Xbox Game Studios

Moby ID: 57

History add

October 13, 2023: Activision Blizzard and its subsidiaries become part of the label.
September 21, 2020: Xbox Game Studios announced the acquisition of ZeniMax Media, including their subsidiaries: ZeniMax Online Studios, MachineGames, Bethesda Game Studios, Bethesda Softworks, id Software, Arkane Studios, Tango Gameworks, Alpha Dog, and Roundhouse Studios.
February 5, 2019: Company rebranded as Xbox Game Studios after attempting to push the Xbox brand outside of the console family of the same name.
June 2011: Microsoft Game Studios re-branded as Microsoft Studios.
January 23, 2009: The company confirms to close Aces Game Studio, its internal development studio responsible for the Microsoft Flight Simulator series. At the time, the team was working on Microsoft Train Simulator 2.
May 2007: The company establishes a European publishing arm in Reading (UK), headed up by Phil Spencer.
April 6, 2006: The company acquires developer Lionhead Studios Ltd.
March 23, 2006: The company launches the Xbox 360 console in Australia and New Zealand.
December 10, 2005: The company launches the Xbox 360 console in Japan.
December 2, 2005: The company launches the Xbox 360 console in Europe.
November 22, 2005: The company launches the Xbox 360 console in North America.
March 9, 2005: The company signs Epic's Unreal Engine 3 technology for some of their future games.
March 2, 2005: Two more well-known Japanese developers join the studios: Yoshiki Okamoto (Game Republic) and Tetsuya Mizuguchi (Q Entertainment).
February 24, 2005: Hironobu Sakaguchi, the original creator of the Final Fantasy games, joins the studios to develop new RPG's for the company's next console.
February 17, 2005: The company announces to voluntarily replace the power cords on 14.1 million Xbox consoles worldwide to protect consumers and their consoles from a rare electrical component failure that can pose a fire hazard.
June 3, 2004: Microsoft cancels Level 5's upcoming cel-shaded MMORPG True Fantasy Live Online. Originally, this Live! game was developed to conquer the Japanese market.
February 12, 2004: Microsoft cancels their fantasy MMORPG Mythica.
January 2004: Ed Fries leaves the company. Under his lead, the X-box was launched and top games such as Halo and the Age of Empires series were released.
June 2002: Microsoft Game Studios label relaunched.
2002: Xbox Live, the official online system for the Xbox console, opens its doors.
November 2001: Microsoft release the Xbox, their first home entertainment console, along with 1st person shooter Halo: Combat Evolved.
December 5, 2000: The company acquires Digital Anvil and folds it into its internal Microsoft Game Studios system.
March 10, 2000: Microsoft unveils the label as its own division.