Scalebound Canceled as Microsoft and Platinum Part Ways

[ffronw]

Scalebound Canceled as Microsoft and Platinum Part Ways

//cdn.themis-media.com/media/global/images/library/deriv/1373/1373116.jpgAfter some rumors were swirling earlier today, Microsoft has confirmed that Scalebound, the Xbox One and PC title from Platinum Games, has been cancelled.

If you've been hoping to get your hands on Scalebound, Platinum Games' planned action role-playing title, you're not going to like this news. Microsoft has announced that it has parted ways with Platinum, and development of the game has been officially cancelled.

Scalebound was a year ago [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/135180-]. Little has been heard from the game since then, and its social media channels have been quiet since September, when rumors began to suggest that development was in trouble.

The cancellation came amid rumors earlier today (reported by Xbox Wire post [http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2017-01-09-sources-microsoft-and-platinum-part-ways-on-scalebound-development-ceased] showing off Microsoft's planned releases for 2017.

Microsoft has now confirmed the cancellation in a statement to Windows Central [http://www.windowscentral.com/xbox-exclusive-scalebound-has-been-canceled], saying,

"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. For more information on our 2017 plans, please visit: https://news.xbox.com/2017/01/05/xbox-closes-milestone-year-in-2016/ [https://news.xbox.com/2017/01/05/xbox-closes-milestone-year-in-2016/]."

There's no word on whether Platinum Games will continue development of Scalebound without Microsoft, and in fact it's not clear who owns the IP, but Microsoft trademarked the name back in 2014. Of course, the terms of the contract between Microsoft and Platinum may affect that IP ownership in light of the cancellation, so we will have to wait and see.

[gallery=6770]



Permalink

 

[Samtemdo8_v1legacy]

I completely forgotten this one, all I can say is it was just a show off game for what the Xbox One can do, and trailer bait for E3 to pad out its run time.

 

[Hawki]

Poor Platinum. First Bayonetta 2 being tied to the WiiU, now this, coupled with a series of tie-in games.

 

[Adam Jensen_v1legacy]

This is why I dislike Xbox. Exclusives are shit as it is compared to Sony, and the few interesting things that it might get end up being timed exclusives or canceled. How many overhyped games for Xbox have been canceled so far? There was that Fable game, then that world building thing and this one. On top of that how many exclusives ended up being timed exclusives? And then there are games that just aren't that good. Xbox is really a shit platform with only Halo, Gears and Forza. And two out of three are also available for PC if you don't mind the dreadful Windows Store.

 

[09philj]

A publisher with appropriate capital should really look into purchasing the IP if they can. The game's well into development, and a console based Monster Hunter like game would probably find a sizeable audience, since actual Monster Hunter is now a 3DS series.

 

[Scarim Coral]

I wonder how many people are crying right now over this news (the ones who wanted to buy it)?

 

[Casual Shinji]

I'm sure I don't know what went on behind the secenes with the developement of this game, but cancelling one of the few (interesting looking) exclussives you have... Yeesh Microsoft.

This is akin to if Sony cancelled Bloodborne.

Also, nice way of sending fans into the hands of the competitor. 'Yeah sorry, but we cancelled an exclussive Platinum game for our already ailing system, just when another Platinum exclussive for the much more popular PS4 is about to be released.' Brilliant!

 

[Samtemdo8_v1legacy]

Poor Platinum. First Bayonetta 2 being tied to the WiiU, now this, coupled with a series of tie-in games.

They should have stayed with Capcom....

 

[Blitsie]

I wonder how many people are crying right now over this news (the ones who wanted to buy it)?

It was kind of my very last reason to keep my Xbox One.....Guess whats being sold for money for the Switch fund now!

Freaking tragic though regardless, Platinum's one of the very, very few legit dev studios out there that can still create games which contain that same magic you experienced as a kid back when you just started getting into gaming. And Scalebound looked and sounded like it could possibly be one of those too.

*sigh* I hope Nier Automata ends up being great and bringing in some dough and recognition for them at least, this studio is packed to the brim with talent and has made some genre defining yet so underappreciated games, they deserve some awesome stuff happening to them for a change!

 

[Lunar Templar]

I like the part how they canceled the NEW ip in favor of squeals.

oh well, maybe some one with a brain will pick it up

 

[TheScorpion]

Well there went one of the very very few games that I wanted to play on Xbox One. Seriously, Aside from Killer Instinct and Sunset Overdrive(Recore and Sea Of Thieves are in The Maybe Pile), There's no exclusives on that console that I want and Microsoft doesn't seem to be doing shit about it.

Really, I'm just hoping that I'll be able to get Sunset Overdrive(along with the other games in the maybe pile that I mentioned) on PC someday because now that this is cancelled, there's nothing that I want on that console. I will say that things aren't really looking too good for Platinum Games it seems between Star Fox Zero and TMNT Mutants In Manhattan. I do hope they bounce back though even if I'm a little unsure if that Nier sequel will do the trick.

A console based Monster Hunter like game would probably find a sizable audience, since actual Monster Hunter is now a 3DS series.

Well the PS4's got God Eater 2 so there's that even if it's just a dolled up port of a PSP/Vita game.

 

[Imre Csete]

I was curious if this will be a Windows Store exclusive on PC or not, because I'd like to see more Monster Hunter-esque games on PC, guess that settles it.

 

[Worgen]

Damn, that sucks. Not like I was gonna get a xbone to play it but I was hoping it would come to steam.

 

[Vigormortis]

This just made my night.

The X-bot tears will be so salty and sweet...

 

[bladestorm91]

Good. I mean just look at the "gameplay" trailers for this game, it was "bound" to become shit.
Platinum's talent is better used elsewhere.

 

[Darth Rosenberg]

And nothing of value was lost. At least not to me who's always admired Platinum but never really gotten into playing their games.

Xbox is really a shit platform with only Halo, Gears and Forza.

Or it's [now] a fine machine that just lets you play a lot of new videogames, keeps a decent (and growing) chunk of your old 360 library alive, and has one of the best controllers ever crafted (the Elite, which for me is easily the best pad I've ever used)? Oh, and I don't own any Halo, Gears, or Forza entries this gen, so apparently I've been playing nothing since I got the XB1...

As for "exclusives are shit as it is compared to Sony"; you do at least understand/concede that's just subjective, right? That other people might not have the same opinions of those IP's as you? XB1's line-up of exclusives isn't that comprehensive at all, clearly, but if the only other viable console has no exclusives that interest someone, then none of that matters.

 

[Saelune]

Poor Platinum. First Bayonetta 2 being tied to the WiiU, now this, coupled with a series of tie-in games.

Nintendo let them make a game that would not have been made otherwise.

 

[Hawki]

Poor Platinum. First Bayonetta 2 being tied to the WiiU, now this, coupled with a series of tie-in games.

Nintendo let them make a game that would not have been made otherwise.

I'm not debating that, but my point is that I'm guessing that if Platinum could have made Bayonetta 2 multi-platform, they would have, rather than having to rely on Nintendo to publish it in exchange for exclusivity.

 

[Igor-Rowan]

Snip

I know the story already, you can thank Sega for that.

 

[EbonBehelit]

The gameplay demos looked pretty good, but I also distinctly remember seeing massive performance issues with the E3 build. Perhaps Platinum just couldn't get a stable 60fps out of the hardware?

Then again, maybe Microsoft suddenly remembered that Platinum's games don't typically sell very well and pulled the plug.