The use of historical or chronologically irregular locales in multiplayer games still feels novel, even if your activities tend to fall predictably between stabbing or shooting strangers. Visceral's Melbourne studio, which was shuttered by EA earlier this year, was reportedly working on "Blood Dust," an eccentric multiplayer shooter set in the 1930s.
According to a report on Kotaku AU -- which we're pairing with leaked game footage above -- Blood Dust was to be a class-based "run and gun experience" for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. Visceral and other EA studios had been working on the game for three years, furnishing it with upgradeable weapons and special abilities spread amongst three factions (including gentlemen and gangly monsters). And we just love Ye Olde Hulke Hogan at 0:17 in the video!
Another rumor suggests that Blood Dust was initially envisioned as a multiplayer add-on to "The Ripper," Visceral's rumored reinterpretation of England's infamous yet unidentified serial killer, Jack the Ripper. That project supposedly remains alive as a single-player game, left behind in the 19th century (when Jack did his nasty business).
Kotaku AU writes that the project's cancellation was handled with enough consideration for its creators -- a source claims departing staff were "well taken care of and treated respectfully," and offered positions at other EA locations.
[Thanks, Anon.]
