All good things must come to an end – a statement that sadly rings true in both the real world and the virtual one. However, there are times where we never even get to see how certain games turn out. A lot of hard work goes into creating the video games we know and love, but there are also plenty of projects that sadly fail to reach the light of day.
Development woes, conflicts of interest, current trends and legal disputes are just a few of the many problems that can derail even the most ambitious titles. In fact, it’s extremely rare for a game to have a smooth development cycle, but while many overcome these burdens, there are countless others that fall short of the finish line. Join us as we take a look at the sad history behind the most anticipated games that never made it to launch day.
(Game development is a bumpy road, but not every game falls victim to disaster. Here's how BioShock turned development hell into success.)
Scalebound
Scalebound was an action role-playing video game that was being developed exclusively for the Xbox One by PlatinumGames. The game told the tale of Drew, a young man who shares an uncanny bond with a dragon named Thuban. Both man and beast end up embarking on an adventure through the land of Draconis, slaying a variety of monolithic monsters and ironclad enemies.
Details on Scalebound’s story are scarce, but gameplay showed how both Drew and Thuban’s symbiotic bond worked in combat. The player could give various attack orders to Thuban before following up with Drew’s empowered sword and grappling moves. Xbox One players were rightfully excited for its 2016 release, but a crowded holiday release schedule pushed it into 2017. Instead, we were kept updated with glimpses of Scalebound’s large-scale combat scenarios and cooperative multiplayer during various trade shows. However, the game's development was cancelled in early January 2017 for unknown reasons.
Star Wars 1313
You’re usually in pretty good hands when you get to develop a game around one of the most popular and beloved series’ of all time, especially when your game focuses on the exploits of a young Boba Fett. Star Wars’ masked bounty hunter is one of the most iconic characters in pop culture and Fett fans were eager explore the seedy underworld from which he came.
But when Disney purchased Lucasfilm, it made the decision to change the Star Wars franchise from internal development to a licensing model for Star Wars video games. As a result, on April 3, 2013, massive layoffs were made to LucasArts and all projects were cancelled, including Star Wars 1313. However, In a December 2015 interview, Lucasfilm head Kathleen Kennedy stated the concept art for the game was "gold" and that it was "something we’re spending a lot of time looking at, poring through, discussing, and we may very well develop those things further." Maybe there is a new hope for Star Wars 1313 after all.
Silent Hills
Silent Hills was going to be the ninth main instalment in the popular Silent Hill horror series. Hideo Kojima was set to direct the game, along with film director Guillermo del Toro. Meanwhile, zombie slaying actor Norman Reedus was going to portray the game’s main character. It was also later revealed that iconic horror manga artist Junji Ito would also be involved with the project, according to a tweet from del Toro.
Silent Hills certainly wasn’t lacking in talent and early footage looked absolutely terrifying, so when it was announced that the game would be cancelled, it came as a shock to almost everyone. Konami officially confirmed the cancellation shortly after Kojima’s exit, a move which was received poorly by critics and fans of the Silent Hill franchise. While we may never get to play Silent Hills, we do still have Kojima’s equally intriguing Death Stranding to look forward to.
(Were you gutted by Silent Hills’ cancellation? Reminisce with us over the series’ spookiest moments...)
Breakaway
Breakaway was going to be Amazon Game Studios’ very own take on the ever-popular MOBA genre. First announced in 2016 at TwitchCon, gameplay showed two teams battling it out on a futuristic football pitch. Players had to work together in order to launch the ball into their opponent's goal, using their character’s individual skills to weaken enemy defences.
Every hero could build two structures such as turrets, healing shrines, and walls which could be upgraded with the gold earned throughout the match. Meanwhile, the usual class types of tank, DPS, mage and healer were retained to fit in with the MOBA theme. While Breakaway strived to offer a different take on the oversaturated battle arena market, it failed to make the breakthrough it was searching for. The game was eventually cancelled March 31, 2018.
Doom 4
Id Software's Doom reboot had a long and troubled development cycle which saw it transform from a Call of Duty-inspired linear adventure set on Earth, to a self-aware retro throwback. Doom 4 looked very, very different from the game we have today, and featured a story-heavy campaign that looked at how modern society would deal with a demonic invasion. The game was heavily scripted and cinematic – an area Doom hasn’t really explored. As a result, it lacked the usual dark humour and character of previous titles in the series. This personality change ultimately led the development team to completely overhaul the game’s setting and story, while retaining certain mechanics like the Glory Kill system. We may never get to play a realistic take on the Doom series, but the latest game certainly delivers the adrenaline-fueled action we know and love.
StarCraft: Ghost
It’s easy to forget that StarCraft once spread its PC wings and attempted to branch out into the console market. After all, StarCraft 64 demonstrated that the popular sci-fi RTS could work on console, even if the control scheme had to be radically changed. However, StarCraft: Ghost aimed to take a different approach to the series. The title was announced on September 20, 2002, and was to be developed by Nihilistic Software for the Nintendo GameCube, Xbox, and PlayStation 2. Unlike its real-time strategy predecessor, Ghost was a third-person shooter which aimed to give a more intimate view of the StarCraft universe. Players assumed the role of Nova, a Terran psychic espionage operative who utilized stealth to reach objectives. While the cinematics and general premise sounded interesting, Blizzard cancelled the game following the success of World of Warcraft and the development of StarCraft II.
Fallout Online
Fallout Online was an MMO set in the Fallout universe that was being developed by Interplay Entertainment (the Fallout series’ original creators) and Masthead Studios. Development began in 2009 and during its short run the team had managed to map out 65,500 square miles of terrain. According to Interplay the wasteland was populated with various objects and characters, while player-run towns, guild centres and social hubs would help grow communities. Meanwhile, combat, levelling, character development, item crafting, and skills had all been written and tested. Unfortunately, Interplay's rights to developing and publishing Fallout Online gave rise to a big legal dispute between them and new series producer Bethesda. Eventually, an out-of-court settlement was reached in January 2012 and the MMO’s development was shut down for good.