How Sunet Overdrive Became Exclusive.

"We pitched it a few different places, and it was really important to [Insomniac CEO] Ted [Price] that we own the IP, so some of the conversations broke down over that," Smith admitted. "With Microsoft, they just came in very energetic and excited to work with Insomniac, period. And we'd heard some really good things about them and some resources that they would be allowing us to have."

Insomniac's obsession with owning its own IP started with its co-op shooter Fuse, and comes from a long legacy of making famous franchises -- like Spyro, Ratchet & Clank, and Resistance -- that it doesn’t own. "Most publisher conversations begin and end with IP ownership," Murray said candidly, "and I think [Microsoft] has been talking to Ted for a while, and at some point it was like, 'you can retain the IP,' and suddenly, it was a conversation point."

Source

http://www.ign.com/articles/2014/05/09/how-sunset-overdrive-became-an-xbox-one-exclusive

Didn't know they had lost the rights to those ips,makes sense for them to not budge in the end.

The real story is Insomniac hasn't made a good game in years and M$ are the only ones dumb enough to fund another big budget title from them.

I already knew this because Ted had said interviews years ago before Fuse what Insomniac's goal on ownership was with future creations of Insomniac IPs.

That said, Sunset looks remarkably a lot like Ratchet & Clank gameplay wise (from the platforming to weapons choices), but with a sort of Dead Rising sandbox. They own this IP and FUSE and they can choose what they want to do with it from here on out. Not owning an IP is a safety net with more money, resources, production assets, teams willing to assist, and marketing....but if you gamble right and go solo, you can be the next EPIC.

The question is how good can Insomniac do without that Sony safety net? FUSE was remarkably mediocre start with a 62/100 metascore when they teamed up with EA. Now they are bouncing to M$, I surely hope Sunset fares better the poor showing that was FUSE. It's also going to be interesting to see how the Xbox crowd receives the game. It looks fun, but is it up their alley? Will enough people care, support it, and buy it? We'll find that out as well. I think of Lorne Lanning's choice to take Oddworld to other pastures and it almost killed the company. It's only recently in 2013 that they started trying to make a tiny comeback.

It's vital to understand the demographics you're catering to. Once the reviews come in and it scores well, I plan on buying Sunset for my Xbone. I just don't want to get burned after FUSE.

I'm glad it's official once again in another interview though, in case anyone missed the news.

Back in the day, Insomniac games were always good. Now they're hit or miss.

I didn't know, thought it was interesting. The gameplay trailer has the potential to change some minds.

Played the first Ratchet released for ps3, it was great. Never got to try the sequels.

So Insomniac wanted to own the IP and Microsoft was looking for exclusives/games for the Xbox One and was willing to allow Insomniac to own the IP if they published the game exclusively for the Xbox One. Makes sense.

This means if the game is a hit they could go multiplatform with the series, just not the first game. Much like Titanfall.

It is intriguing, I think. I follow IP ownership for a great many years before I ever created a Gamespot.com account...thinking about it, before Gamespot.com was a website.

It's nice to see where a game could possibly pop up by knowing if a dev or pub owns an IP. I think the gameplay trailer looks fun, but after seeing it, it honestly could have been the next Ratchet and Clank in Zombie Planet, which is fine with me since I like R&C. Swinging around with one arm attached to cables whilst shooting baddies with cool innovative guns, I've done that before lots and I will do it again. If Sunset is a hit, maybe people will go back and check out previous R&C games because the main ones are excellent combination of shooter and platforming, with some fun RPG elements. The thing is, R&C got blasted here by a certain group, so if that same rabid group of R&C haters end up loving Sunset based on that trailer and it's exclusivity, I will find that amusing. I'm already amused in another thread about the game this week.

I plan on picking Sunset up for my Xbone though, once some select reviews give Sunset the thumbs up...just in case. I will definitely own it, it's just a matter of if this game is $60, $40 worthy, or $20 I can wait due to bad reviews worthy.

those traitors said that they wanted to own their IP's to be able to release them everywhere in order to allow more people to experience their games but it was all bullshit. They were just looking for the higher bidder and M$ won.

Its a strategy that could be used to Block a particular console out of the market, Multiplats are the Bread and butter of the Games industry, neither MS, Nintendo or SONY put out enough exclusives that gamers would be happy with Exclusives alone, if you publish a title but allow the Developers to keep the IP you could effectively release the game on every platform except one of them and you would effectively be cutting them out of the market.

Do that with multiple developers.

@Wasdie:

In other words. MS is going things that are for gamers and good to gaming, w/o being so greedy like other companies which would rather see a good game never exist, if ti means they can land a franchise to milk SMH

I mean with all the complaining about apps behind a paywall and the parity clause. This is way way worse. Basically Sony won't let a game go on their system they fund unless they own the entire IP, with policies like that, there is no way the PS4 will see 3rd party exclusives

M$ desperate for Any former devs from the Legendary Sony crew

Like every other exclusive: $$$$$$$$$$$$$

"And we'd heard some really good things about them." = money. I don't blame them, I like Insomniac.

Too much hate on Insomniac in this thread. They didn't sell their souls. They are diversifying their fanbase and hitting target markets.

I am also sure they were like EA who thought Xboxone would destroy PS4. They were wrong but MS helped with the development costs to make an amazing looking game.

I hope it will be AAAe and shift units.

Money talks

This is just typical PR

Given Microsoft's shady history of money hats etc

There is no doubt in my mind Microsoft went to Insomniac and in typical sleezy Microsoft fashion dropped of truck loads of money.

Its what Microsoft does to secure 3rd party exclusives and prevent the game from coming to other platforms

It will BACKFIRE big, because the PS4 is dominating this generation. Insomniac will regret the decision just like EA did with TitanFail.

On another note. Microsoft "startegy" of money hats and 3rd party exclusives is a horrible solution long term and its why Microsoft has pathetic first party studios compared to Sony and its why the xbox and the xbox 360 suffered such a dramatic drop and decline in exclusives half way into their gens as opposed to the Playstation consoles which continued to offer a stream of great exclusives through out all of their gens until the last day. All the more reason to stay playstation over xbox.

So back on topic, thats why SunSet is an xbone exclusive. The money. Insomniac sold out to the devil, plain and simple

Insomniac is just regurgitating the PR Microsoft is feeding them

All the other developers and indie developers have said numerous times how Microsoft is a horrible partner and that Microsoft always makes whacky demands or else

Thats why indies arent on xbone. Sony embraced indies and gave them freedom and its why indies are all on PS4.

You can even go look up the factual proof of how when the 360 was winnning Microsoft use to make developers sign shady contracts that they couldnt take advantage of the PS3 versions

Thank god that thats done with, now that the PS4 is destroying the xbone in sales and Sony has all the leverage

Point is, anyone in the know how, knows how awful and anti-consumer Microsoft has always been and how difficult its always been for developers to work with Microsoft....but some declining developers like Insomniac will sell out for the money.

And yes, Microsoft lets developers retain their IPs BUT its used as nothing more then Microsoft's bargining chip. Microsoft controls.everything else and takes away the freedom the development studio has when making games for them(see Rare and Bungie as proof)

I believe they would benefit greatly from bringing back some of their older games.

You have issues, brofist.

You really, really do.

Brofists? Your main account is still active, yo.

Long story short: cash.

@ladyblue:

Microsoft doesnt have any worth while "old franchises"

Most of the original xbox's exclusives were just old dreamcast games that Microsoft money hatted

And with the 360, all its old "exclusives" became Playstation games (Mass Effect, Lost Planet, BioShock etc)

Going by history, TitanFall and SunSet will likely come to PS4 anyway, especially now since PS4 is dominating they will come earlier

All Microsoft really has is Gears Halo Gears Halo Forza Forza

All franchises that were never that good to begin with and have declined greatly. ....Microsoft will go back to spamming yearly lackluster iterations of Gears/Halo/Forza on the xbone, just like they did on the 360. Microsoft also cut off all support for the xbox early.

"Fool me twice shame on you. Fool me three times, shame on me"

At some point you need to learn your lesson when it comes to Microsoft.

People widley regard Microsoft an evil shady corporation for a reason. The same Microsoft that also locks all basic features behind xbox live pay wall fees, mandates a kinect spy cam, charges more for weaker hardware etc. Proven time and time again how anti-consumer Microsoft is. Then theres the very fact that Microsoft tried to commit the worst crime possible against consumer rights with xbone always online and drm etc)

Speaking in general,

If you are still one of the last remaining xbox fanboys who hasnt switched to the PS4 yet (like everyone else already has) wake up and learn your lesson with Microsoft.

Microsoft has a new PR marketing campaign to paint themselfes as for the gamer. Its laughable. Like if we all just forgot all the despicable shit Microsoft has done and dont know what Microsoft is truly about.

Never fall for Microsoft's BS. Call Microsoft out on it at every turn

Never let your guard down with Microsoft. Microsoft can never be trusted. Heed these words of my advice my fellow gamers

You're a very sad little man who needs to seriously get some mental help.

Please allow my self and other Xbox gamers to welcome Insomniac and Sunset Overdrive to THE ONE. A perfect home.

I think game makers like MS and Sony and Nintendo should be more receptive toward giving studios rights to their games, but in exchange for doing so they own a substantial percentage of that IP, so say one of the big three finances a games development, in exchange for doing so then when that game goes to the company's rival platforms, the company that financed the games production gets a substantial portion of revenues generated by that title. That way developers can still maintain control of their IPs, port it to whatever systems they want, and make whatever sequels they want, and the company that got that IP on its feet owns a share of that wealth.

There's a list. I'm sure if they offer to fund the project they would agree to make games.

Dat delusion

@selfreflect: If Xbox got 20 of the best games ever, it would be worth to get it imo

Yep. Pretty much all there is to it.

lmao, you should be embarrassed your whole post screams I wish insomniac made this for SONY!!

Well said. It is a risk they take with the stance of wanting IP ownership. If it is well received I'll buy it. Looks fun.

It is true that Insomniac struggles when they are on their own (without publisher funding ie. safety net).

Under Sony, they created many great titles because they could relax, be creative, and focus on making the game.

Fuse was different.

I have faith (now after seeing the gameplay) that Overdrive will be a return to form for them since they have proper funding.

Funding (budgets) and time constraints have a HUGE impact on game quality when it comes to bigger titles

That has about a 0% chance of happening lol, but i was just saying that even if, hypothetically, the xbone would still never be worth it to me

The hardware is over priced and under powered. Multi plats make up a majority of games and multi plats will always be superior on PS4.

Plus Sony first parties are some of the most highly regarded and respected developers in the industry so PS4 will get its surpluss of amazing exclusives regardless

Maybe if it was just between the xbone and the Wii U, and the xbone got a lot of great exclusives games THEN MAYBE I would consider renting an xbone at the end of the gen to play them

BUT I can just never trust Microsoft after the henious crimes they tried to commit against our consumer rights with their always online xbome drm schemes. The plans are in place for it to come back to. Listen to their PR. Never trust Microsoft. And i refuse to ever give Microsoft a penny from me

and with the PS4, the PS4 does everything better for less while keeping the focus on gaming, having better first parties, and offering a much better greater value online service. There is no reason to ever get an xbone no matter what

Microsoft should take the punishment they deserve for what they tried to get away with the xbone and for what they still did with the xbone

Your ID should read SelfProclaimedHater instead.

so true.

Its pathetic

Sony fanboys are truly pathetic. They aren't real gamers. How many you trolls going to buy the next Insomniac game that is on a Playstation console.

I could give a flying rats ass about SunSet. Its just one game xbot.

Even then, everything SunSet is going for, Imfamous already did it all much better and with real next graphics. So i will stick with Infamous. I will also take The Order over SunSet any day

Truth is Insomniac use to make great PS3 games under Sony's help and support. Then they made Fuse without Sony, and the game was awful

Its time to face reality, Insomiac is a declining developer who has LOST it and at this point they are simply selling out for the money

Dont expect much from SunSet. At best it will be a fun little title for an hour or two...and likely it will come to PS4 anyway

How this cartoon game is sub 1080p I'll never understand.

Insomniac isn't putting any console out of business....

Thanks. It's a risky gamble to maintain ownership hoping it's something gamers want, but let's hope they do well.

I'm with you, if it is well received, I'm in.

@Indicud: Because the xbone is seriously under powered

Also,

The over hyping of SunSet is truly ridicilous.

SunSet looks generic and uninspired. Gameplay really looked awful to me. Xboners must be desperate for games since xbone has none

Trust me, im telling you right now, I could care less if SunSet is xbone exclusive or not

BUT if there is something to get upset over,

Its the FACT that development on the xbone, takes away from possible development of a good Ratchet and Clank game on PS4

And thats absurd.

The xbone is a weaker console with little user base(PS4 is crushing the xbone in sales)

Insomniac needs to focus on making PS4 gamers happy with a PS4 Ratchet and Clank or at least on making a new IP for PS4 thats actually interesting unlike SunSet

Instead they are waisting time and money on a generic looking IP for an xbone console that has NO user base out side the US

That is what could be upsetting

The PS4 is even significantly out selling then xbone in the USA too. Insomniac messed up bad.

Either way **** Insomniac for selling out. Never supporting Insomniac again

SunSet looks awful either way, but at least a PS4 Ratchet and Clank wouldve been good

So just another example of MS doing whats best for gamers. Nothing new here folks.

Ah, Fisted Bro is back!

Prove it.

Um you may want to check out any of the Ratchet and Clank games in the Future Series before spouting crap.