While cancellations are far from a rarity in the world of video games, PlatinumGames’Scaleboundleft a particularly bitter sting whenit was canceled back in early 2017. The studio’s high-octane dragon-riding RPG had gained a lot of traction with Xbox One owners through a number of impressive showings at E3, yet, Microsoft decided against allowing Platinum to finish the game due to a number of unforeseen issues. It seems PlatinumGames isn’t quite done with the former Xbox One exclusive, however.
Speaking to Eurogamer, Atsushi Inaba, the former producer ofScalebound, admitted that he’d love to pick the project back up and finish it. “It’s a game that we [fell] in love with and love. If the opportunity arises, it’s something we would love to return to”, he stated, confirming that he and the studio are still big fans of the idea and the world ofScalebound.
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It appears there’s a big catch, however, with Inaba admitting that returning to the project is seemingly impossible due to one major issue. Speaking on the likelihood of Platinum finally developing the game, he claims “this [is] an intellectual property that belongs 100% to Microsoft”, continuing by clarifying that “whatever happens with this project, we can’t really do anything with it unless Microsoft leaves us.” It appears that whilePlatinumGameswould love to return toScalebound,Microsoft’s ownership of the rights, licensing, and IP itself means it simply can’t.
It’s unfortunate as well seen asScaleboundwas shaping up to be one of the biggest games the studio had made to date. Many of the original trailers showcased spectacular showdowns with giant beasts,epic flight sequences atop dragons, and a beautiful world with tons to explore. Luckily, PlatinumGames has been doing extremely well since, with the studio releasing a number of commercially and critically successful games and generally building themselves a reputation as one of the industry’s most beloved studios.
Platinum has even recently expressed interest in self-publishing its own titles followinga generous investment from Chinese company Tencent. Perhaps with a little time and some talks with Microsoft, theScaleboundIP could be purchased and distributed by PlatinumGames itself. It would no doubt be a greatly celebrated move by the studio’s vast fanbase and one that would no doubt be a great commercial success. Regardless, it’s clear the future is very bright for Platinum Games, whether it includes a return ofScaleboundor not.
