searching for the game that was delayed the longest

as you all know, we are still waiting for duke nukem forever, the game that defines vaporware.

but which game got delayed the longest and was eventually still released?

a friend who is sitting here said SWAT 4, over 5 years delay. is that really the longest?

 

Nah, Shenmue was in development for longer than that before it finally saw a DC release.

Yakumo

 

I remember Prey which should be released in 1997 originally.

Also Heart of the Darkness had a long delay.

 

Does Shenmue really count? Was it really delayed? It never got a Saturn release date that we know of, and wasn't really announced for the Saturn. Technically the DC release wasn't *that* delayed, as it came out pretty early in the system's lifespan.

It's hard to pinpoint when a game's inception starts. Does it start w/ the doodling, or when the execs give the project the green light? When is it actually delayed? When we don't see it, or when the release date is changed?

 

What about Daikatana?

 

I think that would count. This fucker has been postponed again and again and the result was a total shite game. I remember thinking how good it looked when it first appeared in some magazines. Well it kept appearing but the looks didn't change and finally when I came to play it, it was a pretty average graphical experience. -_-
But the jpn N64 cover is rather nice, in fact I keep it just for that.

 

What are you guys huffing? Seven posts and nobody mentions Duke Nukem Forever?

 

To be honest, the Duke came to my mind when I first read the topic title, but I thought it could almost be considered as "unreleased game". If it gets a release in the next 3 years, I'm gonna free the earth of war and poverty in return. But neither will happen^^

 

when i hold this in my hands, it gets mentioned here :nod:

 

Yep. But also:

- Gran Turismo Mobile (PSP)?

- Aliens (PC FPS from Sega)?

- Team Fortress 2 (The original sequel, that had videos and pictures on the 1st Half Life releases)?

 

When Duke Nukem Forever comes out and makes me a true man.

 

What Sega CD games are those?

 

Wasn't Spore announced in like 2001 or so?

 

What about Kirby's Air Ride? It was actually one of the early N64 announcements before the hardware's release and managed to come out about 10 years later in 2005 or so on GC. I still have a preview from Space World 95 in a German Magazine where they mention the game (looks not much different from the final version I must say :lol: ).

Don't know if that counts because they changed the game's idea a bit. The N64 game was ought to feature courses with differently-placed obstacles every time you play.

 

i'm guessing the stuff Good Old Games or whatever put out.

 

That's right. Also, What happened to the early Wave Racer ?! :shrug:

 

S.T.A.L.K.E.R. spent over five years in development (Nov. 2001-Mar. 2007), and even then it took many months to sort out all the bugs. Funnily enough I played it 'vanilla' and instantly it became my goty!

 

IIRC didnt the original build of waverace on N64 have boats instead of jetskis??

 

I'd say Prey, because that was 9-ish years. I remember the first Pokemon game was pretty long standing, as well. Not 9 years, but worthy of respect as a game which took its time.