14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft, the new owner of the Gears of War franchise rights, confirms that the next installment in the series that's set to debut on the Xbox One at some point in time is going back to the slightly darker roots of the series, doubling down on the core elements and what its initial experiences were all about.
Gears of War appeared for the Xbox 360 back in 2006 and sparked a revolution in the third-person shooter genre, introducing elements such as cover-based shooting, not to mention one of the best exclusive experiences for the Xbox platform.
Last year, Microsoft surprised quite a lot of people when it confirmed that it had acquired the rights to the Gears of War franchise from developer Epic Games, and that it was tasking the newly formed Black Tusk Studios with making a new title in the series for the Xbox One platform.
Gears of War for Xbox One goes back to the franchise's roots
Now, after hearing statements from the likes of Rod Fergusson, who led the production of the series at Epic Games and now is in charge of the new title at Black Tusk, Microsoft Xbox boss Phil Spencer shares his own thoughts on the new game.
First up, he tells IGN that Gears of War is about quite a few big elements, such as the "epic scale, the settings that I was in, the massive destruction moments."
What's more, he hopes that the new title is going to go back to the slightly darker roots of the franchise, such as in the first title, where "it was more what I would call soulful and maybe even a little dark."
"I think [about] the story and the setting and what they’re going through as a band. Gears of War, the name really meant something to what that game was about. We need to get back to that," Spencer explains.
The new game is the first step in a new decade-long experience
Spencer also confirms that the new Gears of War for Xbox One will spark a fresh decade-long experience for fans.
"I think we can continue, but we also have a new team. Rod’s there to really help with the continuity. We can really invest in this thing for the next decade, which is how I want to think about it."
It's going to be interesting to see just how Gears of War is shaping up, although Microsoft might not share anything concrete until at least summer of 2015, probably at E3.