Xbox’s Phil Spencer is ‘all in’ if Activision studios want to revisit old franchises
A Hexen revival is not in the works, however.
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What you need to know
Sorry, Hexen fans, Phil Spencer has confirmed there is not a plan in place to revive the beloved shooter—yet. Spencer, the CEO ofMicrosoft Gaming, sat down with the official Xbox podcast to discuss theActivision Blizzard acquisitionand to address rumors that have been floating around since the deal closed this past Friday.
Xbox Podcast host Jeff Rubenstein, who took over podcasting duties for Xbox afterLarry Hyrb retiredearlier this year, took the opportunity during the show to bring up Activision Blizzard’s impressive catalog of beloved franchises. Following a segment wherePhil Spencer spoke about not using Call of Duty to force players to Xbox, Rubenstein asked Spencer if he wouldbring back Guitar Heroor Tony Hawk Pro Skater.
If teams want to go back and revisit some of the things that we have —and do a full focus on it— I’m going to be all in.
With regard to Infinity Ward, Spencer said, “I just don’t think that a team working on something that isn’t their passion leads to the best result.” However, when it comes to games like Hexen, which many fans speculated would see a revival after Spencer appeared wearing a Hexen t-shirt on a showcase stage, Spencer stated there was no plan in place to revive it. However, he also added that Xbox would be “all in” on a revival if it was a project that a dev team would like to revisit on their own.
Spencer also added thatXboxhas not been the best at utilizing all of their historic franchises. While there would need to be consideration whether reviving an IP was warranted, Spencer said he believedXbox Game Passcould be the key to allowing a couple of franchises per year to be revisited.
I’m not giving up on a Viva Piñata revival
You all can have your dreams of Crash Bandicoots and your Hexens, I’ll be sitting over here pining for a Viva Piñata revival. It is significant that Phil Spencer acknowledged Xbox’s subpar history with recognizing classic franchises in its own catalog.
It is a relief, at the same time, to hear him say he would not require studios to work on an IP just for the sake of a revival. As nice as it is to have nostalgia for classic characters, it is equally important that developers have the opportunity to flex their creativity and create new experiences. Games likeHiFi RushandPentimentshow what a studio can be capable of given the security and support to create what they want.
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Cole is the resident Call of Duty know-it-all and indie game enthusiast for Windows Central. She’s a lifelong artist with two decades of experience in digital painting, and she will happily talk your ear off about budget pen displays.
