Developer Double Fine Productions since this past June left many fans unsure of what the future lies ahead for the studio following the acquisition of the studio by Microsoft. Although the developer is now ranked as a first-party developer under the Xbox Games Studios network; that does not mean the currently in development projects like Rad and Psychonauts 2 will only be exclusive to the Xbox platform.
That also applies to future titles that is in our vision for the next generation and onward. According to a recent interview between Xbox Games Studios Head Matt Booty and Game Informer, more upcoming titles from the newly-acquired studio is expected to develop more titles outside of Microsoft’s brand.
Yeah, I think we would. I think that the question is less binary about ‘Should it be on Switch? Should it be on PlayStation?’ And more ‘Does it make sense for the franchise?’ In other words, is it a kind of game where it would benefit from the network effect of being on a bunch of different platforms? Or is it a game where we can best support it by putting resources [into it] and making sure that our platforms, things like xCloud, Game Pass, and Xbox Live are really leaning in to support the game.
Further on in the interview, Booty then rings in the discussion around Microsoft’s involvement regarding Minecraft since the IPs acquisition back in 2014. Referencing that the a similar treatment will be seen with Double Fine as what was done with Mojang’s monumental title.
When questioned about Obsidian Entertainment’s The Outer Worlds and the possibility of seeing the universe turning into an Xbox platform exclusive series, Booty responds to expecting the titles following to turn into a unique franchise for the brand. “From what we’ve seen of The Outer Worlds, my hope is that it’s something that we can build. That it really becomes an enduring franchise that really starts to grow and that we can help expand.”
Just last month, Double Fine revealed that Psychonauts 2 will be pushing the game’s release date into 2020 next year: the title will be available for Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC.
Source: Game Informer
