and PS4.
Xbox Game Studios Publishing
The case of Xbox Games Studios Publishing is quite special, since it is a department in charge of helping other second party or third party studios by offering investments with which to complete the developments. From here games like Ryse: Son of Rome, Ori and the Blind forest, Quantum Break, Ori And the Will of the Wisp and the future Microsoft Flight Simulator, Tell my Why, CrosfireX and As Dusk Falls have been born .
The Initiative
Located in Santa Monica, California, this new development studio will bring new franchises to Xbox with the help of an army of programmers from studios like Sony Santa Monica, Crystal Dynamics, Rockstar, Naugty Dogs, and other studios, making the jobs that They will leave here could be quite important. Everything is kept secret, so we will see what they surprise us with.
Inxile Entertaiment
In charge of the Wasteland saga , the studio remains focused on preparing the launch of Wasteland 3 for August 20, so it is not known exactly what medium or long-term project they have in mind for the arrival of the next generation of consoles.
Mojang Studios
Mojang is synonymous with Minecraft. Since Microsoft bought the studio, the game has received countless improvements and new versions for all types of platforms, and it is expected that Xbox Series X will enjoy graphic improvements to see the blocks with more details and light effects than ever.
Ninja Theory
After the launch of Bleeding Edge , the closest project we will see for Xbox Series X is the launch of Senua’s saga: Hellblade II , however, in the bedroom there is also another work that responds to the name of Project Mara , and which promises to enjoy of a mental horror game based on hyper realistic graphics.
Obsidian
After the launch of The Outer Worlds , Obsidian is working twice over two games that will give a lot to talk about. On the one hand we have the fun and childlike Grounded , a cooperative survival adventure that will put us in the shoes of tiny children who will have to survive the dangers of a garden full of insects and large dangers.
On the other hand, the beginning of the development of Avowed has also been presented , a fantastic RPG that is said to have a larger map than Skyrim’s and which is expected a lot by fans of the genre.
Playground Games
Until now, Playground Games has been focused on creating the Forza Motorsport spinoff, Forza Horizon , a move that has gone quite well for them by introducing more fun and arcade driving separate from the extreme simulation of the original game. But in the studio they are already focused on another very important project, and it is none other than Fable’s return . Little else knows beyond the confirmation itself, so we will continue to wait for new information.
Rare
It was one of the most popular purchases from Microsoft, since after acquiring a 51% stake, Nintendo decided to part with it and sell to Redmond the 49% it owned. With this purchase, they acquired the rights to games like Battletoads, Banjo Kazooie, Perfect Dark, and Killer Instinct , later bringing games like Sea of Thieves to life . They are currently working on Everwild, a third-person fantasy game with an aesthetic that has caught the attention of the public.
Turn10
As on every platform, there was no shortage of car games, and that’s where Turn10 comes into play. This study is in charge of giving life to the Forza Motorsport saga, and for Xbox Series X they are developing the next installment, which will probably arrive in 2021.
Undead Labs
As its name suggests, the work of this study is focused on the undead. His work is State of Decay , an open world survival game that is already preparing its third installment . At the moment the game is in development, so you will have to wait at least until 2021 to see it working.