With so many studios under one umbrella, Microsoft has one of the biggest back catalogs of game franchises in the industry, if not the biggest. And yet, certain titles stand out among the countless many. In an interview with IGN Japan, Xbox boss Phil Spencer talked about some of the most-requested revivals, among a variety of other topics.
Spencer noted in the interview that the most highly requested titles from the Microsoft back-catalog are Japanese RPGs Blue Dragon and Lost Odyssey, and Western titles Crimson Skies and MechAssault.
Both Blue Dragon and Lost Odyssey are RPGs originally developed by Mistwalker, the studio started by Final Fantasy creator Hironobu Sakaguchi, formerly of Square Enix. Blue Dragon was Mistwalker’s very first project, and featured character designs by Akira Toriyama (Dragon Ball, Dragon Quest. Lost Odyssey, meanwhile, featured character designs by Takehiko Inoue (Slam Dunk, Vagabond). Inoue isn’t as well known in the West as Toriyama, but both are equally big names in Japan, making these both standout series for Japanese fans.
Crimson Skies and MechAssault, meanwhile, both originated in the early days of the original Xbox, when Microsoft partnered with FASA, the then-publisher of BattleTech, Shadowrun, and others. Crimson Skies was an action-flight game set in an alternate history version of 1930s America, in which flight is a primary method of transportation and combat. MechAssault is an action-shooter featuring the mechs from BattleTech, and was one of the very first games with Xbox Live functionality.
As to whether we could see these titles come back, the JRPGs are far more feasible, as Mistwalker is still an active studio and owns both franchises. Regarding the Western titles, Windows Central notes that Microsoft added Crimson Skies to its backwards-compatibility program some years ago, but did not add MechAssault. So while both games seem tied up in rights issues–Topps now owns the rights to FASA’s properties–Crimson Skies is the greater possibility.
In addition to discussing these most-requested franchises, Spencer also talked about the choice to set Forza Horizon 6 in Japan, the most requested setting in the series’ 13-year history, which he attributed to the nation’s “fantastic” topography. He also spoke briefly about the partnerships Xbox has with Japanese studios for games like Ninja Gaiden 4 and Beast of Reincarnation, but said that he’d let those teams speak about their projects.
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