Franchise Management
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The Fall of Mass Effect – Where Did It All Go Wrong?
This article analyzes the decline of the Mass Effect franchise, attributing its downfall to BioWare's closure and Electronic Arts' business interests overriding creative vision. Despite the success of the Legendary Edition and promising early development on a new title, the project was ultimately cancelled, leaving the future of the series uncertain.
Xbox CEO Wants Studios to “Create Enduring New IP” – Rumor
Xbox CEO Asha Sharma reportedly discussed the division's future with employees, emphasizing the need to create enduring new intellectual property alongside strengthening existing franchises. Sharma also touched on hardware development for 'Gen-10', hinting at a 'family of devices' and a focus on affordability.
Street Fighter Was On Death’s Door, And Its Players Weren’t Getting Any Younger
Street Fighter 6 producers Shuhei Matsumoto and Takayuki Nakayama revealed that the franchise was on the brink of decline before a strategic shift revitalized it. They aimed to attract new players while retaining the aging fanbase, a goal achieved with Street Fighter 6's innovative design and accessibility features.
New Leadership Appointments and XBOX Division
Xbox has announced new leadership appointments within its division, including the creation of a new XP division focused on franchise experiences beyond gaming. Kayleen Walters will lead XP, while Maria Angelidou-Smith will become CEO of Mojang and Minecraft. Both appointments aim to strengthen community engagement and business development across Xbox's intellectual properties.
After the Warner Bros. purchase, Skydance confirms the DCU still has a "long-term" vision across film, TV, and…
Skydance has confirmed a long-term vision for the DC Universe across film, television, animation, and gaming, reassuring concerns about the future of DC Studios under James Gunn and Peter Safran. The company's website highlights a commitment to building a unified creative architecture for DC properties, with upcoming projects like Clayface and Man of Tomorrow mentioned.
Halo Studios’ Next Game May Have Featured The Mysterious Xalanyn Before Cancelation
Halo franchise writer Alex Wakeford discussed potential future projects, including the introduction of the mysterious Xalanyn entities, before a major reshuffling at Xbox. While Halo Studios is now tasked with supporting existing games, Activision is working on a new Halo title, aiming to create "the greatest Halo game ever." This comes amidst significant layoffs across Xbox studios, and reports indicate Halo Studios' next project was canceled.
Ubisoft Boss Says Watch Dogs Is 'Important' to Company's Future, But Don't Expect Any New Entries Anytime Soon
Ubisoft's CEO stated that the Watch Dogs franchise is important to the company's future, but indicated that no new entries are expected in the near future. The company is focusing on other priorities for now.
Halo's new steward Activision reportedly considering rebooting the series, with a team in Sledgehammer Games leading the charge
Activision is reportedly considering a reboot for the Halo series, with a new team at Sledgehammer Games leading the charge. This potential reboot would explore Master Chief's origins and may combine both campaign and multiplayer elements, possibly moving away from Halo Studios' Slipstream engine to the Infinity Ward Engine. The news comes amid major reorganisation and layoffs within Microsoft's Xbox division.
Kathleen Kennedy says stepping down as Lucasfilm president was a "bit of a relief" after the "incredible…
Kathleen Kennedy reflected on stepping down as Lucasfilm president after 14 years, stating it brought a sense of relief from the pressure of living up to George Lucas' legacy. She discussed the challenges of balancing beloved existing Star Wars properties with creating new, original content, highlighting the success of the sequel trilogy and series like Andor and The Mandalorian.
The Division studio Massive expands to take control of Splinter Cell and Ghost Recon, and a new IP, in Ubisoft's most recent reorganisation
Ubisoft has reorganised its studios, expanding Massive Entertainment's remit to oversee the Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon and Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell brands, as well as multiple global studios and a new original IP called March of Giants. This move establishes Massive as a multi-franchise leading subsidiary, similar to the recently formed Vantage Studios. The restructuring follows several rounds of layoffs across Ubisoft, including at Massive Entertainment itself.
Ubisoft’s Creative House 2 is Now Massive Entertainment, Will Work on The Division, Splinter Cell
Ubisoft has officially renamed its Creative House 2 division to Massive Entertainment, consolidating development teams across multiple locations under one identity. This division will now be the primary team responsible for the "The Division," "Ghost Recon," and "Splinter Cell" franchises, as well as new intellectual properties. Massive Entertainment is currently focused on supporting "The Division 2" with its "Echoes of Central Park" expansion and a cross-platform multiplayer update, while also continuing development on "The Division 3."
Halo's Former Franchise Creative Director Sees 3 Possible Paths for Activision's Halo
Former Halo Franchise Creative Director Frank O'Connor has outlined three potential future directions for the Halo franchise under Activision's ownership. O'Connor, who spent nearly 20 years at 343 Industries, shared his thoughts on how Xbox's once flagship series could move forward.
Skyrim loremaster says The Elder Scrolls never got a Fallout: New Vegas-style game because Bethesda is "very protective" over its golden goose
Former Skyrim developer Kurt Kuhlmann suggests Bethesda's protective stance over The Elder Scrolls franchise prevented the creation of a Fallout: New Vegas-style spin-off. He believes Bethesda, particularly Todd Howard, wanted to avoid comparisons that favored external studios like Obsidian Entertainment, unlike what happened with Fallout: New Vegas. While The Elder Scrolls Online provided an ongoing experience, Kuhlmann implies a missed opportunity for a different kind of Elder Scrolls game.
Bethesda is Too Protective of The Elder Scrolls to Allow New Vegas-Style Spinoffs, Says Skyrim Co-Lead
Former Skyrim co-lead Kurt Kuhlmann stated that Bethesda is highly protective of The Elder Scrolls franchise, preventing the creation of New Vegas-style spinoffs. This contrasts with the Fallout series, where Obsidian Entertainment developed Fallout: New Vegas. While Todd Howard is protective, The Elder Scrolls Online has helped alleviate pressure, and anticipation for The Elder Scrolls 6 remains high, with Xbox CEO Asha Sharma praising an early build.
Bethesda say new underlings Obsidian will retain their "distinct" creative identity, despite no longer being as free to work on their own creatively distinct series
Bethesda's Jill Braff announced that Obsidian Entertainment will now report to Bethesda, impacting its creative independence. While Braff claims Obsidian's distinct identity will remain, the article argues this structural change, especially with Obsidian working on a new Fallout project, will likely dilute their ability to create original series like The Outer Worlds or Pentiment.
Activisions Halo-spel sägs inte bli en spinoff
Activision is reportedly forming a dedicated team to develop the next full installment in the Halo series, rather than a spinoff. This comes as 343 Industries is being shifted to a maintenance role for existing Halo titles, leading to uncertainty about their future. Activision's CEO, Rob Kostich, stated their goal is to create the best Halo game ever.
Halo needed to change, but Activision faces a huge challenge to fix it
Microsoft has transferred control of the Halo franchise from 343 Industries to Activision, a move met with skepticism due to Activision's track record with Call of Duty. While 343 Industries had successes like Halo Infinite's multiplayer and art direction, they struggled with campaign storytelling and consistent releases. The author questions Activision's ability to preserve Halo's unique identity while attempting to revitalize its relevance in the current shooter landscape.
Halo Stopped Being Relevant A Long Time Ago
The Halo franchise has been irrelevant for longer than it was ever popular, with its peak relevance ending around 2010. The departure of Bungie and subsequent games imitating trends rather than defining them, such as Halo 4's loadouts and Halo 5's MOBA-like Warzone mode, contributed to its decline. Despite attempts at innovation like Halo Infinite's open-world campaign and battle pass, the series has failed to recapture its former glory and is now seen as a victim of poor management and trend-chasing.
As Halo goes to Activision, fans are worried about this year's Halo Fest and a potential lore reboot from the Call of Duty publisher
Activision is set to develop the next Halo game, a move that has sparked significant concern among fans regarding potential lore reboots and the future of the franchise. This development follows widespread layoffs at Xbox Game Studios, including within the Halo development teams, leading to uncertainty about events like Halo Fest and the overall direction of the series.
Xbox Cuts Several Studios & Staff in Restructuring
Xbox is undergoing a significant restructuring, involving the elimination of 268 roles and the reorganization of several first-party studios. Activision will now oversee the next Halo game, while Playground Games and Turn 10 Studios will merge. Bethesda is absorbing Obsidian Entertainment, and Ninja Theory faces a proposed closure. These changes aim to reduce organizational complexity and concentrate resources on key franchises.
