Though Microsoft remains committed to its tentpole franchises such as Halo, Gears of War, and Forza, the company is looking beyond those games to brand new franchises for Xbox One. Xbox boss Phil Spencer said in a new interview that Microsoft does in fact have unannounced new IP in the works, going as far to say these games will "push the boundaries."
"Yes, there are first-party internal and external studios working on games that are not announced," Spencer told IGN. "I think that will always be true, just to be clear."
"I don't need another military space marine game" -- Phil Spencer
Don't expect these new games to fit into traditional "space marine shooter" or "racing" genres, however. Spencer said it's important that Microsoft writes new stories and builds games that extend beyond popular conventions.
"I think new stories, new characters give us a new canvas to try new things," he said. "[Sunset Overdrive is] a great example of that. It's a game that isn't like anything else in our portfolio, and I think that's great. I want to continue to invest in things that push the boundaries. I don't need another military space marine game. I don't probably need another racing game. In terms of trying things that are new and have a unique reason to be in our portfolio, it's gotta be a commitment from us as a first-party, absolutely."
Also in the interview, Spencer was asked what its British internal studio, Rare, is working on. He teased that he'd love to see them doing "something new that feels like a Rare game," going on to say that he's flying to the studio's office next month to see a pitch for the new game.
"I don't want Rare to become the Kinect Sports team," Spencer said, reiterating a point he's made previously. He added that while no new Kinect Sports titles are in the works now, the brand is important to Xbox and another team could work on a Kinect Sports title.
What are you hoping to see from Microsoft's new IP for Xbox One and Rare's upcoming game? Let us know in the comments below.