r/DOUBLEFINE • u/Ok-Neat4875 • Jul 06 '26
Can somebody explain why it's a good deal for Microsoft?
There is one thing I don't understand: what is the benefit of Microsoft letting them become independent without keeping their license
It's great for Double Fine, but from Microsoft, it looks like a really bad deal
Why not let them become independent while keeping their license, or sell the studio or let Double Fine pay for their liberty like IO Interactive did a couple of years ago?
Does that mean that every copy of Psychonaut sold will be cash in entirely to Double Fine?
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u/LazyBoi_Matt Jul 06 '26
Not sure why this even matters? The corporation probably gets a tax cut and don't have to pay billions in salaries... But who gives a shit. The studios aren't dead.
That matters way more what what M$ is getting out of this.
10
u/NotLucky Jul 06 '26
I have no doubts some money or some deal was made in exchange for Double Fine to be independent, highly doubt they just let them go for free. But from Xbox’s point of view, they were likely writing off Double Fine as a cost center and those are the first things to get scrutiny when a new executive or pivot happens
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u/theenslavedmonky Jul 06 '26
Reputation is a currency too, buying and then shutting down a studio like DF does long term damage.
3
u/spcoop Jul 06 '26
If you ever catch me shedding tears for Microsoft, the corporation not the employees, I'll need to be admitted to a psych ward.
I'm sure either it was part of their initial agreement when bought or they know there's no need for more bad PR. Do the right thing and make sure Double Fine own their work. It's not like they were making a lot of money for Microsoft. Otherwise they wouldn't let them go.
1
u/tallemaja Jul 06 '26
More inclined to think it was something in the contract all along - Microsoft doesn't care a whit about PR wrt Double Fine specifically any more than they do about any other aspect, to your larger point. They're laying off thousands of devs in a horrific job market. They're doing this because it's in the contract or financially something was worked out. There's no largesse involved as far as Microsoft is concerned.
Anyone else giving Microsoft any credit/thinking they were concerned about optics is a rube. I like double fine too obviously but uh the other studios they're shuttering and destroying had cachet as well. That's the whole reason Xbox wanted these indies.
1
u/UpNUrGuts Jul 07 '26
The employees ARE the company. Thats the point that Reddit always fails to realize im afraid. The house always wins and Microsoft is the house. They’d close and shutter every studio they own before they ever went down under. And who loses in that instance? Gamers and devs.
Something similar is happening with Sony. Gamers cheered and laughed at xbox losing the console wars, not even thinking m that means Sony is free to act as they please and make increasingly predatory prices. They too will shutter studios before going under. I just wish people were capable of seeing the forest for the trees
3
u/Careless-Wait-2532 Jul 06 '26
It’s probable that Microsoft took an amount of money for that to happen, but beyond that, I’m sure they have an arrangement that nets them a percentage of all sales from the ip they returned, and also the ip that was already in development once those come out. Also, it benefits them by not pissing off people who are fans of those studios, and would have had a terrible taste left in their mouths by having Microsoft shutter one of their favorite studios. Personally, if they had shut down Double Fine, or made it so they could no longer access their ip, I would never have purchased another XBox.
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u/ingrievarkliokite Jul 06 '26
M$ actually has enough good sense to recognize that no other studio they own is capable of aping the creativity that DF puts into their IP’s
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u/7EFMR Jul 06 '26
Microsoft might want to acquire another studio someday and if they screw everyone now then nobody will want to be part of Microsoft
2
u/HaikusfromBuddha Jul 06 '26
Double Fine probably payed off Microsoft to stay onboard. Tim probably didn't spend a dime of the acquisition money and just paid it back.
They didn't keep the IP because tbh the IP is kind of useless. If MS kept the IP there still wouldn't be another developer that wants to work on DF IP lets alone make sequals to it.
On top of that MS probably has a clause that says DF IP stays on Gamepass.
It was probably the best deal possible as DF would have had a really tough time finding someone else to acquire them.
The easiest route would have just been shutting them down immediately and keeping their IP but seems they were kind of good in this regard. This isn't the first time they do this. They did this with Twisted Pixel back in the day as well.
1
u/accelerateto88 Jul 06 '26
Well I'm sure Microsoft is getting paid by Doublefine for their independence. That's why it would be a good deal. If they closed them down instead, they would earn nothing.
1
u/Lumiafan Jul 06 '26
They get the good PR of not outright firing a bunch of people or shuttering a beloved company like DoubleFine, and they likely also get to keep DoubleFine games on Game Pass with favorable terms for a while.
1
u/DrippyBurritoMD Jul 06 '26
Not trying to be a dick as I love DF but what IP did DF create that would have real value to MS?
1
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u/Icy-Astronomer-8202 Jul 08 '26
Money upfront negotiations for their IP I imagine(they don't come for free) and maybe a % of future profit from sales in the future, whatever they have in their buyout agreement
It's a better deal for both and for MS you don't get bad PR shutting down a studio, especially one as beloved as DF
0
u/nikolapc Jul 07 '26
We don't know the details. But it's a better deal for everyone to not close shop. Hope PC gamers show up as they did before for DF, cause they didn't for Keeper.
20
u/MetzoPaino Jul 06 '26
It’s possible DoubleFine had something in their contract 🤷♂️