Microsoft Game Studios (MGS) is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Microsoft Corp. which develops and publishes video games for Windows-based PCs and the Xbox video game console. MGS publishes games for several Microsoft-owned first-party developers, including Bungie Studios and Rare Ltd.. MGS also publishes games created by third-party developers, such as Climax Studios and Big Huge Games.

In August 2002, MGS acquired Rare from Nintendo and the Stamper brothers, who owned 49% and 51% of the company respectively. Since that time, it has been rumored that Microsoft is trying to acquire Japanese game development companies. The reason given is that it would help them break into that notoriously fickle market where Western games are seldom successful, and where the Xbox overall has done very poorly to date.

List of owned studios

• Bungie Studios
• Ensemble Studios
• Rare

Games released under the MGS brand

This list of games is sorted by platform and includes games both developed by MGS or MGS-owned companies, and those simply published by MGS. For those games not developed under the Microsoft name, the developer is noted after the game's release year.

PC

• Age of Empires (1995) — Ensemble Studios
  • (1998) — Ensemble Studios
• Age of Empires II: The Age of Kings (1999) — Ensemble Studios
  • Age of Empires II: The Conquerors Expansion (2000) — Ensemble Studios
  • Age of Empires II Gold Edition (2001) — Ensemble Studios
• Age of Mythology (2002) — Ensemble Studios
  • (2003) — Ensemble Studios
  • Age of Mythology Gold Edition (2004) — Ensemble Studios
• Bicycle Board Games (2003) (published by Activision Value)
• Bicycle Card Games (2003) (published by Activision Value)
• Bicycle Casino Games (2003) (published by Activision Value)
• (1998)
• (2000)
• Combat Flight Simulator 3 (2002)
• Dungeon Siege (2002) — Gas Powered Games
• (2003) — Gas Powered Games
• Dungeon Siege II (expected 2005) — Gas Powered Games
• Flight Simulator 2000 (1999)
• Flight Simulator 2002 (2001)
• (2003)
• Freelancer (2003)
• Halo: Combat Evolved (2003) — Bungie Studios
• Impossible Creatures (2003) — Relic
  • (2003) — Relic
• (2003) — Ensemble Studios
• Links 2003 (2002)
• Links 2003 Championship Courses (2003)
• Links 2003 Championship Edition (2003)
• Links LS Classic (?)
• MechCollection (?)
• MechCommander 2 (2001)
• (2000)
  • (2001) — Cyberlore Studios
  • (2002) — Cyberlore Studios / FASA Interactive
  • (2002) — Cyberlore Studios / FASA Interactive
  • (2002) — Cyberlore Studios
• Mythica (cancelled)
• Racing Madness 2 (?)
• RalliSport Challenge (2002) — Digital Illusions CE
• Return of Arcade Anniversary Edition (1997) — Namco
• Rise of Nations (2003) — Big Huge Games
  • (2004) — Big Huge Games
• Train Simulator (2001)
• Zoo Tycoon (2001) — Blue Fang Games
  • Zoo Tycoon Dinosaur Digs (2002) — Blue Fang Games
  • Zoo Tycoon Marine Mania (2002) — Blue Fang Games
  • Zoo Tycoon Complete Collection (2003) — Blue Fang Games
• Zoo Tycoon 2 (2004) — Blue Fang Games

Xbox

• Amped: Freestyle Snowboarding (2001)
• Amped 2 (2003)
• (2001) — Adrenium Games
• B.C. (cancelled) — Intrepid
• (2002) — Artoon
• (2004) — Artoon
• Blood Wake (2001) — Stormfront Studios
• Brute Force (2003) — Digital Anvil
• (expected 2005) — Rare
• Counter-Strike (2003) — Valve
• (2003)
• Dead or Alive 3 (2001) — Tecmo
• Fable (2004) — Lionhead Studios/Big Blue Box Studios
• Forza Motorsport (2005)
• Fuzion Frenzy (2001) — Blitz Games
• Grabbed by the Ghoulies (2003) — Rare
• Halo: Combat Evolved (2001) — Bungie Studios
• Halo 2 (2004) — Bungie Studios
• Inside Pitch 2003 (2003)
• Jade Empire (expected 2005) — BioWare
• Kakuto Chojin (2002) — Dream Publishing
• Kameo: Elements of Power (as of 2004, on indefinite hold) — Rare
• (2004) — Phantagram
• Kung Fu Chaos (2003) — Just Add Monsters
• Links 2004 (2003)
• MechAssault (2002) — Day 1
• (2004) — Day 1
• Midtown Madness 3 (2003) — Digital Illusions CE
• NBA Inside Drive 2002 (2002) — High Voltage Software
• NBA Inside Drive 2003 (2002) — High Voltage Software
• NBA Inside Drive 2004 (2003) — High Voltage Software
• NFL Fever 2002 (2001)
• NFL Fever 2003 (2002)
• NFL Fever 2004 (2003)
• NHL Rivals 2004 (2003)
• NightCaster (2002) — VR1
• Oddworld: Munch's Oddysee (2001) — Oddworld Inhabitants
• OutRun 2 (2004) — (co-published with Sega) Sega-AM2/Sumo Digital
• Project Gotham Racing (2001) — Bizarre Creations
• Project Gotham Racing 2 (2003) — Bizarre Creations
• Quantum Redshift (2002) — Curly Monsters
• RalliSport Challenge (2002) — Digital Illusions CE
• RalliSport Challenge 2 (2004) — Digital Illusions CE
• Shenmue II (2003) — Sega-AM2
• Sneakers (2002) — Mediavision Corporation
• Sudeki (2004) — Climax Studios
• (2003) — Studio Gigante
• The Wild Rings (2003)
• Top Spin (2003) — Power & Magic
• True Fantasy Live Online (cancelled) — Level-5
• Voodoo Vince (2003) — Beep Industries
• Whacked! (2002) — Presto Studios
• Xbox Music Mixer (2003) — Wild Tangent

External links

• Microsoft Game Studios official site