Microsoft Vancouver Renamed Black Tusk Studios, Allegedly Working on New Space Shooter IP

Microsoft has renamed Microsoft Game Studios Vancouver to Black Tusk Studios and they're allegedly hard at work on creating a new space shooter brand for their parent company.

While details are scant, the official "welcome" part of Black Tusk's website reads (via NeoGAF):

Black Tusk Studios is dedicated to creating immersive, AAA games that push the limits of Microsoft's entertainment platforms. Located in downtown Vancouver, Canada, we are part of the Microsoft Studios family, and we are growing. Do you have what it takes to keep pace with the best talent in the industry? Do you want to help define Microsoft's next big entertainment franchise? Let's talk.

In their "The People" part of the website, Black Tusk also states, "Black Tusk has assembled a team of seasoned game industry veterans who are united in their passion to create emotionally engaging AAA gaming experiences."

Speaking of "seasoned game industry veterans," internet videogame sleuth Superannuation heard on the grapevine that Black Tusk Studios is working on a "big new IP space shooter thing on the scale of Gears or Halo." And that the Lead Designer of Crysis 2 is working on it, too.

If true, then perhaps Black Tusk is tasked by Microsoft to be a new studio that can rival that of 343 Industries' game quality, no? I mean, yeah, Microsoft already has Halo as its space shooter brand, but seeing as the publisher doesn't have that many bankable franchises, well, you'll take what you can get — at least for now, no?

Would you be okay if Black Tusk is creating yet another space shooter or would you want something different from Microsoft? Sound off and let us know.