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Microsoft's gaming division has historically had a hard time with the expansion of its Xbox console userbase in Japan, due to the continued dominance of rival Sony PlayStation and Nintendo systems. The Series X and Series S have bucked past trends to some degree (maybe not all that impressive)—the higher-ups at Microsoft probably consider Japan to be an emerging/growth market, so Phil Spencer & Co. were recently dispatched to 2023 Tokyo Game Show. Xbox's Chief and Sarah Bond (Corporate Vice President) participated in an IGN-organized Q&A panel, where they were asked about reviving dormant first or third party franchises.
Bond was nudged into answering first—her choice was Blizzard Entertainment's sci-fi RTS series; StarCraft. She based this selection on fan feedback—apparently Japanese gamers have expressed plenty of interest in a potential threequel. Microsoft could have a major say in goings-on at the Californian development studio, once their acquisition of Activision Blizzard goes ahead. Spencer had more time to mull over his pick—in his opinion, MechAssault deserves a revival—with emphasis on it being a personal preference rather than any indication of an official announcement. The more action-oriented spin-off of FASA's MechWarrior series (set in the BattleTech universe) debuted exclusively on the original Xbox console back in 2002—Spencer was working as general manager of Microsoft Game Studios at the time. A sequel, Lone Wolf, was released in 2004.
He said: "I always wanted us to go back and revisit MechAssault/MechWarrior space, I think there's a lot we can do. There's so much about that whole franchise that, in some way, was ahead of its time, and it would be nice to get to go back and revisit...We don't have a plan today, so it's not a leak of anything… speaking of leaks. But that would be a nice one." Spencer has discussed his preferred IP several times in the past, so there is a small chance that something is in the works. Microsoft helped support the launch of MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries (developed and published by Piranha Games) in a promotional capacity, so there has been some value and importance placed on BattleTech-related games.
Here is an IGN video article, covering Microsoft's public forum at TGS 2023. Skip to 21:05 for the relevant subject matter.
View at TechPowerUp Main Site | Source
Bond was nudged into answering first—her choice was Blizzard Entertainment's sci-fi RTS series; StarCraft. She based this selection on fan feedback—apparently Japanese gamers have expressed plenty of interest in a potential threequel. Microsoft could have a major say in goings-on at the Californian development studio, once their acquisition of Activision Blizzard goes ahead. Spencer had more time to mull over his pick—in his opinion, MechAssault deserves a revival—with emphasis on it being a personal preference rather than any indication of an official announcement. The more action-oriented spin-off of FASA's MechWarrior series (set in the BattleTech universe) debuted exclusively on the original Xbox console back in 2002—Spencer was working as general manager of Microsoft Game Studios at the time. A sequel, Lone Wolf, was released in 2004.
He said: "I always wanted us to go back and revisit MechAssault/MechWarrior space, I think there's a lot we can do. There's so much about that whole franchise that, in some way, was ahead of its time, and it would be nice to get to go back and revisit...We don't have a plan today, so it's not a leak of anything… speaking of leaks. But that would be a nice one." Spencer has discussed his preferred IP several times in the past, so there is a small chance that something is in the works. Microsoft helped support the launch of MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries (developed and published by Piranha Games) in a promotional capacity, so there has been some value and importance placed on BattleTech-related games.
Here is an IGN video article, covering Microsoft's public forum at TGS 2023. Skip to 21:05 for the relevant subject matter.
View at TechPowerUp Main Site | Source
