The Microsoft company is quite packed with new studios and acquisitions of other iconic development teams. This also means that there is a ton of IPs available to be picked up on and for fans, there’s always the hope that their favorite IP will get a new installment in the coming years. However, Kotaku recently had the chance to speak with Phil Spencer, the head of Xbox, and it was during their conversation that two iconic Rare IPs were brought up.
It’s been a long time since we saw a new installment for Banjo-Kazooie and Conker. For years, fans have been waiting for a new installment to hit the marketplace, but for now, these franchises have been dormant. Since then, we’ve seen Banjo-Kazooie get picked up through Nintendo as a guest fighter in the Super Smash Bros Ultimate video game release. However, it’s not the same as Banjo having his own video game and the likes of Conker have been a relic of the past. That’s when Kotaku spoke up about the franchises and the chance of their return.
“I leave it up to the studios in terms of the things that they want to go work on,” he said. “I have a lot of respect for Rare and the work that they do. They do like building new things, and they’ve seen success with Sea of Thieves. I think they’re really excited about Everwild. But also the response to Battletoads was nice. And I think [partner studio] Dlala did a good job with the game. And so I think it’s just always a balance. My inbox is full of: ‘Let every studio do new [intellectual property].’ And also: ‘Why have you brought back Crimson Skies and Blinx?”
Phil Spencer
According to Phil Spencer, it looks like the iconic IPs are mainly behind the studio’s choice. From the comments made, Phil Spencer has mainly stuck with the actual studios to pitch ideas and work on projects that they would like to see released into the marketplace. That’s at least some good news for those teams wanting to try something different, but for fans, it looks like we’re going to be waiting a bit longer before any official announcement of these IPs getting a chance to shine again.
Source: Kotaku, Comic Book