Microsoft has announced that Scott Henson will be taking on a studio management position at developer Rare. Henson has been with Microsoft for 16 years, and has worked on the Xbox platform from the original system through development of Kinect. And while Rare has developed the Kinect launch title Kinect Sports, don’t think that the Microsoft-owned studio is going to be focused exclusively on the new peripheral. In an interview with Eurogamer, Henson discusses his vision for Rare’s future.

"Kinect will be a key part of the studio's future," he said. "I'm not suggesting it's going to be exclusive, but it will be the centrepiece of our strategy for sure, because there is a lot of opportunity there."

Henson goes on to say that the studio could continue to revisit old franchises – which include Killer Instinct, Viva Pinata, and Banjo Kazooie – in a move similar to its Perfect Reboot rerelease on Xbox Live Arcade.

"One of the assets here is we've got this great back catalogue, this great history," Henson said. "The number one asset Rare has is its creativity and its talent and its desire to innovate and push forward.”

Still, he reiterates that Rare will use the tools at its disposal – including Kinect – as it works to develop memorable games in the future.

While the company has done a number of innovative things in recent years, it hasn’t matched its popular success it enjoyed during the heyday of the Nintendo 64. Could Henson help turn things around?