Microsoft Zoo was to take Zoo Tycoon in new direction - Report

A former Frontier Developments designer has shared new art and information for Microsoft Zoo, a game with an aim of taking Microsoft's Zoo Tycoon franchise in an "exciting new direction" before it later became Kinectimals.

Graphical user interface lead Anil Glendinning wrote on his website (via NeoGAF) that Microsoft Zoo was a third-person adventure game that was part zoo creation and part animal interaction. His website has since been pulled down for "maintenance."

Microsoft Zoo laid the groundwork for Kinectimals, one of the first pieces of software Microsoft used to show off its Kinect technology.

Glendinning said that Microsoft Zoo was aimed to be a family product and that its art style and user interface were designed to reflect this approach. He said it was him ambition to make the interface "fun and inviting" for kids and adults alike.

Outside of expansion packs, the Zoo Tycoon series has been dormant since 2004's Zoo Tycoon 2. For more on what Microsoft Zoo would later become, check out GameSpot's reviews of Kinectimals.