Joystiq

Project Awakened on hold due to 'alternate funding options,' donors receiving refunds

Jordan Mallory — Sat, 04 May 2013 21:00:00 EST

Phosphor Games has cancelled its self-powered crowdfunding initiative for Project Awakened and will be issuing refunds to everyone that has contributed to the drive thus far, according to a missive of the game's official website.

"At this time we need to put our funding endeavor on hold effective immediately. Everyone who pledged money will be receiving a full refund," the message reads. "There have been some alternative funding options that have recently been presented to us, so please continue to keep an eye out on our Facebook page for future updates."

Phosphor turned to DIY crowdfunding after its initial efforts to raise capital on Kickstarter fell short of the company's goal.

Project Awakened on hold due to 'alternate funding options,' donors receiving refunds originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 04 May 2013 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Capcom: None of the canceled games had been announced

Sinan Kubba — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 18:15:00 EST

Capcom's recently revealed slew of game cancellations didn't involve anything previously announced. In a follow-up conference call to last week's financial statement, the company clarified that most of the canceled games were due between April 2014 and March 2015, although a few were scheduled for the current fiscal year ending March 2014.

Capcom revised its financial forecasts last week with a "special loss" of around $73 million, due to those cancellations. The company also announced a switch to more internal development following disappointment with projects outsourced overseas.

Asked if the company was considering reducing "the number of development lines for home video games," Capcom said developing for that market is still the core element of its strategy. Even if packaged software sales drop, the company said it believes console and online (such as DLC) sales will continue to increase.

Capcom: None of the canceled games had been announced originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 24 Apr 2013 18:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ni no Kuni Wizard's Edition oversold, some orders being canceled

Jordan Mallory — Thu, 24 Jan 2013 16:30:00 EST

The special "Wizard's Edition" of Level 5's Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch, available exclusively through Namco Bandai's online shop, has been oversold, resulting in a multitude of issues for those that placed orders while the package was supposedly still in stock.

Digital River, the e-commerce middleware provider that powers Namco Bandai's shop, experienced an error in its ordering system that resulted in the Wizard's Edition's erroneous post-sellout availability. As a result, some orders have simply seen shipping delays, while others have seemingly failed to process at all or have been cancelled entirely. The number of non-existent packages sold is unknown.

"If your order(s) has been cancelled, we will be reaching out to you by email with additional information as soon as possible," an official update reads. Affected customers that feel proactive about resolving their issue can also contact Digital River directly by emailing namcobandai.en.cs@digitalriver.com, or by calling 952-392-2057.

It's also worth mentioning that while Digital River says it will be addressing the issues of everyone affected, the update does not go into detail about what that resolution may look like. To be on the safe side, we recommend tempering your expectations towards a refund and an apology.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in!]

Ni no Kuni Wizard's Edition oversold, some orders being canceled originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 24 Jan 2013 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Police Warfare Kickstarter suddenly and mysteriously canceled

Jordan Mallory — Sat, 21 Apr 2012 14:06:00 EST

The Kickstarter for Police Warfare, the proof-of-concept-turned-real-project from ex-Ubisoft/EA/Activision/Epic employee-driven Elastic Games has been cancelled by the studio, roughly two hours ago as of press time. As of its cancellation, the project had raised $25,025 of its sought-after total of $325,000 from 784 different backers.

"Thank you so much for the incredible response to the game," reads an update on the Kickstarter. "We're shutting down the kickstarter account but this is by no means the end of Police Warfare. News will be coming." Joystiq is digging around for more information and will update as soon as we have additional details.

Police Warfare Kickstarter suddenly and mysteriously canceled originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 21 Apr 2012 14:06:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Bethesda has no comment on Prey 2 cancellation rumor

Alexander Sliwinski — Sat, 24 Mar 2012 10:00:00 EST

Publisher Bethesda has no statement on the rumor that Prey 2 has been canceled, a story which gained significant traction yesterday. Dutch site PSFocus reported that the game, in development at Human Head Studios, was kaput and that an official announcement would be made next week.

The last time Prey 2 showed up on our radar in a significant capacity was around GamesCom last August. As IGN notes, GDC talks planned for the game were cut a few weeks before the show.

This isn't the first time this year a high-profile Bethesda title made its way into the rumored cancellation mill, as DOOM 4 went through the experience twice in six month. The difference? Bethesda flat-out stated "DOOM 4 isn't cancelled."

Gallery: Prey 2 (Gamescom 2011)

Bethesda has no comment on Prey 2 cancellation rumor originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 24 Mar 2012 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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THQ denies rumors about cancellation of its 2014 lineup

JC Fletcher — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 00:15:00 EST

Yesterday, a series of tweets by IGDA Mobile SIG chair Kevin Dent alleged that THQ was in financial trouble, and that it was canceling its 2014 game lineup (most notably Warhammer 40k: Dark Millenium Online) and shopping itself out to potential buyers.

This evening, THQ's Australian PR department issued a statement to the contrary, as posted by VG247. "THQ has not cancelled its 2014 line-up, and has not made any decisions regarding the planned MMO," THQ said. According to the statement, the only reduction to THQ's lineup has been to move focus away from the "kids' boxed games sector" following poor performance of the most recent version of the uDraw. " Our slate for calendar 2012 and beyond is focused on high-quality core games and continues to build our digital platform and business," the statement said. "We are excited for our pipeline of original and high-quality content along with our relationships with some of the best talent in the industry."

Note that THQ said it "has not made any decisions" about Warhammer 40k: DMO -- that's hardly a statement of unwavering support. Regardless, the statement is clear about the rest of the 2014 lineup.

THQ denies rumors about cancellation of its 2014 lineup originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 16 Jan 2012 00:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Iwata reveals three canned Kirby games, more than a decade in the making

Griffin McElroy — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 12:01:00 EST

The relative ease of Kirby games usually result in their powderpuff protagonist avoiding death from start to finish -- however, Kirby's not immune to the most permanent form of death there is: Project cancellation. In the most recent Iwata Asks, Kirby's Return to Dreamland producer Shigefumi Kawase revealed that three installments in the franchise were killed off mid-development, explaining "We spent 11 years ... making and abandoning these three games."

The three Kirby titles in questions would have been starkly different: One was a 2.5D four-player adventure title (sort of like Return to Dreamland, but with more depth), one was a fully-3D exploration-centric game and the other was an animated platformer with "pop-up visuals." They sound charming as all-get-out, which makes us all the more forlorn that they're dead as doornails. Goodnight, sweet princes. May flights of angels sing thee to thy rest.

Iwata reveals three canned Kirby games, more than a decade in the making originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 26 Oct 2011 12:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Disaster Report creator reports on the disaster of Disaster Report 4

JC Fletcher — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 22:03:00 EST

Irem's PS3 survival adventure sequel, Disaster Report 4, was promptly canceled after Japan's March 11 earthquake. Kazuma Kujo, who created the series during his tenure at Irem, has been tweeting about the lost game, with his comments summarized and translated by Andriasang.

While the previous Disaster Reports took place during or immediately after a disaster, Kujo said, Disaster Report 4 begins about a week after the event that wrecked the city, allowing players to see the social effects (like discrimination causing strife in shelters) and even recovery efforts following a catastrophe.

Toward this theme, you would also have been able to travel with a variety of different characters you meet in the city, as opposed to the single partner of previous games. Since the emphasis was no longer on fleeing the city, you could even visit the same location later and see it partially rebuilt.

All of this sounds really interesting, until we remember that it was canned. Kujo said that it wasn't the earthquake that ended this game, but Irem's slow progress in completing it. Kujo has since left the company for a new developer, Granzella.

Disaster Report creator reports on the disaster of Disaster Report 4 originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 28 Sep 2011 22:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rumor: Wet sequel dries up, canceled

Alexander Sliwinski — Tue, 17 May 2011 16:02:00 EST

Wet 2 was confirmed to be in development last November, but it would seem that's as far as the sequel is going to get. Siliconera points to the LinkedIn profile (now appended) of a former Behaviour Interactive employee that had listed the title as canceled. The site also notes that around March or April of this year several employees working on Wet 2 left for other companies. Another LinkedIn profile of a current Behaviour employee notes Wet 2 as a past project.

Bethesda, which published the first Wet game, told us today, "We are not publishing Wet 2." Behaviour had yet to respond to our request for comment as of publishing.

Rumor: Wet sequel dries up, canceled originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 17 May 2011 16:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Irem's Bumpy Trot 2 (Steambot Chronicles 2) also canceled

JC Fletcher — Fri, 01 Apr 2011 01:00:00 EST

Irem's Bumpy Trot, an action game about steam-powered walking mechs, was released here on PS2 as Steambot Chronicles. A PS3 sequel was announced at TGS 2006, with few announcements since then, until today's really unfortunate one: It's been canceled.

In a brief letter on the Bumpy Trot site, Irem apologized to fans and plead with them to support Irem's future titles. That lineup, after the cancellation of Disaster Report 4, currently includes Doki Doki Suikoden and Pachipara Slot, both for PSP and neither likely to leave Japan.

Irem's Bumpy Trot 2 (Steambot Chronicles 2) also canceled originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 01 Apr 2011 01:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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SOE confirms studio closures, cancels The Agency

James Ransom-Wiley — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 14:52:00 EST

Following earlier reports of studio closures and mass layoffs, Sony Online Entertainment has issued an official statement regarding its "strategic decision to reduce costs and streamline its global workforce." The company confirmed the closings of its Denver, Seattle and Tucson studios and the elimination of 205 jobs.

Additionally, SOE announced the cancellation of The Agency, the long-delayed, cross-platform spy MMO under development at SOE Seattle. The company said it's discontinuing production of the title to "focus development resources on delivering two new MMOs based on its renowned PlanetSide and EverQuest properties, while also maintaining its current portfolio of online games."

SOE added that the Denver and Tucson studios' projects would be transitioned over to its San Diego headquarters. The company's full statement is posted after the break.

Continue reading SOE confirms studio closures, cancels The Agency

SOE confirms studio closures, cancels The Agency originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 31 Mar 2011 14:52:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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'Bourne Ascendancy' was canceled Starbreeze game, corroborates ex-dev

James Ransom-Wiley — Mon, 14 Mar 2011 18:30:00 EST

According to one-time Starbreeze Studios game director Mikael Lindgren, a Jason Bourne game was indeed the studio's reported cancellation a year ago. Posting on his freelance game designer company site, Zoetropa, Lindgren lists "The Bourne Ascendancy (Cancelled)" on his resume, referring to himself as Starbreeze game director for the apparent EA-published project. (On his LinkedIn page, Lindgren dates his most recent stint at Starbreeze from August 2009 through April 2010 -- right about when Starbreeze confirmed the unnamed game cancellation.)

Lindgren's claim of The Bourne Ascendancy cancellation is further evidence that Starbreeze's surviving EA collaboration -- codenamed "Project RedLime" -- is the rumored Syndicate reboot. A series of trademarks and a US Copyright Office document previously linked the two companies to a possible Syndicate game. Last month, Starbreeze licensed Unreal Engine 3 for long-term use, presumably replacing its heralded proprietary game engine -- which powered its Chronicles of Riddick series and The Darkness -- for current and future projects.

Lindgren's resume also reveals a canned Avalanche Studios' game under the working title "Arcadia" that was to be published by THQ. He credits himself as a senior designer for the game and notes his Avalanche tenure as November 2007 - March 2008 on LinkedIn. It's likely that Arcadia was one of two reported publishing contracts lost by Avalanche that led to the studio's significant downsizing in late 2008.

[Pictured: Partial screencap of Mikael Lindgren's "Resume" page on Zoetropa.com]

'Bourne Ascendancy' was canceled Starbreeze game, corroborates ex-dev originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 14 Mar 2011 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Yakuza: Of the End, Motorstorm: Apocalypse delayed in Japan; Disaster Report 4 canceled

Ben Gilbert — Mon, 14 Mar 2011 10:30:00 EST

Citing "various circumstances," both Sega and Sony have announced delays of major game releases, reports Andriasang, while Irem has outright canceled Disaster Report 4. Sega announced that Yakuza: Of the End has been pushed back to a "TBA" release date in Japan, while Sony has altered the MotorStorm: Apocalypse launch to "TBA," as well. both titles were scheduled to be released in Japan this Thursday, March 17.

While neither company directly cited the massive earthquake and devastating tsunami that struck Japan on March 11 as the cause of the delays, it's evident that the disaster prompted the moves; though it's unknown if the reasons extend beyond the two games' disaster-themed premises. Andriasang also reports that Sony has temporarily closed its PlayStation repair and information center, located in one of the worst hit areas of Japan, the Miyagi Prefecture. Just yesterday, Square Enix temporarily shut down the Final Fantasy XI and XIV servers to conserve power in the country.

Meanwhile, Irem has canceled Disaster Report 4 without citing a specific reason, according to Andriasang. As the title suggests, DR4 centers around players escaping a city that has just suffered a devastating earthquake. Both DR4 and Yakuza: Of the End were only announced for release in Japan.

It's unclear at this point whether MotorStorm: Apocalypse is still on track to launch across Europe this week, as SCEE told GameSpot UK, "[The game's release is] under discussion at the moment. We'll get back to you when we know more." (The game's release in New Zealand was previously delayed following the severe earthquake that struck Christchurch last month.) The North American launch was set for April 12 two months ago.

To find out more about how you can help those affected in Japan by the past week's events, head over to RedCross.org.

Yakuza: Of the End, Motorstorm: Apocalypse delayed in Japan; Disaster Report 4 canceled originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 14 Mar 2011 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sony Europe cancels games across several UK studios

Griffin McElroy — Wed, 09 Mar 2011 15:30:00 EST

Sony Computer Entertainment Europe has informed staff at London Studio, Studio Liverpool, and Evolution Studios that several of their projects will be "streamlined or closed" to focus development on higher-priority first party offerings. In a statement to GamesIndustry, the publisher explained, "with the incredibly strong list of exclusive first party titles coming up both this year and in the near future, resources should be reallocated to enhance those projects closer to completion."

Sony did not reveal the identities of these projects, or whether their cancellation would result in layoffs -- the statement only mentioned, "This decision will have no impact on the role that our first party studios will play in the future of all PlayStation platforms." We've contacted Sony to try and find out if any positions had been cut thanks to the reallocation.

Sony Europe cancels games across several UK studios originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 09 Mar 2011 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Totally crazy, totally canceled indie games, and the people who made them

Ben Gilbert — Thu, 03 Mar 2011 21:00:00 EST

From World of Goo dev Kyle Gabler to Plants vs. Zombies director George Fan (and everything in between), GDC's "The Failure Workshop" panel was full of thrills. Each of the panel's developers brought a project that never managed to make our acquaintance, offering a detailed explanation of what went wrong.

Gabler, of 2D Boy, kicked the chair out from under his studio's robot-based sidescroller Robot and the Cities That Built Him when he and his cohorts finally decided that it simply wasn't very fun. After months of mock-ups and brainstorming, the game was finally turned into a fairly basic prototype (playable here) that sealed the project's untimely fate.

Continue reading Totally crazy, totally canceled indie games, and the people who made them

Totally crazy, totally canceled indie games, and the people who made them originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 03 Mar 2011 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Super Meat Boy misses jump to Wii (falls into chainsaw)

David Hinkle — Wed, 02 Mar 2011 11:55:00 EST

Team Meat today finally laid to rest the troubled Wii version of Super Meat Boy. "We really tried hard to make this happen but not one publisher we talked to thought a retail budget title for the Wii would be profitable at this point in the Wii's life cycle," reads a missive on the Team Meat Blog, "and we totally understand that."

Initially planned as a WiiWare title, the Wii version of SMB grew beyond the size constraints of Nintendo's digital platform, and so Team Meat began to look into a box-copy release. Perhaps its spirit will live on in the "Ultra Edition" of SMB for PC.

Super Meat Boy misses jump to Wii (falls into chainsaw) originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 02 Mar 2011 11:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EA prunes My Garden from 3DS lineup [update]

JC Fletcher — Wed, 16 Feb 2011 17:20:00 EST

My Garden, EA's flora management simulator for 3DS, has been canceled. EA announced the death of what was supposed to be a 3DS launch title during an event in New York City today.

Though we currently don't have an official explanation for the game's cancellation, it's not hard to see why EA stopped watering this one: In our preview of My Garden several months ago, we described it as a "lifeless" game with a "jumpy framerate," "unresponsive controls" and "uncomfortable" 3D visuals.

Update: EA's official statement on the cancellation: "EA has decided to cancel Gardens for the Nintendo 3DS. We didn't feel the title would attract a large audience on that platform. EA is supporting the launch of the Nintendo 3DS with Spring releases of Madden NFL and The Sims."

EA prunes My Garden from 3DS lineup [update] originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 16 Feb 2011 17:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Activision axing Guitar Hero and True Crime; Freestyle Games reportedly hit with layoffs [update]

Ben Gilbert — Wed, 09 Feb 2011 16:20:00 EST

Despite a recent cover story in EGM, United Front's True Crime: Hong Kong won't make it to retail. Activision's latest earnings report confirms the game's cancellation, as well as the end of the Guitar Hero franchise.

"Due to continued declines in the music genre, the company will disband Activision Publishing's Guitar Hero business unit and discontinue development on its Guitar Hero game for 2011," Activision said in its financial statement. The statement goes on to confirm the cancellation of True Crime. "The company also will stop development on True Crime: Hong Kong. These decisions are based on the desire to focus on the greatest opportunities that the company currently has to create the world's best interactive entertainment experiences."

Activision Publishing CEO Eric Hirshberg went into a bit more detail on today's investor call:

"Despite a remarkable 92 rating on DJ Hero 2, a widely well-regarded Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock, as well as a 90-plus rated release from our most direct competitor [Rock Band 3], demand for peripheral-based music games declined at a dramatic pace. Given the considerable licensing and manufacturing costs associated with this genre, we simply cannot make these games profitably based on current economics and demand. Instead, what we'll do is focus our time and energies on marketing and supporting our strong catalog of titles and downloadable content, especially to new consumers as the installed base for hardware continues to grow."

Hirshberg continued, saying that True Crime's development, "was't going to lead to a title at or near the top of the competitive open-world genre." To put things more directly, Hirshberg added, "To be blunt, it just wasn't going to be good enough."

If that weren't enough bad news, Eurogamer also reports that DJ Hero developer Freestyle Games has suffered "severe layoffs," though it's unclear whether the rhythm series has been affected by the alleged redundancies. We'll update this post as we learn more.

[Update: An earlier version of this post was based solely on Eurogamer's report, which has since been partially confirmed by Activision.]

[Update 2: United Front Games has commented on the cancellation of True Crime]

Continue reading Activision axing Guitar Hero and True Crime; Freestyle Games reportedly hit with layoffs [update]

Activision axing Guitar Hero and True Crime; Freestyle Games reportedly hit with layoffs [update] originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 09 Feb 2011 16:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Company of Heroes Online, WWE Online canceled

JC Fletcher — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 17:25:00 EST

This morning, we reported that THQ would "evaluate the next steps for the Company of Heroes series" after the March 31 conclusion of the Company of Heroes Online beta. We now know that whatever those next steps are, they won't include Company of Heroes Online.

The latest THQ earnings report notes that the company has "reevaluated its strategy of adapting certain Western content for free-to-play online games in Asian markets." And, as a result of that reevaluation, it has canceled Company of Heroes Online and WWE Online. COH Online was originally announced as a South Korean release in partnership with Windysoft, and WWE Online was only intended for release in Asia.

In an investor phone call, THQ CEO Brian Farrell explained the decision, claiming that THQ's focus is on "developing great content, most of it IP owned by THQ. And the concept of converting some of these concepts for a market -- though Korea's still a great market -- it just wasn't the top of our list for focus." He noted that THQ's "small" Korean office has also been closed.

Company of Heroes Online, WWE Online canceled originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 02 Feb 2011 17:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Canceled 'Day to Night' Midway game unearthed in concept art

Ben Gilbert — Tue, 04 Jan 2011 20:00:00 EST

Former Midway background artist Brian Beppu was at one point drawing up concepts for a PlayStation 2-era game named Day to Night. As the title suggests, Day to Night looks like it was going to be some type of zombie game -- as seen in the concept panels above, a hobbled humanoid approaches a gentleman who appears to be a cowboy in snowy woods. A handful of environments are also on display, varying from a cheap roadside motel to a graveyard overtaken by jungle brush.

Given the fact that this art is now nearly a decade old, Day to Night likely lost its shot at becoming a finished product before Midway's less than successful final years. Little else is known about the title, in fact, so feel free to shoot us a tip if you know more.

Gallery: Day to Night

Canceled 'Day to Night' Midway game unearthed in concept art originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 04 Jan 2011 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NBA Elite cancellation 'squarely on my desk,' EA CEO says

JC Fletcher — Fri, 03 Dec 2010 12:05:00 EST

According to CEO John Riccitiello, EA's perhaps unprecedented decision to cancel NBA Elite 11 so late in its development was his. "There aren't many decisions that are essentially squarely on my desk," he told Kotaku. "This was one."

Riccitiello found this to be the least worst solution to the problem of a game riddled with bugs on the eve of release -- a "bad game," as EA Sports' Andrew Wilson put it. Either EA could have launched the game as it was (against the impressive NBA 2K11 competition), delayed it beyond the limited release window for basketball games (which would have drastically reduced market share and given the team less time to work on the next sequel), or it could cut its losses. "So there's the table: You can ship a product you're not proud of and compete for marginal share; [or] you can delay the game to get a better product, but that's going to have a knock-on effect," Riccitiello recalled. "And we made what I judged to be the best call given the circumstances."

The cancellation of Elite was tempered by EA Canada's ability to quickly assemble a standalone release of NBA Jam for PS3 and Xbox 360 (in addition to the original Wii version), but it did mean that the company would not release a simulation-style competitor to go up against the NBA 2K series this year. Riccitiello seems okay with that outcome. "I don't think the consumer was served badly by buying 2K," he admitted. "It's a good game. And I think we're better served." As for releasing the full version of NBA Jam on more platforms, Riccitiello believes "people got to see what a good game that is" ... since the downloadable version got benched alongside Elite.

[Image source: stayfly2407/YouTube]

NBA Elite cancellation 'squarely on my desk,' EA CEO says originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 03 Dec 2010 12:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Lorne Lanning laments 'The Brutal Ballad of Fangus Klot' that never was

James Ransom-Wiley — Mon, 22 Nov 2010 17:30:00 EST

Game Informer has posted its recent print interview with Oddworld Inhabitants founder Lorne Lanning, a (five-years-later) followup to the magazine's April 2005 announcement of The Brutal Ballad of Fangus Klot, OWI's would-be effort to delve further into the "more hardcore" elements of the Oddworld ... world.

After finding the situation with EA (which published OWI's Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath on Xbox in 2005) "unworkable," Lanning recounted, OWI turned to Majesco to fund and publish the Fangus project, another Xbox game built on Stranger's core framework. But only a month after the game's announcement, "the shenanigans started" and OWI shut down its development studio. "Sometimes developers get fired by publishers and sometimes developers fire publishers," Lanning said coyly, "and that's probably all I should say about it."

Publisher "incompetence" aside, Fangus did sound like an odd pitch: A "close to the Earth" dog-man herdsman turned "pit fighting" slave -- to the Russian-like cat mafia -- who escapes his years-long imprisonment a hardened killer dead set on vengeance and the liberation of his people ("the timeless mythical battle between cats and dogs," in other words). Also, Fangus has terminal rabies and "would control a flock of ravenous sheep-like creatures to take down enemies and solve puzzles," according to GI's description. "We wanted it to be really hardcore," Lanning concluded.

Continue reading Lorne Lanning laments 'The Brutal Ballad of Fangus Klot' that never was

Lorne Lanning laments 'The Brutal Ballad of Fangus Klot' that never was originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 22 Nov 2010 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Team Ninja's Dead or Alive: Code Cronus and Project Progressive canceled

JC Fletcher — Fri, 05 Nov 2010 10:35:00 EST

For Dead or Alive: Code Cronus, the long-delayed action game from Team Ninja, there is no longer any question as to its status. It's just "Dead: Code Cronus," now. Team Ninja head Yosuke Hayashi confirmed the project's cancellation in an interview with Famitsu (translated by Andriasang). After all these years, Hayashi said, "It was just on the framework level." Also on the chopping block: "Project Progressive," mentioned in passing in this 2007 interview with former Master Ninja Tomonobu Itagaki.

These two dropped projects aren't the only evidence that Team Ninja is looking forward. "We're developing [Ninja Gaiden 3] with the idea of restarting at the beginning, saying, 'We'd like to make the action game that's most interesting for the current era.' With this meaning, it's going to be a game that's not bound by the past more than necessary. Of course, we will be valuing the past," Hayashi said, "but in a good meaning we'd like to make it into a game that's not tied down by the past." The image released at TGS actually holds vague clues about the content of Ninja Gaiden 3. Hayashi teased that Ryu Hayabusa "seems to be doing something with [his] right hand," which is covered with unnatural-looking blood.

Team Ninja also has Dead or Alive: Dimensions and Ni-Oh in the works. Hayashi expects Dimensions to be released first, followed by Ninja Gaiden 3.

Team Ninja's Dead or Alive: Code Cronus and Project Progressive canceled originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 05 Nov 2010 10:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NBA Elite 11 canceled, series handed off to EA Tiburon

Andrew Yoon — Tue, 02 Nov 2010 17:44:00 EST

EA Sports has decided to give NBA Elite 11 the longest delay possible, updating the game's release date to never. EA's John Schappert confirmed during a recent investor's call that "we have elected to cancel NBA Elite 11."

Elite had attempted to completely rework EA's basketball pedigree, abandoning the gameplay and namesake of EA's long-running NBA Live franchise. The gamble appears to have backfired, and development of the next EA Sports basketball title is being moved from EA Canada to the studio famous for Madden. "Future development of that franchise will be handled at EA Tiburon in Orlando," Schappert confirmed.

NBA Elite 11 canceled, series handed off to EA Tiburon originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 02 Nov 2010 17:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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WarDevil canceled after five years

Justin McElroy — Mon, 25 Oct 2010 13:20:00 EST

After five years in development, Ignition's ambitious action game WarDevil has been canceled, according to Develop. The final nail in the game's coffin follows last month's reported closure of Ignition's London studio (formerly Digi-Guys) where the long-suffering game was being crafted. (As it happens, Ignition now says the London studio will soldier on as the hub of a refocused digital development operation, but that's neither here nor there.)

So, who could have ever guessed this would happen? Why, you, dear reader. Here, let's look at our past WarDevil headlines and see if we couldn't have CSI'ed this thing out.

Ignition shutting down London studio, fate of WarDevil under evaluation (This is kind of an obvious one. Let's dig deeper.)
WarDevil resurfaces in bizarre (original) Xbox demonstration ("Resurfaces" is what we call a "danger word." Also: This story was from a year ago.)
Relax! WarDevil isn't cancelled (Justin from August of 2009 feels really bad about leading you astray here.)
WarDevil returns in first new trailer in two years ("Returns" isn't as bad as "resurfaces," except when you add the phrase "after two years.")
WarDevil: Enigma screens drop out of the sky (This story from 2007 is notable only because someone somewhere realized that the unintentionally hilarious subtitle would have to be removed.)

Our hearts, of course, go out to those hurt by the cancellation, but we'd like to think the reaction of those closest to the game was less "How could this happen?" and more "Oh, well, naturally."

WarDevil canceled after five years originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 25 Oct 2010 13:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Disney cancels Pirates of the Caribbean: Armada of the Damned; Propaganda suffers layoffs

Alexander Sliwinski — Thu, 14 Oct 2010 15:07:00 EST

Filed under: Weird But True, Opinions, New In Pop Culture

A Disney Interactive representative has confirmed to Joystiq that Pirates of the Caribbean: Armada of the Damned has been sunk down to Davy Jones' locker and will not come to port in 2011 ... or ever. The confirmation comes following rumors reported by Kotaku that the game had been canceled and layoffs had occurred at developer Propaganda Games.

In a statement (in full after the break), Disney Interactive explains that a "restructuring" has occurred at Propaganda Games, "affecting one of the studio's two development teams." Propaganda is still working on this December's Tron: Evolution and its post-release DLC.

Continue reading Disney cancels Pirates of the Caribbean: Armada of the Damned; Propaganda suffers layoffs

Disney cancels Pirates of the Caribbean: Armada of the Damned; Propaganda suffers layoffs originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 14 Oct 2010 15:07:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Force Unleashed 2 canceled on PSP

Ben Gilbert — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 13:40:00 EST

Filed under: Weird But True, Opinions, New In Pop Culture

Though Star Wars: The Force Unleashed sanctioned the abuse of stormtroopers on your PSP, The Force Unleashed 2 has jettisoned Sony's handheld system before its multiplatform launch on October 26th. According to IGN, LucasArts did not offer an explanation for the late cancellation.

The PSP version of the original game didn't fare too badly with critics, so we're left wondering where the sequel's development took a wrong turn -- assuming it wasn't simply a consideration of profitability on a platform that has been known to struggle with piracy. We'll let you know if we hear anything that more closely resembles an actual reason.

Force Unleashed 2 canceled on PSP originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 10 Aug 2010 13:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Portal 2 E3 event cancelled and replaced by a 'surprise'

Griffin McElroy — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 10:45:00 EST

In one of the most entertaining PR missives we've received recently, an Aperture Science memo (via Valve) has revealed that the Portal 2 event originally scheduled during E3 at Los Angeles' Regal Theater has been canceled. The game itself will still be showcased at Valve's booth, but whatever shenanigans that may have been planned for the event have been put on the back burner.

Of course, E3 won't be completely devoid of Portal 2-themed monkeyshines. The memo promises, "the event will be replaced by a surprise," adding, "the cancellation of the event is not THE surprise," and furthermore insisting, "the time, date and content of the actual surprise will only become available as you experience the surprise." After a build-up like that, whatever this surprise might be, it better be awfully surprising.

Portal 2 E3 event cancelled and replaced by a 'surprise' originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 02 Jun 2010 10:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Denki reevaluates release of 'finished, super polished' XBLA game Quarrel, cuts staff

Ben Gilbert — Mon, 05 Apr 2010 12:30:00 EST

Having failed to find an appropriate publisher for its "finished, super polished" XBLA word game, Quarrel, developer Denki has announced layoffs of much of its staff. The "major restructuring" -- Develop claims the staff has shrunken from 25 to just 6 -- comes just one week after an exciting new trailer showed off the game's features. The studio hopes to abandon its "old business model" and gain better access to players directly, though it seems the game likely won't be heading to XBLA.

Denki's post posits that the game industry, in its reliance on low-risk projects, "doesn't value good games. Players do, but the games industry doesn't." It also notes that the game will still be released in some form "this year -- supposing we have to bring the board game version round each of your houses one-by-one." Keep your tea and biscuits at the ready! Oh, and also, if you're looking for developers, Denki would be happy to hear from you.

[Thanks, Steven.]

Denki reevaluates release of 'finished, super polished' XBLA game Quarrel, cuts staff originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 05 Apr 2010 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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ECA members cry foul over auto-renewal cancellation hassles [update: Halpin responds]

Griffin McElroy — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 13:00:00 EST

In an attempt to bolster its ranks with thrifty members of the gaming community, the Entertainment Consumers Association recently partnered with a few online retailers to offer its members some nice deals on video games, including a pretty sweet discount on purchases from Amazon. To accompany these offers, the ECA had its own spectacular deal: One free year of membership, which would normally cost $19.99. All applicants had to do was provide their credit card information, sign up and enjoy the discounts that were being passed along to ECA members.

Sadly, this is where the idyllic tale begins to go south. Shortly after the ECA began offering the free year of membership, the Amazon offer mysteriously disappeared. This drew the ire of the group's new members, but would be quickly forgotten when the option to cancel the auto-renewal of the membership fee, through the ECA's website, also vanished without a trace. An ECA forum moderator explained the option only appeared "for some browsers, but it wasn't intended to be there, wasn't a working option and was removed as soon as we became aware."

Now, users who were drawn in by these discounts can only cancel their memberships (and subsequent annual $20 fees) by sending a letter directly to the ECA's accounting department (the address is posted after the jump). What's worse, those who canceled their auto-renewal plans with the temporarily available online option could still be locked into the annual fee, if the moderator's claim that it "wasn't a working option" is accurate. We've contacted the ECA to find out if anything is being done to inform these honorable, due-paying members that they're still, you know, due-paying members.

Update: ECA president Hal Halpin issued a statement in response to the complaints, the full transcript for which can be found after the jump. He explains that the Amazon deal was taken down due to an exploit the ECA's new members found within the offer. He adds that simultaneously, the ECA updated its site as part of a "long planned for Content Management System upgrade," at which point they found a non-functioning feature which "looked to give some members the option to opt-out of the association." The option, which Halpin claims was never functional, was quickly removed.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in!]

Continue reading ECA members cry foul over auto-renewal cancellation hassles [update: Halpin responds]

ECA members cry foul over auto-renewal cancellation hassles [update: Halpin responds] originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 02 Dec 2009 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Gamersyde told Beyond Good and Evil 2 is 'on hold' - Ubisoft won't comment

Alexander Sliwinski — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 09:29:00 EST

Bad news for you Jade and Uncle Pey'J fans out there: Gamersyde was apparently told last week at GamesCom that Beyond Good and Evil 2 is currently in the freezer with no thaw date. Staff writer Colin Solal Cardo tweeted that he received "confirmation" from Ubisoft that the title was "on hold for now." Joystiq's attempts to receive comment from Ubisoft have been met by either silence or a statement that the company will not comment on "rumors and speculation." Well, if no one at Ubisoft told Mr. Cardo that the game was "on hold for now" then why not say as much?

Ubisoft's noncommittal aloofness doesn't end there: a couple months ago the company's North American president didn't seem to recognize a sequel was in production; Ubisoft has yet to simply confirm active production of the game it chose to close out its Ubidays 2008 event with. So, Ubisoft gets fans riled up and now won't even offer a simple update on the status of the game's development. Classy!

Gamersyde told Beyond Good and Evil 2 is 'on hold' - Ubisoft won't comment originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 26 Aug 2009 09:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rumor: EA cancels Wii Brutal Legend that might not even have existed [update]

JC Fletcher — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 09:30:00 EST

[Update: EA's response: "Brütal Legend was never announced for the Wii." That's ... true ...]

Remember the rumored Wii version of Brütal Legend? It was rumored that EA planned to release a Wii version of the game, developed by someone other than Double Fine. The very mention of the project made Tim Schafer uncomfortable.

According to Destructoid, that Wii release, which we don't even know was real to start with, has been canceled. "Word has it that quality assurance testers who moved from Electronic Arts to Double Fine were recently let go," Destructoid notes, "after the demise of the project left their services unnecessary."

Whether the game was real and canceled or never existed at all, the net effect would seem to be the same: no Brütal Legend game on Wii. If it really was so bad that EA decided to cancel the project, we can only feel grateful that the company didn't subject Wii fans to the kind of embarrassment we had to endure whenever a screenshot of the Wii Dead Rising came out.

Rumor: EA cancels Wii Brutal Legend that might not even have existed [update] originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 01 Jul 2009 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Famitsu: Devil May Cry for PSP canceled

Andrew Yoon — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 14:30:00 EST

File this under the "unsurprising" category. After years of silence, it looks like the PSP version of Devil May Cry has been canned, indicated by the latest issue of Japanese mag Famitsu finally removing the title from its release list and noting the title's demise. IGN notes that Famitsu has been wrong about these kinds of things in the past, but we're inclined to believe it this time.

The news is disappointing, especially considering the incredible popularity of PSP in Japan. A Devil May Cry game for the handheld would've made quite a bit of cash, we think.

Famitsu: Devil May Cry for PSP canceled originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 15 Apr 2009 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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StarLite blinks out

Eric Caoili — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 09:45:00 EST

Filed under: Homebrew

We all knew it was coming, but that doesn't make StarLite's cancellation hurt any less. The developers behind the unofficial DS port of StarCraft have taken down all traces of the homebrew game, apologizing with a short note: "For legal reasons, we must abandon this project."

It's no mystery what transpired -- Blizzard's lawyers ~~zerg rushed~~ sent a Cease and Desist letter to the aspiring programmers, just after they released an update to the RTS with multiplayer support. It was fun while it lasted, wasn't it?

"Didn't we almost have it all?
When love was all we had worth giving?
The ride with you was worth the fall, my friend.
Loving you makes life worth living.
Didn't we almost have it all?"

[Thanks, Dana!]

StarLite blinks out originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 22 Jan 2008 09:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Scarface blows off the Xbox 360

Ken Weeks — Sun, 30 Jul 2006 21:00:00 EST

Filed under: News

Say goodbye to Tony Montana's little friend. Scarface has joined the Sopranos on the hit list of gangland adaptations that won't be coming to the Xbox 360. Should we be sad that Vivendi didn't have the cash to bring us the world and everything in it, or happy that we've been spared a crappy, last-gen port a la the Godfather?

Scarface blows off the Xbox 360 originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 30 Jul 2006 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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