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Information about Microsoft Game Studios



Microsoft Game Studios (MGS), branded with current logo and moniker in 2002 (formerly the Microsoft Game Division or Microsoft Games), 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, such as Lionhead and Rare Ltd.. MGS also publishes games created by third-party developers, such as Bioware and Bizarre Creations.

Acquisitions and announcements

Microsoft Game Studios had acquired many game development houses such as the acquisition of Bungie Studios in 2001 which gave it full control of the studio and shifted the development of Bungie’s game to its Xbox platform. [1]

In August 2002, MGS acquired Rare from Nintendo and the Stamper brothers (Chris and Tim), who owned 49% and 51% of the company respectively in what is believed to be one of the most expensive purchases of a video games development company yet, at a cost of around US 375 million.[2] This also meant Microsoft acquired the rights to Rare’s own original IP’s such as the Perfect Dark and Banjo-Kazooie franchises.

An announcement on April 6th 2006 brought news that Microsoft Game studios had purchased Lionhead Studios for an undisclosed sum, to further bolster the range of exclusive titles it could provide for the Xbox 360 platform.[3]

During May 2006 Microsoft also acquired Massive Inc, an in-game advertising company to provide additional revenues from their gaming platforms such as PCs and the Xbox 360. [4]

On May 4th 2007 Microsoft announced it would be opening a European office of Microsoft Game Studios in Reading in the United Kingdom (The present location of Microsoft's General UK offices). This office will be headed by Phil Spencer, who was General Manager for the games division before the announcement. [5]

Notable products

In-house studios

Former studios

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.

PC

Xbox

Xbox/Xbox 360

Xbox 360

Xbox Live Arcade

External links

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Microsoft consoles
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Tools: Xbox Development Kit • Microsoft XNA
Misc.: Microsoft Game Studios • Xbox 360 Launch • Xbox 360 Technical Problems
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Board of directorsBallmer Cash Dublon Gates Gilmartin Hastings Marquardt Noski Panke Shirley
2002
2002 in games
2001 in video gaming

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Microsoft Corporation

Public (NASDAQ:  MSFT )
Founded Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA (April 4 1975)[1]
Headquarters Redmond, Washington, United States

Key people Bill Gates, Co-founder and Executive Chairman ;
Paul Allen, Co-founder ;
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A video game developer is a software developer (a business or an individual) that creates video games. A developer may specialize in a certain video game system, such as the Sony PlayStation 3, Microsoft Xbox 360, the Nintendo Wii, or may develop for a variety of systems, including
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A video game publisher is a company that publishes video games that they have either developed internally or have had developed by a video game developer.

As with book publishers or publishers of DVD movies, video game publishers are responsible for their product's
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video game is a game that involves interaction with a user interface to generate visual feedback on a video device.

The word video in video game traditionally refers to a raster display device.
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Microsoft Windows

Screenshot of Windows Vista Ultimate, the latest version of Microsoft Windows.
Company/developer: Microsoft Corporation
OS family: MS-DOS/9x-based, Windows CE, Windows NT
Source model: Closed source

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personal computer (PC) is a computer whose original sales price, size, and capabilities make it useful for individuals.

It is unknown who coined the phrase with the intent of a small affordable computing device but John W.
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NA November 15, 2001
JP February 22, 2002
AU March 14, 2002
EU March 14, 2002

System storage 8-10GB Internal HDD, 8MB memory card
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video game console is an interactive entertainment computer or electronic device that manipulates the video display signal of a display device (a television, monitor, etc.) to display a game.
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In the video game industry, a first-party developer is a developer who is part of a company that actually manufactures a video game console. First-party developers may either use the name of the company itself (like Nintendo), or have a specific division name (like Sony's Polyphony
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Lionhead may refer to
  • Lionhead Studios, a computer game development company
  • a variety of goldfish: see Lionhead (goldfish)
  • a breed of domestic rabbits: see List of rabbit breeds
  • the head of a lion

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Rare

Private
Founded 1982
Headquarters Twycross, Leicestershire, United Kingdom

Key people Gregg Mayles
Mark Betteridge
Industry Computer and video game industry
Products Video games
Owner Microsoft
Website [1]


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third-party developer is a developer not directly tied to the primary product that a consumer is using. The primary product may be hardware or software.

In the video game industry, many third parties publish the games they develop, such as Electronic Arts and Ubisoft, while
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BioWare Corp.

Private (Subsidiary of Electronic Arts)
Founded Edmonton, Alberta (1995)
Headquarters Edmonton, Alberta & Austin, Texas

Key people Ray Muzyka, CEO
Greg Zeschuk, President
Industry Software & Programming
Products Infinity Engine
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Bizarre Creations

Video game developer
Founded 1994
Headquarters Liverpool, United Kingdom

Industry Video games
Employees 165
Parent Activision
Website [1]

Bizarre Creations
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Bungie, LLC

Private (LLC), former subsidiary of Microsoft
Founded 1991
Headquarters Kirkland, Washington, U.S.

Key people Jason Jones
Martin O'Donnell
Joseph Staten
Industry Video game industry
Products Video games
Employees
Website bungie.
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21st century - 22nd century
1970s  1980s  1990s  - 2000s -  2010s  2020s  2030s
1998 1999 2000 - 2001 - 2002 2003 2004

2001 by topic:
News by month
Jan - Feb - Mar - Apr - May - Jun
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2002
2002 in games
2001 in video gaming

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Rare

Private
Founded 1982
Headquarters Twycross, Leicestershire, United Kingdom

Key people Gregg Mayles
Mark Betteridge
Industry Computer and video game industry
Products Video games
Owner Microsoft
Website [1]


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Nintendo Company, Limited
任天堂株式会?

Public
TYO: 7974
NTDOY
FWB: NTO
Founded September 23 1889
Headquarters Kyoto, Japan
International:
Redmond, Washington, USA
Richmond, British Columbia, Canada
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Ultimate Play The Game
 

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Tim Stamper can mean:
  • Tim Stamper (fictional character), a character in the House of Cards trilogy
  • Tim Stamper, video game developer and artist, co-founder of Ultimate Play The Game and Rare

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intellectual property (IP) is an umbrella term for various legal entitlements which attach to certain names, written and recorded media, and inventions. The holders of these legal entitlements may exercise various exclusive rights in relation to the subject matter of the IP.
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Perfect Dark is a 2000 first-person shooter video game for the Nintendo 64 game console. The game was developed and published by Rare, creators of the multimillion-selling GoldenEye 007, an earlier first-person shooter with which Perfect Dark
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2007 April >>
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22 23 24 25 26 27 28
29 30

April is the fourth month of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, and one of four months with the length of 30 days.
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Lionhead Studios

Video Game Developer
Founded 1997
Headquarters Guildford, Surrey, United Kingdom

Key people Peter Molyneux
Tim Rance
Mark Webley
Dene Carter
Simon Carter

Industry computer and video game industry
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2006 by topic:
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