Phil Spencer: "I know we have to take risks [after Scalebound cancellation]"

Per GameSpot:

Now, Spencer has spoken up again about Scalebound's cancellation. Writing on Twitter today (via DualShockers), Spencer vowed that Microsoft will continue to take "risks" with the game's it greenlights.

"I know we have to take risks," he said. "I realize right now probably sounds hollow but I agree."

In another tweet, Spencer said the cancellation of Scalebound won't stop Microsoft from signing third-party games in the future. At the same time, you can expect Microsoft to of course continue to invest in projects from its own studios as well.

"I won't abandon signing independent studio projects but I agree first-party internal studios are critical," he said.

Spencer also personally apologized for cancelling Scalebound. "It hurt me as well and to the community I apologize. I want everything we start to turn out great, to take risks, create diversity," he said.

The problem is... you've been saying that since you took the helm, and that was three years ago. Three years is a long time to start building some studios, release some new games, but you have nothing to show for it. A new Gears and Halo, and three(!!!) new Forza games, sure, but what else? You shut down Fable Legends. You shut down Scalebound. Crackdown 3 is nowhere to be seen. Quantum Break is from the Mattrick era, and it turned out disappointing anyway. ReCore, sure, but it sucks.

I'm sure Phil Spencer is trying the best with what he has... but why do I give him more chances until he delivers tangible results consistent with what he claims to want to do?

They had better have the best E3 ever this year or people will Switch to another console that delivers.

A game console without exclusives is like a hydrophobic diving instructor. It's a sick joke that you have a 100 million dollar controller and a 50 cent lineup of games.

@charizard1605: since when did you become such an angry little troll.

Do you even have a Xbox One?

If not why do you care and create bash Xbox threads like all the rest??

At least he is saying the right things. That's a start I guess.

Where's the anger or the trolling here, exactly? I posted a thread on what he said, and my response to that, which as a matter of fact is perfectly reasoned, considering and conceding to both sides of the situation the best that I can.

Why are you taking this so personally?

Right, no matter how much people want to claim otherwise, exclusives are ultimately important. The sales of Nintendo handhelds and PlayStation consoles proves this- hell, a system as shitty as the Wii U managed to sell 14 million on the back of nothing but exclusives.

it took sony way more than 3 years to recover from their disastrous ps3 launch and they had a lot more first party studios

Phil talks. Problem is, that's all he does. As has been mentioned above, MS better have one helluva good E3 showing or even lems are going to start moving on.

He's a business man not a charity.

Most of PlatinumGames games sell poorly, you bet on the winning horse.

@charizard1605: Spencer apologizing for a game cancelation isn't news. You spewing your opinion on what Spencer has done or hasn't done doesn't make this thread any better.

You are no lumped into the "crazy ass fanboys" category. The people that take the slightest bit of information, twist it for their agenda, and try to create doom and gloom. It's sad, and mods around here allow these non topics that add nothing to continue to exsist and then wonder why system wars isn't what it was. ?

Try harder

@xxyetixx: LEAVE BRITNEYBOX ALONE!!!

Im not happy, Phil.

Not really. They had recovered by 2009, with the launch of Killzone 2, Uncharted 2, and PS3 Slim.

Also, Microsoft having less first party studios is an indictment on them, a self inflicted handicap that they get no concessions for since that is precisely the thing they are being criticized for here.

I have absolutely no idea why you're getting so angry at what might actually be the least provocative and inflammatory thread on Xbox One I have made in months, but hey, have at it.

If you don't think Spencer's official statement on the Scalebound cancellation is news, that's your lookout, not mine. If you think that newly created threads should just copy paste shit, and not have any interesting commentary or input from the thread creator to induce some manner of meaningful discussion, then that is again your lookout, not mine.

I am afraid I won't be losing much sleep over being put on the 'crazy ass fanboys' list of yours, however, since you were already on mine a while back.

Lol. Console wars. Pc and a nintendo system is all i need.

He may win the looking out for the shareholders award but wouldn't there be more prestige in the better system to game on award and lead to sales further on? He is right about needing to take risks but I don't expect them to actually do it.

I still have faith in Phil plus I very much enjoyed the games that have come out for the Xbox One so far even if they are already established franchises. I also very much appreciate what they have done and continue to do with the backwards compatibility for 360 games.

@charizard1605: so 3 years to launch one good game? pretty sure xbox one already has more than that.

@mems_1224: That's just silly. MGS4 came out in 07, I do believe.

2008

so they got the worst mgs game 2 years later? yay?

Well they are probably putting alot of eggs in one basket and that basket is Sea of Thieves.

Seeing how weird open world games like Minecraft and ARK do on Xbox, I would not be surprised if Sea of Thieves turns out to be a massive hit.

And then Phil Spencer looks like a hero and lines his pockets at the same time.

@charizard1605: "Three years is a long time to start building some studios, release some new games, but you have nothing to show for it."

In all those 3 years he couldn't convince the suits at MSoft to give him and the Xbox division more funding? =(

Dosent matter what they announce at E3 this year... it will all be cancelled eventually lol

MS's E3 2014? all games that were announced that year ended up being cancelled fyi

Philly, you need to calm down, Philly. Your fanbase is starving to play something else but halo gears forza but all you're doing is cancelling original new IP's.

I see what you did there...

No, that is factually false. Halo: The Master Chief Collection, Forza Horizon 2, Quantum Break, ReCore, Sunset Overdrive all released.

There is enough factual information to give Microsoft shit for, you don't have to make nonsense up.

Certainly not, his job it to puff his chest and act like a totally unrealistic prick regardless of the reality.

Fable Legends, Phantom Dust, Project Spark & Scalebound.. all these games got cancelled/shutdown......... Halo: The Master Chief Collection was a messed up collection that was unplayable.

My point is, whatever they announce this year i doubt anyone will care anymore plus didnt both Quantum Break and ReCore flop both financially and critically?

As much as i think Phil is great, he's been saying that for the past couple of years ... they just can't nail it.

Because their exclusives are mostly unique and better than their counterparts (You can't find Mario Kart like game anywhere else, but UC4 type of games are everywhere)

And PS4 hasn't been strong in terms of exclusives so far, yet it has garnered tons of sales ..... i'd argue that in the end, it's the multi-plats that define the success of a console (this gen)

i don't wanna downplay the exclusives tho, they do matter, but not as much as it seems.

Your original point was:

'MS's E3 2014? all games that were announced that year ended up being cancelled fyi'

To which I responded that you were wrong, that statement is factually incorrect. Multiple games shown off and announced that year were ultimately released. Them being good or not, successful or not, was never a consideration or parameter brought up in your original post- or should I start discussing how every single game Sony showed off until E3 2015 - Killzone Shadow Fall, Knack, DriveClub, The Order, inFamous Second Son, LittleBigPlanet 3 - ended up flopping critically or commercially, or in most cases, both?

No arguing with that i guess saying "All' wasn't quite correct but 50% of what was announced is hella major.

Knack may have flopped critically but in way did it flop financially (otherwise we wouldnt have seen a sequel announced) or any of the other games you stated but that is a whole different story not related to this topic.

Sure, this is basically all I'm saying.

We know and MS have almost no 1st party studios.

You keep bringing Sony into MS screw ups. Uncharted, Resistance, Heavenly Sword, Warhawk, Ratchet & Clank Future, MotorStorm and MGS4 all released within the first year and half on the PS3 and all sold better than what MS has released on the XboxOne thus far. Hell even Lair outsold all XboxOne games except Halo and Gears lol. The PS3 also sold better in the first 3 years than the XboxOne and the PS3 outsold the 360. Nothing will change the fact that Sony is better than MS and so is Nintendo despite their flaws. Let's stop bringing up the past and talk about the present and future. Nintendo has Zelda and whatever they announce for The Switch, Sony has Gravity Rush 2, Nioh, Horizon, Gran Turismo, God fo War, Death Stranding, Days Gone, TLoUP2 etc... and MS has nothing interesting except another Forza. No one cares about Halo Wars, Sea of Thieves or Crackdown 3. Those are just the facts and all of them are on PC anyway lol.

@charizard1605: don't forget project spark closure charizard. Games once hyped up as a change in ecosystem of xbox games library are either shut down or cancelled

He's full of shit.

Ummm...someone better tell him that Scalebound was "teh risk" they should have been taking. You can't say you want to take more risks and then abandon ship when an actual risk arrives.

And another one lol. MS completely abandoned the game and also dropped Kinect when they claimed it would still be a big part of the Xbox family and get game support. Where are the Kinect games? Boy MS makes it so easy and their fanboys are so pathetic to keep defending them. Listen if Sony did all this crap I would sell my PS4 and just play PC or get a Switch. All 3 companies have their weaknesses and could do better, but Xbox is the worst. The Vita has more exclusives than the XboxOne wow lol. It did in the first year smh. The Dreamcast and Saturn are better consoles. I mean come on people. When is enough enough?

I think Spencer's right. He should take more risks.

One risk he took recently is canceling a high profile, Hideki Kamiya Platinum exclusive Xbone title and seeing how the fanbase reacts.

Drops Always online

Drops Kinect

Drops Scalebound

Drops Fable Legends

Drops Project Spark

Drops Phantom Dust(Seemingly)

Seems like they're playing it very safe and not taking any risks.

If it's a studio, Microsoft can kill it.

It's a bummer that Phil has to defend Microsoft for Platinum Games failures.

So many were really looking forward to that game.

@flyincloud1116:

What you know about Predator? =(

@Juub1990: Technically, Phantom Dust is still coming, it's just a remaster of the Xbox game now, instead of being a new entry in the series.

One of the best action movies ever!

So why is it that Platinum has released all their games except Scalebound? No problems until this game with MS.

@blufalconultra: Thats your logic? really? that is the best you can come up with...

@charizard1605: Sunset Overdrive, Ori, Killer Instinct? Plus Sea of Thieves is coming.

It doesn't seem like they like taking risks. They rely on the same IPs and have cancelled several projects, dropped games like Project Spark, and console ideas like the Kinect. Nothing wrong with being safe, but you have to take risks otherwise the brand can get stale.