Microsoft cancels Xbox One exclusive 'Scalebound'

[Dohc-WP]

If you've been anticipating Platinum Games' Scalebound ever since it was unveiled in 2014, you're about to get some crushing news. In the wake of leaks from Kotaku and Eurogamer, Microsoft Studios has confirmed that the dragon action role-playing game has been cancelled. The company hasn't elaborated on why (you can read its statement below), but Eurogamer's sources describe it as the result of a rough development process that grew particularly tortuous in 2016.

Scalebound was a "heavy workload," according to the insiders, and multiple senior developers were "forced" to take a month off of working on the project. While they came back, that also meant that the game was even more behind schedule than before. When paired with existing missed deadlines and engine troubles, a cancellation was seemingly inevitable.

There's no certainty that Platinum will revive the project under a new publisher, or finish it alone. It'd have to show that it can get its technical issues under control and its development back on track. Whatever happens, it's unfortunate news for Microsoft and Xbox fans. Along with titles like Crackdown 3 (which also missed a planned 2016 release), Scalebound was supposed to be one of the tentpoles of the Xbox One's 2017 exclusives. The company will have to lean that much harder on its remaining exclusives to fight Sony's PlayStation 4, and gamers will be stuck wondering what might have been.

Update: To no one's surprise, Microsoft is wiping most traces of the game mere hours after the cancellation news, including official sites and trailers. The official site is also breaking the bad news to would-be players.

"After careful deliberation, Microsoft Studios has come to the decision to end production for Scalebound. We're working hard to deliver an amazing lineup of games to our fans this year, including Halo Wars 2, Crackdown 3, State of Decay 2, Sea of Thieves and other great experiences."

​

Source: Engadget

 

[Solitude]

Well that's a big surprise. The game looked really good. Except for the main character who looked really irritating. Hmmm enough to cancel the game probably.

 

[DieGrootHammer]

It is really sad news indeed. Lots on negativity surrounding this announcement, and I think this comment from Neogaf sums up the overall feeling of the general vocal community on the internet well:

It's a big blow to the Xbox line up. Honestly there's a serious lack of single player story driven games. Well, exclusive ones at least. Everything is literally MP focused. Forza 7, State of Decay, Sea of Thieves, Crackdown...(and I've heard Crackdown isn't going too hot either, though nothing as bad as this).

Unless they have a bunch of first party studios secretly tucked away somewhere (which they don't that I know of), I genuinely struggle to think of what surprises they could have at E3 *as of right now*. Halo 6 is to be expected, and I don't see publishers playing ball much anymore with 3rd party exclusives unless Microsoft gives the Xbox division a huge budget to throw cash around, which I highly doubt. Their major first party IP are on a decline with Halo doing less than before and Gears 4 not selling that well at all relatively speaking (not good enough to sustain a huge studio with that many workers and budget).

What's happening now is the exact opposite of what Xbox fans seemed to want out of a Phil spencer leadership.

I remember when he became head of Xbox and everyone was saying how there'll be tons of new games, but they're still coasting on announcements from 2013-2014 and in that time, games have been cancelled, multiple studios closed including Lionhead...

As a big Xbox fan since day one, I'm not very hopeful for the future. Scorpio won't do anything without software to push it heavily.

 

[Solitude]

The PS4 is winning the exclusives race by far. And have better hardware. Now I'm very keen for the Scorpio but Microsoft better up their game.

We also want the Bloodbornes and the Last of Us or at least games as good as that.