Microsoft has gathered a formidable catalog of IP over the previous few years, having added to its personal steady with a treasure trove of properties via the acquisitions of not solely a number of unbiased studios, but additionally total main publishers within the type of Bethesda and Activision Blizzard. And naturally, given the sheer variety of properties that Microsoft now has underneath its umbrella, there’s solely so lots of them that may be (and are) lively at any given time.
Of the numerous, many Microsoft-owned gaming franchises that are dormant, nevertheless, there’s no scarcity of those who followers have been hoping to see coming again indirectly, form, or form- and now that they’re owned by Xbox, these hopes appear stronger (or a minimum of) louder than they ever have. Right here, we’re going so as to add our voices to that pile and speak about ten dormant IP that Microsoft owns that we’re hoping will make a comeback within the not-too-distant future.
HEXEN
It’s been almost three many years for the reason that final Hexen recreation, however demand for the darkish fantasy first-person shooter collection to return stays surprisingly excessive. Not solely does Microsoft personal the IP via id Software program, it additionally owns Raven Software program, the studio that made Heretic, Hexen, and Hexen 2. Xbox boss Phil Spencer himself has publicly broached the potential for bringing Hexen again a few instances (although he says there’s nothing to announce on that entrance but), so perhaps there’s some hope that we really will get to see a brand new recreation within the lengthy dormant franchise sooner or later.
BANJO
A Banjo-Kazooie revival is one thing that followers of the franchise have been hoping for for many years, at this level. We’ve to go all the best way again to 2008 for the final new Banjo recreation, which, to make issues worse, was the massively disappointing Nuts and Bolts. For an IP with the type of legacy and fanbase that Banjo boasts, it’s been shockingly mishandled. Once more, Phil Spencer has acknowledged the demand for a brand new Banjo recreation, so a minimum of we all know that the property isn’t being completely ignored by Microsoft, however how lengthy it’ll be earlier than that truly materializes as a brand new recreation stays to be seen. Leaks have claimed {that a} reboot is certainly within the works, however to date there isn’t a lot concrete data to latch on to. Hopefully these rumours are extra than simply rumblings.
STARCRAFT
StarCraft was and continues to be one in every of Blizzard Leisure’s greatest and most profitable franchises, however you wouldn’t know that taking a look at how the corporate has dealt with it during the last decade and a half. Regardless of the important and business success that the collection has loved, it’s been fourteen years since its final mainline launch, and although StarCraft 2 did obtain post-launch content material for a number of years afterward, cries for a brand new entry have, surprisingly sufficient, gone unheard. With Blizzard dedicating the overwhelming majority of its focus to Diablo, World of Warcraft, and Overwatch, it’s laborious to say simply how for much longer it’ll be earlier than StarCraft makes a comeback. We hope it’s seen although, as a result of a franchise this enormous and this beloved ought to be means, means extra lively.
PROTOTYPE
Radical Leisure’s Prototype video games have been the definition of online game junk meals. Not at all have been the open world superhero/villain sims masterpieces in any regard, however despite their very apparent tough edges, they have been undeniably an absolute blast. However with the property being deemed a business failure, Prototype died with its sophomore outing, whereas Radical Leisure itself was gutted with mass layoffs, ultimately turning right into a skeleton studio with minimal employees. Microsoft down personal each Radical and the Prototype IP, however whether or not or not both will ever see the sunshine of day once more is anybody’s greatest guess. Would we like to see a modern-day AAA Prototype recreation although? We completely would.
THE EVIL WITHIN
The Evil Inside has not, in fact, been dormant almost so long as most different franchises talked about on this function have been, with The Evil Inside 2 having come out seven years in the past. As time passes although, it’s wanting more and more unlikely that we’ll get a 3rd recreation anytime quickly. The Evil Inside 2 was legitimately an underrated survival horror basic, and its undeserved business failings ended up guaranteeing that Tango Gameworks wouldn’t be capable of construct on its foundations. At a time the place survival horror is extra widespread than ever, The Evil Inside’s absence is especially placing. Tango has since then discovered loads of success and recognition with Hello-Fi Rush, and we do hope to see the studio persevering with to do extra stuff alongside these lines- however hopefully, The Evil Inside 3 can also be one thing the developer will look into sooner or later.
BLUR
Blur isn’t a franchise, in fact, as a result of it by no means actually received the prospect to be one. Weird Creations’ glorious vehicular fight racer launched again in 2010, and although it acquired loads of acclaim, disappointing gross sales led not solely to the cancellation of a sequel, but additionally the shuttering of the studio. Given the truth that arcade racers have changed into much more of a rarity now than they have been again when Blur first got here out, it’s extremely unlikely that it’s a property that Microsoft will give a lot consideration to bringing again, particularly when the corporate has Forza Horizon in its steady. Blur was, nevertheless, a really totally different flavour of arcade racing, and although it’s a foolishly optimistic pipe dream, we certain would love if it made an unlikely comeback.
QUAKE
One of many extra apparent picks on this function. Few franchises have the type of genre-defining legacy that id Software program’s Quake does, however although different basic id properties have managed to claw their means again into the limelight, Quake has had no such luck. Sure, we did get Quake Champions in 2017, however let’s face it, that wasn’t the brand new Quake recreation that anybody hoped for. And sure, we’ve got acquired remasters of the primary two Quake video games during the last couple of years- which, admittedly, have been each nice. However are we going to get a brand new Quake recreation anytime quickly? The latest aforementioned remastered releases would counsel that perhaps that’s one thing that Bethesda and Microsoft are a minimum of contemplating. Some studies have instructed that MachineGames – which developed new content material for the remasters – is engaged on brining the franchise again much like what it did for Wolfenstein. There’s nothing concrete on that entrance but, however we’re maintaining our fingers crossed.
CRIMSON SKIES
Based mostly on a tabletop franchise, Crimson Skies may not be a recreation that many are aware of at this level, given how lengthy it’s been because it got here out, however those that have performed it proceed to look again on it fondly. Retreating simulation mechanics and mixing them with arcade parts, Crimson Skies was one thing of a cult basic. Neither the 2000 PC title nor its 2003 comply with up for the unique Xbox bought very effectively, however each entries have their fair proportion of followers, lots of whom would completely like to see a brand new instalment within the franchise. After the success that Microsoft Flight Simulator has loved, hopefully Microsoft will contemplate additionally engaged on a extra arcade-y tackle the style.
PREY
Much like The Evil Inside, Prey hasn’t been dormant for that lengthy, but it surely positively is a franchise that weirdly appears to battle with attending to a direct sequel. Arkane’s 2017 recreation was itself a reboot of a property that had solely had one earlier recreation (to not point out a cancelled sequel)- and it was a superb reboot! Sadly, nevertheless, Prey 2 was as soon as once more not meant to be, due to despite how good 2017’s Prey was, it clearly bought nowhere close to sufficient to warrant a sequel. Since then, Arkane Austin – the workforce that developed the sport – has gone on to launch Redfall, which, in fact, was an enormous disappointing. With Arkane’s Lyon workforce engaged on Marvel’s Blade, will the Austin studio return to Prey? We definitely hope so- although we’ve got a sense that if the studio was going to return to one in every of its properties, it’d in all probability deem Dishonored the extra appropriate selection, given it’s recognition… which we wouldn’t be in opposition to, to be truthful.
MECHASSAULT
The BattleTech franchise as an entire hasn’t precisely been dormant in video games, due to the MechWarrior video games, however the MechAssault line positively has been MIA longer than it ought to have been. Each of the MechAssault video games rank as a number of the unique Xbox’s greatest motion titles even at the moment, and perhaps it’s due to the latest success of Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon, however we’re greater than slightly curious to see what an Xbox-backed fashionable AAA MechAssault recreation would seem like. Curiously sufficient, MechWarrior is one other one in every of Microsoft’s dormant properties that Xbox boss Phil Spencer has stated he would personally like to see come again. Right here’s hoping that may result in one thing.
