Joystiq

Derek Smart. It's a name resigned by many to whispers in quiet corners for fear of incurring the vocal wrath of one of the most eccentric, dare we say manic game developers this side of a coke machine. The man behind such nefarious titles as Universal Combat and the Battlecruiser series has made a name for himself by beating up vending machines and releasing buggy, open world-style space titles, though Smart's latest endeavor, Galactic Command – Echo Squad, was poised to be his first take on the growing episodic game market. That is, however, if it is ever released.

The game, first announced last year by GameTap, has been dropped by the would-be online publisher, as GameTap content VP Ricardo Sanchez told Gamasutra that the four-part space shooter "wouldn't resonate too strongly with our audience." He does compliment Galactic Command, however, calling it "one of Derek's strongest games," thought to be honest that's a bit like rating splinters based on depth and propensity to bleed. Smart has said that he's looking to bring the 16-player online shooter to Xbox Live as well, so we may someday see if Galactic Command lives up to Smart's existing triumphs, or if it's actually, you know, playable.