by Key Points
- Xbox has a goldmine of cult classics and iconic gems, especially platformers.
- But nothing much happens with it, so fans are asking Xbox studios directly if they will ever take up the torch.
- However, Double Fine said “no” and reiterated that it preferred to do its own thing.
Xbox is sitting on a goldmine of cult classics and beloved properties, especially platformers like Banjo-Kazooie, Conker, Skylanders, and too many more to name here. But many of them are left to die. Microsoft even canceled a Crash Bandicoot and Spyro the Dragon crossover , and developer Toys for Bob later went independent after being downsized to a Call of Duty support studio.
Platformers clearly aren’t a priority for Xbox, even though Psychonauts 2 was up for Game of the Year in 2021. That hasn’t stopped fans from clamoring for these fan favorites to return, though. Many are still calling for Microsoft to tap into that forgotten catalog and bring back some old gems, but the question is WHO will develop these games. And a popular choice, given the success of Psychonauts, is Xbox-owned Double Fine.
Double Fine would rather do its own thing
Brutal Legend 2, right?
Last week, following the incredible launch of PlayStation’s Astro Bot, Double Fine shared a design it created in collaboration with Japan Studio (of which Team Asobi descended) for ‘My Alien Buddy’. It bears a striking resemblance to the villain from Astro’s Playroom and Astro Bot, but the studio wasn’t complaining – it’s happy to see “a version of our green friend still running amok.”
But one commenter sidestepped the discussion entirely and asked for a new Banjo game via GIF. Double Fine simply said “no.” So another fan asked about Conker, to which the developer again responded, “No. We want to make *our* games.”
Which games those might be is another question. Brutal Legend 2 is a popular choice, but there was already a sequel in development, which was canceled 14 years ago.
We asked Double Fine founder Tim Schafer a few years ago about the possibility of bringing the series back. He didn’t say no, but he did say it would be “tough” because a lot of fans didn’t like the RTS elements. “Do we make the game I want to make or do we make the game the fans want?”
Earlier this year, the developer revealed on its website that it was “working on some really cool projects,” but we still don’t know what they are. Maybe it’ll be a return to Grim Fandango or Day of the Tentacle, but maybe the team is hard at work on something completely new. We’ll just have to wait and see.
