Cancelled video games project

This project concerns cancelled games in the range of 1995-2005.

Section:B

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B.C.

B.C. is a cancelled Xbox game from Intrepid Computer Entertainment.
The game was announced Microsoft's X01 Europe in 2001.

Expected release date: Q2 2003, then Autumn 2003, then Fall 2004, then 2005

Official UK Xbox Magazine issue 5 (July 2002)

Official Xbox Magazine issue 9 (August 2002)

You would play as a primitive human, hunting and gathering to feed yourself or your family.
Yes the game does have dinosaurs. Anachronisms aside, the game was hyped to hell.

B.C. was to be a simulation game, giving you the freedom to play as you see fit.
Once you learn skills, like fire-making, you pass this knowledge to your offspring.
Ergo the better and more efficient you play, the more advanced your tribe becomes.

There would be rival tribes to contend with.
They could batter you, take your resources, your women, your technology...
Kind of like what's happening in Europe right now.

XBM issue 8

GMR issue 1 (February 2003)

Edge issue 121 (March 2003)

B.C. was cancelled in October 2004 for being too ambitious.
Lionhead's resources went to more viable games, like Fable 2.

Peter Molyneux shed tears upon the game's cancellation.
He hoped to revive it. He still can. Maybe...

Over the years PtoPOnline has unveiled videos of B.C. in development.

Trailer from IGN

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLzFcQjiHTIuVJGUDWjKb0iy9m3jnt0ldd
Playlist of PtoPOnline videos of this game.

http://au.ign.com/articles/2004/10/22/bc-goes-mia
https://www.gamespot.com/articles/development-suspended-on-bc/1100-6111158/
https://www.unseen64.net/2008/04/16/bc-xbox-cancelled/

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Barb Wire

Barb Wire is a cancelled PS1, Saturn, and PC game from Cryo Interactive.
Yes, it is based on the god awful Pamela Anderson film.

Expected release date: Q1 1997

GamePro issue 86 (September 1996)

The gameplay would be a mixture of Doom and Resident Evil.
The screenshots make it look like you can swap between first person and third person.

You can play single player or two-player.
One person would play Barb and the other player is a boss.
Chances are it was a basic deathmatch mode on multiplayer maps.

GamePro issue 92 (March 1997)

GT Interactive likely cancelled the game due to the movie bombing at the box office.
They dropped the game faster than Pam ditched her implants.

http://playstationmuseum.com/video-game-graveyard/
http://www.segasaturno.com/portal/viewtopic.php?f=17&t=4012
https://www.unseen64.net/2008/04/11/barb-wire-psx-cancelled/

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BattleBots

Battle Bots is a cancelled PS2 and GameCube game from Warthog Games.
It was to based on the hit show of the same name.

Expected release date: February 2003

GamePro issue 174 (March 2003)

You could of created your own battle bot and duked it out with other killer bots.
You could also play as fan favourites from the show.
Familiar arenas from the show appear as well.

The game plays like Twisted Metal, with the arena littered with power ups.
Winning tournaments give more money to buy more deadly weaponry and decals.

The game got far enough in development for advertisements to appear in game mags.

The TV show ended at the very end of 2002.
The game was cancelled in early 2003.

Prototypes of the game were sold on the BattleBots website for around $300.
Sold out now, guv. Try eBay.

When the BattleBots show got revived in 2015, a copy of the game was purchased.
Here's hoping that gets dumped.

http://store.battlebots.com/index.php?route=product/category&path=154_156
https://assemblergames.com/threads/is-there-a-working-copy-of-the-battlebots-game.54347/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BattleBots_(video_game)
https://www.unseen64.net/2008/04/15/battle-bots-ps2gc-cancelled/

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Beavis & Butt-Head Do Hollywood

Beavis & Butt-Head Do Hollywood is a cancelled PS1 game by New Level.
Despite the name, the game is not at all an adaption of the movie.

Expected release date: February 1999

Electronic Gaming Monthly issue 111 (October 1998)

Electronic Gaming Monthly issue 114 (January 1999)

The plot here is after the movie they are penniless.
To afford the tickets home the boys sign up to a temp agency.
They have to do various tasks and objectives on various movie sets.

It can be assumed that each of the lads has a specific set of skills and attributes.
Much like the Oddworld games, you would use a Gamespeak function to communicate.
Perform tasks incorrectly and get called a fart-muncher and get slapped. Just like life.

Planet PlayStation issue 2 (February 1999)

Later on in the game's life the game was renamed to Beavis and Butt-Head: Get Big in Hollywood.
GT Interactive should have done that at the start to differentiate it from the movie.

By the year 2000 news of the game went as quiet as their skulls.
GT Interactive assured that it was being 'reworked' but it was cancelled to cut costs.

http://playstationmuseum.com/video-game-graveyard/
https://www.unseen64.net/2008/04/11/beavis-butthead-psx-cancelled/

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Beneath

Beneath is a cancelled PC and PS1 game by Presto Studios.
It is like Tomb Raider but set in the far icy north.

Expected release date: Early 1999, then Spring 1999, then Q2 1999, then Summer 1999

PC PowerPlay issue 28 (September 1998)

Beneath is set in 1906 in the Arctic.
You play as Jack Wells, on a quest to find his missing father.

A PS1 version was worked on for a while before resources focused solely on a PC version.
I guess they couldn't bare facing against Lara Croft on two systems (PS1 and PC).

PC Zone issue 68 (October 1998)

There are 12 large complex levels to explore.
As you venture into the mountains you will find a lost civilization, a real Shangri-La.

The gameplay is in line with a Tomb Raider game, almost pre-Uncharted in places.
Jack wears a motion-powered lamp on his shoulder. Keep moving to keep the light on.
Too bad some creatures, like spiders, are triggered by the light.

Jack's trusty rope is also an essential tool.
Like Indiana Jones, he can use it to whip foes and swing across chasms.
Whip it good.

Next Generation issue 48 (December 1998)

Beneath was to be Presto Studios' first 3D game.
It was an ambitious project.

The rooms were not based on a 90° angle grid, allowing for more natural environments.
Texture wrapping ensured better looking objects, especially models.
This game was to be the Tomb Raider beater.

Arcade issue 2 (January 1999)

Next Generation issue 56 (August 1999)

Beneath kept getting delayed.
At first it was because of game engine issues.
The next delay came the release of Indiana Jones and the Infernal Machine, a similar game.

Ultimately, Beneath was cancelled due to scheduling conflicts.
A lack of proper scheduling led to slips in development and then its demise.
A shame because this game could have been fun.

Trailer from 1999

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beneath_(video_game)
http://thejourneymanproject.com/presto/beneath/
https://www.playdome.hu/hirek/49037/felbehagyott-fejlesztesek-beneath

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Big Brother

Big Brother is a cancelled PC game by Newspeak for the publisher Media-X.
It was an adventure game based on the classic novel Nineteen Eighty-Four.

Expected release date: September 1998, then Q1 1999, then Spring 1999

Next Generation issue 48 (December 1998)

The plot revolves around Eric's quest to free your fiancee Emma from the Ministry of Love.
You would meet various characters on your quest: some in a resistance, some working against you.
Your job was to join the "Hacker Underground" and take down Big Brother.

It was to be a sequel of sorts to the original novel.
Spread out over twelve levels, it might have been good.

Wired November 1998

PC Games issue 78 (March 1999)

Although the game seemed to be getting along, the game was cancelled in early 1999.
The trademark for the game was abandoned circa April 1999.
The reason for this is that Media-X lost the licensing rights.

The developers, Newspeak, aimed to get the game published.
The game however was never published, however. It is unknown how far in the game ever got.
Newspeak itself likely went out of business soon after.

https://web.archive.org/web/20000303143145f/http://www.mediax.com/f_whats.htm
https://web.archive.org/web/20010813074751/http://big-brother.com/Licensing.htm
https://trademark.trademarkia.com/big-brother-75497071.html
https://www.unseen64.net/2019/01/18/big-brother-george-orwell-1984-video-game-cancelled

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Big Guns / Exodus

Big Guns is a cancelled PS1 game from Neversoft.
The game was a third person mech shooter.

Expected release date: January 1998, then April 1998

In 1996 Neversoft began working on Big Guns.
Shiny Entertainment were impressed enough to allow Neversoft to do a port of MDK.
Neversoft continued tinkering with Big Guns.

In late 1996 Neversoft sold the idea of Big Guns to SCEA.
The technology they built for the game was later used for the PS1 port of MDK.

Sony took Big Guns and retitled it to Exodus.
They changed the game from a mech shooter to an action game.
The protagonist was changed from a mech to a girl who morphed into a catgirl.

Exodus was eventually cancelled in November 1997.
Interactive Sampler 4 has a video of this game.
You can find a download link in the links below.

https://web.archive.org/web/20141107190743/http://www.ign.com/games/big-guns/ps-822199
http://playstationmuseum.com/review/exodus
https://www.emuparadise.me/Sony_Playstation_-_Demos_ISOs/Interactive_CD_Sampler_Volume_4_[U]_[PBPX-95002]/138728
https://www.unseen64.net/2010/04/27/big-guns-exodus-psx-cancelled/

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Black 9

Black 9/Black9 is a cancelled PS2, Xbox, and PC game by Taldren.
It might look like your standard third person shooter but it was to be a bit more than that.

Expected release date: Fall 2003, then November 2003

Electronic Gaming Monthly issue 166 (May 2003)

The year is 2081. You play as a ruthless mercenary, scorned by his employers.
The eponymous Black 9 are the different sects of the Illuminati, fighting for control.
They are using you to do their dirty deeds.

The missions would take you around the world, from Hong Kong, to the moon, and to Mars.
Completing missions gives attributes and skill points.
From there you can build your character to suit your play-style.

Computer Gaming World issue 226 (May 2003)

The weapons were the standard fare, but the fun is in the vehicles you can drive.
The game is built on the Unreal Warfare engine, so yes they did pinch some ideas from UT2003.

You also had spells and skills you can use. These costs chi.
You can use skills like Urban Tracking to find chi, or you can swing like in Bionic Commando.
There was to be five classes of spells: four elemental, and one called Drain.

GamePro Issue 177 (June 2003)

Multiplayer was also on the table.
Co-op mode was a given but its unknown if its splitscreen or not.
The 16 player combat scenarios hark back to Halo, but objectives are more like Counter Strike.

Overall this was a game to look out for.
Not a killer app but maybe as a holdover until Halo 2 was released, or whatever.

Official UK Xbox Magazine issue 20 (September 2003)

Black 9 was cancelled at around 80-85% completion when Taldren went under.
Sounds simple enough, but there is a dark story behind its folding.

Taldren and Majesco worked on a contract but hadn't signed anything together.
Majesco would demand big things from Taldren but would not pay them for reaching milestones.
They would even send producers around to watch everything. Taldren wanted out.

Majesco sent over two 'programmer assistants' to the Taldren studio.
Turns out their real purpose was to upload the game's source code in the dead of night.
Probing questions hurled their way saw Taldren seek an exit.

Taldren almost hopped over to Vivendi, until Vivendi reorganized and froze acquisitions.
Majesco called Taldren over to New Jersey for a talk. It was actually a set up.
Majesco stated it was no longer going to pay Taldren.

Xbox Nation issue 10 (October-November 2003)

PC Zone issue 142 (June 2004)

The development team was to be laid off. The founders of Taldren would be offered jobs.
It was a scare tactic that didn't work. Taldren had too much honour to slave away for free.
They voluntarily shut down the studio.

Majesco was shocked. They dun goofed. For this fiasco, their shareholders sued them.
The lawsuit saw that many of Majesco's executive board was kicked out.
It's a different company now. That'll teach them some manners.

tl;dr:
* Majesco demands too much
* Majesco doesn't pay when goals are hit
* Majesco sends over two guys who steal the source code
* Taldren tries to leave
* Majesco tries to scare Taldren into working for free
* Taldren spites them by closing down
* Majesco gets sued by its shareholders

Stevie Case has a build of the game in her possession.
Given the emotional trauma and upsetting memories within, it might not be dumped.
Maybe sold though; green is a brighter colour than blue.

Trailer

https://web.archive.org/web/20040804152808/http://www.black-9.com/index.html
http://talonbrave.info/?p=1484#more-1484
http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/video-games/issues/issue_150/4921-Cyberpunked-the-Fall-of-Black9
http://au.ign.com/articles/2003/02/13/majesco-announces-black-9
http://au.ign.com/articles/2003/03/26/black-9
http://au.ign.com/articles/2004/06/28/black-9-officially-canceled
http://au.ign.com/articles/2004/06/30/more-on-the-taldren-closure
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Majesco_Entertainment#History
https://www.unseen64.net/2008/04/15/black-9-xboxps2-cancelled/

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Black ICE / White Noise

Black ICE / White Noise is a cancelled Atari Jaguar CD game by Kelp Entertainment.
It is also known as Chaos Agenda.

Expected release date: May 1995, then late 1995, the July 1996, then 1996

Computer & Video Games issue 166 (September 1995)

The game takes place in a futuristic San Francisco.
You would play as a cyberpunk, who can either fight crime or engage in crime.

The game was to play like a 3D Grand Theft Auto game.
A sandbox game with hacking and piloting hover cars... the game was ahead of its time.

One element of the game was the 'C-Space', or cyberspace.
Hacking a la System Shock would allow you to erase your criminal history, or unlock things.

Black ICE / White Noise was touted as a fighting game.
There were plans for a six-button controller peripheral to help with those scenes.

Atari was keen on the idea and spent a lot of money and effort getting it done.
This game was supposed to be the Jaguar's mascot game; their own Mario or Sonic.

The game was cancelled when the Jaguar under-performed and Atari filed for bankruptcy.

In 2002 some builds of the game, as well as the soundtrack, were made available.
https://hiddenpalace.org/Black_Ice_/_White_Noise_(Prototype)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_ICE%5CWhite_Noise
http://www.cyberroach.com/jaguarcd/html/blackice.htm
http://www.bjwest.com/BIWN/
http://www.angelfire.com/freak/ambient/projects.html
http://www.ataritimes.com/index.php?ArticleIDX=347
https://www.unseen64.net/2008/05/12/chaos-agenda-atari-jaguar-unreleased/

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Blade & Barrel

Blade & Barrel is a cancelled Nintendo 64 game from Kemco and Software Creations.
It is known as Ultra Combat in the US. Blade & Barrel is the Japanese title.

Expected release date: Q4 1996, then Q2 1997, then May 1997, then Q4 1997

Electronic Gaming Monthly issue 86 (September 1996)

Blade & Barrel is a helicopter fighter game.
Blade & Barrel was to be the first 3D sim/shooter for the N64, as a European launch game.
Many obstacles stood in its way.

There are 20 levels, each with a common objective: destroy everything.
Destroy buildings and tanks but don't be destroyed yourself.

Next Generation issue 22 (October 1996)

Multiplayer was a big draw to the game.
Four players can duke it out at once in city arenas.
Unfortunately it is limited to one person flying, the other person shooting.

Blade & Barrel did not receive great praise at Nintendo's Shoshinkai event.
Attendees criticised the graphics, controls, and gameplay.
The game was delayed further to overhaul the game.

N64 Magazine issue 1 (April 1997)

By late 1997 the game was abandoned.
Kemco took elements from the game and made Knife Edge: Nose Gunner.

Clip from the VHS tape that came with issue 1 of N64 magazine

https://web.archive.org/web/19961221021652/http://www.n64.com:80/previews/25.html
http://au.ign.com/articles/1997/04/02/ultra-combat-back-to-drawing-board
https://www.gamespot.com/articles/n64-third-party-tidal-wave/1100-2467065/
http://www.nintendo64ever.com/Nintendo-64-Game-Blade-_-Barrel-Unreleased,409.html
https://www.unseen64.net/2008/04/04/blade-barrel-ultra-combat-cancelled

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Blades of Rage

Blades of Rage is a cancelled PS1, Saturn and PC game by Ocean Software.
It was to be a helicopter flight sim with some Ace Combat mixed in.

Expected release date: October 1995, then Q4 1996

GamePro Spring 1996 issue

The aim of the game is to pilot your helicopter around and do a variety of jobs.
These range from transporting cargo and people, to shooting down targets.

You could of piloted up to six customizable choppers.
Each can be tailor fit with weapons to suit the task.

Ocean Software was acquired by Infogrames in 1996.
The shakeup to the company likely caused this game to be scrapped.

Question: was this game reworked into Viper?
It was one of the last games from Ocean before being renamed to Infogrames United Kingdom.
It's still a helicopter game, but rather than shooting at bad guys it's aliens. Hmmm...

https://segaretro.org/Blades_of_Rage
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ocean_Software

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Bloodshot

Bloodshot is a cancelled PS1, Nintendo 64, and PC game by Iguana Entertainment for Acclaim.
It was to be based on the comic book hero of the same name.

Expected release date: 1998/1998

Edge issue 63 (October 1998)

You would of played as Bloodshot, a secret government experiment.
The plot is mostly unknown, but probably might have been loosely based off the storyline.

The game started off for the PC, with a PS1 and N64 port in the works.
The PS1 version became the lead version, with the PC version being the port.
The N64 version was dropped, probably due to lack of interest or technical specs.

Next Generation issue 47 (November 1998)

Official UK PlayStation Magazine issue 39 (December 1998)

The whole affair of reversing the builds meant that the project was seriously set back.
Iguana settled for dropping the project and working on Shadow Man.
If its any consolation, Bloodshot is an unlockable character in Shadow Man.

https://www.gamespot.com/articles/acclaim-briefs/1100-2462757/
https://www.gamestm.co.uk/features/oculus-rift-does-it-live-up-to-the-hype/
http://cyplexia.net/games-development/bloodshot

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Boom TV

Boom TV is a cancelled PS2 game from PictureHouse Software.
Sadly, the game's chances of getting released went boom.

The game is set in an imaginary TV game show.
It was all about demolishing buildings.

The game was cancelled in early 2002 due to the marketing department not 'getting it'.
True beauty is never understood in its time.

After Boom TV was cancelled, PictureHouse got to work on Lemmings Forever.
Lemmings Forever was cancelled when PictureHouse Software closed in October 2003.
PictureHouse Software only released one game in its lifespan: Terracon.

Despite the company going defunct in 2003, their website stayed up until September 2005.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/sean-scaplehorn-30473a31/
https://www.unseen64.net/2008/04/15/boom-tv-cancelled

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Boomtown

Boomtown is a cancelled Xbox and PC game by LogicalVice.
It was to be a Wild West sorcery action game.

Expected release date: Q3 2004

You were probably Billy the Kid but you can choose what side of the law to play on.
There was to be sixteen gunfighters to take down.
Locations would have included frontier towns, forts, Indian villages, and a witchcraft places.

There was to be a ton of weapons, from realistic guns and melee to more magical ones.
The magical spells would have included curses, healing, fireballs, and summoning spells.
You can mix and match gear and skills for up to 25 different combinations.

Game modes would of included Last Man Standing, Dueling, Siege, or 25 Card Draw.
Mutiplayer was also discussed.

Boomtown was cancelled in in mid-2003.
Some demos, both single-player and multiplayer, were hosted for download.
They were hosted on both the website and PlanetUnreal.com -- backups please!

Timeline:
1999: Boomtown conceived
September 2001: LogicalVice formed
2002: LogicalVice became incorporated
April 2002: single-player beta demo released on website (backup please!)
May 2003: game officially announced
July 2003: multiplayer demo released (backup please!)
late 2003: game cancelled
late 2004: the website goes kaput

https://web.archive.org/web/20031003193334/http://www.logicalvice.com/main.htm
https://web.archive.org/web/20050219171635/http://www.homelanfed.com/index.php?id=14464
http://distortions.com/portfolio/index.php/g_boomtown-248268794
https://www.gamespot.com/articles/first-look-boomtown/1100-6029210/
https://www.unseen64.net/2008/04/15/boomtown-xbox-proto-cancelled/

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Boundless Adventures

Boundless Adventures is a cancelled PC MMOPRG by Boundless Entertaining.

It was to be a 3D medieval adventure MMO.

Expected release date: 2002

There was to be a storyline series of quests, with lots of sidequests.

There were no set spawn points for the NPCs. How fun.

You could even submit a quest to the Quest Team for consideration.

Character progression would be done skill-based, not levelling-based.

There was to be over 400 skills!

There was to be no set classes to choose from; you can do any skill no matter the weapons.

Deities exist in the game and may present themselves to the worthy.

You will encounter various deities as you advance the main storyline.

The game was trying to ride the waves of early 2000s MMOs but it languished in development hell.

Their small dev team dwindled down as employees and volunteers left.

Five years after it was announced, Boundless Adventures was cancelled in 2006.

https://web.archive.org/web/20030801203919/http://boundless-adventures.com/default.asp

https://web.archive.org/web/20030815112030/http://boundless-adventures.com/pressrelease.asp

https://web.archive.org/web/20080207015034/http://www.boundless-adventures.com/home.asp?reso=2

https://rpgdot.rpgwatch.com/localhost/rpgdot.rpgwatch.com/httpdocs/indexbcf4.html?hsaction=10075&games=616

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Breaker

Breaker is a cancelled PS2 game from Tecmo.
It was have been an online co-op squad-based experience.

Expected release date: 2003, then 2004

Official UK PlayStation 2 Magazine issue 27 (December 2002)

The plot revolves around Mars. Four soldiers are tasked to take out the aliens and rebels.
Gameplay would be in two teams of four: one team plays the soldiers, the other team plays the aforementioned aliens or rebels.

Breaker was unveiled at the Tokyo Game Show 2002.
All that was shown was the official logo and some screenshots.

Edge issue 117 (December 2002)

The game was shown again at E3 2004, and then at TGS2004 in playable form.
That was the last time Breaker was seen again.
It is theorized the reason the game was canned was because PS2 online wasn't big as Xbox Live.

http://au.ign.com/articles/2002/09/20/tgs-2002-breaker
http://www.meristation.com.mx/noticias/tecmo--online--ps2--breaker/1628553&prev=search
https://www.unseen64.net/2008/04/16/breaker-ps2-cancelled/

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Buggy Boogie

Buggy Boogie/Buggie Boogie is a cancelled N64 game from Angel Studios.
It was to be Miyamoto's answer to Carmageddon.

Expected release date: Q3-Q4 1997, then Summer 1998

Edge issue 29 (February 1995)

N64 Magazine issue 11 (January 1998)

Buggy Boogy started off as a robot-building gladiator combat game a la Robot Wars.
The game seemed impressive; the vehicles looked nice and damage done/taken was visible.
It was going for the realism angle.

Buggy Boogy was retooled to be a cutesy racing game.
This version was unveiled at E3 1997.
Two years of work, just to be reworked into a doomed project.

The game was upgraded to the 64DD add-on.
Yeah, it was doomed from that point on.

Computer and Video Games issue 171 (February 1996)

Buggy Boogie was cancelled when Miyamoto declared the game to not be fun.
What a shame; the game went from an Ultra 64 launch game and went through two builds.
Then Miyamoto made Angel Studios work on a fantasy golf game... that was also cancelled.

Very short gameplay trailer

https://web.archive.org/web/19970405180552/http://www.n64.com:80/previews/30.html
http://au.ign.com/articles/1997/07/16/buggie-boogies-to-64dd
http://www.nintendolife.com/news/2012/02/see_rockstar_and_miyamotos_unreleased_n64_project
http://www.nintendo64ever.com/Nintendo-64-Game-Buggie-Boogie-Unreleased,410.html
https://www.unseen64.net/2008/04/04/buggy-boogie-n64-proto-cancelled

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Bulletproof Monk

Bulletproof Monk is a cancelled PS2, Xbox, and GameCube game by Mucky Foot Productions.It was indeed a movie tie-in with the movie of the same name.Expected release date: December 2003, then Q1 2004

PSW issue 19 (July 2001)

You would play as Kar, a regular guy, until you save a wandering monk with no name,You both team up with a sexy chick named Bad Girl.Together you must take out the ultimate evil... The game would be arena-combat focused .There was to be fifteen arenas to fight in.The game was announcing in February 2003.Mucky Foot went defunct in November 2003.
Even then the publisher was committed to getting it released, but dropped it anyways.