Leaked images from Factor 5's Wii 'flight' game
by David Hinkle 
{ May 15th 2009 at 2:30PM } 
Click image for more almost-made gameness
With Factor 5 closing its doors in the US, it's uncertain whether the games that were in development there will be moved to its German studio, or if the titles will be scrapped entirely. Courtesy of Unseen64, we have some concept art from a flight game the company was working on for Wii. Supposedly, these are images created using the Wii version of Factor 5's Lair Engine, though that is unconfirmed. Based on the images, however, we can glean that the game would have had players visiting several different parts of the world, as there's a few images striking an amazing resemblance to Big Ben.
We've put in word to Factor 5 for comment, but we're hoping the employees have already set sail toward a brighter future, much like the Crimson Permanent Assurance. Sadly, real life isn't as fun ...
Gallery: Factor 5 Wii 'flight game' prototype
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Neuromancer @ May 15th 2009 2:33PM
Could have been a Pilotwings game, that was the rumor going around for a while. Oh Factor 5, you alone could have convinced me to buy a Wii if that was the case.
Pilotwings 64=greatest flight sim ever.
butaneko @ May 15th 2009 3:12PM
Only if it made heavy use of Mode 7
Anticrawl @ May 15th 2009 3:16PM
Pilotwings for the N64 was awesome, I never did any of the challenges really. I just liked flying around, trying to land on stuff and blowing up stuff to find the easter eggs.
ELUNO @ May 15th 2009 2:34PM
Free Radical...
Factor 5...
Oh Sony, how many studios are your exclusives going to kill?
tmacairjordan87 @ May 15th 2009 2:47PM
Right, because Sony made them release terrible games. It totally wasn't the fault of the people actually making them.
Yeah, go to hell Sony.
ELUNO @ May 15th 2009 2:50PM
Disclosure: I am not blaming Sony per se, just pointing out a tragedy. :(
Deez @ May 15th 2009 3:10PM
Was it Factor 5 who said that they would never work on a Wii game because of the lack of graphics power?
Shame they went for "GRAPHICS OMG" than coming up with better gameplay. Narrow minded view, taint it? :(
Deez @ May 15th 2009 3:17PM
I'm an idiot. Obviously they were working on a Wii game...
So which developer was it who said that?? Im sure shortly after that statement they began to go down.
Bah, brain dieing.
ELUNO @ May 15th 2009 3:21PM
Oh no, it was them alright. Then they made a good looking PS3 game. Good looks, but sadly almost everything else about the game sucked...
After this they realized that graphics aren't everything so they wanted to give the Wii a chance.
Cody @ May 15th 2009 4:28PM
"Free Radical...
Factor 5...
Oh Sony, how many studios are your exclusives going to kill?"
Funny thing is though, tmac, had the above statement been about Nintendo, not only would you had been agreeing with it, it would probably been you actually stating it.
Paviel @ May 15th 2009 4:53PM
Eluno:
I think "disclosure" is appropriate in this case, since you are in fact disclosing a fact. Nevertheless, I think the word you were searching for is "disclaimer."
DeepFriedSushi @ May 15th 2009 2:36PM
anyone who put all their eggs into one basket(sony) pretty much deserves to get screwed.
whats awesome is factor5 which could have stayed with nintendo and probably would have been massively successful as a result.
free radical won dev lottery and got bought out by crytek and now are working on stuff that they always wanted to.
Banman @ May 15th 2009 9:02PM
You contradict yourself in there. You're suggesting Factor 5 put all of their eggs in one basket and get screwed.
Manly Mcbeefington (Mr. ESC) @ May 15th 2009 3:01PM
Is one of those few times that I have to agree with fanboys both Rare and Factor 5 could have made more money with Nintendo.Nuts & bolts deserved to sell at least 2M units it was awesome and if you ask me one of the best x360 exclusives too bad it doesn't get that much respect.
(The community's nights are great you can win cool stuff playing Nuts & Bolts like Banjo Kazzoie or Tooie and if you have both of them a poster or other stuff like that).
Anticrawl @ May 15th 2009 3:13PM
Nuts & Bolts is great, I just wish they would have focused on expanding the old school platforming rather than the vehicle stuff.
DBuck_Eye @ May 15th 2009 3:18PM
I think I would have liked Nuts and Bolts more if it was a new IP, but just because it was Banjo, I felt they screwed up the formula. It's the same thing with Star Fox Adventures or the 2007 Transformers movies or even the Simpsons Movie.
Manly Mcbeefington (Mr. ESC) @ May 15th 2009 4:01PM
Actually I feel the same it would have been better received as a new IP but I guess after Viva Piñata they were afraid of making a new IP so they disguised it as a Banjo Kazooie spin off.
Rare should create a new Banjo platform game since there is virtually no competition now that everyone is making FPS they have all the field to themselves.
Neuromancer @ May 15th 2009 4:07PM
^ I'd buy it.
Markez @ May 15th 2009 3:05PM
Neat model, where are the bums and weirdos that hang out in front though?
Neuromancer @ May 15th 2009 4:15PM
You mean like these guys?
http://www.stageandcinema.com/superhero%20smaller.JPG
Markez @ May 15th 2009 8:27PM
I'm assuming you've seen the documentary on those folks? Pretty good stuff.
R @ May 15th 2009 3:59PM
Oh man if this was Pilotwings I am going to cry,I have been wanting an update to that game since N64 ,IF this is Pilotwings PLEAAAAAAAAASE F5 Germany pick this up and finish it.
Neuromancer @ May 15th 2009 4:13PM
I really think it was R, or something very close. Factor 5 was known to have worked on a Pilotwings for the Gamecube but that project got shitcanned for some reason. Seeing these images, I can only imagine that's the kind of game this was going to be, if not an actual Pilotwings-branded game. =(
Dv8thwonder @ May 15th 2009 4:05PM
If Factor5 is working on the Wii, they shouldn't be restricted to one IP.A new Pilotwings would be great but a new Starfox would be even better!
Neuromancer @ May 15th 2009 4:14PM
They're not working on anything anymore, at least not the US office. They got shut down.
Mr Khan @ May 15th 2009 5:01PM
It was Achim Moller, of the surviving Factor 5 Germany, who confirmed that an unannounced Wii project was in development.
Aside from the fact that, if it were Pilotwings, that would be in cooperation with Nintendo. Highly doubtful that such a project would be canceled, since it would be more promising on the financial front
kid_ic @ May 15th 2009 7:42PM
Hmmm... I recommend everyone read the link to unseen64 above. It sources a really interesting blog with alot of this information from March 31st. That blog (GoneisGone) states that there are still 2 Wii games in development by factor 5 Germany, and that one of them allows you to go (read fly) all around the world to major cities, including London (see Big Ben pic above).
Sooo... this makes me think that maybe we will see the light of Day on Pilotwings Wii... I suppose it's possible that the blog has wrong/outdated info though. It's just that they seem to have really unique insight on the history of the game and why it Factor 5 actually moved it from GCN to Wii development.
A new Pilotwings would be dope! Despite very mixed reviews, Hudson's launch-window wii title Wing Isalnd actually satisfies alot of PilotWings fans urges and is a great game for its now sub-$20 budget price.
Rob @ May 15th 2009 8:32PM
If only they could make a Wii version of Rogue Squadron. They'd be able to start up business again from just that one game