Microsoft and Crytek discussed the possibility of the Crysis 2 developer going first-party just after the launch of Far Cry.
At the time, Crytek was about to create Crysis for PC. Microsoft corporate vice-president Phil Spencer told OXM it was decided the Xbox 360 manufacturer had enough shooters in a similar genre, so let the idea slide.
"The first time we met with [Crytek CEO Cevat Yerli] and the team was around seven or eight years ago, and we started talking about what it'd mean for them to become first-party," Spencer said.
"And it was a process of what do you guys want to do, what's unique for us, and they were just going to do Crysis, and they'd just come out of Far Cry, and we said we've probably got enough military future shooters, so go do that."
Crytek is currently hard at work on Xbox 360 exclusive, Kinect-fuelled first-person brawler Ryse.
"Then they came up with this idea around Ryse, and now they've really fallen in love with Kinect, and it's a perfect marriage for us," Spencer continued.