We've been hearing for years and years and years about how Xbox might do something with the Banjo-Kazooie IP at some point in the future, but as things stand, it doesn't seem like anything particularly noteworthy is happening.
A lot of people have shown support for it, including the CEO of Moon Studios (best known for creating Ori and the Blind Forest and Ori and the Will of the Wisps) who suggested on social media over the weekend that Xbox could "rival 3D Mario" both in quality and revenue if they gave a new Banjo game to a "really talented developer".
Here's what the CEO, Thomas Mahler, had to say about Banjo-Kazooie specifically:
"They have been sitting on Banjo Kazooie with nothing happening there even though a really talented developer could probably make a Banjo game that could rival 3D Mario and probably sell similar numbers."
Mahler's comments were actually in reply to someone who asked how the Ori IP would have developed alongside Xbox, where he suggested that a jump to 3D and experimenting with other genres "could have happened in time".
He also mentioned how he feels that Xbox is lacking in the family friendly department as things stand:
"Xbox doesn’t really have any family friendly titles now, at least nothing of quality that they’re known for.
That’s what I hoped Microsoft would see in Ori, but Xbox is clearly about Halo, Gears and Forza and nothing else really got all that much attention."
Despite this, Mahler mentioned in an interview last year that he hopes to work with Xbox in the future and there wasn't a bad ending to the partnership for Ori - and of course, Moon Studios' No Rest for the Wicked will release on Xbox as well.
In terms of the Banjo and "family friendly" thing, we can't help but agree with Mahler here! That said though, it's one thing to suggest a "really talented developer" and another to actually find one, and clearly Xbox boss Phil Spencer has heard the community's calls for a new game - he even told us as such back in December of 2023.
We're willing to bet that Xbox will make a bigger push in the family friendly space in years to come, especially now that Activision is on board with the likes of Crash Bandicoot and Spyro. Whether we'll get a new Banjo-Kazooie game still remains to be seen though... for whatever reason, the stars clearly haven't aligned for Team Xbox as of yet.
Do you think Xbox needs more family friendly games like Banjo? Tell us in the comments down below.
[source x.com]
Comments 41
Start with a Banjo-Kazooie remake!
Uh yeah, sure jan.
Delusional take but hey.
I mean there is definitely an audience for more bear and bird but so so many devs have tried to claim the crown of best platformer and not a single one has managed it.
There is definitely a market for Xbox to have their own answer to Mario and Astro and I hope they do but some expectation management is needed.
They could but I honestly don't see it happening!
It will sell well. But Mario numbers? Doubtful. Even Astro bot can’t get anywhere near it.
@PsBoxSwitchOwner I agree. Unless, of course, a potential Banjo revival wasn't an Xbox exclusive. If it released on Xbox, PlayStation, PC and Switch/Switch 2? In that case, Mario numbers aren't so far-fetched.
Microsoft could put the time into making an astrobot contender using the banjo-kazzooie IP, it would actually draw attention. Heck, make it multi-platform
This is, quite frankly, something that Microsoft shoukd have been trying to do with Rare since the beginning. All this IP is going to waste.
So I guess Microsoft should hand the reigns to Playtonic Games if they want that to happen - since that's where all the original Rare talent went.
I seriously doubt a new banjo would come anywhere close to 28 million copies. I would be very impressed if it got close to 10 million even with the multiplat strategy.
could be a good single player video game but ms is mostly allergic to that
A new Banjo Kazooie would be great. Astrobot has shown that a 3d platformer can still be huge today. My 4 year old daughter loves playing around in Banjo Kazooie, so I think the gameplay, characters and world are timeless!
They could have done it the past 2 decades since they owned the IP during that time and MOST CERTAINLY ALWAYS had the money to pull off such a thing.
They can't and don't know the first thing on how, that is the ongoing, long term, problem.
A new Banjo game would bring so much excitement. We’ve been waiting such a long time. Yes, given to the right developer, it could pull in some high numbers. Xbox has so many great IPs they aren’t doing anything with. They could turn things around bringing some of these back. Hopefully we see something new from Banjo sometime soon.
I doubt Xbox would do it, but they really should. Xbox really needs to start celebrating their own history and contributions to video games, especially when their push towards "everything is an Xbox" is really blurring the lines of how relevant they are with average people and gamers.
John-117, Cortana, Banjo and Kazooie, eventually Joanna Dark, these characters should be treated as brand ambassadors.
But they wont. Plus they wouldn't be smart enough to realize exclusives sell consoles and are vital.
Astrobot the overadvertised game that won goty couldn't sell more than 2 million copies... the age of the platformers has ended a long time ago. Only Nintendo can still make them and sell like crazy.
Odyssey has sold 28.5 million copies. You’re not getting even half that number for a new Banjo Kazooie game, realistically. Look no further than Crash Bandicoot 4 and Psychonauts 2 for examples of positively received platformers of classic legacy franchises that did not sell anywhere near Mario numbers. To put it into perspective not even God of War (2018) or Horizon Zero Dawn have managed to surpass Odyssey.
Yes, BK has star appeal for older generations, but not so for younger ones. Heck, even I at the grand old age of 32 years have never actually played these games as my first console as a kid was the Xbox - Nintendo 64 was before even my time and that’s saying something!
Which is not to say I think it would do badly commercially - far from it - but claiming it’ll match Mario is just plain silly talk.
They’re definitely sleeping on a great IP
I would say they would kinda have a better shot with Conker then Banjo but Conker Isn't Family Friendly 😂
@Markatron84 A successful multiplatform campaign could be the key to really rivaling Mario. But it would still be an uphill battle. That said Microsoft should give it a try. We need more competition in the 3D platformer space.
@Areus That would be a crazy play, but honestly, with the success of stuff like Deadpool, it might work.
@Utena-mobile Microsoft keeps destroying IPs. They really need to stop buying/making things just to vault them.
I've said it for years: it's insane Microsoft is just squatting on this IP. Give it to a decent developer.
Although no 3D platformer is going to rival 3D Mario's sales in the modern era. Or come anywhere close.
It wouldn't need to, honestly.
@Cakefish Uh, I was born in 92 and am currently 32 as well. N64 was "my" first console, though I always played my brother's NES and SNES before that. Stricter parents, perhaps?
@GeorgeKal what other nintendo platformers sell big numbers besides mario ?
@Cakefish 32…old?
@nomither6 all of them? Just check the sales Nintendo games have. It unlikely for any of their games to sell less than 10mil
I would absolutely welcome a new Banjo game or 3D platformers in general from other developers but to suggest that this would do Mario numbers is laughable. Even back on the N64, Banjo didn't even remotely compete with Mario sales wise
@Markatron84 they're hugely far-fetched, even back on the N64, the 2 Banjo games combined didn't even sell half of what Mario 64 did.
@carlos82 true, but the potential buyers across Xbox, PlayStation, PC and Switch/Switch 2 dwarf the N64 user base. I didn't say a potential Banjo revival would definitely do Mario numbers if it released across multiple platforms; just that it selling that well wouldn't be so far-fetched compared to if it just released on Xbox.
@Elbow mmm well actually GBA SP was my first console, including handhelds. Before that my brother and I did have these little licensed emulation boxes that had six Sega Mega Drive games each loaded on them, but obviously that wasn’t a proper console. So it is true to say my first home TV console was the Xbox. My brother got a GameCube around the same time. It was more of a case of a poor household rather than strictness, we lived with my mum who was long term unemployed due to health problems and divorced from my dad. The Xbox I got was second hand and the 360 had actually just launched by the time I got it. Though worth noting Nintendo 64 came out in UK when I was just 4 years old so I’d struggle to remember much from such a young age anyway haha
@nomither6 sorry I know it’s annoying when you see people younger than you moan about their age! I kinda meant that relative to the teenagers and kids of today, to them I am positively ancient!
If the Rare staff of 1998 made it, sure. Today's staff? Hell no.
Yeah but the quality will never surpass Mario games. That's unrealistic. A solid fun platformer is all they need to achieve and I'd happily eat that up. I also like good kart racing games so hoping they release more Crash Team Racing now that they own Activision. They can add Banjo as the Donkey Kong equivalent racer lol
Gimme ALL the platformers and family friendly games!! Banjo, Voodoo Vince, Grabbed by the ghoulies, Blinx, Conker, Crash, Spyro, Skylanders, every single one of them!! Then make a xbox Smash game (it's all a pipe dream I know but one can hope)
@Cakefish on the contrary , i’m actually younger than you by several years! i just get anxious when i hear people mention 30+ being old , it just makes me want to stay in my 20s forever 😂
@GeorgeKal i looked up metroid dread on a whim and sources say it only sold 3+ mil, which is still a lot. many people believe any platformer that can crack a million is a success.
@nomither6 ah it’s not so bad honestly, I don’t really feel any different from my mid-late twenties, aside from the existential dread of being in my thirties and every year feeling shorter than the last one 😅
Mario has never been rivalled in any generation as far as I'm concerned. I doubt anyone within xbox atm could do it.
They have said for years oh family friendly IPs or Japanese support. I get the third parties sure for Japanese side of things and to me it's been boring or who cares worthy. I get the OG/360 days are over but even still, prefer those that I do Xbox One/Series gens in general of western or Japanese releases.
Family friendly games they just don't care enough to bother. I get the landscape but even still, why not try to appeal to us older that still enjoy a Nintendo or a old PlayStation family friendly game or two but nope. Try something not a live service family friendly (they would do that) but something small scale enough.
i get they have Minecraft but come on there has to be something else.
They can keep trying to appeal to teens/adults but their family friendly side beside third parties is just weak and disappointing.
They have the IPs or people to make a new one, a small scale game even yet don't. It's very annoying.
But Bestheda/ABK haven't done anything I care for, especially ABK. Nothing has made me care at all for them, not a single game, marketing, no back compat, nothing at all. Got plenty of other things to care about then the King/COD stuff. The rest, worthless and not touched at all.
@Cakefish oof, okay now I feel like a di**. Sorry about that. I hope your family is overall doing much better now
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