Split-Screen :: The Game-Geek’s Daily Read

Their showing at this year’s Game Developers’ Conference 2009 may not exactly reaffirm hopes but Microsoft has been very active as of late, albeit in secret. Besides rumours of new IPs from Rare doing the rounds, Microsoft Game Studios, the main in-charge of the Xbox and Games for Windows game division, has been doing the rounds on Gamasutra with about 18 job postings for various offers within the company. These rumours are pretty heavy but none more heavy than the fate of the 360’s two biggest franchises and heavy hitters since the console’s launch: Halo 3 and Gears of War. In fact, based on two of Microsoft Game Studios’ listings, rumours suggest that Halo 3 may be coming to the PC this year and Gears of War could stay exclusive to Microsoft’s platforms.

Halo 3 PC in 2009?

As the listing for Group Program Manager states,

“Microsoft Game Studios’ is looking for an Executive Producer to help develop a new game for the Windows platform. Work on one of the most exciting and well known intellectual properties in the industry. We are building products that will define the future of Windows gaming.”

What more exciting and well-known IP for the industry and Microsoft than Halo? After all, the first PC Halo released nearly two years after it’s Xbox release; the second, after three years for the same platform. Will Microsoft continue this trend and bring Halo 3 to PCs in late 2009? The listing certainly indicates that experience would be helpful: “You have experience shipping AAA current generation games through a minimum of three product cycles.”

Gears of War to Stay Exclusive to Microsoft and Xbox Platform?

Concerning Gears of Wars’ Xbox exclusivity, as enunciated in the Development Manager listing:

“Microsoft Game Studios (MGS) is looking for an experienced development manager to join the team within MGS that partners with Epic Games on all aspects of the Gears of War franchise.”

Certainly this would indicate that Microsoft will collaborate with Epic fully – a fact reaffirmed by a requirement of “owning the technical relationship with our partners at Epic Games”. Could it be that in return for providing resources and technical help, Epic will keep the franchise exclusive to Microsoft’s system (much like what Sony did for Konami’s Metal Gear Solid 4 on the PS3)? It would certainly be odd to accept so much from MS and then make the franchise multi-platform in the future. In fact, this also indicates the unlikelihood of Gears of War 3, if not Gears 2 as well, coming to the PC platform after it’s release.