Platinum wants to resurrect canceled RPG Scalebound, but dont get your hopes up

Date:
Tue, 08 Feb 2022 15:45:44 +0000

Description:
Scalebound's creator says he's still up for making the action RPG.

FULL STORY ======================================================================

PlatinumGames has shown interest in resurrecting Scalebound, its Xbox-exclusive action RPG that was canceled back in 2017, and has called on Xbox boss Phil Spencer to open discussions.

Speaking to IGN Japan , PlatinumGames president Atsushi Inaba and vice president Hideki Kamiya said theyd like to return to the game with Microsofts involvement.

Often in an interview, you might hear a developer politely saying, Yes, if we had the opportunity wed love to work on that again, but we dont mean it that way, Inaba said (translated by IGN )

Both Kamiya and I are serious we really would love to work on Scalebound again. Id like to discuss it with Microsoft properly.

Kamiya, who created Scalebound and served as its director said development
had progressed a fair way, and it seems pointless for Microsoft to just hold on to that and not do anything with it.

Phil! Phil! Lets do it together!, he added, directing his plea towards head
of Xbox Phil Spencer.

This isnt the first time Kamiya has lamented the games cancelation. Last
year, in an interview with YouTube channel Cutscenes , he apologized to both fans and Microsoft that the game was eventually shelved, citing the scale of the project as its downfall.

"It was a big challenge for PlatinumGames," Kamiya said. "We were working in an environment we werent used to. We were developing on the Unreal engine, we also lacked the necessary know-how to build a game based on online features. The hurdles we had to overcome were very big.

"Im sorry to the players who looked forward to it, and moreover Im sorry to Microsoft who had placed their trust in us as a business partner," he added.

"I want to apologize both as a creator and as a member of PlatinumGames. (Image credit: PlatinumGames / Microsoft) Analysis: a Scalebound revival isnt likely

First announced in 2013 as an Xbox One exclusive, Scalebound gathered quite a following for its dragon-oriented take on magical realism. The game would follow Drew, a man from the modern world who is plunged into a fantasy setting, and his dragon companion, Thuban. Youd be able to explore its non-linear world, as well as customize and issue commands to Thuban during combat.

As exciting as that might sound, the likelihood of Microsoft ever reviving
the game is close to zero. Back in 2020, when speaking on an IGN podcast , Spencer dismissed the possibility that Microsoft would pick up the game
again.

Its a tough one because I have a ton of respect for Platinum, Kamiya-san, the team and I feel no ill will. We talk to those guys, theres no animosity between the teams, Spencer said.

We tried to go do something and it didnt work, and I regret that we were so public about what we tried to go do.

I did some learning around Fable Legends, I did some learning around Scalebound about being public with things before I know that weve got a real, believable plan and something Ive felt in my hands is going to be there.

We just didnt get there with Scalebound and with the team. And I say that across both teams. (Image credit: PlatinumGames / Microsoft)

Microsoft is a very different company now from the one it was when it first became involved in Scalebounds development. Industry trends have moved on,
and Microsoft is more interested in cornering the market outside through proposals that dont involve making platform-exclusive games, such as
extending the features and portfolio of Xbox ame Pass . What was an appealing development proposal back in 2013 is unlikely to be so appealing 10 years later.

Add in Microsoft's recent proposed acquisition of Activision Blizzard, as
well as its takeover of Bethesda last year, and it doesnt seem likely it
would want to produce an ambitious RPG based on an original IP through an external development studio. Given how many resources and how much talent it will soon be packing in-house, it may no longer need to use PlatinumGames,
and similar studios, for such projects.

Thats unlikely to be much of a disappointment for PlatinumGames. Inaba has said it wants the studio to move in a different direction than their past titles, with an apparent focus on live service games. Best RPGs : top role-playing games on PC and console



======================================================================
Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/news/platinum-wants-to-resurrect-canceled-rpg-scaleb ound-but-dont-get-your-hopes-up/


--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A47 (Linux/64)
* Origin: tqwNet Technology News (1337:1/100)