Xenoblade 2 took about 3.5 years to make

[curl-6]

sc94597 said:

curl-6 said:
Honestly, I hope their next game is not a Xenoblade game.
I enjoy them, but I'd like to see them try their hand at something a bit different, for the sake of diversity.

For me, it depends. Monolith Soft has actually done a lot of other stuff over the years: Soma Bringer, Baten Kaitos, Disaster Day of Crisis, Project X-Zone, and none of them really compare to Xeno-games in quality, not even Baten Kaitos. They of course have more funding and time these days, than they ever had, but I'd rather they release a game that will be guaranteed to be good than a mediocre game for the sake of diversity (unless there is a vision in the new game.) Plus XBCX2 was left intentionally open-ended story-wise and there is a lot that can be done. 

I think this is true for most first-party development teams. Making new games for the sake of diversity, rather than having a vision of a new and innovative project never really works. I'd rather the idea incite the creation of a new IP than the goal of creating a new IP inciting ideas. 

I see no reason why a new IP by Monolith couldn't be on par with the Xenoblade games in quality. The original Xenoblade was itself a new IP.