Xbox Game Studiosnote is the wing of Microsoft that handles the development and publishing of games for the Xbox brand of consoles (Xbox, Xbox 360, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S), as well as Microsoft Windows and (previously) Windows Phone platforms.
Xbox Game Studios is arguably the fourth Video Game company to be on the level of Nintendo, Sega, and Sony Interactive Entertainment. While Microsoft's clout of popular exclusive video game franchises isn't as extensive as those three, they do have a few notable ones, with their current big four being first-person sci-fi shooter franchise Halo,note third-person shooter franchise Gears of War,note famed sandbox game Minecraft,note and semi-sim racing franchise Forza.note
A critical moment in the studio's history came in 2014. Facing questions about Microsoft's future in gaming after the failures of the Xbox One's launch, and recognizing that a lack of heavy-hitting first-party games was one of their biggest issues, the company made the decision to purchase Mojang for a then-record setting $2.5 billion. Microsoft remained relatively hands-off after the acquisition, and even allowed Minecraft to be released and continuously updated on rival platforms. This began a shift away from Xbox as a console brand, and more towards that of a traditional publisher that happens to offer a console.
Beginning in 2018, Xbox Game Studios expanded rapidly as Microsoft went on a spending spree in order to bolster its portfolio of gaming studios and properties. These acquisitions started off relatively modest, comprising several small to mid-size studios, such as Obsidian Entertainment, inXile Entertainment, Ninja Theory, and Double Fine Productions. However, Microsoft turned heads in 2020 when they unveiled plans to acquire ZeniMax Media, the parent company of Bethesda, a deal that was approved and finalized in early 2021. In 2022, they topped that by starting the process of acquiring no less than Activision Blizzard. After a lengthy 20 months of getting legal approvals throughout the world, the deal was closed on October 13th, 2023 a few hours after Britain's Competition Markets Authority approved the deal, with Activision Blizzard becoming a sister company to Xbox Game Studios and ZeniMax under the collective umbrella of Microsoft Gaming. Because of this, Microsoft became the third-largest gaming company in the world, behind Tencent and Sony.
Microsoft hopes that these acquisitions will facilitate not only the creation of newer and more exciting games on their platforms but also turn Xbox Game Pass into a Netflix-style subscription service for gaming. Continuing to push the Xbox platform while also developing numerous games across both their consoles and PC (and sometimes other platforms) has placed Xbox Game Studios in a unique position within the gaming market.
Microsoft game consoles:
- Xbox (Sixth Generation)
- Xbox 360 (Seventh Generation)
- Kinect (Xbox 360 and later Xbox One motion camera peripheral)
- Xbox One (Eighth Generation)
- Xbox Series X|S (Ninth Generation)
Subsidiaries:
- 343 Industries - Halo
- The Coalition - Gears of War
- Compulsion Games - South Of Midnight
- Double Fine - Psychonauts 2
- The Initiative - Perfect Dark
- inXile Entertainment - Wasteland Remastered
- Mojang - Minecraft
- Ninja Theory - Senuas Saga Hellblade II
- Obsidian Entertainment - Grounded, Pentiment, Avowed, The Outer Worlds 2
- Playground Games - Forza Horizon, Fable
- Rare - Viva Piñata, Kinect Sports, Sea of Thieves
- Turn 10 Studios - Forza Motorsport
- Undead Labs - State of Decay
- World's Edge - Age of Empires
Former subsidiaries:
- Bungie - Halo
- Carbonated Games
- Digital Anvil
- Ensemble Studios - Age of Empires
- FASA Studio - MechWarrior
- Lionhead Studios - Fable
- Press Play
- Twisted Pixel
Video games developed and/or published by Xbox Game Studios:
- 1 vs. 100
- 3D Movie Maker
- Nickelodeon 3D Movie Maker
- Aegis Wing
- Age of Empires series
- Age of Empires
- Age of Empires: The Rise of Rome Expansion
- Age of Empires II: The Age of Kings
- Age of Empires II: The Conquerors
- Age of Empires III
- Age of Empires III: The Asian Dynasties
- Age of Empires III: The WarChiefs
- Age of Empires Online
- Age of Empires II: HD Editionnote
- Age of Empires II: The Forgottennote
- Age of Empires II: The African Kingdomsnote
- Age of Empires II: Rise of the Rajasnote
- Age of Empires: Castle Siege
- Age of Empires IV
- Age of Empires
- Age of Mythology
- Age of Mythology: The Titans
- Alan Wake
- Alan Wake's American Nightmare
- Allegiance (2000)
- Azurik: Rise of Perathia
- Banjo-Kazooie (Xbox Live re-release)
- Banjo-Tooie (Xbox Live re-release)
- Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts
- Battletoads (2020)
- Black & White
- Bleeding Edge
- Blinx: The Time Sweeper
- Blinx 2: Masters of Time & Space
- Bloodforge
- Blood Wake
- Blue Dragon
- Brute Force
- Charlie Murder
- Comic Jumper: The Adventures of Captain Smiley
- Conker: Live & Reloaded
- Crackdown
- Crackdown 2
- Crackdown 3
- Crimson Alliance
- Crimson Skies
- Dance Central
- Dance Central 2
- Dance Central 3
- Dance Central Spotlight
- Deadlight
- The Dishwasher: Dead Samurai
- The Dishwasher: Vampire Smile
- Dust: An Elysian Tail
- Fable
- Fable
- Fable: Coin Golf
- Fable II: Pub Games
- Fable II
- Fable III
- Fable Heroes
- Fable: The Journey
- Fable: The Lost Chapters
- Forza
- Forza Motorsport (2005)
- Forza Motorsport 2
- Forza Motorsport 3
- Forza Motorsport 4
- Forza Horizon
- Forza Motorsport 5
- Forza Horizon 2
- Forza Horizon 2 Presents Fast & Furious
- Forza Motorsport 6
- Forza Motorsport 6: Apex
- Forza Horizon 3
- Forza Motorsport 7
- Forza Horizon 4
- Forza Street
- Forza Horizon 5
- Forza Motorsport (2023)
- Fuzion Frenzy
- Fuzion Frenzy 2
- Gears of War
- Gears of War 2
- Gears of War 3
- Gears of War: Judgment
- Gears of War 4
- Gears 5
- Gears Tactics
- Grabbed by the Ghoulies
- Grounded
- The Gunstringer
- The Gunstringer: El Diablo's 'Merican Adventure
- The Gunstringer: Real Big Shootin'
- Halo
- Happy Wars
- Hexic
- Hexic 2
- Hexic Deluxe
- Hexic HD
- Hexic Rush
- Hydro Thunder Hurricane
- Hydro Thunder Go
- ilomilo
- Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet
- Iron Brigade (formerly Trenched)
- Jetpac Refuelled
- Kameo: Elements of Power
- Killer Instinct (2013)
- Kinect Adventures!
- Kinect: Disneyland Adventures (or Disneyland Adventures on Xbox One and Windows)
- Kinect Rush: A Disney–Pixar Adventure (or Rush: A Disney-Pixar Adventure on Xbox One and Windows)
- Kinect Joy Ride
- Kinect Sesame Street TV
- Kinect Sports
- Kinect Sports: Season Two
- Kinect Sports Rivals
- Kinect Star Wars
- Kinectimals
- Kinectimals: Now with Bears!
- Kung Fu Chaos
- Lips
- Lips: Deutsche Partyknaller
- Lips: I Love The 80s
- Lips: Number One Hits
- Lips: Party Classics
- LocoCycle
- Lost Odyssey
- Lost Odyssey: Seeker of the Deep
- Mass Effect (initially; the game and the rest of the franchise is currently controlled by Electronic Arts)
- The Maw
- Maximum Chase
- MechAssault
- MechAssault 2: Lone Wolf
- MechCommander
- MechCommander 2
- MechWarrior
- Microsoft Flight Simulator
- Microsoft Pinball Arcade
- Microsoft Space Simulator
- Microsoft Train Simulator
- Midtown Madness
- Midtown Madness 2
- Midtown Madness 3
- Minecraft (after acquiring Mojang)
- Minesweeper
- Monster Truck Madness
- Monster Truck Madness 2
- Motocross Madness (1998)
- Motocross Madness 2
- Motocross Madness (2013)
- The Movies
- Night Caster
- Ninety-Nine Nights
- Ori and the Blind Forest
- The Outer Worlds 2
- Pandora's Box (1999)
- Pentiment
- Perfect Dark (Xbox Live re-release)
- Phantom Dust
- Pinball FX
- Pinball FX 2
- Project Gotham Racing
- Project Gotham Racing 2
- Project Gotham Racing 3
- Project Gotham Racing 4
- Project Spark
- Psychonauts 2
- Quantum Redshift
- Raskulls
- Rise of Nations
- Rise of Nations: Rise of Legends
- Rise of Nations: Thrones & Patriots
- Ryse: Son of Rome
- Sea of Thieves
- Shadowrun (2007)
- South Park Let's Go Tower Defense Play!
- 'Splosion Man
- Starlancer
- State of Decay
- Sudeki
- Tao Feng: Fist of the Lotus
- Too Human
- Toy Soldiers
- Toy Soldiers: Boot Camp
- Toy Soldiers: Cold War
- Toy Soldiers: Invasion
- Trials HD
- Trials Evolution
- Uno (2006)
- Uno Rush
- Viva Piñata
- Viva Pinata: Party Animals
- Viva Pinata: Trouble in Paradise
- Voodoo Vince
- Whacked!
- Zoo Tycoon series
- Zoo Tycoon (2001)
- Zoo Tycoon: Dinosaur Digs
- Zoo Tycoon: Marine Mania
- Zoo Tycoon 2
- Zoo Tycoon 2: African Adventure
- Zoo Tycoon 2: Endangered Species
- Zoo Tycoon 2: Extinct Animals
- Zoo Tycoon 2: Marine Mania
- Zoo Tycoon (2013)
- Zoo Tycoon (2001)