These last few years have been kind of weird, haven't they? I feel like E3 alone has been some kind of alternate-universe scenario: Games fans thought would never available are being developed, finalized, and released. Here's a short list of what immediately comes to mind: Sonic X-Treme (Wait Time: Approximately 20 years) - After so much time, we thought there'd only be GIF's, VHS footage, and developer interviews to go by. Now, we have playable code. Biohazard 2 Prototype / Resident Evil 1.5 (Wait Time: Approximately 20 years) - A holy grail among Resident Evil fans, this scrapped version became an obsession. The mystery may continue, but playable code has alleviated some of the pressure. Earthbound Beginnings (Wait Time: Approximately 25 years) - International Mother fans have been largely ignored. Now, two of the three games are available for English-speaking audiences. Shenmue III (Wait Time: Approximately 13 years) - Shenmue fans have been trying to move on for over a decade. Then, the Kickstarter took less than 9 hours to amass $2 million. FInal Fantasy VII HD Remake (Wait Time: Approximately 10 years) - Square-Enix didn't realize that a tech demo would launch rumors that would continue for a decade. Now, Square-Enix is making fan's wishes a reality. The Last Guardian (Wait Time: Approximately 10 years) - People have been trying to convince themselves that this game wouldn't be released. Now, it's been announced again for 2016. So, what does everyone think of all these developments? What announcements have I missed?
I'll believe The Last Guardian is released when it's actually on store shelves. Until then, it's just a sad running joke.
they could easily do a spiritual successor to Okami with a Kitsune or Tanooki (with special nutsac powers)
That might be a hard one. IGN reported that Michel Ancel stopped working on the game, but the actual article was extremely cryptic. They've since deleted the article. I did a quick search and found a story on XboxAchievements. A Ubisoft Representative stated that "what was reported by IGN is untrue." Unfortunately, it goes right back to being cryptic: "Michel is still leading creative development of several exciting projects being developed by Ubisoft Montpellier." We won't know for sure until they can wrap the game around several layers of DRM. So, the simple answer is that the game probably isn't being developed, but it might in development!
Even with decades of experience, I can't give you a good educated guess. On the one hand, Ubisoft won't confirm a cancellation. On the other hand, they won't admit to its continued development. Ancel seems to be working on several projects at Ubisoft and his own studio, which could cause the game to be cast aside. We haven't seen the game since the trailer and leaked footage, but there's been a mention of the game's development at least once a year since 2008. I recall Beyond Good & Evil struggling when it first released, but it got quite a lot of push from publications/word of mouth. Ubisoft released the HD version on digital platforms, which shows that they'll support the franchise. In the end, I think Ubisoft wants to keep options open, but it seems the build we've been seeing has had difficulty keeping manpower dedicated to it. However, that's how everything looks to me. For all I know, Ancel could be working on it as his primary project, and Ubisoft's keeping it quiet until something playable is ready. Looking at the above list, 7 years doesn't seem "too long" for a game like this.
I understand things take time, but wit all the resources they put into that yearly AC rehash shows their priorities. Honestly they should just do what Sony just did with Shenmue at this point, and just use that to put together a set team dedicated to it, even though we all know they have the resources to do so themselves already, just no desire to do so. The excuses are tiring.
Don't forget to add Duke Nukem Forever to that list. It's a shame that the general public did not receive this game very well, but I sure did enjoy this game a heck of a lot.
$50 for an Xbox 360 to play a ton of SHMUPs. Of course you can't wait too long or else you'll paying top dollar for a game that was $5 at Best Buy ie Earthbound.
Glad somebody else did. It wasn't anything spectacular, but I really wasn't expecting that. The campaign was decently long, the difficulty was satisfying and it was interesting seeing Duke Nukem in something current. Although defending it to the majority if people is rather hard, especially given the overt misogyny.
Oh my goodness, Duke Nukem Forever. Well, it's like Resident Evil 1.5 -- Fans got to play a portion of it. Half-Life 2 took about 5 years of development, and people were very pleased with the results. DNF took triple the time. There are so many angles to cover on this subject, it'd need a topic of its own.
That's the point. Duke Nukem has always been satire. A spoof on the ultra macho badass 80's action hero. It's supposed to be misogynistic, offensive, disgusting etc. Sucks you had to defend it to morons who gauge their self worth in what they are seen in public taking offense to. I just wish the game allowed you to carry more than 2 weapons at a time and didn't ape the modern fps so much.
