Microsoft's Lionhead acquisition official

by Jennie Lees { Apr 6th 2006 at 8:00AM }

The GDC rumour mill had its finger on the pulse where Lionhead and Microsoft were concerned; Microsoft has acquired the British developer, beating out rumoured competition from EA and Ubisoft. It looks as though Microsoft were especially keen to grab Peter Molyneux -- they'll be putting his innovative approach to gaming to use on the Xbox 360 and Vista platforms.

This is good news for the struggling Lionhead, although whether it will help Molyneux's games sell any better is yet to be seen. As far as the UK games industry is concerned, international acquisitions like this (and Rare's before it) are interesting -- while there will always be smaller guys going it alone, there's a short supply of big-name British developers who are staying home-grown.

Tags: acquisition, acquisitions, black and white, BlackAndWhite, business, fable, investments, lionhead, microsoft, molyneux, peter molyneux, PeterMolyneux, rare, the movies, TheMovies

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Lynda @ Apr 6th 2006 9:05AM

I Wondered why the staff were being carted off today by the coachload?

slow news day @ Apr 6th 2006 9:30AM

Of all the suitors, if you have to be acquired, being picked up by Microsoft is not so bad. At least they have the resources to fund creative development. Lionhead and Microsoft have worked together before, so it's not like they don't know what they're getting into. What'll be interesting is whether or not or how long Peter Molyneux will stay. What's probably certain is that will see another Fable out of the deal.

Door @ Apr 6th 2006 9:56AM

While aquiring someone like Square, or Level 5 may have been a more worthwhile choice, this one may pay off in the end.

So long as they force this guy to make more Populous and Dungeon Keeper games instead of monkey poo flinging simulators and crap adventure RPGs. Otherwise this will be another total bust of a purchase like Rare was.

Nmaster @ Apr 6th 2006 10:35AM

Damnit! Damnit, damnit, damnit, damnit!

Molyneux was one of the first developers to express his excitement with the Revolution controller, and I know he would have had some wonderfully innovative ideas for it. It wouldn't surprise me if Lionhead just turned into another Rare now...

Master X 24 @ Apr 6th 2006 10:46AM

Dont hate this is great now we will see black and white on the 360 and maybe they will bring back BC which was caned on the xbox i hope they put it on the 360

Kerem @ Apr 6th 2006 10:57AM

What a shame, like Nmaster says, Molyneux was very up for the Revolution interfaceand could have bought some great games to a fresh approch to interaction.

Now Microsoft will force him to make some Pinata RPG sequel with 'HD graphics' and more poo.

At least on the Rev you might have been able to physically beat the stupid paper animals to death, on 360 you press the button, joy.

TheUndertow @ Apr 6th 2006 10:59AM

Alright guys...let's get cracking on the 360 exclusive "B.C."

dave @ Apr 6th 2006 11:19AM

Lionhead has just jumped the shark. Fun.

Hiro Protagonist @ Apr 6th 2006 11:25AM

Dungeon Keeper was made by Bullfrog, not Lionhead.
Yes, I realize it is Molyneux's old company, but it got bought by EA so the right to DK are now theirs.

It was a sad day for gaming...
I sure hope this brings about a new Fable though.

Master X 24 @ Apr 6th 2006 12:11PM

I think this is great cuz now we could see black and white on the 360 and please bring back BC for the 360

Master X 24 @ Apr 6th 2006 12:13PM

I think this is great cuz now we could see black and white on the 360 and please bring back BC for the 360

Pretty Obvious @ Apr 6th 2006 12:47PM

This guys games deserve better then the revolution, score another one for Microsoft. Now is Rockstar still up for grabs?????

darryl @ Apr 6th 2006 12:59PM

Hope to see Dungeon Keeper 3 and another Populous, Peter... Please. At least DK3! I think Bullfrog owns the rights to it though :(

Uglypimp @ Apr 6th 2006 2:25PM

Here come the 'look at what Rare has become' comments. Rare is a great developer. PD0 and Kameo were GREAT games, I cannot understand why people trash them so much. They're not classics, and they're not incredible, but they are fun to play. Isn't that the point of gaming? Fun to play? Not 'live up to my expectations as a hardcore elitist gamer?'. Maybe your expectations for Rare are muddied by your nostalgic retrospect from their past franchises. There's a lot of games from when we were kids that we thought were superb, and now, when I go back and play them I realize how mediocre they really were.

Donkey Kong Country was a excellent title. Starfox 64 was fantastic. But you can't blame the developer for making 85+ rated games in this generation. Your guys' expectations are just too high sometimes. Not everyone is going to make gold just because you think they will.

And on the Lionhead subject, what is so wrong with Black & White 2, The Movies, and Fable? If anything, Molyneux makes solid games that are fun to play (even though the experience is usually relatively short-lived). Can you seriously say you picked up Fable and thought it was 'poo'? It is not a terrible game, by anyone's standards, so please keep your trolling at bay. I don't know anyone who hated Fable.

BPMΩ @ Apr 6th 2006 2:44PM

Nintendo made Star Fox 64, Uglypimp. Rare made Star Fox Adventures for GameCube, which was incredibly dull (I base this on the fact that I OWN it and have BEATEN it).

And, I disagree about what you say about Rare's history. When I thought of Rare, I thought of some high-caliber gaming. The DKC series (particularly DKC2) were exceptional platformers, and I think they stand the test of time.
And on the N64, they really shined. Banjo-Kazooie (and Tooie), Diddy Kong Racing, Jet Force Gemini, GoldenEye, and Conker's Bad Fur Day were all great titles.

However... since Star Fox Adventures, that charm and class that I used to see in Rare games have faded. For one thing, the GoldenEye team left Rare to form Free Radical (who was then absorbed by EA... ick).
And Rare's Microsoft offerings? They weren't particularly great, either. Which is a shame, too, because I was really looking forward to Kameo since it was announced for GameCube.

But, like others have said, Microsft was probably the best choice for Lionhead. They can fund them no matter what they want to do easily.
And it doesn't necessarily spell doom for Molyneux's interest in the Revolution. Afterall, MS isn't stopping Rare from releasing Game Boy and Nintendo DS titles, due to MS not having a competing system. And, since Nintendo has stated that the Revolution is not made to compete with 360 and PS3, they may allow Lionhead to still make Revolution games.

... Or Molyneux might leave Lionhead to create a new studio to make Revolution games. :S

boots @ Apr 6th 2006 3:48PM

Look at what rare has become...

Anyway, this is bad news for Revolution users. Fuck, I'm sick and tired of Microsoft buying the entire industry. The next step: Microsoft buys Square Enix, automatically winning the console war, but making the market another monopoly (read: useless).

boots @ Apr 6th 2006 3:52PM

I hope he resigns Lionhead to make his own studio (and make games for every platform). I'd love it because I'd have original games on revolution, and Billy boy would be very pissed off.

SickNic @ Apr 6th 2006 3:53PM

Nmaster, Kerem:

I dunno though. It sounds like Lionhead was in a bit of financial trouble, so would they have had the resources to make a great rev game? And if they did have the resources, would it have been a commercial success?

At least now they don't have to worry about their future, and instead can concentrate on making some great games.

Fish @ Apr 6th 2006 4:54PM

You know, the Rare comparison comments are essential and inevitable.

First off, you take Rareware, which on Nintendo served up almost 100% AAA titles. They get bought out, go into the dark for like 2 years then pop out with what? Grabbed by the Ghoulies? Oh, and Conker: Live and Reloaded, which was universally considered to be worse than the original.

Then they release two next-gen launch games that are mediocre. (If you think that PDZ was a great game, you really need to rethink your gaming priorities. It was (and is) beat out by a multi-platform WWII shooter and a previous gen-game over a year old (Halo 2))
As for Cameo, they were working on that thing for over 5 years, anything less than AAA is not acceptable.

Why would the acquistion of Lionhead be any different? Rare's talent left to join Free Radical when it was purchased by MS.. I'm inclined to believe that Lionhead's staff will do the same. Besides, I find it ironic how MS fanboys are now saying that "Molyneaux brings much needed fresh approaches to gaming", all the while there is an entire company with that mission statement.

I plan on buying a 360 (Mostly for Halo 3), but I feel bad for people who own one now and are trying to justify their 400+ purchase.

James @ Apr 6th 2006 5:16PM

I want another Syndicate game. I don't know if PM had a hand in the Syndicate games, but I would love to play another anyways.

Snake @ Apr 6th 2006 5:18PM

UglyPimp, I agree with you

PDZ is fun to play, and the soundtrack kicks ass.

PDZ has awesome presentations, featuring cutting-edge graphics and sound; delicious assortment of high-powered near-future weapons; excellent cooperative mission mode lets you play split screen or online; lots of multiplayer options, including some clever twists on familiar themes; one of the best original soundtracks this year.

boots @ Apr 6th 2006 5:32PM

OK, Perfect Dark Zero is a "great game", but just to few people. But they've been working on it since the freaking gamecube came out, then for Xbox 1, and now for 360.

Compare it now to GoldenEye and tell me it's better. Give me reasons. Tired of trying to think of one? Me either.

Is Banjo-Kazooie better than Kameo? Yes, by a long shot.

Who cares about Pi?s anyway?

What pisses me off is that Silicon Knights, Rare and Lionhead studios won't make games for Ninty anymore because they were lured by Microsoft, just as Square, Konami and Capcom did the same 10 years ago, and Factor 5 is doing now for Sony.

Oh man, so many good developers that could have made something original with the Revolution won't.

Fish @ Apr 6th 2006 6:29PM

hahahahaha @19

Dude, you sound like you just copied that right off the back of the damn game box. Seriously, step back, take Halo 2 out of your 360, put PDZ in. Play it for 30 minutes, then come back here and *TRUTHFULLY* tell me that "its way better than the original and worth the purchase of my Xbox360." You do that, and sir, I will mail you a cake baked in any fasion and shape you so desire.

Pretty Obvious @ Apr 6th 2006 6:41PM

"What pisses me off is that Silicon Knights, Rare and Lionhead studios won't make games for Ninty anymore because they were lured by Microsoft, just as Square, Konami and Capcom did the same 10 years ago, and Factor 5 is doing now for Sony."

Are you serious? Dont blame Microsoft or Sony for luring those studios away from Nintendo. Blame Nintendo for pushing developers away. If Nintendo had been keeping the Gamecube competitive with good games like some of you say, third parties wouldnt be jumping ship to develope their games on other platforms. Look at Resident Evil 4.

Nintendo might as well drop third party altogether and sell a cheap console with just its first party titles and sell this console to its fanboys only. Oh wait....

GuyManDude @ Apr 6th 2006 8:22PM

GuyManDude @ Apr 6th 2006 8:25PM

would = wouldn't

Fusion @ Apr 6th 2006 8:32PM

They are afriad of Nintendo plain and simple.Let me
guess sony's going to buy Retro next right!!Thats messed up how they want Nintendo do die and they just wont.Nintendo's going to be here when ps9 comes out and beyond,if i were a xbox fanboy i wouldnt be braging about this at all cause this move actualy hurts the industry and that company lionhead.

boots @ Apr 6th 2006 10:00PM

"Are you serious? Dont blame Microsoft or Sony for luring those studios away from Nintendo. Blame Nintendo for pushing developers away. If Nintendo had been keeping the Gamecube competitive with good games like some of you say, third parties wouldnt be jumping ship to develope their games on other platforms. Look at Resident Evil 4. "

Did I blame Microsoft or Sony? No. I do blame Nintendo for having draconian 3rd party policies once, but I'm unimpressed by Sony and Microsoft's methods for getting developers. It's not like they make a totally different/innovative console with new input methods. They simply made another Nintendo with integrated media centers, and offered 3rd parties either cheaper proprietary tech (back then) or just straight cash. That's what Iwata criticized about the competition "they only offer power or money, not originality".

Sony's success doesn't piss me off as much, because it was Nintendo's fault, but Silicon Knights and Nintendo pretty much agreed in not working together (which pisses me off even more) and apparently the same with Factor 5, Nintendo sold Rare (it's not like rare left them), and Lionhead studios was pretty much going to be a great asset for revolution, given Molyneaux's eaggerness for developing on it. Too bad Microsoft used the second most important asset that gives life to its company (the first one is buggy software), and not something original to actually lure them. In fact, Microsoft didn't lure any studios like Sony once did, they simply bought them. It seems that Microsoft wants to make another monopoly out of this market; too bad videogames aren't a necessary good, otherwise it might work.

"Nintendo might as well drop third party altogether and sell a cheap console with just its first party titles and sell this console to its fanboys only. Oh wait...."

It's "Pretty Obvious" that you do know how much 3rd party support revolution has gathered, and how you are not disregarding the DS' success to measure that and the revolution's potential, so I won't bother explaining something you probably know. Thank goodness, because you know how it's annoying to try and communicate with ignorants. Oh wait...

Pretty Obvious @ Apr 6th 2006 10:22PM

boots, you need to realize something about Nintendos Revolution. Which should be obvious when looking at the reported specs, its hardly revolutionary...

Since when did a controller make a system??? and whats stopping Sony or Microsoft from just making their own Revolution style controller and recieving Nintendos lacking third party ports with alot more polish and flair?

You comparing a portable to a console is by far the most ignorant thing on this board. When people play games on their HDTV's im sure they want the best possible experience available. Unfortunately a barely souped up Xbox with a rinkidink controller is not gonna suffice.