The Xbox boss would tackle the IP that was once a groundbreaking Xbox Live title on the original Xbox.

Phil Spencer was out at the Tokyo Game Show, and we quoted him yesterday (they may have to raise the price of Xbox Game Pass subscriptions again, even though the Redmond-based company has already done so recently); he was asked a pertinent question in another interview. Which franchise has Microsoft given up on, and would he resurrect? In the video, he answered: “I always wanted us to go back and revisit MechAssault MechWarrior space; I think there’s a lot we can do. There’s so much about that whole franchise that, in some way, was ahead of its time, and it would be nice to get to go back and revisit it. We don’t have a plan today, so it’s not a leak of anything…”

He later posted on Twitter, reflecting on the leaked documents involved in the FTC vs. Microsoft case to the internet: “Speaking of leaks, we’ve seen the conversation around old emails and documents. It is hard to see our team’s work shared this way because so much has changed, and there’s so much to be excited about now and in the future. We will share the real plans when we are ready,” he tweeted.

MechAssault was released in 2002 for the first Xbox, so it’s an early game. It was one of the first titles to support Xbox Live online multiplayer. At the time, console multiplayer was still in its infancy, and Sony didn’t even have a system like the PlayStation Network. Day 1 Studios developed the game. The team later changed its name (Wargaming Chicago-Baltimore) and has since been working on the World of Tanks franchise.

So they have some ideas, but the question is what Microsoft can do with the MechAssault IP since the two MechAssaults are set in the BattleTech universe (the sequel, MechAssault 2: Lone Wolf, was released on December 28, 2004, a rather unusual date), but they still own the game publishing rights…

Source: VGC

(FYI) In an Interview at #XboxTGS, Phil Spencer was asked what IP he would like to see revived

“I always wanted us to go back and revisit MechAssault MechWarrior space, I think there’s a lot we can do. There’s so much about that whole franchise that in some way was ahead of its… pic.twitter.com/qTVWIR0ogM

— Idle Sloth💙💛 (@IdleSloth84_) September 23, 2023