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Liam Robertson "Is Nintendo Reviving Scalebound or Project HAMMER?" (Also: Decision to Cancel Scalebound was Mutual Between PlatinumGames and MS)

Dancrane212

Dancrane212

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Oct 25, 2017
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Feel free to report for lock if this doesn't need its own thread.



Liam Robertson was one of the folk who called out the cancellation of Scalebound (maybe even was the first - I don't specifically recall) before it happened and also had a video about why the game was cancelled. He then later implied he had more information about the troubled development of the game but it wasn't something he could reveal without causing problems for Platinum.



The new video today gave Robertson's opinion on the current talk of a "Nintendo revival" with respect to Scalebound and Project HAMMER and can be bulleted down to this...
  • Neither game is likely to come back.
  • Project HAMMER was a mess of a project that caused so much damage there's no reason to dig it up.
  • There are things about Scalebound Robertson has to be careful talking about due to possible legal issues. *Clarified here
  • Platinum has unannounced projects and pitches but Robertson's has heard nothing that has indicated Scalebound.
  • The decision to cancel Scalebound was a mutual one between PlatinumGames and Microsoft.
  • One of the biggest reasons it was cancelled was the tech could not run the vision for the game. Bringing it back on even weaker hardware seems a strange decision.
  • Scalebound was a very personal project for the team. Picking it up when many folk who worked on it have left (and apparently more are planning on leaving) seems against PG's studio culture.
  • Rumor that Platinum has shelved a major project recently because they couldn't staff it. They don't have the manpower for another big game right now.
  • No reason for Microsoft to sell Scalebound as it would do damage to Microsoft. Showing that they were incapable of making the project happen but NIntendo could.
  • Robertson heard Nintendo and Microsoft are working on big things together.
  • Doesn't think PlatinumGames has the money to buy Scalebound.
 
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Deleted member 2791

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I agree with his reasoning. PG is a 200-people studio, and are already in full production for three major games. Adding a fourth one to the mix would just not be possible.
 
Kingpin Rogers

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This is good news personally so I hope he's correct. I just don't have much interest in seeing Scalebound come back, there are many more canceled titles that look a hell of a lot more interesting than it imo.
 
-shadow-

-shadow-

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Whatever it is, I'm very curious about what will happen regarding the rumour.
 
Hailinel

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Deleted member 17627

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I really hope Astral Chains ends up being great. From Scalebound, to the poorly received Activision licensed games, to Star Fox Zero's mediocrity, to the weirdness surrounding Granblue + silence on their progress with Lost Order, to World of Demons just no longer appearing on DeNA's website anymore, they could really use a win given the only great thing to happen to them in the past four years is Nier Automata.

Speaking of Nier Automata, what the heck happened Babylon's Fall? E3 trailer last year said it was due out in 2019 and we have yet to see anything for it.

LordKano said:
I agree with his reasoning. PG is a 200-people studio, and are already in full production for three major games. Adding a fourth one to the mix would just not be possible.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

Didn't some people say that in addition to Bayonetta, they had two other games being developed on the Switch? One of them being Astral Chains. Apologies in advance if I'm getting things mixed up.
 
Jawmuncher

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Definitely seems the most likely case. The very light rumor on Scalebound coming back to switch just didn't have enough backing to it and required a lot of different things to perfectly line up.
 
UltraMagnus

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  • Robertson heard Nintendo and Microsoft are working on big things together.

Uh ... lol, pretty sure that would be far bigger news than anything to do with Scalebound or Project Hammer or whatever.
 

Deleted member 8593

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RM8 said:
Xbox big.
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OG Xbox?
ohhh.png
 
Servbot24

Servbot24

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Why does it have to be a game that looked bad? Revive something cool or make something new.
 
litebrite

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Hailinel said:
No, they worked on Granblue up until their contracted work with Cygames was completed. Cygames is finishing the game internally now.
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Cygames didn't renew their contract, made a press release about Platinum Games contract being done for some reason, and both companies scrubbed Platinum Games logo off the game. Big difference.
 
Donsonite

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He also mentions more people at Platinum are planning on leaving in the future.

...I wonder what's going on over there. That + the big project being shelved have me concerned, but at least Astral Chain looks great, and hopefully Bayo 3 lives up to the first two.
 
Comic Obsessed

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Also, I think it was pretty obvious that there was no chance in hell for Project H.A.M.M.E.R. to come back.

... That being said, Platinum being in the same video can't help but make me wonder what a similar premise with them handling it could be. I would love a full action-packed game featuring a cyborg as the protagonist (Yes, I know Metal Gear Rising but I always pictured the protagonist of H.A.M.M.E.R. being a heavier fighter with a personality similar as Hellboy).
 

Deleted member 1413

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Mentioned that I struggled to see how it was possible or reasonable even with several insiders backing it in some way.

MS selling the work done and the IP, allowing it to be exclusive to a competitor, reworking the game for the switch and to be good, etc.

If PG believed in the idea, the best course of action would be to pitch a spiritual successor, ditching what didn't work.

There was also the issue with PG being overworked. They had, until very recently, around 5 games in development.
Astral chain, Bayonetta 3, babylon's Fall, granblue, lost order, etc. Those are 4 big console games late in development.
There's also rumors of another project and their own new IP.
Adding a massive new project in the mix was hard to see
 
TheSpaceBetween

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I dont like the sound of shelved another project. Kamiya's? Wouldnt be surprised if Kamiya is now taking over Directorial reigns on Bayonetta 3 now that Hashimoto is gone. And even then they still have Babylons fall and Astral Chain... Thats quite a lot of big projects for a studio with barely 200 employees.
 
justiceiro

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See, guys? Told you it's agent.

And Nintendo and Microsoft together? No thanks, i'm not found of oligopolies.
 

Deleted member 1413

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Mentioned that I struggled to see how it was possible or reasonable even with several insiders backing it in some way.

MS selling the work done and the IP, allowing it to be exclusive to a competitor, reworking the game for the switch and to be good, etc.

If PG believed in the idea, the best course of action would be to pitch a spiritual successor, ditching what didn't work.

There was also the issue with PG being overworked. They had, until very recently, around 5 games in development.
Astral chain, Bayonetta 3, babylon's Fall, granblue, lost order, etc. Those are 4 big console games late in development.
There's also rumors of another project and their own new IP.
Adding a massive new project in the mix was hard to seem
 
number8888

number8888

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Always thought that the Scalebound coming to Switch rumors bonkers and makes no sense. Bayo3 and Astral Chain are already plenty to come them busy on the Switch.
 
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