Phil Spencer is finally launching brand new franchises for Microsoft, with games such as Quantum break and Scalebound, in addition to Re:Core and Sea of Thieves, all launching under his watch. However, given that the big two – Scalebound and Quantum Break – are being developed by Platinum and Remedy, neither of whom have ever had a true mainstream hit, is he not concerned about the failure of these new IPs?
Speaking in an interview to Gamespot, Spencer said that sometimes, failure with new franchises is necessary.
“The thing with new franchises is that they’re difficult. This is going to sound funny, but you want to fail, because when you fail, it means you’re pushing the boundaries of what’s expected. So, you kind of need to know what the boundaries are of what’s possible.”
“When you’re starting new games, in terms of new ideas and mechanics, your fail-rate is much higher. That’s why the ratio of new IP [versus old] is not going to be much higher. But I’m so proud we opened the show with Quantum Break and Scalebound, and I know it’s not a new IP, but I’m so glad we closed the show with Halo Wars 2,” Spencer said.
I’m not exactly sure I understand what he is trying to say here, but hey, I mean, he is giving me new experiences, so that’s all that matters… no matter how bizarre his justification may seem.
