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Lost in Limbo 2016 Edition: Where Are These Hyped Games?
Every year, you'll find them. A handful of games existing only as announcement trailers slip through the cracks, never to be heard from for months, sometimes years. E3 is a bombastic trade event that showcases some the most important game reveals in history. But it also sets the stage for reveals that go nowhere, dangling carrots of new role-playing or action games with no release date in sight. Some never get a release date; they fade away into the recesses of memory, only to be barely remembered when they're announced as canceled or still in development, long after the initial announcement excitement has worn off.
2015 solved a handful of the mysteries behind games gone missing. The next Mirror's Edge was revealed as Mirror's Edge Catalyst during E3 2015, and is slated to launch this May. We saw more Crackdown and Scalebound at tradeshows like Gamescom, both pinned with release windows of 2016 (though Scalebound was recently bumped to 2017). E3 also gave us a peek at the new Gears of War, currently referred to as Gears of War 4, and Lawbreakers, the new game from Cliff Bleszinski once known as Project Bluestreak. And the Shin Megami Tensei/Fire Emblem crossover project--Genei Ibun Roku #FE--launched in Japan in December and is being localized for international release.
But many games we were hungering for are still lost. Kingdom Hearts III, for example, is still in limbo; there has been a steady drip of information over the past year, but nothing substantial and no release window to speak of. And Silent Hills, the highly-anticipated collaboration between game designer Hideo Kojima and equally legendary director Guillermo del Toro, was flat-out canceled amid a relationship breakdown between Kojima Productions and publisher Konami.
We're still left pondering over the likes of CD Projekt Red's Cyberpunk 2077, the Phantom Dust reboo. Other titles have fared worse, with Dead Island 2 and Capcom's Deep Down. Whatever happened to these games? Will they ever see the light of day? Across these pages you'll find a comprehensive list of games gone missing, each with analysis on the fate of each project.
Note: The following list of games only includes projects that have been confirmed as in development and had some sort of public showing, so you won't see titles like Beyond Good and Evil 2 or Half-Life 3 here.
Cyberpunk 2077
Developed and published by CD Projekt Red
On our list last year was Cyberpunk 2077, a game based on the futuristic world of designer Mike Pondsmith's Cyberpunk tabletop series. The project was announced in May 2012--three years prior to the launch of CD Projekt's latest and most successful game to date, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt.
Cyberpunk 2077 is an action RPG about a degenerated, dystopian human society where cyborgs and mechanical enhancements are commonplace. According to its developers, the game will have a more mature tone and will intimately tie character customization to the plot. The story itself will be nonlinear and feature both first-person and third-person gameplay elements, as well as character classes and a feature where you must buy translators to understand NPCs speaking non-English languages. As of December, developers said the game had become "even more ambitious" than originally planned.
Teasers for Cyberpunk 2077 hit in October 2012, many of them featuring a scantily-clad woman with cybernetic augmentations protruding from her arms. In January 2013, CD Projekt shared a cinematic teaser, and later in the year confirmed the game would come to PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. The Witcher 3 was slated to launch in 2014, but was delayed twice, eventually launching in May 2015. During this time, CD Projekt Red said the delays did not affect development on Cyberpunk 2077. But when asked about the project's status last January, the studio told GameSpot they were focused solely on the Witcher.
But the same month The Witcher 3 launched, CD Projekt announced that they wouldn't be ready to discuss Cyberpunk 2077 until 2017 at the earliest. "This year, and the next one will be the years of the Witcher," CEO Adam Kicinski said in an interview. "We hope and we are certain that Cyberpunk has even bigger commercial potential. It is too early to talk about it, though."
The last word: We reached out to CD Projekt Red again this month, and they again reaffirmed they are only focusing on The Witcher at this time.
"Our main focus is still The Witcher and the upcoming expansions (plenty of really fresh stuff inside, I promise!)," head of PR Robert Malinowski told GameSpot. "Until the dust settles, I'm afraid my lips need to remain sealed about Cyberpunk 2077."
EverQuest Next
Developed and published by Daybreak Game Company (formerly Sony Online Entertainment)
EverQuest Next and its player creation-focused companion expansion, Everquest Next Landmark, were announced at SOE Live in 2013. The following year it was confirmed that the title would come to PlayStation 4 as well as PC, and in March 2014 Landmark entered its beta phase.
The latest in the legendary fantasy MMORPG franchise is not a sequel or prequel to its predecessors; rather, it takes place in a world parallel to that of the other games. Some locations and characters would be familiar, but storylines would differ. Landmark, the game's world-building tool allows players to create everything from consumables to dwellings to use in the main game.
That all changed, however, in February 2015, when Sony sold off Everquest developer Sony Online Entertainment to investment company Columbus Nova. The studio was renamed Daybreak Game Company, and its new status as a non-first party Sony studio meant it could develop its games for other platforms. However, for most of 2015 the company focused on its zombie survival MMO H1Z1, which remains on Steam's Early Access program.
Following layoffs at Daybreak and the resignation of longtime CEO John Smedley, in a statement posted to the official Everquest Next Landmark site on June 2015, it was revealed that development priority for Next had shifted off of Landmark and onto the main game. However, senior producer Terry Michaels assured fans that both components of Next would eventually release, writing, "Landmark and the player community are very important to us and will continue to be essential in the development of EverQuest Next, exactly as we’ve promised from the very beginning."
The last word: A representative for Daybreak told GameSpot recently that they have no status updates on EverQuest Next at this time.
Tekken X Street Fighter
Developed and published by Bandai Namco Entertainment
Announced at San Diego Comic-Con in 2010 for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, Tekken X Street Fighter would follow in the steps of Street Fighter X Tekken with an emphasis on Tekken's 3D fighting style. But we've heard very little about since, aside from a character poll posted to Tekken's Facebook page in 2012 and a statement from producer Katsuhiro Harada at Comic-Con 2014 that the game "hasn't been canceled, so please relax."
In an interview with Famitsu in July 2015, Harada again affirmed the game wasn't canceled, claiming that it was at a "pretty far stage into its development."
“It might seem like we haven’t started on it at all, but the character lineup has been decided upon since a very long time ago, and we’ve already finished the polygon models, moves, and systems,” he said.
The last word: When reached for comment, Bandai Namco told GameSpot that the Tekken team is currently focusing on the console port of Tekken 7, which was announced at the 2015 PlayStation Experience.
"Currently the Tekken team is focused on bringing Tekken 7 to home systems but Tekken x Street Fighter is still an ongoing project at Bandai Namco," a representative said.
Rime
Developed by Tequila Works, published by Sony Computer Entertainment
Indie title Rime was announced as a PlayStation 4 exclusive on stage during Sony's Gamescom 2013 presentation. Inspired by Studio Ghibli films and the surrealist paintings of Salvador Dali, Rime followsa boy trying to escape an island and a mysterious curse. Little else was revealed about the game, save for a new trailer at Gamescom 2014 and a story about Microsoft rejecting a $3 million exclusivity pitch for the title before Tequila Works went to Sony.
Last year, the developer told GameSpot that Rime was on track for a 2015 release. But we heard nothing about the game until December, when Tequila Works responded to a tweet saying that the game was "ok and on track, don't worry."
The last word: Tequila Works told GameSpot recently that it is still hard at work on Rime, with "fresh and exciting news" about the title coming in the near future.
Phantom Dust
Formerly developed by Darkside Studios and published by Microsoft Game Studios
A new Phantom Dust was announced during Microsoft's E3 2014 press conference as a "a reimagined version of the beloved classic with all-new gameplay and graphics." Months later, it was revealed the game was being made by Florida-based developer Darkside Games.
Microsoft's Phil Spencer promised more information on the new Phantom Dust at E3 2015, but we never got it; four months before the show, in February 2015, Darkside Games was shuttered. Microsoft, seemingly unhappy with the direction Phantom Dust was taking and after much clashing over direction with Darkside, canceled the project and pulled funding. As a result, Darkside had to lay off its staff and shut its doors. All we've seen of Darkside's vision is a small amount of leaked gameplay footage.
The last word: At the time of Darkside's closure, Microsoft affirmed that the Phantom Dust reboot with proceed--just not with Darkside. When reached for comment, a Microsoft spokesperson didn't say the game was canceled, but insinuated that the game is perhaps still in development limbo, noting, “We’re still evaluating the right approach for Phantom Dust.”
Dead Island 2
Formerly developed by Yager Development (now unknown) and published by Deep Silver
Dead Island 2 was revealed during Sony's E3 2014 press conference with a spring 2015 release window. Development on the franchise had been taken up by Yager Development, as original developer Techland was busy working on Dying Light. Presentations held during Gamescom later that year showed Dead Island 2 to be set in California, with four playable characters and eight-player co-op.
But Dead Island 2 missed its release window, with not much news on the title coming until July 2015. Deep Silver announced that Yager had been pulled from the project, and a new unnamed studio would take over. Yager Productions, the team created under the Yager label to work on Dead Island 2, filed for insolvency shortly after. According to managing director Timo Ullmann, Deep Silver and Yager's visions for the project "fell out of alignment."
"Our team is made of the best creative minds and tech specialists, who all share a common identity," he said. "The team worked with enthusiasm to take Dead Island 2 to a new level of quality. However, Yager and Deep Silver's respective visions of the project fell out of alignment, which led to the decision that has been made."
It seems like Dead Island 2 was well along in development when it was canceled. In October 2015, Ullman said in an interview: "Having a project cancelled in such a late state is a catastrophic event on so many different levels. It really is the worst possible outcome. Everybody involved loses."
The last word: According to publisher Deep Silver, the game is definitely still in the pipeline. A representative for the company told GameSpot, "We can confirm that Dead Island 2 is not cancelled and we are looking forward to revealing more information soon."
BattleCry
Developed by BattleCry Studios and published by Bethesda
BattleCry Studios was established by ZeniMax Media in Austin, Texas back in 2012 with one purpose: to develop an online multiplayer combat title. Battlecry was announced in May 2014, during a pre-E3 event. A brief trailer was shown during Bethesda's E3 2015 press conference, and sign-ups for the game's beta went live.
Battlecry is a tactical online game similar to a MOBA, in which two teams battle for dominance while completing their objectives. The game has a historical twist to it, with groups like the Huns showing up as available factions.
But since then, Battlecry was conspicuously absent from industry events. Then in October, publisher Bethesda issued a statement expressing concerns over Battlecry's quality.
"We have concerns about the Battlecry game and whether it is meeting the objectives we have for it," reads the statement. "We are evaluating what improvements the game needs to meet our quality standards. The studio remains busy during this process on multiple projects."
The last word: A representative for Bethesda gave GameSpot an identical statement when we reached out for comment.
Let It Die
Developed by Grasshopper Manufacture and published by GungHo Online Entertainment
Formerly known as Lily Bergamo, the latest from the exotic mind of developer Lollipop Chainsaw and No More Heroes Goichi Suda, a free-to-play hack and slash title, was first revealed in April 2013 with a 2014 release date. The game was shown under the Lily Bergamo title at that year's Tokyo Game Show, with information on the game's protagonist and setting detailed.
During E3 2014, the game was re-introduced during Sony's press conference as Let It Die. No more was shared about the title until October 205, when publisher GungHo announced the title would release sometime in 2016.
After the title change, it's unclear what elements of Lily Bergamo remain in Let It Die--though it has been confirmed Lily Bergamo protagonist Tae Ioroi no longer exists. Suda has said it will be an "extreme action" game with a focus on death. The game will include AI enemies as well as an online component that allows the avatars of players who have died in their game to appear as enemies in yours.
The last word: Suda himself gave GameSpot this statement on Let It Die's status: "Don't worry. It's coming soon."
Deep Down
Developed by Capcom Online Games and SCE Japan Studio, published by Capcom
Deep Down was revealed alongside the PlayStation 4 console during a New York City event in February 2013 by Yoshinori Ono, head of development on Capcom's Street Fighter series. It wasn't seen again until Tokyo Game Show later that year, when Ono announced Deep Down would be free-to-play and launch in 2014 following a Japan-only public beta on PS4. The beta was delayed to early 2015, but never materialized.
Deep Down is a multiplayer online title similar to From Software's Souls series, and is structured largely like a dungeon crawler. Players will scour beneath the streets of New York City circa 2094, using magical artifacts to travel back in time and fight grotesque monsters. The scope of the game has changed since this initial description, according to developers, so it may be a while yet before we see Deep Down at any major trade shows.
The last word: Oddly enough, despite being announced during an event in New York, an international release was never confirmed for Deep Down. We reached out to Capcom for comment, and a representative told us the status was the same: "No change from before--a western release for Deep Down has not been confirmed."
Untitled Hazelight Project
Developed by Hazelight and published by Electronic Arts
This game, announced during the 2014 Video Game Awards, only exists as a trailer, in which two men lounge in a dark train car beneath a sky filled with stars.
Publisher EA announced it had taken under its label Hazelight, a company headed by Swedish filmmaker Josef Fares--the writer and director of critically-acclaimed Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons. During a sizzle reel for the studio, EA executive Patrick Soderlund described Hazelight's first game as "unlike anything" he's seen before, and "very special."
And that's all that's been released publicly, to date.
The last word: Director and studio head Josef Fares told GameSpot recently that Hazelight's project--still unnamed and deep in development with its 25-person team--will be released in 2017.
"I can't say so much, but what I can say is that I am super confident and excited about where we are," Fares said. "I am so sure that this game, when it comes out next year, it's going to be something special. I'm really excited."
Fares also noted that EA has given Hazelight full creative control over their game, with very little publisher involvement. "It's 100 percent to us what we do and what goes into the game," he said. "Before I signed the contract, that was part of my thing. To be honest, working with them now is really good."
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