With E3 Around The Corner, Microsoft Is Hiring For New IP

[Nergal]

 

It looks Microsoft may be opening a new studio and working on a new IP, if a recently discovered job advertisement is anything to go on. A since-removed job posting spotted by Variety is looking for a principal program manager to run a new studio in Santa Monica, California. A desirable candidate will have a "a knowledge and understanding of the process of building new IP."


Additionally, this person will have "experience shipping high quality titles at AAAA standards" and at least 10 years worth of experience in the gaming business. At least four of those years should have been spent in a lead/executive producer level or above, the listing states. What's more, the job ad said a desirable candidate will have "live ops and multiplayer experience."


GameRant reports that the person who gets the job will "hire and grow internal studio talent to build teams and culture." The studio will apparently be making a "new franchise." All of this wording makes it sound like the project and studio are only just getting off the ground.


Still, it's exciting to think about Microsoft building a new studio and franchise. Microsoft is often criticised for a perceived lack of first-party games relative to Sony, so this move could be Microsoft attempting to address that--even if it doesn't really believe it has a deficit relative to Sony.


The discovery of this job ad comes not long after Microsoft announced the hiring of former Tomb Raider boss Darrell Gallagher. Intriguingly, Gallagher's last job before Microsoft was with Activision, which is based in Santa Monica. It is unclear, however, if Gallagher is connected to Microsoft's new studio there. Gallagher and other Microsoft executives are teasing news for E3 2018, so it may not be much longer until we find out what the company may have in store.