Rumor Becomes Fact: 'ms' Acquires 'lionhead Studios'

LET'S HOPE THEY CAN GET MORE OUT OF THEM SOON, THAN THEY DID WITH 'RARE' EARLY ON. THERE MAY STILL BE SOME HOPE FOR A NEXT-GEN 'B.C.'.

SOMETHING WORTH NOTING, IS THE FACT THAT PETER M. WAS ONE OF THE HIGHER-PROFILE PEOPLE WHO SEEMED REALLY IMPRESSED BY THE 'REV' CONTROLLER; I GUESS WE'LL NEVER KNOW WHAT HE MIGHT'VE DONE WITH IT.





HERE'S A 'BABELFISH' TRANSLATION OF TUESDAY'S INTERVIEW WITH SHANE KIM ON THE ACQUISITION:



Microsoft repurchases Lionhead: The interview of Shane Kim
06/04/2006 by fylodindon
In spite of the multiple rumours which ran these last days, it is finally only today that Microsoft announces the acquisition of Lionhead Studios (Fable, The movie, Black & White...), which joined the rows of Microsoft Game Studios. An acquisition which was played until the last moment, moved by the talent of Peter Molyneux and his team and the relation of complicity which had already been established between Lionhead and Microsoft on Fable, left previously on Xbox.

On this subject, Shane Kim, General Manager of Microsoft Game Studios, were declared very excited by this collaboration and what the legendary talent visionary of Peter Molyneux will bring to Microsoft Games Studio and the 360.

With this occasion, we had the immense honor to be able to maintain us with Shane Kim with the telephone, an interview retranscribed hereafter in French whom you will be able to find in his original version thanks to our very new functionality: The audio podcast.



Xbox-attitude: What can you say to us about the licences developed by Lionhead, like The movie for example? ? Are they all acquired by Microsoft Game Studios ?

Shane Kim: Yes, The Movies, Black & White and others, and of course Fable, form part of the transaction. We currently finish (note: the interview took place Tuesday last) to regulate engagements of Lionhead compared to the other editors, but certainly that The movie and all that Lionhead A creates in the past will belong to Microsoft.

Would it be possible to know the cost of this acquisition?

Unfortunately not because we currently finish regulating all the financial details of this transaction. I would be thus very happy to answer all your questions on this subject once these regulated details.

Can we hope that Peter Molyneux expresses himself on this subject or will have us to await E3?

It is a good question. I do not know what was planned with regard to the availability of Peter for the press.

With this acquisition, Microsoft Game Studios becomes, of course, more important than previously. How do you place yourselves today compared to other editors like Electronic Arts or Ubisoft ? Do you intend to become the first world editor?

First of all, I would like to specify that, contrary to the other editors, we publish only on Windows and Xbox 360, but for me, and us, it is not a question to become the largest editor, to be largest in term of employees, nor in term of shares of market or a number of titles; our goal is to propose exclusive contents for our platforms, it is there that we wish to be the best, with titles like Fable, Halo, Age of Empires or Simulator Flight. For me it is there that it is important to be the best.

Can we imagine that, within the framework of an exchange of competences, Peter Molyneux can work with another internal studio with Microsoft ? Can we for example imagine Peter to take part in next Age of Empires?

I do not think that it is a question that Peter belongs or not to Microsoft. We make already this kind of exchanges with the studios, as well intern as external, the goal being as well as possible to exchange knowledge of each one to advance all industry. In fact Peter will be able will share his wisdom, its experiment and its imagination with all our partners so that all industry progresses.

There were many rumours concerning of the dismissals at Lionhead a few months ago. After this acquisition, do you plan to carry out some?

What it occurred when Lionhead made this decision, it is that they were to concentrate on certain projects and to give up others of them. I think that it is a good thing in this period of intense competition where the development costs do not cease increasing, but we do not have any plan of additional dismissals with what was already made.

What can you say to us about the projects of Lionhead, like Fable 2 or the other titles that Peter and Lionhead showed on various living rooms? Can we expect that some of these projects are revealed in next E3?

I can nothing say to you for the moment on the titles that Lionhead develop in this moment for the account of Microsoft Game Studios, but what I can say to you it is that we will make some incredible advertisements at the time of next E3, then remain with listening, we will be able to say some to you of advantage to this occasion.

 

****, MATT......NOBODY CARES TO READ YOUR ANTI-MS BULLS**T.

 

THIS WILL FINALLY GIVE 'LIONHEAD' A CHANCE TO SHOW WHAT THEY CAN DO THOUGH, BECAUSE THEY WON'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT BUDGET, OR SHOPPING FOR A PUBLISHER; HELL, 'THE MOVIES' WAS SUPPOSED TO COME OUT FOR 'XBOX' MONTHS AGO, BUT THEY CAN'T GET A PUBLISHER FOR IT. 'FABLE' WAS DEFINITELY OVERHYPED........BUT EVEN PETER M. OWNED UP TO IT'S FAILURES. IF THERE'S A CHANCE THAT THIS WILL ALLOW THEM TO DO 'B.C.' , THAT'S ALL I NEED TO GET ME EXCITED ; A WORTHWHILE SEQUEL TO 'FABLE' WILL JUST BE "ICING".

 

WELL, LIKE I SAID, I'M STILL HOPING FOR A RESURRECTION OF 'B.C.' TELL ME THIS DOESN'T LOOK COOL.

 

WELL, CONSIDERING I'VE MENTIONED IT IN EVERY POST IN THIS THREAD, AND I EVEN POSTED A LINK TO AN OLD TRAILER.......YEAH.

 

WELL IT WOULD, BUT YOU HAVE TO BE ABLE TO READ FIRST.


BUT YEAH, IF IT WEREN'T FOR SUCH RUMORS, I'D HAVE GIVEN UP ON IT LONG AGO. FOR AWHILE, THAT WAS THE ONLY GAME THAT MATTERED TO ME.

 

HERE'S A LINK.......FOR THE 2ND TIME.

 

SO......WHAT'S THE "WELL...****" MEAN?

 

NO S**T.....THAT GAME WAS SET TO BLOW PEOPLE AWAY.

 

WELL, AT THE VERY LEAST, I'M SURE THEY'LL DO DELAYED PC PORTS, LIKE THEY'VE DONE WITH THEIR OTHER IN-HOUSE GAMES.