Following Microsoft’s Gamescom 2014 showcase, Xbox president Phil Spencer had a lot to say in a recent interview with CVG. He candidly touched on points that all gamers have been concerned about. Does Kinect and high resolution games matter for Xbox’s future? What will the next game from Rare look like? If you want an official answer to those pressing issues, you’ve come to the right place!
With regards to the absence of Kinect from the Gamescom show, he says the choice to exclude comes from those demos looking silly on stage. In his own words, ” it’s too easy for people to make fun of how people look when they’re jumping around playing. And then if you show a Kinect game without somebody playing you sort of lose what the game is about.” When pressed about why the special Sunset Overdrive and Call Of Duty: Advanced Warfare system bundles have opted to not include the sensor, he said that because those aren’t Kinect games, there’s no reason to bundle it.
Speaking of Kinect, CVG also asked about Microsoft’s current situation with Rare. The studio has long partnered with Xbox to produce its Kinect Games, but with Kinect now optional, Spencer sees this as a time for experimentation. “I don’t want the Rare brand to mean Kinect Sports. The Rare brand can be more valuable to them, to us and to gamers than that. I think it’s about them thinking about the next game that’s going to be the next ‘Rare game’ and really stand for what they are.” In that regard, there’s hope that Rare could return to the traditional gameplay mechanics that brought then decades of success with Donkey Kong Country, Goldeneye, and Banjo-Kazooie.
Along with Microsoft’s disliked camera attachment, low resolution and frame rate have also been a part of Xbox One’s uphill battle. To Spencer, it’s the latter that’s most important to a solid gameplay experience. “Framerate to me is significantly more important to gameplay than resolution and the mix of those two which brings the right art style and freedom, whether it’s on PlayStation or our platform.” In that sense, the standard mantra of favoring gameplay over visuals is alive and well.
Do you like where the future of Xbox is headed? Leave your thoughts in the comments section below!
