Last year at E3 2011, Microsoft debuted a riveting trailer for a new Kinect game under the title, Ryse. We were shown a video panning through the bloodied streets of Ancient Rome, followed by some dude with a sword charging the camera. The view zoomed out to reveal a man in front of his TV/Kinect, wielding a digital shield with his left hand and a sword with his right. The player slashed, headbutted, and kicked his opponent, finally finishing him off with some impressive Kinect mechanics that allowed him to throw his sword right into the noggin of his foe.
Ryse, developed by Crytek whose striking visuals were apparent in the E3 demo, was a very interesting prospect when it was initially unveiled. The problem? We never heard anything else about it. However, VP of Microsoft Studios Phil Spencer recently told Polygon that the game has not been canceled, but is still a ways away from being launch-ready.
“We’re still building Ryse,” said Spencer. “We’re focused on games coming in the next twelve months, something I say every year, and it’s not something we’ll be shipping in the next twelve months.”
Perhaps confirming what most gamers were already familiar with, Spencer stated that the delay and long development cycle has to do with the fact that Microsoft doesn’t often delve into first-party projects.
“We’re not the biggest first party,” he said. “Things we do have to matter when they come out because the opportunity cost for us is high and we focus on things. I’m not trying to fill a portfolio; I’m trying to create unique experiences and that means we sometimes take longer than some other people do but I want to make sure we make our best effort forward when we get a game done.”
While you may not be engaging in hand-to-hand combat in the streets of Rome anytime soon, take solace in the fact that you might be able to do so in 2013. That’s if and when Microsoft decides it wants to spend more time and resources on its first-party titles. So yeah, it’s looking more along the lines of a 2014…0r 2015, release date. Check out last year’s reveal of Ryse at E3 below.
