Month: June 2018

When you make games that are out of the ordinary, you sign up for a future that’s hard to predict and maybe a little bit weird. To think that we, the 40-person team of Compulsion Games, the people who currently make unusual games from inside an old gramophone factory in Montreal, could become a part of Microsoft Studios is not something I would have predicted a few years ago. We launched Compulsion Games in 2009 in an leaky office in Montreal, and assembled a team of creators who cared about doing something different. Back at E3 2016, when we first… Continue reading Compulsion Games Brings its Off-Kilter Worlds to Microsoft Studios→

Today, during the Xbox E3 2018 briefing, we showed how seasons change everything in the worldwide debut of Forza Horizon 4, the latest entry in the award-winning Forza Horizon series. This highly anticipated follow-up to 2016’s breakout hit Forza Horizon 3 brings players dynamic seasons in a shared open-world that change every week. Experience beautiful, historic Britain in spectacular native 4K and HDR, collect over 450 cars, and become a Horizon Superstar. Forza Horizon 4 will launch worldwide on Xbox One, Windows 10 and Xbox Game Pass on October 2, 2018 as an Xbox Play Anywhere title. The Forza franchise… Continue reading E3 2018: Experience Stunning Seasons and Open-World Adventure in Forza Horizon 4→

We are super excited to announce that we at Ninja Theory have agreed to become a part of Microsoft Studios! What does this mean for you, the Xbox fans? It means that we’ll be super-charged to bring you more games that, like Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice, will each be unique experiences that are rich in creativity, quality and ambition. In the video above, we’ve shared, in our own words, why we’ve chosen to open this new chapter in the Ninja Theory story The heritage between Ninja Theory and Xbox is rich, going all the way back to 2000 where our first… Continue reading E3 2018: Ninja Theory Joins Microsoft Studios→

This morning during the Xbox E3 2018 Briefing we announced the formation of The Initiative, a new first-party game studio based in Santa Monica, California.  I’m thrilled to join the Microsoft Studios family as it is clear to me that the gaming team at Microsoft shares my passion for storytelling, world-building and creative exploration. There are big plans in store for fans and we are already hard at work. The foundation we have in place for The Initiative is unique in many ways. We’ve been given the freedom to explore, try new things and operate like an independent studio, with… Continue reading E3 2018: Microsoft Opens Brand New Game Studio The Initiative in Santa Monica→

Fellow survivors, Today at the Xbox E3 2018 Briefing, Head of Gaming Phil Spencer announced that Undead Labs, the studio behind the State of Decay franchise, is joining the Microsoft Studios family. The team at Undead Labs has worked in close partnership with Microsoft Studios since 2010, and we are now joining forces to take State of Decay even further. Five years ago we released the original State of Decay for Xbox 360, a unique survival-fantasy game that broke many established rules of game design, including permanent character death. We hoped that players would enjoy feeling like they were playing… Continue reading E3 2018: Undead Labs Joining Microsoft Studios→

At E3 today, Head of Gaming Phil Spencer announced several new investments Microsoft is making to vastly increase our resources for developing original content. It was a direct message to our incredibly dedicated fans who inspire what we do and why we do it. We know you want high quality, innovative content, and we’re committed to bringing you more and more gaming experiences in the years ahead. As part of this commitment to our fans, and the opportunity to leverage the amazing creative talents of the U.K. development community, I’m delighted to welcome our long-term partner Playground Games and their… Continue reading E3 2018: Playground Games Joins Microsoft Studios→

If you want to make it in Crackdown 3, follow Commander Jaxon’s lead! Homing rocket launchers, vortex cannons, transforming vehicles and the most powerful weapon in the game — you! Get ready to step up your boom when Crackdown 3 launches in February 2019. Crackdown 3 brings super-powered Agents to New Providence, an action-packed open-world, to take down a criminal corporation with an explosive chemistry set of weapons and abilities. Stay tuned for more information on Crackdown 3’s story campaign and cloud-powered multiplayer mode, “Wrecking Zone” as we get closer to launch! For more details on Crackdown 3, stay tuned to… Continue reading E3 2018: Commander Jaxon Welcomes You to The Agency in Crackdown 3→

Following in the footsteps of its critically acclaimed predecessor Ori and the Blind Forest, we’re excited to share that we’ll be taking players beyond the forest of Nibel in the upcoming 2-D platformer sequel Ori and the Will of the Wisps. Set to continue the legacy of Ori’s challenging gameplay, signature visual style and music, we can’t wait for you to embark on an all-new adventure all while feeling just a little bit nostalgic. If you’re new to the Ori series or if you’ve been with us since 2014, all of us at Moon Studios welcome you to Ori and… Continue reading E3 2018: Ori and the Will of the Wisps Takes You Beyond the Forest of Nibel→