General Manager for Microsoft Studios Publishing Shannon Loftis admits regret over the early announcement of "Crackdown 3" for Xbox One. The acknowledgment came 3 years after the announcement of the game and its supposed scheduled 2018 launching. In an interview with the Polygon, Loftis detailed the hurdles the team went through, which eventually led to the delay of the game.
"Crackdown 3" was supposed to launch in the middle of 2016, but due to some unavoidable circumstances, it was moved to 2018. Loftis admitted that the delay gave them more time to improve the game and make it more appealing to fans than just beating the time schedule.
"We definitely underestimated the challenge of making sure the quality bar of all three of those modes was high and it delivers on what we need to deliver on."
The decision to delay "Crackdown 3"
Loftis also added that the decision to delay the game was hard on their part, especially now that they have already announced it. In hindsight, "Crackdown 3" was announced at the E3 2014 with a target year of release, which was on 2016. Unfortunately, things did not go according to the developer's plans. Loftis further admits that they have learned from such practice of announcing games too early and vowed to keep the next ones at bay until they are almost ready to launch.
In a separate report by the Polygon, Loftis said that "Crackdown 3" is indeed an ambitious project that demands the need to further integrate it into the immersive 4k gameplay.
She apologized for the delay saying "We’re very excited about Crackdown 3, and so are many fans, and so it’s a difficult call to move the release date."
E3 2014 announcement, criticism, and updates
The preview of the game, which was shown at the E3 2014, received criticism for its unpolished graphics, something that Loftis confirmed the team is working hard to develop and update.
She further revealed that the preview gives viewers the idea of what to expect in the game in terms of scrimmage and mayhem.
"Crackdown 3" is an Xbox One and Windows PC exclusive game under the three game developer mainly Sumo Digital, Reagent Games, and Cloudgine. Unfortunately, the Microsoft executive did not give the exact date of release, but targets the dates between November 7, 2017 and the Spring of 2018. She also teased some new games for the Xbox One, but refused to reveal the titles. At least four new games are also expected for the Windows 10 and Xbox One console in the upcoming holiday season.
