I didn't like the way that Phil Spencer was running the company: trying to maximize profits by funding microtransaction titles and features up the wazoo.

I really really really don't like the way Asha Sharma is running the company: trying to maximize profits by cutting off all the less profitable titles and consolidating all their titles under one roof.

These chucklefucks go to school for like four to eight years to learn business and then go into a field like videogames/software and they learn zero fucking lessons from companies who made all the same mistakes in the past. EA did this shit and eventually went so far down the drain that they sold the company off to a foreign prince.

This industry is so fucked.

A shame. I liked Enslaved, loved DmC, and really liked Hellblade. They made quite a big thing at the time they were making Hellblade about wanting to be 'double A' publishers - making highly polished indie games on a sensible budget, basically. And then they sold out to Microsoft, which has screwed them over - all those publishers needing to make a non-stop stream of big budget megahits or they'll be hung out to dry.

Consolations to all affected. It has been an absolute bloodbath in games development recently.

With this and Halo Studios being shuttered and handing over Halo to Activision, every developer should know to avoid Microsoft at all costs

I don't understand why any company would sell out to Microsoft. MS's modus operandi since its inception has been to stifle competition by buying everything up and gutting it. It's a death sentence.

Is it for a big personal pay out and the team can all go elsewhere with a fat check once the axe drops?

Lesson 1: You can do a strange game if you want, it will be acclaimed if done without obvious bugs. But you won't get much money from that. Especially when you're under the corporate boot and should give away most of the income anyway.

Lesson 2: You can't skip lesson 1, make ANOTHER strange game and expect to stay in business.

Time to bust out the trump card. Heavenly Sword 2.