Microsoft’s Phil Spencer hopes the next Gears of War returns to the series’ darker roots. In the beginning, Spencer loved the “epic scale, the settings that I was in, the massive destruction moments. It was more what I would call soulful and maybe even a little dark.” The Head of Xbox told IGN that, in discussions with Rod Fergusson, who’s in charge of Gears of War at Black Tusk Studios , he’s talked about Gears of War becoming “a parody of itself” over time. “Not for any horrible reasons,” but because managing success over time is challenging.

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Spencer and Fergusson have also discussed “getting back to something,” he continued. “I think [about] the story and the setting and what they’re going through as a band. Gears of War, the name really meant something to what that game was about. We need to get back to that.” He also reiterated that the next Gears of War is not a reboot.Spencer is aware that “Judgment didn’t hit everybody’s needs and desires,” but said “I think we can continue, but we also have a new team. Rod’s there to really help with the continuity. We can really invest in this thing for the next decade , which is how I want to think about it.”Fergusson said earlier this year that betraying fan expectations is the best way to succeed. Perhaps getting back to the series' bleaker origins is how Black Tusk aims to do that.Check out IGN's Phil Spencer interview on Podcast Unlocked

Mitch Dyer is an Editor at IGN. He hosts IGN Arena , a podcast about MOBAs, and is trying to read more. Here's his reading list . Talk to Mitch about books, Dota 2, and other stuff on Twitter at @MitchyD and subscribe to MitchyD on Twitch