Crackdown is one of the best Xbox 360 games so far, but although you’d expect a sequel to quickly follow a successful new IP, Crackdown 2 has barely got a mention from official channels. Developer Realtime Worlds instead jumped from Crackdown to begin work on a more ambitious project, an MMO-like game called APB. Now though, there seems to be a good chance of a Crackdown sequel showing up as key members from the original Crackdown team have moved on to form a new studio, Ruffian Games.
Ruffian staff members include Crackdown lead designer, Billy Thomson, and other key members of the original team. Realtime Worlds once indicated that Crackdown 2 would be handed to another developer so it could get on with APB, so the formation of a new studio to handle the high profile title would make sense. It is actually Microsoft that owns the Crackdown IP, but it would make sense to have as many of the original’s creators on board.
All this is mere speculation, of course; the launch of the new studio is really all there is to go on. Ruffian Games really may have no plans for a Crackdown sequel whatsoever. However, Microsoft man Phil Spencer (no, not the bloke off Location, Location, Location) made veiled comments about the possibility of a sequel in a recent Major Nelson podcast. “Yes, Crackdown‘s one of my favorites. I’ll leave it at that,” he said.
So, our wish list for Crackdown 2? Four (or more) player co-op, an even bigger central tower to climb and no loading screens between city sections. We’ll happily take another Halo beta invite though.
