Hideki Kamiya is firmly committed to reviving Scalebound, the dragon-themed adventure game developed by PlatinumGames that was canceled by Xbox nearly a decade ago.
As the legendary producer behind classics such as Bayonetta, Resident Evil 2, Devil May Cry, and Okami, players can't help but wonder what his canceled Xbox project might have looked like. And Hideki Kamiya himself seems to often reflect on this project.
In an interview with gaming media outlet VGC, when asked if he had communicated with Xbox CEO Sarah Bond regarding a potential reboot, Hideki Kamiya said he hadn't yet, but expressed strong willingness to rebuild their partnership. "I'd like to take this opportunity to reiterate: if they're interested, let's make it happen!" He also mentioned that many former PlatinumGames members now work at his new studio, Clovers, which is currently developing Okami 2—another long-awaited return that fans have been eager to see.
"Of course, it's a great pity that the project never saw the light of day. Even now, given the chance, I would still very much want to complete it—I'm saying this with absolute sincerity," added Hideki Kamiya.
He later explained that Clovers Studio "currently doesn't have the bandwidth to pursue this." The newly established studio is fully focused on collaborating with publisher Capcom on Okami 2, but Hideki Kamiya remains optimistic. "I firmly believe that with enough determination, a way will eventually be found. Okami is the perfect example; after all these years, the opportunity has come around again, and I hope Scalebound can experience the same fate in the future."
This highly anticipated game was announced as an Xbox One exclusive back in 2014. After about four years of development, Microsoft ultimately canceled the project in 2017. A few years later, Atsushi Inaba, CEO of PlatinumGames, stated that both parties shared responsibility for the project's demise.
However, before its sudden cancellation, the revealed content of Scalebound looked full of potential. The protagonist fights with headphones on and a large sword, almost always accompanied by a massive dragon. The dragon can disrupt battles, bite enemies, and breathe fire to sweep across the battlefield.