Update #2 [Tue 9th Jan, 2024 00:25 GMT]:
To add fuel to the fire, an Australian Classification Board rating for ‘Project 2022A‘ has been discovered. It was rated ‘M’ for mature on 15th December 2022, the production company is ZeniMax Media, Shinji Mikami is referenced in the author and publisher segment, and the platforms listed include Nintendo Switch.
If you scroll to the bottom of the same page, this rating links to the “other versions” and the game listed is Hi-Fi RUSH. Here’s part of the description of this same rating:
“Project 2022A is a working title (final title TBC) for a rhythm-matching combat game in which the player character, a wannabe rockstar, fights against a mega technology corporation to the rhythm of a rocking music playlist. The game does not feature online interactivity.”
Hi-Fi RUSH was released on 25th January 2023 on Xbox and Windows, and this particular classification was prior to its launch. Of course, classification board listings don’t always guarantee anything and this is still just a rumour, so take everything with a grain of salt.
Update [Sun 7th Jan, 2024 22:00 GMT]:
Windows Central’s Jez Corden has chimed in on these latest rumours. Here’s what he had to say:
“They say there’s no smoke without fire. I will say that it has been suggested to me from very trusted, proven sources that Microsoft has been exploring bringing some of its back catalog to other platforms, although some of the details remain vague and unconfirmed.
“Given the track record of lolilolailo, Nate, and my own sourcing on this, I think the rumors will probably pan out into reality — but until things are fully confirmed, remember to take this kind of stuff with a grain of salt.”
Original article [Sun 7th Jan, 2024 01:30 GMT]:
It’s a new year and sure enough new rumours are already popping up about what games could be made available to Nintendo users in the future.
The latest story doing the rounds suggests a Microsoft game “met with high critical acclaim” and well-received by fans will be released on a “competitor system” in the calendar year of 2024. This claim comes from the host of the ‘Nate the Hate Podcast’, who goes on to mention how the same title was in the “game of the year conversation” during the year of its release.
“In the calender year of 2024, Microsoft will bring one of their more acclaimed first-party releases to a competitor system…When the announcement comes, I think it’s going to be met with a lot of excitement, because this is a quality game.”
The source uses Obsidian’s narrative adventure Pentiment as an example of how Xbox has done everything it can with select games within its ecosystem, and the next steps are to bring these titles to other platforms to help build an audience for possible sequels exclusive to Microsoft devices.
Some conversation elsewhere online suggests the exclusive could be Tango Gameworks’ rhythm-based action title Hi-Fi RUSH, which was shadow-dropped on the Xbox early last year and nominated for multiple game of year awards. A user on ResetEra (‘lolilolailo’), known for sharing past Xbox-related leaks, has also supposedly supported the idea of it being this particular game. Of course, there could be other games that fit the description, and nothing is official right now.
Over the past year, Xbox reiterated its commitment to other platforms, including an agreement to bring Call of Duty games to Nintendo systems going forward. Microsoft has also worked with Nintendo to bring games like GoldenEye 007 to the Switch.
