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Microsoft Throws Scalebound Down The Memory Hole

Scalebound CafeRumors kicked up recently that the Microsoft / PlatinumGames partnership behind the Xbox One exclusive title Scalebound was in trouble, and yesterday the news broke that Microsoft has indeed pulled out of the deal and canceled the game.  Plenty of Xbox One owners are disappointed at this (social media is filled with people who apparently bought the console with Scalebound in mind), but what's even more surprising is the speed at which Microsoft is erasing preview information about the game from sites such as YouTube.  If you go to watch previously released Scalebound videos on Microsoft's YouTube channel, you'll find this:

There ain't no Scalebound and there never was!  It's not entirely surprising; Microsoft doesn't want you to focus on the games it's not producing and would instead rather you salivate over games that are still in the pipeline.  For instance, the company's cancellation statement spends more time talking about other games coming out in 2017 rather than explaining why Scalebound is no more.  They don't have anything to gain by explaining it.  Here's the statement to the press that reminds us all that when you're in marketing, you should always be selling:

After careful deliberation, Microsoft Studios has come to the decision to end production for “Scalebound.” We’re working hard to deliver an amazing lineup of games to our fans this year, including “Halo Wars 2,” “Crackdown 3,” “State of Decay 2,” “Sea of Thieves” and other great experiences.

Scalebound has been mired in development hell for quite some time; it was originally announced in 2014.  Perhaps Microsoft grew tired of waiting and decided to cut its losses rather than throw more money at it.    I can't help but wonder if the game will find a new home with another major publisher.  Microsoft obviously wouldn't want to promote its competition, hence the rapid deletion of videos and quick deflection to other Xbox One games.  PlatinumGames has too much riding on Scalebound to dump it completely.  I doubt we've seen the last of it.

(special thanks to Matt Moylan for the image)

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