MechAssault developer working on Xbox 2 title

By Tom Bramwell Published 11 March, 2004

Could Day 1 be one of the first to reveal an Xbox 2 project?

A listing on the recruitment page for developer Day 1 Studios has revealed that the company is currently hiring staff to work on what'd described as "a properly funded and scheduled Xbox 2 project."

The company previously developed first-party Xbox game MechAssault, one of the first Xbox Live enabled titles, and is believed to be one of the studios which has received early Xbox 2 development hardware.

Microsoft plans to make the first official statements about Xbox 2 at GDC later this month, with a keynote speech from chief Xbox officer Robbie Bach on March 24th likely to constitute the official announcement of the console.

Interestingly, the language surrounding the GDC keynote has focused mostly on next-generation software - which ties in with comments from Microsoft sources who claim that the hardware itself will not be unveiled at the show.

However, it tends to suggest that Microsoft may take the unusual step of unveiling its new console by discussing an early portfolio of games - with a possibility that titles from close Microsoft partners such as Day 1 Studios in the USA or Climax and Rare in the UK could be shown in the form of prototypes or - more likely - videos.

If Microsoft does unveil Xbox 2 by talking about software rather than hardware, it'll be an extremely unconventional way of introducing its next console - but one which actually falls neatly in line with the oft-repeated mantra of senior Xbox executives, "it's all about the games."

Picture of Tom.

About Tom Bramwell

Tom is Operations director of Eurogamer Network and Editor-at-Large of Eurogamer.net. He joined the company in February 2000.

Read more articles from Tom by visiting the Tom Bramwell archive page.

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Comments (6) Latest comment 8 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • Pirotic #1 8 years ago

    no chance of an xbox sequel then :p seems a bit too soon to start moving projects over to next gen consoles but maybe thats just me showing my age.

  • Bill Gates is Evil #2 8 years ago

    no chance of an xbox sequel then :p seems a bit too soon to start moving projects over to next gen consoles but maybe thats just me showing my age.

    are you saying there is no chance of a mechassault 2 coming to Xbox 1?

  • CyberClaw #3 8 years ago

    Sorry to disapoint you speculators but Mech Assault 2 is being developed for XBox 1. In the inovation, you now can control copters and tanks besides the mechs, as well as a special powersuit that lets you hack mechs and take control of them. There were already released images of MA2. They are aiming for a 2004 XMas release if I'm not mistaken.

  • Bill Gates is Evil #4 8 years ago

    yeah i didn't think mechassault 2 was going to xbox 2....

    ...because my new issue of OXM has mechassault 2 on the cover, and an 8 page description of the game complete with very nice looking screenshots.

  • 3william56 #5 8 years ago

    "more likely - videos"

    Jeez - so the XB2 is going to be "demonstrated" by videos sourced from over specced dev kits, fobbed off on gullible fanbois as the quality they'll get on their TV in 2006? I don't think even Sony didn't try that one when hyping the PS2 beyond the stratosphere.

    /charges Hype Shield/
    Let the Hype Wars begin!

  • Dizzy #6 8 years ago

    >I don't think even Sony didn't try that one when hyping the PS2 beyond the stratosphere.

    ROFL.... Sony demonstrated PS2 demos stuff that is not even possible on a PS3. Quit whining and enjoy the games demos, it certainly looks like MS is satisfying the desire of gamers to see actual games announcments for X2 instead of silly CGI demos of half naked women.