The first game from Respawn Entertainment, a studio spawned by the creators of Call of Duty, will be exclusive to the next-generation Xbox, according to two Kotaku sources familiar with the matter.
An Xbox 360 version is also in development, the sources indicate. But there will be no PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, or Wii U versions. Neither of Kotaku’s sources indicated the game would be a timed exclusive, either.
The EA-published shooter is described by the site’s sources as a “futuristic multiplayer-centric online shooter,” pitting David-like heavily-armed foot soldiers against Goliath-like mech-style Titans.
The game map is said to limit the number of Titans that can be used in a single battle, and provide foot soldiers a weapon loadout set to conquer a Titan, if that be the case.
Respawn’s game is supposedly so multiplayer, in fact, that it’s “always-online.” Kotaku hasn’t been able to clarify whether it will permit offline play or feature a single-player mode.
Previous next-gen Xbox rumors have suggested the system requires an internet connection to function. Though widely agreed upon across a number of publications, details as to what “always-online” entitles is not clear.
The Respawn game will feature two “massive” factions, and player-earned experience points will count towards the progress of their faction. Online multiplayer is said to support up to 16 players, but AI-controlled characters are an option, as well.
Other sources have told Kotaku that Microsoft is “not where they want to be at this point in the pre-launch development” of their new Xbox, and a “reliable source” said Microsoft is as much as “six months behind in producing content for the new console.”
Another source told the site Microsoft recently canned “several” next-gen projects, which were not coming along as planned, and that Sony is in “better shape and further along with hardware and software development” in comparison.
Finally, an industry insider has told the site Microsoft is “aggressively” trying to sign exclusive games for the new Xbox, given its lack of internal development studios.
Respawn’s game is expected out next year, in “full-sized, boxed retail” form.