Microsoft's game lineup is just as diverse as Sony's, creative director says

Microsoft Studios, the Xbox maker's game division that includes studios like 343 Industries (Halo), Turn 10 Studios (Forza), and Lionhead Studios (Fable), has a game portfolio that's every bit as diverse as Sony's, according to creative director Ken Lobb.

"Absolutely," Lobb told Edge in a new interview when asked if he felt that Microsoft Studios offers the same breadth of diversity that Sony offers with its own game lineup.

Some of Microsoft's first-party games include mature-themed titles like Gears of War and Halo, as well as more family-focused offerings like Kinect Sports Rivals. Sony follows a similar path, catering to action fans with games like God of War and Killzone, while also releasing titles like LittleBigPlanet.

Lobb went on to say that Microsoft does not "slot fill," meaning the company does not seek out specific games to fill certain genres only as a means to compete with other companies.

"It's not a game we play. I want to go and find developers that want to make a game that they think is perfect, and then we'll decide if that is something that's interesting to us from a business perspective and also from a portfolio perspective. [But it's] not, 'Gee, I need a fighting game. I should make one of those.'"

Lobb brushed aside a suggestion that Microsoft formed Forza developer Turn 10 Studios as a means to compete with Gran Turismo outfit Polyphony Digital. "You can look at the business [side] and say that Turn 10 was built to compete, but the reality was that we had a bunch of car fanatics who really wanted to have a go at making a racing game," Lobb said.

"It wasn't leadership coming down and saying, 'We must build Polyphony. Let's create a team.' It was from passion first. That's where Forza came from," Lobb added.

Microsoft's game lineup is expected to grow next month at E3 when the company announces both new IP and new sequels, according to Xbox boss Phil Spencer. Microsoft's E3 2014 press conference, called "Xbox: Game On," is scheduled for June 9 at 9:30 a.m. PDT.