As we’ve noted on multiple episodes of the Nintendo Entertainment Podcast, there are certain franchises in gaming that deserve another chance at life that just haven’t gotten that “tap just yet. And we’re not even solely talking about Nintendo, either. Sony and Microsoft have both fumbled franchises that fans truly love and want to see more from. One such franchise under the Xbox brand is Banjo-Kazooie. There have been many stories about the game over the last few years, especially from those who want nothing more than to see it come back. Now, the head of Moon Studios can be added to that bunch.
That’s right, CEO Thomas Mahler was answering some fan questions on Twitter when he revealed his thoughts on the beloved duo and how Microsoft REALLY needs to get that franchise back in action, and for a basic reason:
I’m sure all of that could have happened in time.
Xbox doesn’t really have any family friendly titles now, at least nothing of quality that they’re known for.
That’s what I hoped Microsoft would see in Ori, but Xbox is clearly about Halo, Gears and Forza and nothing else really…
— thomasmahler (@thomasmahler) January 18, 2025
While we may not fully agree that it would do “Mario numbers,” that is a worthy goal to try and shoot for, whether it’s the Rare team (which is still under Microsoft’s umbrella) or someone like Moon Studios, there are people who could take the Banjo-Kazooie brand and make it shine once again. It just takes someone at Xbox to actually LISTEN TO THE FANS and then get a move on. It shouldn’t have taken this long to make this happen, but if it happens eventually…? The struggle will be worth it.
