Microsoft Vancouver, a satellite branch of Microsoft Game Studios, has been renamed and is working on what manager Mike Crump calls the "next Halo."
This follows a shakeup from this past July, when several developers at Microsoft Vancouver were laid off. While early speculation pointed to the studio's closure, Microsoft later clarified that development had ended for PC sim Microsoft Flight as well as an interactive TV project on Kinect meant for children.
The Vancouver, Canada based development studio has now been rebranded as Black Tusk Studios and, according to the freshly updated website, is creating the "next big entertainment franchise" for Microsoft's entertainment platforms.
While it's purely guesswork, one of those entertainment platforms could be the rumored Xbox Surface.
On the surface this may not appear as a major development. That is, until you stumble across this blurb on their "About" page:
"Black Tusk is able to leverage resources, technology, and experience from other first-party studios such as 343 Industries (Halo 4), Turn 10 Studios (Forza Motorsport), Rare Ltd., Lionhead Studios (Fable), Good Science Studio, and Twisted Pixel Games"
This indicates a strong push for multiple first-party exclusives on Microsoft's imminent next-generation Xbox console. Core exclusives for the Xbox 360 will have all but vanished after next year's Gears of War: Judgment, and several major publishers have already hinted that they've turned their attention to next-gen development.
If you're interested in being involved in the studios upcoming efforts from the ground floor, Black Tusk Studios is now hiring.
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