Although a number of game cancelations have made a giant impact on the industry and video game fans as a whole, very few hurt quite as badly as the death ofScaleboundback in early 2017. Platinum Games' sprawling RPG focused around explosive combat aback a giant dragon was known by many as one of the biggest exclusives coming to the Xbox One, however, it’ssubsequent cancellationcame after Microsoft and Platinum couldn’t quite get the title off the ground.
It seems its cancellation wasn’t exactly an easy decision over at Microsoft either, with Phil Spencer admitting on IGN’s Unlocked podcast that the decline of the game was incredibly disheartening for the company and a failure he’s learned greatly from. According to Spencer,Scalebound’s cancellation went on to teach Microsoft that it should only show titles that the company’s entirely sure have a realistic road map to release.
RELATED:Platinum Games' Hideki Kamiya Wants to Make Scalebound, Dante vs Bayonetta
“I have a ton of respect for Platinum… and I feel no ill-will. And we talk to those guys, there’s no animosity between the teams,” Spencer clarifies, citing his disappointment at how theScaleboundproject ended. “We tried to go do something, and it didn’t work, and I regret that we were as public about what we tried to go do.” Spencer then discusses the similarly failed release ofFable Legends-a planned multiplayer title that was meant to build on Lionhead’s cult-classic RPG franchise - claiming, “I did some learning aroundFable Legends, I did some learning aroundScalebound, about being public about things before I kind of know that we’ve got a real believable plan in something I’ve felt in my hands.”
The head of Xboxfinalizes his comments on the project by admitting that the event is one he doesn’t look back on without regret, citing “It’s something we’ve all moved past, and it’s not a moment I see as a high-point for me in my role, having to cancel a game that we had talked about for years.” Evidently, it’s a major decision that Spencer has taken as a learning lesson, which is no doubt a strong sign for the upcoming games Xbox will show in the coming years.
Unfortunately, he also clarifies thatneither Xbox or Platinum are working on anythingScaleboundrelated, meaning that eager fans shouldn’t get their hopes up for a potential resurrection of the title. As Spencer claims, both teams have “moved past” the project, sadly indicating thatScaleboundwill likely forever remain a major learning lesson for all parties involved.
Scaleboundwas in development for Xbox One.
MORE:Microsoft to Still ‘Take Risks’ After Scalebound Cancellation, Says Xbox Boss
