Creative director of Microsoft Game Studios Ken Lobb explains how Black Tusk came to work on Gears Of War and why Double Helix developed the Killer Instinct reboot ahead of original creator Rare in the new issue of Edge magazine.

In his current role, Lobb is an influential figure across all Microsoft-developed projects, though he says he gives his studios room to be creative. New firstparty studio Black Tusk, though originally conceived as a ‘new ideas’ studio, was recently placed in charge of the Gears Of War series after Microsoft bought the IP from Epic Games. We ask Lobb how Black Tusk got the job, and why. “I actually have tons of respect for Chuck [Osieja, creative director] and all the guys up at Black Tusk,” he tells us. “I think the reality is what we have is innovative Gears Of War. That’s what I believe they’re going to make.

“They’re an internal studio, but the reality is it’s cool to have [an IP] that can be a grand slam right out of the gate. The concepts they’ve been toying with are awesome. You take what they were thinking about and their expertise on Unreal Engine 4, because that’s what they’ve been playing with since their founding, and really go with the IP. Again, this was a mutually agreed thing. It’s not, ‘Here’s this thing you must take.’ That’s not the way Phil [Spencer] works; that’s not the way we work.”

He also explains why Double Helix – which has since been acquired by Amazon – created the recent Killer Instinct reboot rather than original developer Rare, which is now owned by Microsoft.

“[Double Helix] gave us their best pitch for Killer Instinct and that was a prototype that was playable,” says Lobb. “I was deeply involved in Killer Instinct 1 and 2 working at Nintendo with Rare. I designed the core combo system and worked closely with them on basically every character on the game and all the animations. It’s an IP that I love dearly, both from the memory of working with these guys and also because it’s kind of fun to go to the arcade and win a lot.

“I was able to bring some of that back,” continues Lobb. “[Creative director] Adam Isgreen ran the product internally, and we had a bunch of great designers working with Double Helix to make the game. That was a game where I went literally no more than two or three days without looking at it for pretty much the whole time it was in development. I love the genre, so I cared a lot about making sure the game was balanced.”

Lobb later adds that he wishes he’d been able to continue to work with Double Helix on a sequel, though Microsoft now has plans for the series that Lobb thinks “players will be happy with.”

Expanding upon the subject of Rare’s place within Microsoft Game Studios, Lobb added that what the studio does next after Kinect Sports Rivals is “up to them” – pointing out that the studio’s work on Kinect games was its choice, not some mandate sent down from the upper echelons of the business. ”Our studios run themselves as relatively independent studios,” says Lobb. “They have very strong voices in the decisions about what they should be working on.

“I loved Viva Piñata; I loved Nuts & Bolts. Naysayers can say what they want; I always wanted Banjo 3, too, but I loved Nuts & Bolts. Rare used to sell millions of everything they made, and I think it’s the audience that helped them [decide what to make next]. Piñata was one of the best games Rare ever made and I wish it would’ve sold millions, because it was super-creative and I love the direction it took Rare. But every group of people wants to continue to do what they love doing. The original Kinect Sports was their best seller as an Xbox-owned developer; that’s why they would go and do another one.”

http://www.edge-online.com/news/the-future-of-gears-of-war-killer-instinct-and-rare-according-to-microsoft-game-studios-ken-lobb/

Hopefully Gears 4 will set the bar high again and have a great story/horde mode. I have faith

If they can recapture the experience that the 1st Gears gave then it will definitely be an amazing game. I am looking forward to what they do with the next installment!

I like that the studios has a say in what they do, but i do hope Rare leaves the Kinect alone after Rivals. I understand that they wanted to continue it seeing as the first sold so much and the 2nd sold good as well, but im ready for them to go back to games like Viva Pinata and Kameo. I know they hired a bunch of people last year for core, and from interviews they appear to be going back that route so that is what im hoping for. Kameo and Viva Pinata are superb so go that route, stick to core Rare, its what youre good at.

I request Phil Spencer to slap rare if they try and decide on another kinect game

But I was always lead to believe that MS destroyed Rare by forcing them to make Kinect games against their will?

I wouldn't say there is any one reason they were "destroyed", but they're certainly a shadow of their former self.

The Internet Zone.

I disagree.  Viva Pinata and Kameo last gen is some of their best titles.  Kinect Sports isnt what i want them to make but i will say without a doubt that I was happy with what Rare Ltd made last gen.....Well except for Nuts & Bolts.  I wouldve preferred a traditional BK, but it was good for what it was.

I want a sequel to Kameo! That game really helped me fall for 360.

It would be good to see Rare go back to its old days, but given the talent left long ago, i wonder what the ones that stayed will be able to do. Both Kinect sports games reviewed poorly, despite the sales.