Microsoft Game Studios
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Microsoft Game Studios (MGS) is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Microsoft Corp. which develops and publishes video games for Windows-based PCs and the Xbox video game console. 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 Climax Studios and Big Huge Games.
In August 2002, MGS acquired Rare from Nintendo and the Stamper brothers, who owned 49% and 51% of the company respectively. Since that time, it has been rumored that Microsoft is trying to acquire Japanese game development companies. The reason given is that it would help them break into that notoriously fickle market where Western games are seldom successful, and where the Xbox overall has done very poorly to date.
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List of owned studios
Games released under the MGS brand
This list of games is sorted by platform and includes games both developed by MGS or MGS-owned companies, and those simply published by MGS. For those games not developed under the Microsoft name, the developer is noted after the game's release year.
PC
- Age of Empires (1995) — Ensemble Studios
- Age of Empires: The Rise of Rome (1998) — Ensemble Studios
- Age of Empires II: The Age of Kings (1999) — Ensemble Studios
- Age of Empires II: The Conquerors Expansion (2000) — Ensemble Studios
- Age of Empires II Gold Edition (2001) — Ensemble Studios
- Age of Mythology (2002) — Ensemble Studios
- Age of Mythology: The Titans Expansion (2003) — Ensemble Studios
- Age of Mythology Gold Edition (2004) — Ensemble Studios
- Bicycle Board Games (2003) (published by Activision Value)
- Bicycle Card Games (2003) (published by Activision Value)
- Bicycle Casino Games (2003) (published by Activision Value)
- Combat Flight Simulator|: WWII Europe Series (1998)
- Combat Flight Simulator 2: WWII Pacific Theater (2000)
- Combat Flight Simulator 3 (2002)
- Dungeon Siege (2002) — Gas Powered Games
- Dungeon Siege: Legends of Aranna (2003) — Gas Powered Games
- Dungeon Siege II (expected 2005) — Gas Powered Games
- Flight Simulator 2000 (1999)
- Flight Simulator 2002 (2001)
- Flight Simulator 2004: A Century of Flight (2003)
- Freelancer (2003)
- Halo: Combat Evolved (2003) — Bungie Studios
- Impossible Creatures (2003) — Relic
- Impossible Creatures: Insect Invasion (2003) — Relic
- Kings & Myths: The Age Collection (2003) — Ensemble Studios
- Links 2003 (2002)
- Links 2003 Championship Courses (2003)
- Links 2003 Championship Edition (2003)
- Links LS Classic (?)
- 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
- Mythica (cancelled)
- 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
- Train Simulator (2001)
- 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
Xbox
- Amped: Freestyle Snowboarding (2001)
- Amped 2 (2003)
- 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 & Uncut (expected 2005) — Rare
- Counter-Strike (2003) — Valve
- Crimson Skies: High Road to Revenge (2003)
- Dead or Alive 3 (2001) — Tecmo
- 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
- Kameo: Elements of Power (2005) — Rare
- Kingdom Under Fire: The Crusades (2004) — Phantagram
- Kung Fu Chaos (2003) — Just Add Monsters
- Links 2004 (2003)
- MechAssault (2002) — Day 1
- MechAssault 2: Lone Wolf (2004) — Day 1
- Midtown Madness 3 (2003) — Digital Illusions CE
- 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
- 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
- True Fantasy Live Online (cancelled) — Level-5
- Voodoo Vince (2003) — Beep Industries
- Whacked! (2002) — Presto Studios
- Xbox Music Mixer (2003) — Wild Tangent
External links
- Microsoft Game Studios official site (http://www.microsoft.com/games/)