Vince Zampella: We did not sell Titanfall to MS.

[binary solo]

Dr.Henry_Killinger said:

UltimateUnknown said:
I just don't get it. How does the game end up getting a lifetime exclusivity to MS platforms without their approval? Clearly if Respawn owns the IP, EA can't just make such an exclusivity deal without the permission of Respawn.

In that case, Respawn clearly WANTED the game to be exclusive to MS platforms for whatever reason. So, why don't they just come out and admit that rather than dancing around the topic giving vaguely defensive answers such as "We didn't know" and "We didn't sell it", and following them up with "We own the IP". This is getting ridiculous.

The reason Respawn developed TitanFall for Xbox 1 is because they want their first project to focus on only 1 console. Based on the 360, they predicted that the XB1 would be the market leader so they choose Xbox.

Ea sold Lifetime Exclusivity for Titanfall to Microsoft, because they thought the same thing, but Microsoft owns Titanfall the game, not the franchise ip. So MS would have to rebuy TitanFall 2 to keep it exclusive. Its a case similar to that of Mass Effect, where MS bought ME1 console exclusivity for the 360. I doubt that this extends to this gen though as that would mean that the XB1 couldn't get ME1 as well as the PS4, but that might be circumvented if it exists if the trilogy is sold as a single product.

It didn't even extend to the whole of the 7th gen. ME made it on to PS3 and if you buy it digitally it doesn't even have to come as part of the trilogy pack. So the only thing MS bought with ME was timed exclusivity with ME and ME2 and exclusivity for selling ME as a solo game on disc. Which is to say bugger all exclusivity at all. If EA was determined to squeeze revenue out of selling ME on PS3 by whatever means it could, then it's just not in EA's DNA to remain the publisher of TF and keep it exclusive to MS.

What EA may have done is sell the publishing rights to MS. Though if EA thinks TF can be a CoD killer (and i can see it having various spin-off games like an RTS along the lines of Halo Wars) they would be mad to sell the publishing rights before its true potential has been properly estimated. I think if TF really is the next big thing in FPS (yet to be proven) then EA would be stupid beyond all reason to sell their share in the future profitability of it to anyone. It has the potential to secure good profits for EA for several years.