When it comes to video games, rumours and leaks are force like no other. Because projects are shrouded in secrecy only rivaled by Hollywood studios and governmental agencies, people are always on the lookout for information that hasn't been released through proper channels. And unless the leak or rumour is about how terrible working conditions are or the production problems that a game had, leakers and rumor mongers stay away from big name sites like IGN, Kotaku, and Joystiq. Instead, they release their tidbits of information on Reddit, 4chan, or, in this case, NeoGAF. In the last week of January, a NeoGAF poster going by the name ntkrnl (who is confirmed to be a Microsoft employee) has been telling people all about Microsoft's plans for the next few years. Normally, rumours like this would be ignored. But when game media writers on Kotaku and The Verge confirmed that ntkrnl was a Microsoft employee under threat of being sued by Microsoft, that changes everything. So let's take a look at eight of the Xbox One game and hardware rumors, and see which ones might be true. Warning: Possible Spoilers Ahead.
8. Crackdown 3 Is A 2016 Title
Crackdown is a game franchise you might not remember. An open world third person shooter revolving around taking down gangs in Pacific City, the franchise hasn't been relevant for over three years, when Crackdown 2 came out. But, according to ntkrnl, a third game in the franchise, developed by Cloudgine, is scheduled for release in 2016. Could it be true: Maybe Microsoft does own the Crackdown IP, plus the franchise hasn't been overdone like Halo or Gears of War. So it seems likely Microsoft would dust off Crackdown to shore up its weak first party line up on the Xbox One. Normally, anyone would be skeptical about bringing back IPs that haven't been seen in six years (by the time Crackdown 3 could release). But the success of XCOM: Enemy Within and the upcoming Mirror's Edge 2 show that old franchises can come back, even after long periods of irrelevance. The thing to worry about if and when the game is announced is whether or not it'll be any good.