Xbox boss Phil Spencer revealed a particular affinity towards the MechAssault series, which could possibly result in a future revival for the long-dormant franchise. The key to long-running franchises is fan appreciation. Be they movies, television series, or video games, sequels will generally only be made if enough people are interested. That's why critically-acclaimed commercial duds fail to spawn a franchise, while virtually any film the turns a profit at the box office is practically guaranteed to receive a sequel.
Sometimes, all it takes is the right financial backing. Back in the 1970s, former Beatle George Harrison spent £3 million to ensure Monty Python's Life of Brian would be made because, as the legend goes, he simply wanted to see the movie. Sometimes, it's not about having people in your corner; it's about having the right people in your corner. Rumors have long held that a new MechAssault title may eventually see the light of day. In 2018, Piranha Games, developers of MechWarrior 5 and MechWarrior Online, revealed that they had private meetings with Spencer, fueling speculation that a new MechAssault title may be in the works. So far, nothing has come of it, at least not publicly.
Phil Spencer is the Executive Vice President of Gaming at Microsoft. In an IGN podcast appearance, Spencer revealed which Xbox franchise he'd personally love to bring back, quickly naming the Mech games. "That's easy," Spencer said, adding "It just has really deep and really rich stories and characters to go play in. I think it would be really cool, at some point, if we could do something with Mech." With his clout and position of power at Microsoft, it's not inconceivable that his influence could directly lead to a new entry in the MechAssault series.
The first MechAssault game debuted in 2002 on the original Xbox, and is remembered fondly for being one of the first games to support Xbox Live, the then-groundbreaking online infrastructure which allowed players to compete and cooperate online. Set in the BattleTech universe, MechAssault stood out from the thematically-similar MechWarrior games due to its focus on immediate action and multiplayer madness, as opposed to the more measured, simulator-style approach of the MechWarrior series. However, following a 2004 sequel and a 2006 spin-off for Nintendo DS, the series vanished without a trace, while the mainline MechWarrior titles continued to be produced.
It's possible Spencer is merely practicing wishful thinking. Maybe he'd love to see a new MechAssault title, but doesn't feel the need to cross boundaries to make it happen. Then again, maybe he's chumming the waters, subtly building hype to either justify development on a new MechAssault game or to tease an announcement he knows is coming. Since MechAssault was a flagship title for the original Xbox Live service, maybe a reboot (or MechAssault 3) could be the tent-pole multiplayer game for Microsoft's next-gen online service. Whatever the case may be, it wouldn't be the least bit surprising to learn of the genuine existence of a new MechAssault game within the next year or so.
Source: IGN