Is Microsoft Game Studios just lazy or what?

[heruamon]

As the release of Mass Effect 2 approaches, the fervor over the exclusivity to the game to the 360, wrt to consoles is once again heating up, and to be perfectly honest, I think M$ has to bear the brunt of it.  Well, to be specific, I’d have to say Microsoft Game Studios deserves to bear the brunt, as they have been a waste of money, imho.  The current first party/exclusive content issue should really be a serious non-issue, because M$ owns a TON of top quality IP that could very easy be churned into games, except for the fact that MGS lacks vision, mission, and execution of a comprehensive strategy to capitalize on a wealth of IPs.  Let’s look at quick list of Grade-A IPs that MGS could be churning into games for the 360:

Brute Force – Considering how crazy Xbox owners about shooter…can somebody PLEASE tell me why this IP doesn’t have a game for the 360…and we are in year 5 of the 360’s lifecycle?  The original game was fun, and it sold well.  It seems that M$ could have hire Gearbox or somebody to develop a game for 360 with this IP.

Freelancer and Starlancer – Basically, I have no idea why there is not a hybrid Space combat/RPG/trading game based on the IP.  Why, at the very least, there’s not a XBL space simulator for the Starlancer portion of the game.

Killer Instinct – Fighting games don’t have as much punch and appeal as they once did, but I’m certain that a Killer Instinct game for the 360 would get well over 1 million units sold, if not 2 million.

MechWarrior – How in the WORLD is there no game already out for this IP?  Sure, we saw that clip last year for a game in the works…but why isn’t it confirmed for 2010 already?  Not only that, but MechWarrior is quite possibly one of the best IPs for a MMO I’ve ever seen.

Shadow Run – A top flight RPG IP, and we got that crappy game some years back?!?!   So, why don’t they get a FP/3^rd person game, ala Fallout 3 or Oblivion, for this content? 

So , the issue here is clearly NOT a lack of compelling and deep IPs for M$ to exploit in producing Triple-A exclusive, but instead a lack of vision and execution to deliver on these results.  I’m not sure what the staffing levels are for MGS, but whatever it is…they are in dire need of help, and they in a serious crisis of lacking leadership.  To have these many potential, and have to deliver ZERO on them in so many years is really a joke.