Boss Moves: If I were the head of Rare (and Konami)

If I were head of Bungie

No, reviving Marathon was not a good idea, and before we have another Concord fiasco in front of us, as the new boss I choose to pull the plug on the project here and now. Instead, let's focus on what made Bungie the world leader in the FPS genre once upon a time. Sure, we can't legally produce a new Halo, but that doesn't mean we can't fish in the same seas we helped create back in the day. Because where 343 Industries (now Halo Studios) and Microsoft stumbled in the case of Halo 4, Halo 5: Guardians, and Halo Infinite, we as Bungie can fill the void with a new multiplayer game that embraces the best of Halo 1-3. In other words, I don't want a story mode or a battle pass that steals attention from playability, but I do want the title to be Free to Play where only a few cosmetic items are allowed to cost money. The focus is then on classic death matches without either loadouts or the ability to unlock more weapons. Everyone should have the same conditions from the start where dexterity and skill are the key to success while a scoop of unpredictability is added with special weapons that "spawn" in selected places through the course of the matches. We then keep the title alive by adding a trio of new maps every quarter, and if I hear someone mention the word "Seasons" or "Events" they have five minutes to pack up their belongings before they get a boot up the arse.

If I were head of Konami

One word: Castlevania. Because how fucking hard is that supposed to be? We're sitting on one of the best game series in history, and we haven't launched a new adventure in the series for over ten years. Sure, the anniversary collections were a great idea and the Netflix series has been a hit, but now it's time for new games. I want to have two projects in production at once, with the first being a classic adventure with fancy pixels and Metroidvania elements galore. Think a spiritual continuation to Symphony of the Night simply. After that, I want a new Lords of Shadow, but dark gothic design, nice graphics, and a combat system that makes Kratos and the God of War series blush with envy. Make it happen!

If I were head of FromSoftware

While Elden Ring: Nightreign and The Duskbloods look promising, we need to set the record straight on Bloodborne. We're going to launch a two-stage rocket to get the writing done, and I don't care what it takes to get Sony (who own the rights) on board. Firstly, we'll do a heavily patched-up remaster of the original, with better graphics and a higher frame rate being priorities one, two, and three, and of course the expansion The Old Hunters will be included at no extra cost. The price should also be low, as we almost want to give it away to build up hype for what's to come. Because yes, Bloodborne 2 needs to become a reality, and as a PlayStation 5 exclusive adventure, we can get Sony to sell tens of millions of consoles before we start talking possible DLC plans.

If I were head of Rare

I don't know what Everwild is, and I don't really care. No more dragging our feet and ignoring what our fans want. I've just spoken to Phil Spencer, and he's given the green light for a new Banjo-Kazooie. I want a platformer that refines the best of the first two titles in the sequel series, and before you ask if we're going to adopt anything from Nuts & Bolts, the answer is no. We don't have to reinvent the wheel, nor do we have to be as creative as Nintendo is with Mario or Sony is Astro Bot. I don't want any Game of the Year awards, I just want a new Banjo that sits comfortably at 85 on Metacritic. Just get it done. Ideally it would be ready yesterday.

If I were head of Respawn Entertainment

Star Wars and Apex Legends aside, we're going to have to put all that on hold for a while and return to the Titanfall series. It's finally time for Titanfall 3, and as we haven't seen a new game in the series for almost a decade, the technological advances that have taken place since then will help us make a new adventure feel modern and fresh. Think bigger arenas, more Titans on the battlefield, while spicing it all up with a snappy campaign that mixes it up between bombastic action and futuristic horror themes. Because yes, I want Titanfall 3 to be dark and desolate, and above all I want it to be released now. So let's get to work.