The cancellation of Scalebound remains a sore spot in PlatinumGames’ history. Announced back in 2014 as an Xbox exclusive, it was to be an action RPG where players would team up with a dragon companion. PlatinumGames’ reputation for tightly designed and over-the-top action meant there was a lot of excitement behind this one, but development troubles ultimately led to Microsoft cancelling the project in 2017.
That was presumably it, but Scalebound director Hideki Kamiya has always wanted to revisit the game, and he sounds more eager than ever to give it another shot. In a recent interview with IGN Japan (and translated by VGC), Kamiya and PlatinumGames president Atsushi Inaba were asked about potentially revisiting Scalebound.
Inaba said that they would like to have a proper discussion with Microsoft about the possibility of reviving Scalebound, to which Kamiya added that so much work was done on it before it was canceled and that there’s no point leaving it as is. He even directly addresses Xbox boss Phil Spencer, saying “Phil! Let’s do it together!”
It remains to be seen if Spencer and Microsoft is as eager to take another crack at Scalebound as PlatinumGames is. In case anyone is wondering why PlatinumGames doesn't simply make Scalebound itself, especially since the company has grown over the last several years, it’s because the IP belongs to Microsoft. So, any Scalebound revival will need Microsoft’s seal of approval first.
While there are no doubt many fans who would love to see Scalebound actually release, PlatinumGames is plenty busy with other projects at the moment. Aside from next month’s Babylon’s Fall, its highest-profile title is easily the long awaited Bayonetta 3. Many feared that the lack of updates since its 2017 announcement meant that it had suffered the same fate as Scalebound, but it’s since been confirmed for a 2022 release.
There’s also arcade shooter Sol Cresta and Kamiya’s own Project G.G., a superhero game that will act as a spiritual successor to Viewtiful Joe and The Wonderful 101. On top of that, Inaba recently stated that he has some big aspirations for the company’s future games, saying that they will be quite different to previous PlatinumGames titles.
He specifically mentioned wanting to create games that players could enjoy for longer periods of time, with many taking this to mean that PlatinumGames is looking to break into the live service market. It’s already got some experience in that department with Babylon’s Fall, which will have a heavy multiplayer focus and live service elements.