Image Credit: Liam Richardson
Microsoft has been on a spending spree in acquiring developers over the past few years, from Obsidian to buying the entirety of Bethesda. In this episode, Matthew and Samuel can each pick 6 game developers to build a new publisher – but it’s competitive, and they can’t pick any of the same choices. After you listen, head on over to @BackPagePod on Twitter to cast your vote on who won!
The winner of this episode was Samuel.
The Categories
- A big studio not owned by a publisher 1
- A big studio not owned by a publisher 2
- An indie developer (< 20 employees)
- A studio that already belongs to a platform holder
- A third party publisher
- The time machine option. Bring any developer from the past (10 Years + ago). The studio is closed.
Bonus Categories
- What is the name of your publisher?
- Who hosts your E3 conference?
- Who plays the concert at your E3 party?
- What’s the first project you approve?
- Who is appointed to your board?
Picks
| Category | Samuel | Matthew |
|---|---|---|
| Big studio not owned by a publisher 1 | From Software | IO Interactive |
| Big studio not owned by a publisher 2 | Kojima Productions | Larian Studios |
| Indie developer (< 20 employees) | Team Cherry | Supergiant Games |
| Belongs to a platform holder | Arkane Studios | Playground Games |
| Third party publisher | Rockstar Games | Capcom |
| Time machine | Clover Studio | Cing |
| Name | Big Sammy Holdings Ltd | Matthew Castle Productions |
| E3 host | John Mulaney | Matthew, Barack Obama |
| Concert | Depeche Mode, Ludwig Göransson (DJ Set) | Randy Newman |
| First project | Rockstar Open World Sci-Fi | Takumi Unleashed |
| Board members | Isabel from Animal Crossing (CFO), The Riddler, Raphael Colantonio, Dr. Mario, Hideo Kojima | Shu Takumi, John Williams, Barack Obama, Agent 47, Brian Cox from Succession |
Results
Samuel 57%
Matthew 43%
(270 votes)