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Microsoft has published some of the biggest titles of the last console generation, and while the likes of Halo, Fable and Forza are still going strong, the company is already developing new game franchises.

Speaking on the IGN podcast, Xbox boss Phil Spencer admitted that work is already underway on the next generation of Xbox exclusives, saying “There are first-party internal and external studios working on games that are not announced.”

He went on to explain how “new stories, new characters” can offer a “new canvas to try new things.” Upcoming dayglo openworld co-op action game Sunset Overdrive is one example of the sort of thing he's talking about. “It's a game that isn't like anything else in our portfolio,” he said of Insomniac Games' hyperactive shooter, “and I think that's great. I want to continue to invest in things that push the boundaries. I don't need another military space marine game. I don't probably need another racing game. In terms of trying things that are new and have a unique reason to be in our portfolio, it's gotta be a commitment from us as a first-party, absolutely.”

He also dropped a tantalising hint regarding Rare, one of Microsoft's most successful studios. Spencer is apparently visiting the Britsoft legend in November to see a pitch for “something new that feels like a Rare game”. The company, which famously made cult classics Banjo Kazooie and Perfect Dark, has spent the last few years working on Kinect games, but that seems likely to change. “I don't want Rare to become the Kinect Sports team,” says Spencer.