Microsoft Studios is the video game production wing for Microsoft, responsible for the development and publishing of games for the Xbox

Xbox

The Xbox is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Microsoft. It was released on November 15, 2001 in North America, February 22, 2002 in Japan, and March 14, 2002 in Australia and Europe and is the predecessor to the Xbox 360. It was Microsoft's first foray into the gaming console...

, Xbox 360

Xbox 360

The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...

, Games for Windows

Games for Windows

Games for Windows is a brand owned by Microsoft and introduced in 2006 to coincide with the release of Windows Vista. The brand represents a standardized technical certification program and online service for Windows games, bringing a measure of regulation to the PC game market in much the same way...

 and Windows Phone

Windows Phone

Windows Phone is a mobile operating system developed by Microsoft, and is the successor to its Windows Mobile platform, although incompatible with it. Unlike its predecessor, it is primarily aimed at the consumer market rather than the enterprise market...

 platforms. They were established in 2002 as Microsoft Game Studios to coincide with the release of the Xbox, before being re-branded in 2011. Microsoft Studios develops and publishes games in conjunction with first and third party development studios under their publishing label.

• Microsoft Studios acquire Rare Ltd. from Nintendo
  Nintendo
  is a multinational corporation located in Kyoto, Japan. Founded on September 23, 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi, it produced handmade hanafuda cards. By 1963, the company had tried several small niche businesses, such as a cab company and a love hotel....
  
   and the Stamper brothers (Chris
  Tim and Chris Stamper
  Tim and Chris Stamper are the co-founders of Ashby Computers & Graphics and later Rare...
  
   and Tim
  Tim and Chris Stamper
  Tim and Chris Stamper are the co-founders of Ashby Computers & Graphics and later Rare...
  
  ), who owned 49% and 51% of the company respectively.