Microsoft's Matt Booty says that the tech and entertainment giant is very interested in mid-tier game developers at the moment.
Speaking to PCGamesInsider.biz, the recently-appointed CVP of Microsoft Studios said that it wants to help more outfits focus on more creative endeavours in the games market.
Ninja Theory has been the poster child for mid-tier developers having made and released Hellblade last year - and very successfully, too. The studio has been incredibly open about how it has used triple-A talent on a slightly more restricted budget to make a high-quality and financially efficient product.
"Having a collection of dedicated first-party game development studios is a powerful and unique asset," Booty said.
"We are the first to implement new technologies, the first to deliver content for new platforms, the first to explore new business models. It enables us to build a portfolio of exclusive games, and this was the right time to increase that investment. It is also interesting to observe the changes in the industry.
"While the industry is growing across the board, there seems to be fewer teams and studios focused on 'mid-tier' games that sit between triple-A blockbusters on one end and smaller indie games on the other. Those are some of the kinds of studios that we're interested in partnering with right now, studios with teams that can make quality, crafted games that sit just between mid-tier and triple-A and by becoming part of our Microsoft Studios family, can focus on craft and innovation and accelerate their creative growth."
The mid-tier of games development has attracted a great deal of attention - Vlambeer founder and indie hero Rami Ismail recently said he is excited to see what emerges from this sector, while indie publisher and investor platform Good Shepherd is hoping to assist more studios that are operating at this level.
You can read more from Booty about Microsoft's recent spending spree in our interview with the exec that will be going live later today
