This is no secret Xbox trying to compete with the other big dogs in the gaming world. At the time, they dominated the console market, with countless exceptional games coming from the original device to the Xbox One. But the pace has slowed significantly since then, and despite some pretty big acquisitions like Bethesda and the success of Game Pass, it looks like Microsoft's place in gaming may be entering its final days.
The flame is still very much on though, and there's a good chance that if they decide to revive one or more of their core IPs, then after all these years the tables could turn in their favor. Taking a trip through the history books, it's clear that Xbox has an impressive list of franchises and developers under its wing, many of which have previously stood at the forefront of the industry with their respective releases. So if they are going to push back and carve out a significant place in the market, then they will have to bring out the big guns and show everyone exactly why they were once considered the kings of gaming.
Arrange the covers in the correct US release order.
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Arrange the covers in the correct US release order.
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Banjo-Kazooie
The perfect console mascot
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A neglected franchise that would fit in well with the rest of the console exclusives
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Modern platformers remain incredibly popular across all devices
Banjo-Kazooie represents one of the Xbox's most visible dormant properties, and a duo that many gamers would place alongside big names like Mario and Sonic. While Nintendo has continued to benefit from mascot-driven platformers with a strong identity and broad appeal, Xbox has largely abandoned the genre entirely outside of smaller projects and given how successful recent releases have been. Astro Bot and Donkey Kong Banana it makes sense to try and take a piece of the pie.
A modern Banjo revival could fill several gaps simultaneously by diversifying Xbox's portfolio, reviving Rare's most iconic series, and providing a family exclusive with real nostalgic value. More importantly, it would give the platform a recognizable identity outside of shooters and Western RPGs, and usher in a new wave of gamers, old and young, who could all enjoy themselves. I for one miss the bombastic adventures of the unlikely duo, and I honestly think that given how powerful icons are for driving console sales, Xbox should definitely reconsider using some old games.
Halo
Where it all started
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A complete reinvention that brings back the glory days
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A strong campaign would be a must
Halo is still a defining Xbox brand, but the series has struggled to maintain the cultural dominance it once had, due in part to some underwhelming releases in recent years. The incremental changes and experimentation with live services haven't restored the sense of industry leadership associated with Bungie's original era, and while the genre has certainly moved forward, it's very evident in the success of games like Call of Duty and Battlefield that people still want classic style FPS games.
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A bold overhaul could change that, whether through a darker military focus, a semi-open campaign structure, or a complete tonal reset, but either way, Halo it needs a project that is ambitious rather than reactive. I'm hoping that after a few overhauls, Xbox can finally see how important IP is to their brand identity and move in a new direction that follows what gamers want, not what trends demand.
Viva Piñata
Cozy gamers are here to stay
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Life sims are incredibly popular these days
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It could compete with much more mainstream releases
Viva Piñata they arrived long before cozy and sandbox games became dominant mainstream genres, but now it seems like the IP could thrive a lot more than it did back then. There's a lot to love, from the ecosystem mechanics to the creature management systems, and the colorful presentation opened the door for many more players to engage and become instantly addicted.
Looking at other titles in the genre, it's hard to argue against the success that exclusives enjoy Animal Crossing and cross-platform hits like Stardew Valley they had, and I'd even go so far as to argue that a lot more Switches were sold purely by one of those two games. Gamers want more than just explosions and kills, which means that in order to expand their reach, I think Xbox should definitely expand its priorities to more than one type of gamer.
Fallout 6
The Elder Scrolls can wait a little longer
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Clear player interest in IP
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Open world RPGs remain king
The world was shocked when it was announced that Bethesda was acquiring Xbox, as all of a sudden several genre titans from the past few decades were moving to a brand new home. The The Elder Scrolls 6 apparently it's already been announced and it's unclear when it will launch, but given how popular it is Fallout the show was, and the revival of interest in the neighborhood 76it's probably time for us to go back to the wasteland.
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The fourth installment of the main series had a pretty mixed reception, trending mostly towards the positive, but I've always found it odd that we never got a fifth installment or a sequel. New Vegas. There have been some incredible fan projects that have shown how incredible the world can be in a completely different setting, so I'm hoping to see the apocalypse spread across the globe, along with adding some new pieces of lore, pushing the franchise to new ground and maybe even ushering in a new golden era for Bethesda.
Shadowrun
Plenty of room for more turn-based RPGs
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An effective combination of science fiction and tactical games
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The Xbox lacks a major exclusive sim-style RPG
Shadowrun has huge untapped potential in the modern turn-based RPG landscape, a space that is now becoming one of the largest in the industry. Only in the last few years have we had Baldur's Gate 3 and Clair Obscuroeven though it differs in many ways from more tactical games Shadowrunare indicators of a strategic hunger that Xbox is failing to satisfy.
The few titles in the franchise that I've played remain on my RPG stage to this day, and I think many other gamers would agree that a more cinematic revival on a larger scale would be exactly what Xbox needs to get its foot in the door. With the right developer at the helm, the franchise could evolve into a deep, immersive RPG blending single player, system gameplay and noir storytelling, an area where Xbox currently has very little competition internally and all the room to make a real splash.
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