For Microsoft, last year's E3 was defined by Halo: The Master Chief Collection. One of the largest game collections ever released, it featured remastered versions of the first four games in the series, along with a slew of other features.

Despite the game's issues, Halo: The Master Chief Collection has proven to be a success for Microsoft, and it most certainly was responsible for pushing more than a few Xbox One units into the homes of gamers. Now the rumor is Microsoft is hoping to win back some more of their Xbox 360 audience with a similar strategy, by bringing back another classic game.

The game in question is the original Gears of War, which was a huge success on the Xbox 360 nearly a decade ago. The game spawned a massive media franchise, including two sequels and a prequel, easily making it Microsoft's second-strongest franchise next to Halo.

Polygon is reporting sources that have offered more information on the possibility of the original Gears of War coming to Xbox One. The game will apparently feature upgraded visuals, as well as reworked cut-scenes courtesy of Plastic Wax. Plastic Wax is an award-winning animation studio known for working on numerous video games in the past, including such high profile releases as BioShock Infinite and Fallout: New Vegas.

This news comes just days after the cinematic director for the Gears of War games, Greg Mitchell, jumped ship from Epic Games to Black Tusk Studios, the new studio handling the franchise for Microsoft. It is possible that Mitchell is aiding in the process of recreating the cut-scenes for the original Gears of War, or he could also be working on the brand new Gears of War that is in development at Black Tusk.

Previously, there were rumblings about a Gears of War: The Marcus Fenix Collection in the pipeline for Xbox One, which would feature the first three games in the series. However, the head of Black Tusk Studios took to Twitter to deny these claims, also adding that the studio was working on multiple Gears of War projects, hinting at an E3 reveal.

A remastered Gears of War or a Gears of War Collection would certainly bolster Microsoft's holiday lineup, and give them a significant edge over their competition. Sony has been forced to delay Uncharted 4 to 2016, and Nintendo has similarly made the decision to delay The Legend of Zelda out of 2015 as well. This leaves Microsoft in a position to make serious waves, and there's no better way to do it than with Halo 5: Guardians and Gears of War, even if it is a remastered version of a previously released game in the series.

Speaking of Halo 5, The Master Chief Collection included access to a beta for Halo 5 to sweeten the pot. Perhaps the remastered version of Gears of War will do the same in regards to the next Gears of War title.

Whether the original Gears of War is brought to the Xbox One or not, Black Tusk Studios is currently working on a new Gears of War entry for the system, with a probable release of Fall 2016. Expect more information on the new Gears of War and any potential remaster or collection to be unveiled at this year's E3 event.

Source: Polygon