pds41: I maintain they are good owners. They broadly take the approach of letting the studios and sub-brands keep doing what they're good at and maintaining individual identities. Just look at Zenimax, Obsidian, inXile etc. Contrast this with EA (the publisher where developers go to die - Bullfrog, Maxis...)
As for not having produced anything good, you're forgetting Flight Simulator 2020, the Forza and Forza Horizon series, Sea of Thieves, Age of Empires, Freelancer and Starlancer, Crimson Skies, Ghostwire: Tokyo, Starfield... And those are just on the PC.
Like I said, much worse owners/publishers out there.
Going pretty far back if you are mentioning Freelancer. Its a good but very short game if its the one published in 2003. Ghostwire was also created before the acquisition pretty independent of Microsoft, as is Starfield (which is getting alot of flak even from fans so wouldnt put it under "good" tbh). Games take about 5 years to produce so these were in development before Microsoft involvement. They shut down Aces Games in 2009 which was in charge of Flight Simulator and basically didnt have Rare do much by tying them to the Kinect which they shut down so Aces and Rare could have produced more and better stuff under better management.
You also want to then look at their flops to get a fair assessment of their performance. Im not gut reacting Microsoft = bad since I do think Gamepass is revolutionary and an amazing deal for gamers (I just hope they continue to sell physical games cause f digital only). But in terms of content, they are lacking compared to competitors Sony and Nintendo.
Sarang: Even the Fable games largely ripped off Shenmue with Molyneux wanting to one up Yu Suzuki. I mean they are solid but all he promised, the first ended up being a short game as I figured there would be a drawback to all he promised.
Molyneux should accept he will NEVER be half the talent of Suzuki. It would be like a director from the 70's or 80's aspiring to match Buster Keaton, Sergei Eisenstein or Akira Kurosawa.
The best XBox stuff was largely published or largely finished before MS bought them...case in point, Mass Effect, Blue Dragon and Lost Odyssey. Also Sunset Overdrive, Dead Or Alive, Panzer Dragoon Orta, Otogi, Jet Set Radio Future, etc. Or XBox had a superior version...Fatal Frame 1 and 2.
Fable is under Molyneux's own studio and published by MS.
Even the Rare stuff could have been better had MS not rushed them for a launch day release. MS needs a Nintendo approach to release.
Yeah Shenmue is awesome. Played 3 on PS plus and bought it along 1 and 2 to experience the series. Too bad it seems the story will go unfinished from the looks of it. I understand the criticism for 3 even though I enjoyed it (probably cause Im new to the series and didnt go through the wait).
