Microsoft Game Studios

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Microsoft Game Studios (MGS), branded with current logo and moniker in 2002 (formerly the Microsoft Game Division), is a wholly owned subsidiary of Microsoft Corp. which develops and publishes video games for Windows-based PCs and the Xbox and Xbox 360 video game consoles. MGS publishes games for several Microsoft-owned first-party developers, including Bungie Studios and Rare Ltd.. MGS also publishes games created by third-party developers, such as Bioware and Bizarre Creations.

In 2001 Microsoft Game Studios bought Bungie Studios.

In August 2002, MGS acquired Rare from Nintendo and the Stamper brothers, who owned 49% and 51% of the company respectively.

On April 6th 2006 Microsoft Game studios purchased Lionhead Studios as they wanted to bolster the amount of releases for Xbox 360.In 2006 Microsoft also acquired Massive Inc, the in-game advertising company.

Contents 1 Notable products 2 In-house studios 3 Games released under the MGS brand 3.1 PC 3.2 Xbox 3.3 Xbox 360 4 External links

[edit] Notable products

• Xbox — Video Game Console
• Xbox 360 — Video Game Console
• XNA Integrated Development Environment
• DirectX API's.

[edit] In-house studios

• ACES Game Studio — Flight Simulator series, Combat Flight Simulator series and the upcoming Train Simulator 2
• Bungie — Halo series, Myth series, Marathon series
• Ensemble — Age of Empires series, Age of Mythology series, Halo Wars
• FASA Interactive — Shadowrun, Crimson Skies, Mechwarrior series
• Feel Plus! — A new studio set up in conjunction with Mistwalker (they will be producing a new RPG titled Lost Odyssey)
• Hired Gun — Halo 2 for Windows Vista
• Lionhead — Black & White series, The Movies, Fable series
• Rare — Goldeneye 007, Perfect Dark series, Kameo, Killer Instinct series, Banjo series, Viva Pinata
• Turn 10 — Forza Motorsport series
• Wingnut Interactive — A new studio set up in conjunction with Peter Jackson (they will be producing alongside with Bungie Studios a new game based in the Halo universe)

[edit] Games released under the MGS brand

This list of games is sorted by platform and includes games published by Microsoft. For those games not developed under the Microsoft name, the developer is noted after the game's release date.

[edit] PC

• Age of Empires (October 15, 1997) — Ensemble Studios
  • Age of Empires: The Rise of Rome (November 5, 1998) — Ensemble Studios
• Age of Empires: Gold Edition (August 24, 1999) — Ensemble Studios
• Age of Empires II: The Age of Kings (October 16, 1999) — Ensemble Studios
  • Age of Empires II: The Conquerors (August 25, 2000) — Ensemble Studios
• Age of Empires III (October 18, 2005) — Ensemble Studios
  • Age of Empires III: The Warchiefs (Fall 2006) — Ensemble Studios
• Age of Empires III Collector's Edition (October 18, 2005) — Ensemble Studios
• Age of Mythology (October 31, 2002) — Ensemble Studios
  • Age of Mythology: The Titans (September 30, 2003) — Ensemble Studios
• Age of Mythology Gold Edition (June 30, 2004) — Ensemble Studios
• Alan Wake (2007) — Remedy Entertainment
• Allegiance (March 16, 2000)
• Asheron's Call (December 1, 1999) — Turbine, Inc.
• Asheron's Call 2
• Chip's Challenge (1989)
• Close Combat (1996) — Atomic Games
• Close Combat: A Bridge Too Far (1997) — Atomic Games
• Close Combat III: The Russian Front (1998) — Atomic Games
• Combat Flight Simulator: WWII Europe Series (1998)
• Combat Flight Simulator 2: WWII Pacific Theater (2000)
• Combat Flight Simulator 3: Battle for Europe (2002)
• Combat Flight Simulator 4 (TBA)
• Deadly Tide (1996)
• Dungeon Siege (2002) — Gas Powered Games
• Dungeon Siege: Legends of Aranna (2003) — Gas Powered Games
• Dungeon Siege II (2005) — Gas Powered Games
• Fable: The Lost Chapters (2005) — Lionhead Studios
• Freelancer (2003) — Digital Anvil
• Fighter Ace (December 31, 1997)
• Fury³ (June 24, 1996)
• Halo: Combat Evolved (2003) — Bungie Studios
• Halo 2 for Windows Vista (2007) — Hired Gun / Bungie Studios
• Hellbender (1996) Terminal Reality
• Impossible Creatures (2003) — Relic Entertainment
  • Impossible Creatures: Insect Invasion (2003) — Relic Entertainment
• Kings & Myths: The Age Collection (2003) — Ensemble Studios
• Links 2003 (2002) — Indie Built
• Links 2003: Championship Courses (2003)
• Links Championship Edition (2003)
• Links LS Classic (?) — Indie Built
• Marvel Universe Online (2007) — Cryptic Studios and Marvel Interactive
• MechCollection (?)
• MechCommander 2 (2001)
• MechWarrior 4: Vengeance (2000)
  • MechWarrior 4: Black Knight (2001) — Cyberlore Studios
  • MechWarrior 4: Clan Mech Pak (2002) — Cyberlore Studios / FASA Interactive
  • MechWarrior 4: Inner Sphere Mech Pack (2002) — Cyberlore Studios / FASA Interactive
  • MechWarrior 4: Mercenaries (2002) — Cyberlore Studios
• Microsoft Baseball 2000 (1999)
• Microsoft Baseball 2001 (2000)
• Microsoft CART Precision Racing (1997)
• Microsoft Entertainment Pack: The Puzzle Collection (December 31, 1997)
• Microsoft Flight Simulator '95 (1996)
• Microsoft Flight Simulator '98 (1997)
• Microsoft Flight Simulator 2000 (1999)
• Microsoft Flight Simulator 2002 (2001)
• Microsoft Flight Simulator 2004: A Century of Flight (2003)
• Microsoft Flight Simulator X (2006) — ACES Studio
• Microsoft Flight Simulator X: Adrenaline (2007) — ACES Studio
• Microsoft Golf (June 1, 1995)
• Microsoft Golf Version 3.0 (December 12, 1996)
• Microsoft Golf 1998 Edition (June 16, 1998)
• Microsoft Soccer (December 12, 1996)
• Microsoft Space Simulator (1994)
• Microsoft Train Simulator (2001) — Kuju Entertainment
• Microsoft Train Simulator 2 (re-announced, as of 2007) — ACES Studio
• Midtown Madness (1999) — Angel Studios
• Midtown Madness 2 (2000) — Angel Studios
• Monster Truck Madness (1996) — Terminal Reality
• Monster Truck Madness 2 (1998) — Terminal Reality
• Motocross Madness (1998) — Rainbow Studios
• Motocross Madness 2 (2000) — Rainbow Studios
• Mythica (cancelled)
• NBA Full Court Press (March 30, 1998)
• NBA Inside Drive 2000 (1999)
• NFL Fever 2000 (1999)
• Outwars (1998)
• Pandora's Box (August 31, 1999)
• Racing Madness 2 (?)
• RalliSport Challenge (2002) — Digital Illusions CE
• Return of Arcade Anniversary Edition (1997) — Namco
• Rise of Nations (2003) — Big Huge Games
  • Rise of Nations: Thrones and Patriots (2004) — Big Huge Games
• Rise of Nations: Rise of Legends (2006) — Big Huge Games
• SkiFree (December 31, 1991)
• ShadowRun (2007) — FASA Studio
• Urban Assault (July 31, 1998) — TerraTools
• Zoo Tycoon (2001) — Blue Fang Games
  • Zoo Tycoon: Dinosaur Digs (2002) — Blue Fang Games
  • Zoo Tycoon: Marine Mania (2002) — Blue Fang Games
• Zoo Tycoon Complete Collection (2003) — Blue Fang Games
• Zoo Tycoon 2 (2004) — Blue Fang Games
  • Zoo Tycoon 2: Endangered Species (2005) — Blue Fang Games
  • Zoo Tycoon 2: African Adventure (2006) — Blue Fang Games
• Zoo Tycoon 2: Zookeeper Collection (2006) — Blue Fang Games
  • Zoo Tycoon 2: Dino Danger Pack (2006) — Blue Fang Games
  • Zoo Tycoon 2: Marine Mania (2006) — Blue Fang Games
  • Zoo Tycoon 2: Extinct Animals (2007) — Blue Fang Games

[edit] Xbox

• Amped: Freestyle Snowboarding (2001) — Indie Built
• Amped 2 (2003) — Indie Built
• Azurik: Rise of Perathia (2001) — Adrenium Games
• B.C. (cancelled) — Intrepid
• Blinx: The Time Sweeper (2002) — Artoon
• Blinx 2: Masters of Time and Space (2004) — Artoon
• Blood Wake (2001) — Stormfront Studios
• Brute Force (2003) — Digital Anvil
• Conker: Live & Reloaded (2005) — Rare
• Counter-Strike (2003) — Valve
• Crimson Skies: High Road to Revenge (2003)
• Dinosaur Hunting (2003)
• Fable (2004) — Lionhead Studios/Big Blue Box Studios
• Forza Motorsport (2005)
• Fuzion Frenzy (2001) — Blitz Games
• Grabbed by the Ghoulies (2003) — Rare
• Halo: Combat Evolved (2001) — Bungie Studios
• Halo 2 (2004) — Bungie Studios
• Inside Pitch 2003 (2003)
• Jade Empire (2005) — BioWare
• Kakuto Chojin (2002) — Dream Publishing
• Kingdom Under Fire: Heroes (2005) — Phantagram
• Kingdom Under Fire: The Crusaders (2004) — Phantagram
• Kung Fu Chaos (2003) — Just Add Monsters
• Links 2004 (2003) — Indie Built
• Magatama (2003)
• MechAssault (2002) — Day 1
• MechAssault 2: Lone Wolf (2004) — Day 1
• Midtown Madness 3 (2003) — Digital Illusions CE
• N.U.D.E.@Natural Ultimate Digital Entertainment (2003) — Rocket Studio, Inc. / Red Company
• NBA Inside Drive 2002 (2002) — High Voltage Software
• NBA Inside Drive 2003 (2002) — High Voltage Software
• NBA Inside Drive 2004 (2003) — High Voltage Software
• NFL Fever 2002 (2001)
• NFL Fever 2003 (2002)
• NFL Fever 2004 (2003)
• NHL Rivals 2004 (2003)
• NightCaster (2002) — VR1
• Oddworld: Munch's Oddysee (2001) — Oddworld Inhabitants
• OutRun 2 (2004) — (co-published with Sega) Sega-AM2/Sumo Digital
• Phantom Dust (2004)
• Phantasy Star Online Episode I & II (2003) — Sonic Team
• Project Gotham Racing (2001) — Bizarre Creations
• Project Gotham Racing 2 (2003) — Bizarre Creations
• Quantum Redshift (2002) — Curly Monsters
• RalliSport Challenge (2002) — Digital Illusions CE
• RalliSport Challenge 2 (2004) — Digital Illusions CE
• Shenmue II (2003) — Sega-AM2
• Sneakers (2002) — Mediavision Corporation
• Sudeki (2004) — Climax Studios
• Tao Feng: Fist of the Lotus (2003) — Studio Gigante
• The Wild Rings (2003)
• Top Spin (2003) — Power & Magic, Indie Built
• True Fantasy Live Online (cancelled) — Level-5
• Voodoo Vince (2003) — Beep Industries
• Whacked! (2002) — Presto Studios
• Xbox Music Mixer (2003) — Wild Tangent

[edit] Xbox 360

• Alan Wake (TBA) — Remedy Entertainment
• Banjo-Kazooie 3 (2007) — Rare
• Blue Dragon (2006) — Mistwalker / Artoon
• Crackdown (2007) — Real Time Worlds
• Every Party (2005) — Game Republic
• Fable 2 (2007) — Lionhead Studios
• Forza Motorsport 2 (2007) — Turn 10
• Fuzion Frenzy 2 (2007) — Hudson Soft
• Gears of War (2006) — Epic Games
• Halo 3 (2007) — Bungie Studios
• Halo Wars (2007) — Ensemble
• Infinite Undiscovery (2007) — Tri-Ace
• Kameo: Elements of Power (2005) — Rare
• Kingdom Under Fire: Circle of Doom (2007) — Phantagram
• Lost Odyssey (2007) — Mistwalker Studios / Feel Plus
• Marvel Universe Online (2008) — Cryptic Studios / Marvel Interactive
• Mass Effect (2007) — Bioware
• Ninety-Nine Nights (2006) — Q Entertainment / Phantagram
• Perfect Dark Zero (2005) — Rare
• Project Gotham Racing 3 (2005) — Bizarre Creations
• Project Gotham Racing 4 (2007/8) — Bizarre Creations
• ShadowRun (2007) — FASA Studio
• Too Human (2007) — Silicon Knights
• Tenchu Z (2007) — From Software
• Viva Piñata (2006) — Rare

[edit] External links

• Microsoft Game Studios official site
• Microsoft's Official Xbox Site
• Microsoft Game Studios profile on MobyGames

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