Microsoft Game Studios (MGS), formerly the Microsoft Game Division, is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Microsoft which video game developer and video game publisher video games for Microsoft Windows-based Personal computers and the Xbox video game console. MGS publishes games for several Microsoft-owned first-party developers, including Bungie Studios and Rare (video game company). MGS also publishes games created by third-party developers, such as Climax Studios and Big Huge Games.
In August 2002, MGS acquired Rare from Nintendo and the Stamper brothers, who owned 49% and 51% of the company respectively. Since that time, it has been rumored that Microsoft is trying to acquire Japanese game development companies. The reason given is that it would help them break into that notoriously fickle market where Western games are seldom successful, and where the Xbox overall has done very poorly to date.
=List of owned studios=
*Bungie Studios
*Ensemble Studios
*Rare (video game company)
=Games released under the MGS brand=
This list of games is sorted by platform and includes games both developed by MGS or MGS-owned companies, and those simply published by MGS. For those games not developed under the Microsoft name, the developer is noted after the game s release year.
== PC ==
Age of Empires (1997) — Ensemble Studios
(1998) — Ensemble Studios
(1999) — Ensemble Studios
(2000) — Ensemble Studios
Age of Empires II (2001) — Ensemble Studios
Age of Mythology (2002) — Ensemble Studios
(2003) — Ensemble Studios
Age of Mythology (2004) — Ensemble Studios
Bicycle Board Games (2003) (published by Activision Value)
Bicycle Card Games (2003) (published by Activision Value)
Bicycle Casino Games (2003) (published by Activision Value)
(1998)
(2000)
Combat Flight Simulator 3 (2002)
Dungeon Siege (2002) — Gas Powered Games
(2003) — Gas Powered Games
Dungeon Siege II (2005) — Gas Powered Games
Flight Simulator 2000 (1999)
Flight Simulator 2002 (2001)
(2003)
Freelancer (2003) — Digital Anvil
Impossible Creatures (2003) — Relic
(2003) — Relic
(2003) — Ensemble Studios
Links 2003 (2002) — Indie Built
Links 2003 Championship Courses (2003) — Indie Built
Links 2003 Championship Edition (2003) — Indie Built
Links LS Classic () — Indie Built
MechCollection ()
MechCommander 2 (2001)
(2000)
(2001) — Cyberlore Studios
(2002) — Cyberlore Studios / FASA Interactive
(2002) — Cyberlore Studios / FASA Interactive
(2002) — Cyberlore Studios
Mythica (cancelled)
Racing Madness 2 ()
RalliSport Challenge (2002) — Digital Illusions CE
Return of Arcade Anniversary Edition (1997) — Namco
Rise of Nations (2003) — Big Huge Games
(2004) — Big Huge Games
Microsoft Train Simulator (2001)
(anticipated for Fall 2006) — Sigil Entertainment
Zoo Tycoon (2001) — Blue Fang Games
Zoo Tycoon Dinosaur Digs (2002) — Blue Fang Games
Zoo Tycoon Marine Mania (2002) — Blue Fang Games
Zoo Tycoon Complete Collection (2003) — Blue Fang Games
Zoo Tycoon 2 (2004) — Blue Fang Games
== Xbox ==
Amped 2 (2003) — Indie Built
(2001) — Adrenium Games
BC (video game) (cancelled) — Intrepid
(2002) — Artoon
(2004) — Artoon
Blood Wake (2001) — Stormfront Studios
Brute Force (game) (2003) — Digital Anvil
Counter-Strike (2003) — Valve
(2003)
Dead or Alive 3 (2001) — Tecmo
Fable (video game) (2004) — Lionhead Studios/Big Blue Box Studios
Forza Motorsport (2005)
Fuzion Frenzy (2001) — Blitz Games
Grabbed by the Ghoulies (2003) — Rare
(2001) — Bungie Studios
Halo 2 (2004) — Bungie Studios
Inside Pitch 2003 (2003)
Jade Empire (2005) — BioWare
Kakuto Chojin (2002) — Dream Publishing
(2005) — Rare
(2004) — Phantagram
Kung Fu Chaos (2003) — Just Add Monsters
Links 2004 (2003) — Indie Built
MechAssault (2002) — Day 1
(2004) — Day 1
Midtown Madness 3 (2003) — Digital Illusions CE
NBA Inside Drive 2002 (2002) — High Voltage Software
NBA Inside Drive 2003 (2002) — High Voltage Software
NBA Inside Drive 2004 (2003) — High Voltage Software
NFL Fever 2002 (2001)
NFL Fever 2003 (2002)
NFL Fever 2004 (2003)
NHL Rivals 2004 (2003)
NightCaster (2002) — VR1
(2001) — Oddworld Inhabitants
OutRun 2 (2004) — (co-published with Sega) Sega-AM2/Sumo Digital
Project Gotham Racing (2001) — Bizarre Creations
Project Gotham Racing 2 (2003) — Bizarre Creations
Quantum Redshift (2002) — Curly Monsters
RalliSport Challenge (2002) — Digital Illusions CE
RalliSport Challenge 2 (2004) — Digital Illusions CE
Shenmue II (2003) — Sega-AM2
Sneakers (video game) (2002) — Mediavision Corporation
Sudeki (2004) — Climax Studios
(2003) — Studio Gigante
The Wild Rings (2003)
Top Spin (video game) (2003) — Power & Magic, Indie Built
True Fantasy Live Online (cancelled) — Level-5
Voodoo Vince (2003) — Beep Industries
Whacked! (2002) — Presto Studios
Xbox Music Mixer (2003) — Wild Tangent
= External links =
[http://www.microsoft.com/games/ Microsoft Game Studios official site]