Say we lived in a world where developers and publishers freely and openly traded IP like sports teams trade players. What trades would you like to see that make sense for both sides? What do you think the new publisher/developer would do with the IP? Obviously, there's a ton of room for interpretation, but it seemed like a fun thought exercise.
I'll start with one that I think makes a ton of sense. Let's get Banjo-Kazooie back to Nintendo. It's definitely a property that's value has dipped a bit in the last decade and I'm not sure Xbox has any idea what they want to do with it. Rare doesn't seem to want to re-visit it and Nintendo is the king of 3D platforming. What does Nintendo have that Xbox might want? A lot!
Let's start with Golden Sun. Xbox seems to be pumping a ton of resources into RPGs lately and Golden Sun hasn't had its day in the sun in several years. An old-school, sprite-based RPG developed by Obsidian or inXile could be a good addition to the Game Pass catalog, but it doesn't really feel like a fair trade for Microsoft. Nintendo would also have to throw-in Kid Icarus. The series does have a ton of history, but I think it's unlikely Nintendo goes back to it for a while and Microsoft could do something really special with it. What if Ninja Theory rebooted the series? Or the new RPG team at Playground Games?
Nintendo could do a ton with Banjo. He could become a mainstay in Nintendo party games and get his own 3D platforming adventure. Could they introduce him to the Mushroom Kingdom? Could he join Mario and Sonic at the Winter Olympics? I know many will say that he's redundant with Mario, but it worked in the 64 era and I think it would work again.
I'll start with one that I think makes a ton of sense. Let's get Banjo-Kazooie back to Nintendo. It's definitely a property that's value has dipped a bit in the last decade and I'm not sure Xbox has any idea what they want to do with it. Rare doesn't seem to want to re-visit it and Nintendo is the king of 3D platforming. What does Nintendo have that Xbox might want? A lot!
Let's start with Golden Sun. Xbox seems to be pumping a ton of resources into RPGs lately and Golden Sun hasn't had its day in the sun in several years. An old-school, sprite-based RPG developed by Obsidian or inXile could be a good addition to the Game Pass catalog, but it doesn't really feel like a fair trade for Microsoft. Nintendo would also have to throw-in Kid Icarus. The series does have a ton of history, but I think it's unlikely Nintendo goes back to it for a while and Microsoft could do something really special with it. What if Ninja Theory rebooted the series? Or the new RPG team at Playground Games?
Nintendo could do a ton with Banjo. He could become a mainstay in Nintendo party games and get his own 3D platforming adventure. Could they introduce him to the Mushroom Kingdom? Could he join Mario and Sonic at the Winter Olympics? I know many will say that he's redundant with Mario, but it worked in the 64 era and I think it would work again.
