Could The Canceled Scalebound Be Brought Back To Life?

It's hard to believe it, but it's been over three years since Microsoft canceled Scalebound. The loss of the dragon-fueled action title from PlatinumGames was a gut punch at the time, as the Xbox One was severely lacking in exclusives. A host of studio acquisitions later, Microsoft appears better positioned to address that particular need.

But what about Scalebound? PlatinumGames is poised to begin self-publishing this year, starting with a remaster of The Wonderful 101. Could Scalebound eventually make a comeback without Microsoft's help? According to PlatinumGames' Atsushi Inaba, that's up to Microsoft.

"Again, it's a good question!" Inaba told Wccftech in an interview. "But this was an intellectual property that belongs 100% to Microsoft."

That's not to say the studio wouldn't be interested if given the chance, however.

"Whatever happens with this project, we can't really do anything with it unless Microsoft leaves us," Inaba added. "But it's a game that we fall in love with and love. If the opportunity arises, it's something we would love to return to."

It's safe to say that, at this stage, Microsoft has probably considered a few options for Scalebound. For instance, the company could just sit on the IP until any copyrights on it expire. Or it could also seek out a new developer for the title, and who knows — maybe that's happened already.

Microsoft could also sell Scalebound, and if you think that sounds crazy, it's actually not. The company actually did this with with Alan Wake, selling the publishing rights to Remedy, the developer who worked on the franchise. If Microsoft believes it can't wring anything from the Scalebound IP, selling it off could at least ensure the company gets something back from its investment.

If Microsoft sold the property to PlatinumGames, the studio could get right back to work and hopefully finish what so many people were anxiously awaiting years ago.

That last scenario is probably the least likely; odds are, we'll never see Scalebound again. But a second life for this PlatinumGames title isn't an impossibility — Microsoft just has to play ball, and more importantly, a deal has to be struck. We're not counting on it, but it's at least something to keep an eye on.

We'll let you know if we hear anything more.