It's no secret Xbox has struggled to compete with the other big dogs in the gaming world. Back in the day, the console market was dominated by them, with countless exceptional games coming out of the original device all the way to the Xbox One. But since then, momentum has slowed significantly, and despite some pretty big acquisitions like Bethesda and the success of Game Pass, it feels like Microsoft's place in gaming may be entering its final days.
But the flame is still very much on, and there's a good chance that if they decide to revive one or more of their big IPs, the tables could turn back in their favor after all these years. Taking a trip through the history books, it is clear that Xbox has an impressive list of franchisees and developers under its wings, many of whom have previously stood at the top of the industry with their respective releases. So if they're going to push back and carve out a significant place in the market, then they're going to have to bring out the big guns and show everyone exactly why they used to be considered the kings of the game.
Rearrange the cases in the correct US release order.
Start
Rearrange the cases in the correct US release order.
Light (5)Medium (7)Hard (10)
Banjo-Kazooie
The perfect console mascot
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Neglected franchise that would fit in well with the rest of the console's exclusives
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Modern platform games are still incredibly popular on all devices
Banjo-Kazooie represents one of the most obvious dormant Xbox properties, and a duo that many gamers would line up alongside big names like Mario and Sonic. While Nintendo has continued to capitalize on mascot-driven platformers with a strong identity and broad appeal, Xbox has largely abandoned the genre entirely outside of smaller projects, and considering how successful recent releases like Astro Bot and Donkey Kong Banana has been, it makes perfect sense to try to take a piece of the pie.
A modern Banjo revival could fill several gaps at once by diversifying the Xbox portfolio, reviving Rare's most iconic series, and providing a family-friendly exclusive with genuine nostalgia value. More importantly, it would give the platform a recognizable identity outside of shooters and Western RPGs, ushering in a new wave of gamers, both old and young, who could all get in on the fun. I, for one, miss the bombastic adventures of the unlikely duo and really think, given how powerful icons are in driving console sales, that Xbox should definitely reconsider using some old ones in the future.
Halo
Where it all began
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Complete reinvention to bring back the glory days
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A strong campaign would be a must
Halo is still Xbox's defining brand, but the series has struggled to maintain the cultural dominance it once had, fueled in part by some underwhelming releases in recent years. Incremental changes and live-service experiments haven't restored the sense of industry leadership associated with the original Bungie era, and while the genre has certainly progressed, it's abundantly clear from the chart-topping success of games that Call of Duty and Battlefield that people still want classic FPS games.
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A bold reinvention could change that, whether through a darker military focus, a semi-open campaign structure, or a complete tonal reset, but whatever the case, Halo need a project that feels ambitious rather than reactive. I'm hopeful that after a few remakes, Xbox can finally see how important the IP is to their brand identity, and go in a new direction guided by what the players want, not what trends demand.
Viva Piñata
Cozy players are here to stay
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Life sims are incredibly popular today
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Could compete with much more mainstream releases
Viva Piñata came long before cozy and sandbox-driven games became dominant mainstream genres, but now it feels like the IP could thrive much more than in the past. There's a lot to love, from the ecosystem mechanics to the creature management systems, and the colorful presentation opened the doors for many more players to get involved and addicted in no time.
Looking at other titles in the genre, it's hard to argue against the success that exclusives enjoy Animal Crossing and multi-platform hits like Stardew Valley has had, and I'd even go so far as to argue that many more switches have been sold purely by one of these two games. Gamers want more than explosions and killing, which means that in order to broaden its reach, I think Xbox should really 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 interest in IP from players
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Open world RPGs remain king
The world was shocked when it was announced that Bethesda would be acquired by Xbox, as several genre titans from the past few decades were suddenly moved to a brand new home. The Elder rolls 6 has apparently already been announced, and there is no clear idea of when it will launch, but given how popular it Fall-out show where, and the reawakening of interest around 76it's probably time we stepped back into the wasteland.
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The fourth installment received a rather mixed reception, mostly leaning towards the positive, but I always found it strange that we never got a fifth or a sequel New Vegas. There have been several incredible fan projects that have shown how incredible the world can be in a completely different setting, so I hope to see the apocalypse go global, along with adding some new pieces of lore, to move the franchise into new ground, and maybe even usher in a new golden era of Bethesda.
Shadow run
Plenty of room for more turn-based RPGs
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Effective mix of sci-fi and tactical gameplay
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Xbox lacks a major exclusive sim-style RPG
Shadow run has huge untapped potential in the modern turn-based RPG landscape, a space that is now becoming one of the largest in the entire industry. Only in the last few years have we had Baldur's Gate 3 and Clair Obscurand although they differ in many ways from the more tactical game Shadow runthey are indicators of a strategic hunger that Xbox is failing to meet.
The few titles in the franchise that I've played remain on my RPG podium to this day, and I think many other gamers would agree that a more cinematic, larger-scale revival 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 blend of player choice, systemic gameplay and noir storytelling, an area where Xbox currently has very little competition internally and plenty of room to make a big splash.
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