I really like the Xbox’s current management. Unlike the previous head – who came across as little more than a suit with a face- Don Mattrick, division and studio head Phil Spencer and creative director Ken Lobb come across as being enthusiastic, engaging, and dare I say, honest. That doesn’t mean they’re quick to shy away from hyperbole. Speaking on The Inner Circle Podcast, Lobb said that Scalebound has the potential to be the “Game of All-Time.”
There’s a dearth of concrete information on the game, developed by Bayonetta creators Platinum Games. Lobb’s not exactly forthcoming on the matter either, though is willing to offer more of that delicious hyperbole.
“When people really understand what we’re building, they’re gonna be shocked,” Lobb said. “What does Platinum do well? That’s what they’re building. And what do we do well? That’s what we’re adding. And yes, these are dragon companions.”
Lobb added that the game’s name is intentional. “Scale: they build crazy, gigantic things.” It’s been suggested that Scalebound could be Microsoft’s attempt to take a stab at the monster Hunter market, though Lobb’s put paid that, saying that Capcom’s Japanese sales champion is “weird and grindy,” a statement I can only agree with. With development being handled by Platinum, I can only hope that it’ll be incredible. For a long time, I was convinced that the company could do no wrong – until they developed that Legend of Korra game, that is.
Scalebound is an Xbox One exclusive, and was announced as such at last year’s E3. According to Platinum’s Hideki Kamiya, it’ll be a little different to Platinum’s usual fare.
“The games that I’ve worked on in the past have been more on the pure action side. They really tested your skills, your quick reflexes and you’re advanced mastery. It’s safe to say that you either got that and went for it, or not. But it was really meant for those kind of players,” Kamiya said at a roundtable after E3 last year. “For this game though, for Scalebound – of course taking all the things that we have learned and our battle systems and the know-how from all the accumulated titles that we have worked on, we will take that and reflect or integrate it into this new game.
“But really the focus, the core concept of the game is we wanna show off this large, epic-scale battle taking place with these large monsters. That’s where it really all begins. It’s unlike any action-oriented game that we’ve made. On top of that the setting is more in the fantasy realm. The subject matter, the dragons – I’m hoping that will attract a wider audience, rather than just the pure action gamers.
“Bayonetta was a challenge for me while staying in the same genre. Seven years before I made Bayonetta, Devil May Cry was born. It was a challenge to me to see what I had learned in that timeframe, and put it into what I could do now.
“With Scalebound, it’s really, on a higher level, a game unlike anything I’ve ever made before and also anything that Platinum Games as a studio has made before. It is in a sense starting from point zero. To me that is really exciting and really fun, to see how this is all gonna come together.”
Platinum’s games tend to attract a niche audience, and I’m sure both Platinum and Microsoft are hoping this one will gain a little more mainstream traction. Whether or not that happens, it is nice to see Microsoft doubling down on exclusives.
Last Updated: January 13, 2015
Mandom (Umar)
January 13, 2015 at 08:38
Actually agree on the Mon Hun sentiment. Never quite got into, but I understand the appeal of the genre it spawned though, of which I’ve played quite a few in it, all of which I’ve enjoyed much more than Mon Hun. That said, if Plat can nail the Mon Hun genre and formula for consoles, it will undoubtedly be HUGE. The only co-op fun I ever have is playing a Mon Hun type game, coordinating with teammates to take down massive beasts is exhilarating and the console scene could do with a new one in the genre that seemed to have found a home predominantly on handhelds (which makes sense though) . Look forward to seeing more.
Ghost In The Rift
January 13, 2015 at 08:43
To bad its an Exclusive,would have liked it on the PC,but Dragon Age would have to do until The Witcher 3
Xcalibersa
January 13, 2015 at 08:50
Last of us – already has the title
Hammersteyn
January 13, 2015 at 08:52
I thought Destiny? 😛
Xcalibersa
January 13, 2015 at 09:37
Only if the DLC was free 🙂
Havemercy5
January 13, 2015 at 14:32
lol tlou game of all time? wow the game is 8 hours with the worst mp ever it cant stand a chance next to any halo even if it wanted to
Xcalibersa
January 13, 2015 at 14:35
Sure little boy.
Ricky Khehra
January 13, 2015 at 17:02
lol last of us game of all time nice joke kid but game of all time and two times game of the decade award is already given to “HALF LIFE 2” and nobody has said that tlou is the game of all time by any gaming site………..
Hammersteyn
January 13, 2015 at 08:52
Scalebound has the potential to be the “Game of All-Time.” We need to sell consoles people. The trailer looks intriguing though. Also it’s about damn time Platinum Games makes a sequel to Vanquish. Now that would be a system seller!
Ir0nseraph
January 13, 2015 at 08:56
What are you considering a xbox , the end of the world again and it is only so early in the year 🙂
Hammersteyn
January 13, 2015 at 08:59
Maybe much later on, they have some exclusives that needs a second look.
Ir0nseraph
January 13, 2015 at 09:00
Well it’s progress last year you didn’t even want to spit in the xbox one’s direction .
Hammersteyn
January 13, 2015 at 09:05
I could dehydrate
RinceThis
January 13, 2015 at 08:56
“Game of all Time” What, like Destiny? LOL
Hammersteyn
January 13, 2015 at 08:58
XD
Blood Emperor Trevor
January 13, 2015 at 09:04
No silly, like Titanfall.
RinceThis
January 13, 2015 at 09:08
Ah, I stand corrected. In my exo-skeleton suit…
Jason Mounce
January 13, 2015 at 17:36
Titanfall 2 will be announced as the Halo/Call of Duty killer and will feature Gundam-like robots that now fight in space with giant laser beams and vibro-blades.
Game of all time.
Pieter Kruger
January 13, 2015 at 08:54
Open world exploration with a Dragon as a companion? Keep talking…….
But seriously MS is hitting all the right spots/genres these days with their exclusives, not just focusing on FPS but also RTS, MOBA and JRPG getting some love and attention!
Raptor Rants A Lot
January 13, 2015 at 08:54
I’m quite keen to see what this turns out to be like.
CypherGate
January 13, 2015 at 09:03
I loved the monster hunter series of games, but the insane grinding held me back from going all in on it. Just one thing I need to mention… Just checked out the trailer… WHY oh WHY must the guy remind me of DMC character? Why the headphones? why when its seems to be set in some really ancient time? If they add in some form of time travelling to various eras then ill understand, but the character just looks plainly generic of this whole teen rebel kinda look. Annoys me.
HairyEwok
January 13, 2015 at 09:09
That trailer showed me absolutely nothing about the game. I hate CG trailers for that.
David Muller
January 13, 2015 at 09:18
Hmmm game of all time, where have we heard THAT before?
Sageville
January 13, 2015 at 09:46
“Game of All-time” I’m nominating this for “Over-hype of the year” award.
ToshZA
January 13, 2015 at 09:57
That award goes to The Witcher 3.
Don’t support DRM.
Jaded_Reprobate
January 13, 2015 at 09:58
cue Ryanza
ToshZA
January 13, 2015 at 09:58
Yeah, thought I’d continue his fine work this morning 😀
Ryanza
January 13, 2015 at 10:15
Fine.
There is a difference between when a game gets hyped by the gaming industry and when a game gets hyped by the gamers.
When a game gets hyped by the industry = cash grab with a shitty boring fucking game.
When a game gets hyped by the gamers, it will be a good game to a large portion of gamers.
The Witcher 3 is mainly hyped by gamers based on previous games and what has been shown so far and potential. It’s not a game for all but it will be good enough for a large portion of gamers.
Microsoft saying that a Microsoft exclusive game will be the best game of all time. Ya. Fuck off with your industry hype bullshit. Only gaming media will love your shit because you pay them to love it.
There you have your cue Ryanza comment.
Sageville
January 13, 2015 at 10:18
You just cast “Summon Ryanza”…. why dood, why!!!
Ryanza
January 13, 2015 at 10:19
I hope you meant The WItcher 3 for game of all time and not The Witcher 3 for over hyped game of the year.
Admirateur
January 14, 2015 at 15:03
let’s get real, witcher 3 has been hyped like hell during the last two years so expectations (including mine) are sky high. if they get it at least as half as good as people are hoping it will be it’s still goty 2015 easy.
Lardus-Resident Perve
January 13, 2015 at 09:47
Good management with a good sense of public relations does make a difference. Look at how the Diablo 3 hate died down after Jay Wilson left, and how much the game improved. Perhaps he is now on Overwatch(name change pending haha).
Anycase, saw the trailer last year. Seemed interesting, but only if one of them gets the ME Trilogy HD remake first, will it sway me to one console or the other.
Admiral Chief
January 13, 2015 at 10:32
The cheese is strong with that video
Tulipdame
January 13, 2015 at 12:27
If the game plays as fun as the trailer looks, this could very well be one awesome game
Ikaro
January 13, 2015 at 13:17
Monster hunter is a Masterpiece. One of the best coop games ever played.
To achieve the MH quality Scalebound have much work to do.
Admirateur
January 13, 2015 at 13:38
The trailer was pretty crappy, we have 0 gameplay but sure, I think it will be better than half life, witcher, dragon age, the elder scrolls, fallout or zelda.
Jonah Cash
January 13, 2015 at 13:43
That looks interesting… Would like to see gameplay before I make up my mind!!
TristanPR77
January 13, 2015 at 13:54
“The game of all time” lol
I bet you this game will never achieve all the awards and sales that The Last of Us did.
I could write an article and say No Man’s Sky is going to be the game of all time.
Havemercy5
January 13, 2015 at 14:34
lol a game where you fly in space doing nothing? and those awards sure kept you playing that game for longer then 3 days didnt they lol
ineedgames
January 13, 2015 at 17:50
Could you even Call the TLOU a game though? You could have done the same stuff in a movie and the Feel Audience would still eat it up.
Pretty much the reason why people like that game is because it made them cry.
DarthDiggler
January 13, 2015 at 16:36
Looks kind of like Bayonetta with less lady ass. 🙂
ineedgames
January 13, 2015 at 17:55
Ken is well respected in the industry starting From Rare with Killer Instinct to working with Microsoft on Crackdown. He even saved Fable 1 from become a Planting simulator.
But to call this game penitential to be a Best game of all time is very bold, this game would have to be very Ambitious even for a Dev of Kamiya Kaliber.
cole
January 14, 2015 at 02:06
I love how everyone apparently knows what the “game of all time” will be like but nobody ever seems to deliver. Who is the person who assumes a game is going to be the best game of all time? whoever he is needs to rethink his career cuz he sucks! lol jk for example Destiny thought it was going to be the greatest game ever and it failed. What factors are they going off that makes them think the game is going to be so high and mighty. Obviously whatever they base their info off is wrong because so many games have claimed to be the greatest and they sucked. game creators need to stop hyping shit up so damn early. We know nothing about this game but it apparently is working towards the Greatest game of all time” I call B.S. I hope im wrong but so far I ahevnt been impressed with these so called amazing new releases