Cancelled video games project
This project concerns cancelled games in the range of 1995-2005.
Section: F
Falcone: Enter the Maelstrom
Falcone: Enter the Maelstrom is a cancelled PS2, and Xbox game from Point Blank Studios.
It is also known as Falcone: Into the Maelstrom.
Expected release date: Christmas 2001, then Q2 2002, then Spring 2002, then November 2002, then December 2002, then February 2003, then 2004
Edge issue 101 (September 2001)
Falcone was to be a space pirate/FPS hybrid.
You would fly a ship in space like Starlancer and board ships.
Once you board a ship it becomes a first person shooter experience.
The plot would revolve around Gabriel Falcone and his struggles against his leader, Black Dog.
A new threat, called the Legion, has emerged from Maelstrom, a supermassive black hole.
You must eliminate them before they take over the galaxy.
Next Generation issue 83 (November 2001)
Official UK Xbox Magazine issue 4 (April 2002)
Official UK PlayStation 2 Magazine issue 19 (April 2002)
Falcone: Enter the Maelstrom was cancelled in 2002 for reasons unknown.
The reason was possibly financial trimming, as Titus bought them out in early 2002.
Virgin Interactive, then known as Avalon Interactive, let the copyright expire in 2003.
The general gist of the game was later used in Mace Griffin: Bounty Hunter.
Trailer from E3 2002
https://www.gamespot.com/articles/new-falcone-into-the-maelstrom-details/1100-2869884
https://trademarks.justia.com/780/80/falcone-enter-the-maelstrom-78080893.html
http://au.ign.com/games/falcone-into-the-maelstrom/xbox-496287
http://au.ign.com/articles/2002/06/06/falcone-into-the-maelstrom
http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/ss_maelstrom
https://www.unseen64.net/2008/04/15/falcone-into-the-maelstrom-xboxps2-cancelled
#############################################################################
Fate of Ages
Fate of Ages is a cancelled PS2, Xbox, and PC game by Onisoft.
It was to be an RPG a la Suikoden (even down to the anime aesthetic).
Expected release date: 2004/2005
The plot involves you and your friends seeking to undo the mistakes of the past.
Your task is to take down six fallen semi-gods.
You would travel to around six different time periods, making friends and enemies as you go.
Your party would compose of six.
Each character in your party can have a job.
There would 40 different jobs.
Fate of Ages was cancelled when it failed to find a publisher.
Onisoft went in limbo before going defunct in 2005.
https://web.archive.org/web/20060622014615/http://www.onisoft.com/foa/plain/index.html
https://www.ign.com/articles/2004/06/16/fate-of-ages-unveiled
https://www.ign.com/articles/2007/02/02/missing-in-action-the-lost-games-of-xbox
https://www.unseen64.net/2008/04/15/fate-of-ages-xboxps2-unreleased/
#############################################################################
Fatherdale: Guardians of Asgard / Warlock Vseslav: Sword of Fire
Fatherdale: Guardians of Asgard is a cancelled Xbox and PC game by Snowball Interactive.
It was to be a Diablo-esque action game with Norse mythology.
Expected release date: Q3 1999, then 2000, then Spring 2001, then April 2002
Next Generation issue 55 (July 1999)
In the year 1072 AD, the valley of Fatherdale is the battlefield of the Gods.
You would play as an immortal warlord, knwon as a Hero; a race created by the Gods
Your quest is to prevent the final battle of the Gods: Battlefield of Fate aka Ragnarök.
The combat mechanics would be equivalent to fencing; a wrong move can be fatal.
You can assign points to Intelligence, Dexterity, Strength, Endurance, Constitution, and Bravery.
Developing a character is more about matching right items to the right people.
It's not all hack 'n' slash: the game would of had a big emphasis on stealth.
Sneak in the shadows and do reconnaissance on enemy camps and scouts.
There was also an RTS element: controlling multiple units in six different formations.
Much like Diablo II, there was tons of weapons and items.
Changing gear would affect your outer appearance.
And no game is complete without a crafting system.
The game would have had over 150 characters, all with personality, hopes, goals, and dreams.
Your actions would have earned you reputation, both good and bad.
Characters would react differently to you based on your reputation.
There was no straight progression; you're free to travel around the valley as you see fit.
All other characters can travel too, especially the evil kind (hence random Random Encounters).
There was also to be time, with the sun rising and falling, and this would affect characters.
This was a very ambitious game.
Not just the scope of gameplay but the sheer amount of research for historical accuracy.
But it was too ambitious.
In April 2003 Snowball Interactive announced they were working on Vseslav: Druzhina.
It was to be a kid's friendly game for 3-12 year olds in mind.
This was to be released in the USA and Europe as Discover Land of Slavs and Vikings.
It was rather much like the same game but more educational.
Instead of killing everything, you learn.
Your kids can learn about Pagans and Christians and Norseman.
PC Zone issue 101 (April 2001)
In the end both games got cancelled.
Yep, another case of covering one cancelled game and end up covering more than one.
Or maybe these games did come out but only obscure Russian sites covered them.
Timeline:
1997: game development begins as Warlock Vseslav: Sword of Fire
2001: game officially announced as Fatherdale: Guardians of Asgard
2003: the kid-friendly version Vseslav: Druzhina is announced
2004: both games are cancelled (probably)
I have some video files obtained from their archived website.
Trailer
https://web.archive.org/web/20010926191249/http://www.fatherdale.com/
https://web.archive.org/web/20070218110341/http://news.snowball.ru/?project=fat
https://web.archive.org/web/20000815205850/http://www.rpgplanet.com/content/interviews/fatherdale
https://web.archive.org/web/20020105163714/http://www.igz.it/fatherdale_en.php3
https://web.archive.org/web/20011205080509/http://rpgvault.ign.com/features/interviews/fatherdale.shtml
https://web.archive.org/web/20011121101303/http://www.tothegame.com/interviews/fatherdale.asp
https://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=ru&u=http://kriconf.ru/news/read.php%3Fid%3D30617&prev=search&pto=aue
#############################################################################
Fatman and Slim
Fatman and Slim is a cancelled PS2 and PC game from Kaboom, part of Attention to Detail.
The game would have been a physics-based puzzle platformer.
Expected release date: 2003, then 2004
Edge issue 113 (August 2002)
You would play as Fat Man, the perfect representation of the average gamer.
The quest? To rescue your girlfriend Slim.
Slim has been trapped inside a totem, which can only be broken in metal form.
Get to the totem is part of the challenge.
Collect the tokens to charge up the spirit, then guide her spirit to the exit.
Fat Man can take three forms to aid him: bouncy, fluffy, and metal.
Bouncy makes Fat Man bouncy. Fluffy reduces his weight. Metal increases his weight.
Puzzles would have you jump, turn to metal in mid air and then land in bouncy to jump high.
The environment would of been critical to solving puzzles.
Grass can be flattened to ensure bombs explode on contact with the ground.
Reflections off water can reveal the solution via showing underneath structures.
The potential was great, but it was not to be.
Attention to Detail went defunct in August of 2003.
Metro3D picked up the rights to Fatman and Slim upon AtD's demise.
They went defunct in 2004, taking with it this game's chance to be released.
http://simon.mooli.org.uk/AF/article/commercial.html
https://web.archive.org/web/20030820195016/http://www.atd.co.uk:80/gamesdev/fatman.htm
#############################################################################
Fear & Respect
Fear & Respect was a cancelled PS3, Xbox 360, PS2, Xbox, and PC game from Edge of Reality.
Snoop Dogg was involved into this True Crime kind of game.
Expected release date: Autumn 2005, then Q4/Holiday 2005, then early 2006
PSW (Australia) issue 28 (December 2004?)
Snoop Dogg plays Goldie, who is let out of prison and must make up for lost time.
Fight with rival gangs to inspire fear and respect in them.
This works as a karma metre; how you act shapes the universe.
The game is set in South Central L.A. in the summer.
You must do drivebys and one-on-one fights to gain territory from rival gangs.
John Singleton, director of Boyz n the Hood, was the director of the game.
Things were progressing promisingly, until Midway hit a snag...
Official Australian Xbox Magazine issue 37 (February 2005)
In 2005 Midway suffered a net loss of $16m.
Fear & Respect was moved to the next gen consoles (PS3, Xbox 360) for early 2006.
In March 2006, Fear & Respect was cancelled.
Midway was trying to save money, so trimming the GTA clone had to be done.
Midway went defunct four years later in 2010.
Trailer from E3 2005
http://au.ign.com/articles/2005/02/12/fear-respect-exposed
https://www.gamespot.com/articles/fear-and-respect-impressions/1100-6118815/
https://www.gamespot.com/articles/midway-growth-slows-fear-and-respect-slips-to-06/1100-6123926/
https://www.gamespot.com/articles/fear-and-respect-goes-up-in-smoke/1100-6145177/
https://www.unseen64.net/2008/04/05/fear-respect-cancelled/
#############################################################################
Fear Effect: Inferno
Fear Effect: Inferno is a cancelled PS2 game from Kronos Digital Entertainment.
It was to be the third game in the Fear Effect series.
Expected release date: Winter 2002, then Spring 2003, then Summer 2003
Official UK PlayStation 2 Magazine issue 23 (August 2002)
Inferno was to feature our lovely lesbian cops, Hana and Rain.
Deke and Glas are back as well.
The game was to take place two years after the first game (since Retro Helix is a prequel).
The boss of the Triad, Minx, threatens to kill Rain if Hana stops working for him.
Yim Lau Wong would be involved as well in some way.
Official UK PlayStation 2 Magazine issue 31 (March 2003)
Fear Effect: Inferno would have followed the formula of the first two games...
... fast combat, guns, gore, sexual tension, horror, and cinematic cutscenes.
You would have been able to play all four characters: Hana, Rain, Deke, and Glas.
In fact, all four of those characters are in a relationship with another in the team.
A love triangle forms between Hana, Rain, and Glas. Deke also gets it on with Rain.
Electronic Gaming Monthly issue 165 (April 2003)
Fear Effect: Inferno was cancelled by Edios Interactive in 2003 due to quality measures.
The delayed development gave Eidos pause for thought. In the end they axed it.
Kronos was hoping another publisher would bite. None heeded the call.
Eidos was more interested in Tomb Raider than Fear Effect.
Kronos Digital Entertainment went defunct in 2002.
Fear Effect is coming back with Fear Effect Sedna.
It is a sequel to the first game but not related to Inferno.
If you're a fan of Fear Effect, don't play Sedna. It's a bit on the shit side.
Trailer from E3 2003
https://www.gamespot.com/articles/e3-2002fear-effect-inferno-impressions/1100-2867985/
https://www.gamespot.com/articles/fear-effect-inferno-on-hold/1100-6028687/
http://au.ign.com/articles/2004/02/06/missing-in-action-the-lost-games-of-the-playstation-2-part-i?page=2
http://au.ign.com/articles/2002/05/23/e3-2002-fear-effect-inferno
http://turningpointweb.com/fe3-informations/
https://www.unseen64.net/2008/04/19/fear-effect-inferno-ps2-cancelled/
#############################################################################
Ferrari 360 Challenge
Ferrari 360 Challenge is a cancelled PS2 and PC game from Brain in a Jar.
It was to a racing game based on the slick new Ferrari at the the, the Ferrari 260.
Expected release date: 2000/2001
Official Spanish PlayStation Magazine issue 43 (July 2000)
It was to be a celebrated time for gear-heads.
The Ferrari license was difficult to obtain for video games.
Not only that but it was the dawn of an exciting kit of hardware: the PS2.
Acclaim was proud to announce two Ferrari game, but there was that financial snag.
The cost of the Ferrari license was too prohibitive.
To save costs, they surrendered the rights and cancelled the game in August of 2000.
Gameplay trailer
https://www.gamespot.com/articles/ferrari-360-challenge-preview/1100-2565328/
http://au.ign.com/articles/2000/05/25/ferrari-360-challenge
http://au.ign.com/articles/2000/07/21/ferrari-360-challenge-interview
https://www.unseen64.net/2013/03/09/ferrari-360-challenge-ps2-cancelled
#############################################################################
Fire Emblem 64
Fire Emblem 64 is a cancelled 64DD game by Intelligent Systems.
It's eventual name became Fire Emblem: Maiden of Darkness.
Expected release date: late 1998, then 1999
N64 Magazine issue 6 (September 1997)
Announced in 1997 it was to created for the 64DD and make full use of the hardware.
However, the 64DD flopped commercially.
The game was then reworked into the GBA game Fire Emblem: The Binding Blade.
There are quite a few differences between the 64DD version and the GBA version.
You can read about them in the Nintendo Everything link below, if you like that sort of thing.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fire_Emblem#Cancelled_games
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fire_Emblem:_The_Binding_Blade#Development
https://lostmediawiki.com/Fire_Emblem:_Maiden_of_Darkness_(cancelled_Nintendo_64DD_game;_1997-2000)
https://nintendoeverything.com/details-and-concept-art-for-the-cancelled-fire-emblem-64/nggallery/image/fe64-1/
https://www.unseen64.net/2008/09/26/fire-emblem-64/
#############################################################################
First Strike: Grant City Anti-Crime
First Strike is a cancelled PS2, Xbox, and GameCube game by Widescreen games.
It was to be a spinoff to Dead to Rights.
Expected release date: Winter 2003, then Q1 2004
Electronic Gaming Monthly issue 168 (August 2003)
This prequel was to show Grant City Anti-Crime's fall from grace.
You would play a member of the local SWAT team.
The aim of the game is to take down the criminal underbelly.
You would play missions in a three-man cell.
You would have had to look out for your teammates.
Electronic Gaming Monthly issue 175 (February 2004)
Being in a SWAT team, you have all sorts of goodies at your disposal.
You've got a variety of weapons and gagdets, like sniper rifles and night-vision goggles.
You can also call in the backup snipers for when you feel like cheating.
Yes, the game had an emphasis on stealth.
Stealth kills and silent communication with your squad yield success.
When that fails there is the ol' run-and-gun action.
Play (US) issue 24 (December 2003)
The game was cancelled when Namco Hometek had layoffs and redundancies.
Along with this game it also cancelled Plague of Darkness and an unannounced project.
Gameplay trailer
http://worthplaying.com/article/2003/10/9/news/13021
http://au.ign.com/articles/2003/05/09/e3-2003-extreme-force-first-look
http://au.ign.com/articles/2003/05/15/e3-2003-extreme-force-grant-city-anti-crime-hands-on
https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/redundancies-at-namco-hometek-as-unnamed-project-is-dropped
https://www.unseen64.net/2008/04/15/extreme-force-xboxps2gc-cancelled/
#############################################################################
Flux
Flux was a cancelled PS1 and PC game from Eight Cylinder and Pulse Entertainment.
It is a 3D platformer with sci-fi gravity-based action.
Expected release date: 1997 then Spring 1998, then 1999
Playmag issue 8 (November 1996)
The game started off as a bright colourful throwback to the silent comedy films.
You play as Simon, on a quest to do rescue hostages from Dr Death Vac.
He has taken them to the parallel dimension named Flux.
There was to be five unique worlds.
Each rescued hostage would reveal a new clue about Dr. Death Vac.
It tuns out Vac was a former employee who inflated his head and got fired and wants revenge.
When Pulse went defunct, their offshoot Eight Cylinder got the rights to Flux.
They revamped the game into a more sci-fi affair.
PSM issue 8 (April 1998)
Game studios Pulse and 7th Level formed two teams: P7 Solutions and Eight Cylinder.
Pulse and 7th Level were to merge in 1997 but that plan was cancelled.
Eight Cylinder sought Psygnosis to publish the game. No dice. Game ends there.
Microsoft did end up publishing a game called Flux soon after this game's cancellation.
It's probably just a coincidence since that game is totally different to this one.
https://web.archive.org/web/19971015233028/http://www.badmojo.com/html/flux.htm#fluxmain
https://web.archive.org/web/19971015233637/http://www.badmojo.com/my_html/flxintro.htm
#############################################################################
Foo
Foo is a cancelled PC game by Idol FX.
It was to like Spy vs Spy but set in ancient China
Expected release date: Q1 2003, then Q3 2003
PC Zone issue 124 (January 2003)
The goal is clear: loot the palace and escape before dawn.
You can play five different characters, each with their own perks.
These characters are: the Dragon, the Tiger, the Ape, the Panda, The Bunny and the Rat.
Each palace would be randomly generated each time.
There are others that are looting the same palace, so you must lay traps for them.
The more traps you carry the less treasure you can carry, so you'll need to play smart.
The single player campaign has ten levels.
Some of these involves rescue missions; others are just straight-up looting.
Multiplayer bouts are won by trapping your opponent more often than you got trapped before dawn.
Foo was cancelled around 2003.
Probably so Idol FX could work on Drake of the 99 Dragons. Pffft!
Their intended publisher, Singularity Software, went defunct around 2004.
https://web.archive.org/web/20030616091232/http://www.idolfx.se/foo.html
https://web.archive.org/web/20030802022031/http://www.foo-game.com/uk/index.html
https://www.gamespot.com/articles/foo-announced/1100-2885321/
https://www.worthplaying.com/article/2003/6/12/interviews/10602/
#############################################################################
Force of One / Technomancer
Force of One, then later on Technomancer, was a cancelled PS2, Xbox, GC, and PC game by Qube.
It was the tech company's attempt to put their 3D technology to interactive use.
Expected release date: November 2000, then December 2000, then April 2001, then 2003
Playmag issue 47 (May 2000)
You would play as Fairlight. Your job is to kidnap a special man who can change the world.
The gameplay was going to be team-based strategy. Like an X-COM game?
The game world was to be a mix of the Matrix and cyberpunk sci-fi called the Calcaphon.
Work began in June 1999. The project was cancelled in May 2001.
Superjuegos issue 98 (June 2000)
By 2001 all the next gen was out, so the project became Technomancer: A Calcaphon Adventure.
Development was shifted to include the Xbox and GameCube.
The plot was updated: you are now Jan Seth, a mercenary hacker for hire.
So was the aethetics: rather than sci-fi the game is set in the Citadel, like Ancient Egypt.
So did the gameplay: now it was stealth survival-horror shooter.
The game was cancelled in late 2002 or so.
All in all it was a tech demo. Qube made a few 'qdemo' demos with the game's assets.
In late 2019 a prototype of the game was released. Download link is below.
https://hiddenpalace.org/Technomancer:_A_Calcaphon_Adventure_(Aug_12,_2002_prototype)
https://web.archive.org/web/20020602140600/http://qubesoft.com/games/calcaphon.php
https://web.archive.org/web/20021205221155/http://qubesoft.com/qdemo/
https://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=fi&u=https://muropaketti.com/pelit/peliartikkelit/e3-2000-force-of-one-qube-software/&prev=search
https://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=de&u=https://ogdb.eu/index.php%3Fsection%3Dtitle%26titleid%3D38602&prev=search
https://www.unseen64.net/2013/07/07/force-of-one-prototype-ps2-pc/
https://www.unseen64.net/2012/09/18/technomancer-cancelled-xbox-ps2-pc/
#############################################################################
Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse
Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse was a cancelled PS2, Xbox, GameCube, and PC game from 3DO.
The game was to be a third person post-apocalyptic type of game.
Expected release date: September 2002, then September 2003, then Fall 2003, then TBA 2004
Australian XBM issue 4
Development for Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse began in the year 2000.
3DO announced the game in July 2002 and showed it off at Comic-Con in August 2002.
You would play as Abaddon as he guides his fellow survivors to kill the horsemen.
Abaddon would utilize a combination of short-range and long-range attacks, depending on weapons equipped.
Heroes:
Abaddon, voiced by Lance Henriksen, was the fallen archangel who can't go to Heaven or Hell.
Jesse Horner, voiced by Courtenay Taylor, is a prostitute healer-type.
Jimmy Ray Flint is a mass murderer who can see the truly evil.
Anderson Scott, the corrupt senator, can use his oral skills to play both sides.
The four horsemen of the apocalypse are the bosses:
War is a machine-type monster with a gun for an arm
Pestilence, voiced by Traci Lords, is the femme fatale with hair that can kill
Famine is a scary lanky type with a mouth for a belly
Death is the grim reaper himself, with a sickle for an arm
Satan, voiced by Tim Curry, is the final boss (I think)
Electronic Gaming Monthly issue 163 (June 2003)
GamePro issue 177 (June 2003)
The game had a $8m budget and was 3DO's first M-rated game.
Simon Bisley and Dave DeVries were allowed artistic freedom.
They crafted an awesome dark world with amazing character design.
Cloth physics, flowing hair physics, and Bisley's paintings as artwork textures...
The game was very ambitious.
A bit too ambitious for its own good.
The game went down when 3DO went down.
3DO went bankrupt in May 2003, taking Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse with it.
By then the game was too much of a risk for other publishers to accept.
It was estimated it would require another $5m to finish the project
Despite the game being dead, the license lives on.
The game project spawned a range of graphic novels. Check them out.
http://www.fourhorsemenoftheapocalypse.com/
Beta demo
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Four_Horsemen_of_the_Apocalypse_(video_game)
http://au.ign.com/articles/2002/10/29/four-horsemen-of-the-apocalypse
http://au.ign.com/articles/2004/03/26/missing-in-action-the-lost-games-of-the-pc-part-1?page=2
http://au.ign.com/articles/2004/02/12/missing-in-action-the-lost-games-of-the-playstation-2-part-iii
http://ps2.gamespy.com/playstation-2/four-horsemen-of-the-apocalypse/498985p1.html
https://www.unseen64.net/2008/04/15/4horsemen-apocalypse-cancelled/
#############################################################################
Freak Boy
Freak Boy was a cancelled Nintendo 64 game by Zono Incorporated and then Burst Studio.
It was an weird platformer game that involved morphing to solve puzzles.
Expected release date: Q4 1996, then Q1 1997, then May/June 1997, then Spring 1997, then Q4 1997, then Q1 1998, then July 1998, then late 1998, then TBA
Electronic Gaming Monthly issue 84 (July 1996)
Freak Boy started off as Stacker for the PS1 in May 1996.
This was to be Virgin Interactive's answer to Mario 64.
The plot has our hero Freak Boy having to save Earth by absorbing objects to morph to solve puzzles and destroy the alien invaders.
The game was shown at E3 1996 as a rolling demo, not in playable form.
Zono Incorporated wanted an edgy Kirby, with over 50 enemies and 25 levels.
Electronic Gaming Monthly Issue 86 (September 1996
64 Extreme issue 1 (March-April 1997)
Around January 1997, Virgin Interactive ordered an entire redesign.
Zono Incorporated ragequit and Burst Studio took on the reins.
Absorbing items changes the properties of your head, chest, and legs.
With up to three equippable items at once, that's a lot of bug testing to do.
[Freak Boy didn't show at E3 1997.
In October of 1997 the game underwent a second redesign. The project was on indefinite hold.
Electronic Gaming Monthly issue 137 (December 2000)
The game was going in too many different directions. The result was a super delayed game, doomed to be outdated and obsolete upon launch.
In September 2015 someone purchased a prototype of Freak Boy from a car boot sale.
https://hiddenpalace.org/Freak_Boy_(Prototype)
E3 1996 beta footage
https://www.youtube.com/watch?list=PLset2SSaMDEuf1sVqc1dPgR0R00ubqGxg&v=hfNFMP25x_M
Playlist of clips from the prototype buyer.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freak_Boy
http://au.ign.com/articles/1997/10/17/freak-boy
http://au.ign.com/articles/1997/05/13/freak-boy-wont-show-at-e3
http://au.ign.com/articles/1997/10/18/freak-boy-fate-late-98
http://au.ign.com/articles/1999/01/28/what-ever-happened-to-freak-boys
http://www.nintendolife.com/news/2015/10/apparent_prototype_of_unreleased_n64_game_found_at_uk_sale
https://web.archive.org/web/19961221021856/http://www.n64.com:80/previews/7.html
https://www.unseen64.net/2008/04/04/freak-boy-n64-cancelled/
#############################################################################
Freelancer 2120
Freelancer 2120 is a cancelled Jaguar CD, PC, PS1 game by Imagitec Design.
Freelancer 2120: The Asaka Contract, its full name, was to be the killer app for the Jaguar CD.
Expected release date: late 1994, then AQ 1995, then 1996
Described as the 'thinking-man's Doom', it was to be a sci-romp folr the ages.
When the Jaguar CD flopped, development was moved to the PS1.
Like a lot of original games Imagitec started, this one failed to get off the ground.
The likely reason is because the Atari Jaguar and CD was hard to program for.
Imagitec had invested two or so years into developing for it.
By then they had invested too much money to recoup the costs.
https://web.archive.org/web/20170820164007/https://www.assemblergames.com/threads/freelancer-2120-imagitec-design-pc-jaguar-possibly-amiga.66482/
https://web.archive.org/web/20170811000509/http://www.atarihq.com/jeo/jeo_0203.htm
#############################################################################
FUEL
FUEL is a cancelled Xbox and PC game from Firetoad Software.
It was to be a racing game in which you must do whatever it takes to win.
Expected release date: Fall 2002, then Spring 2006, then July 2006
Official UK Xbox Magazine issue issue 56 (June 2006)
The game started off as Everglade Rush.
At this stage the game was a racing game set in the swamplands.
You can find playable demos for download on the interwebs.
Midway through 2001, Miday contact Firetoad Software with some troubling news.
Miday owned the 'Rush' series, so the name had to be changed.
Thus the game was rechristened as 'FUEL' (yes, all caps are necessary).
The hovercraft concept was converted to also include ATVs; over 30 vehicles in total.
Over 30 distinct levels were considered, with over 15 of them being secret levels.
It was going to be the next big thing... but what happened?
At E3 2003, the game was taken back to the drawing board.
Improvements were made at the expense of a delay... 2006!
The game reappeared in 2006 as an sandbox type of game with destructible terrain.
In Feruary 2007 the game was officially cancelled. Accusing fingers were thrust everywhere.
Firetoad blamed Microsoft for phasing out the original Xbox with the new Xbox 360.
Then they blamed their publisher DreamCatcher for making them redo many things.
Either way, had the game come out in 2006, it wouldn't have faired much against the rest.
In 2009 Codemasters released a game called FUEL. The games are pretty damn similar.
Firetoad themselves weren't bothered; all they wanted was credit for inspiration.
Let's recap this journey with a timeline:
* March 19th, 1999 -> first reveal of Everglade Rush
* June 3rd, 1999 -> Everglade Rush officially announced
* October 20th, 1999 -> Everyglade Rush public demo released
* May 6th, 2000 -> NSD Entertainment officially changed its name to Firetoad Software
* August 15th, 2000 -> Telefirm gives Firetoad a pre-production budget
* July 31, 2001 -> Midway contacts Firetoad. Game name is changed to 'FUEL'.
* October 11th, 2001 -> FUEL gets DreamCatchers as a publisher. Fall 2002 release date
* April 12th, 2002 -> FUEL is approved for Xbox
* October 15th, 2003 -> FUEL is reworked on, delaying it
* September 1st, 2004 -> FUEL gets its own website
* March 14th, 2005 -> FUEL is playable at the University of Calgary
* August 10th, 2005 -> Firetoad does a deal with Telefirm (probably more money)
* January 17th, 2006 -> new FUEL trailer is released
* February 12, 2007 -> FUEL is official cancelled
Time taken: almost 8 years, from conception to death
I even went through the effort of ripping and uploading the archived FUEL trailers!
E3 2003 trailer
2006 trailer
Here is a link to an architecture file I got from their website, converted to PDF:
https://www.mediafire.com/file/od4snsgoq3f8vky/fuel_architecture-converted.pdf/file
https://web.archive.org/web/20060114012629/http://www.fuelrace.com:80/about.htm
http://xbox.gamespy.com/xbox/fuel/
https://web.archive.org/web/20070218210330/http://xbox.gamezone.com:80/gamesell/p18386.htm
https://web.archive.org/web/20090602113659/http://www.firetoads.com:80/
https://www.unseen64.net/2008/04/15/fuel-xbox-unreleased/
#############################################################################
Full Throttle: Hell on Wheels
Full Throttle: Hell on Wheels is a cancelled PS2, Xbox, and PC game from LucasArts.
The game was a sequel to the first Full Throttle.
Expected release date: Q3 2003, then Spring 2003, then Q1 2004
GMR issue 1 (February 2003)
GMR issue 7 (August 2003)
Full Throttle: Hell on Wheels was announced at E3 2002 as Full Throttle II.
Hype was immediately built, as there had not been a Full Throttle game since 1995.
The game was to be more action-orientated to take advantage of the hardware.
Hell on Wheels was to be set in El Nada.
The roads have been mysteriously destroyed. Turns out it is more than just rival gangs behind it.
Australian XBM issue 4
Electronic Gaming Monthly issue 167 (June 2003)
At E3 2003 a playable demo was available at the LucasArts booth.
The negative reception it received did not bode well.
Around August 2003, Full Throttle: Hell on Wheels was cancelled.
Tim Schafer was too busy working on Psychonauts to be bothered.
Design-related issues piled up without Schafer's guidance and input.
Roy Conrad, voice actor for the protagonist Ben, died of lung cancer.
LucasArts had seen the writing on the wall and lost faith in adventure game.
Trailer
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Full_Throttle_(1995_video_game)#Cancelled_sequels
https://www.gamespot.com/articles/e3-2002-full-throttle-sequel-announced/1100-2866779/
https://www.gamespot.com/articles/first-look-full-throttle-hell-on-wheels/1100-6025557/
https://www.gamespot.com/articles/full-throttle-hell-on-wheels-e3-2003-preshow-report/1100-6027166/
http://au.ign.com/articles/2003/08/07/full-throttle-canned
http://www.adventureclassicgaming.com/index.php/site/features/376/
https://www.unseen64.net/2008/04/15/full-throttle-hell-on-wheels-xboxps2-cancelled/
#########################################################################
No comments:
Post a Comment