I haven't really been reading through this thread much, but has there been any discussion about the expected exclusives that MS will have for their box ? Realistically, what valuable IP does Microsoft really have right now ?
Certainly, Halo would most likely be considered their most valuable IP, but they just came out with Halo 4 on the 360. Another Halo game for the new system anytime before Holiday 2014 would probably be a bad idea for MS. Maybe they could take Halo 4 and make a special enhanced Infinity version or something. If they could have Halo 4 running in 1080p at 60 frames, plus a bunch more high res textures and stuff like that, it wouldn't be too bad an idea. I haven't really played Halo 4 yet, so that would kind of appeal to me.
Gears of War is their next most valuable IP. But Gears has been beaten to death. They need to give that game a rest. Hopefully no new Gears till at least 2015.
Forza is a big game for Microsoft, and having a racing game at launch is always a good idea, but at the same time, do you really want to launch with such an in-depth sim type racer ? Wouldn't a Project Gotham type racer be a better idea for launch, and a more in-depth game like Forza coming later ? I know Sony has their DriveClub, but I think that might be a bit of a mistake as well. I think a more arcade type racer is a better idea for launch than a super in-depth sim type racer.
After Halo, Gears and Forza, I think MS's stable of games weakens substantially. The next biggest one for me is Crackdown, but the problem with Crackdown is the 2nd game really ruined the legacy of the first game. I still think if MS had a really strong 3rd version of the game ready for their system, it could be a really huge thing for them, but I wonder if they think the brand has already been killed by that horrible second game. They have their two big Kinect games of course. Dance Central and Kinect Sports. Obviously, they would have new versions of these games to show off the improvement in Kinect 2. Then you have Fable and Alan Wake. Both of those franchises are kinda meh to me...
So, let's look at their primary franchises again:
1.
Halo - way too soon for another Halo game, but could we see a Halo 4 special edition ? I think it would be a pretty good idea, hopefully it was in development alongside the 360 version, and it won't be some crappy rush job. Some will say that most people that are into Halo already played 4 and wouldn't be interested. We'll see...
2.
Gears of War - DEFINITELY way too early for another Gears of War. Hell, it's too early for Judgement.
3.
Forza - They might have this for launch, but I think it makes more sense for the "next" holiday.
4.
Crackdown - This is my No.1 hope for launch. Of course, the big question is, would Microsoft take a risk on it considering the bad will from the 2nd game ? Has the franchise been ruined by the sub par 2nd game, and who would be developing this for MS anyways ? (certainly not Ruffian, lol)
5.
Dance Central - Bank on it. Virtually guaranteed to launch with the system
6.
Kinect Sports - Again, a given.
7.
Fable - I'm not sure what to say about Fable. It wouldn't be bad for MS to have a halfway decent RPG / Adventure type game for their new system. I know that Molyneux is gone, but does MS still own Lionhead ? If they do, then you gotta figure they are working on something. Probably a better idea for "next" holiday.
8.
Alan Wake - I think there are rumors that Remedy has a next-gen Alan Wake up and running. Makes sense. Remedy has always been a cutting edge type developer that wants to try to push things to the limits. I wouldn't be the least bit shocked to see them with a next-gen Alan Wake game. Not sure that it would be a system selling type IP for MS though... I guess a poor man's exclusive Silent Hill type game is better than nothing.
Other possibilities:
1.
Perfect Dark Zero - really ? I mean... really ?
2.
Project Gotham Racing - I'm not sure who would actually be developing this game for MS, but I think this makes more sense at launch than Forza.
3.
Banjo-Kazooie - Honestly, I think MS could have taken much better advantage of this IP, than they have so far.
4.
Viva Piñata - I suppose anything is possible. Just not sure that this game ever resonated enough with a wide enough spectrum of the gaming audience.
5.
Shadowrun - Does MS still have the rights to this ?
6.
Mech Assault - Remember this game ?
7.
Crimson Skies -
8.
Midtown Madness -
9.
Azurik: Rise of Perathia 2 - ? - lol
10.
Fuzion Frenzy 3 - ?
AZURIK 720 - MAKE IT HAPPEN!
