Xbox Game Studios is reportedly working on a game that could take a decade to develop, according to a recent court document. The game is part of a franchise that has not been revealed yet, but it could be one of the biggest releases for Xbox in the future.
The court document was part of an ongoing lawsuit filed by a group of gamers who are opposed to Microsoft's planned acquisition of Activision Blizzard. The gamers have access to some internal Microsoft documents, which have been redacted from public view. However, one snippet caught the attention of many gaming enthusiasts.
The document states: “according to one Microsoft executive, a forthcoming title from the [REDACTED] franchise may take a decade to develop.”
Most intriguing redactions from last week's amended complaint in the gamer lawsuit agains the Microsoft-Activision deal:
– A Microsoft franchise sequel on a possible 10-year dev cycle
– A presumably detailed explanation of something bad from May 2022 (Redfall/Starfield delay?) pic.twitter.com/OJETHAy8MM— Stephen Totilo (@stephentotilo) April 20, 2023
This raises many questions about what this game could be and why it would take so long to make. Some have speculated that it could be related to one of Microsoft's existing franchises, such as Halo, Gears of War, Fable, or Forza. Others have suggested that it could be one of the franchises that Microsoft acquired from Bethesda, such as Elder Scrolls, Fallout, Doom, or Wolfenstein.
Long Term Development Amid Changing Landscape
However, it is also possible that this game is something completely new and original, or a reboot of an older franchise.
It is not really unheard of for a game to take so long to develop. In fact, from concept to release many titles take years to create. A decade is on the long side, but it is not unprecedented. Grand Theft Auto VI is still not available (and probably won't be until 2025) despite GTA V launching in 2013. Dead Island 2, which is launching this week has been in development since 2014.
However, it seems like the gaming market could go through one of the biggest changes it ever has over the next 10 years. AI, mixed reality/virtual reality, and the metaverse are all likely to impact gaming over the next decade. Microsoft Game Studios will need to juggle those emerging technologies, integrate them, and still continue ongoing development of its game.
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