From 343 Industries…
Halo 4
Back in 2008, Microsoft began work on their own hit squad of top-level talent to work on Halo-related projects. 343 Industries has since produced nothing but Halo Waypoint (a sort of hub on Xbox Live for all things Halo) and some books and anime, but their recent recruitment drive – ‘be a part of Halo history’ – has set them on course for a major release by 2012.
Above: Halo Reach is the next entry in the series. Will we see a return of Master Chief in the fourth official entry?
From Bungie…
Untitled project
Activision owns the rights to ten years’ worth of Bungie’s next big IP. Described only as an ‘action game’, the multi-format title is already in development and has to ship in the next two years if Activision is to get its money’s worth. The Activision deal covers only one IP, so don’t be surprised if a second team within Bungie works with another publisher on another project.
From Ubisoft…
Assassin’s Creed III
”I don’t think there’s going to be an Assassin’s Creed in 2011”, Brotherhood’s Associate Producer Jean-Francois Boivin said in an online interview recently. “I think we’re going to let it breathe a bit and really focus on bringing something new and exciting for the next time around.” That pushes the trilogy’s conclusion back to 2012 and makes Assassin’s Creed III Ubisoft’s biggest winter payday.
From Respawn…
Untitled project
Above: Jason West and Vince Zampella, formerly of Infinity Ward, now heading up Respawn
When Jason West and Vince Zampella got the boot from Infinity Ward, they took half the talent with them and formed a new team and partnered with EA. With a whole new engine to develop and lots more staff to recruit, Respawn is at least three years away from its first release.
From id…
Doom 4
Doom 4 is a far-off secret id doesn’t care to keep. It has a logo and a development team, and id will be discussing the game for the first time at this month’s Quakecon. With most of id’s developers tied up on Rage, a fourth Doom is years away, but the game was ‘deep in development’ back in 2009 and is neither a sequel to Doom 3 nor a reboot.
From Codemasters…
Operation Flashpoint 3
Above: Concept art from the just announcedOperation Flashpoint: Red River
Terminally flawed but still a favorite among many, Operation Flashpoint 2 was abandoned by Codemasters just months after release, and the extensive DLC plan was dropped in favor of “planning the future of modern combat.” Like GRID’s sequel, also expected in 2012, Op Flash 3 will be based on the next evolution of Codemasters’ Ego engine, but it’ll have to do more than look pretty to win back the dismayed Op Flash fans.
From Ubisoft…
Beyond Good and Evil 2
Ubisoft is paying Beyond Good and Evil just enough attention and respect to keep creator Michel Ancel happy. Ancel is working on the game in France and recently told the Montpellier Games Conference that he’s keeping the team small and extending development “to preserve creativity, so the game doesn’t become a commercial product; so that it has soul.”
Aug 26, 2010
