Is there a market for releasing unreleased games??

Vyse

I was looking at the list of unreleased Dreamcast games tonight and was just wondering if there is any sort of market for unreleased/ early versions of games?

Take for example the recently released Splinter Cell Conviction. It is well known that Ubisoft had pretty much developed an entirely different game (based on a bearded, hobo Sam Fisher). Why could this game not be included in a special edition disc of Conviction. The work has been done so what's the issue? Is it for tax reasons??

There is so much unreleased material out there (you only have to look, as I didi recently, at the Dreamcast cancelled library (Agartha is a personal favourite)). Why can it never see the light of day

Sabre0001

Vyse wrote: »

I was looking at the list of unreleased Dreamcast games tonight and was just wondering if there is any sort of market for unreleased/ early versions of games?

Take for example the recently released Splinter Cell Conviction. It is well known that Ubisoft had pretty much developed an entirely different game (based on a bearded, hobo Sam Fisher). Why could this game not be included in a special edition disc of Conviction. The work has been done so what's the issue? Is it for tax reasons??

There is so much unreleased material out there (you only have to look, as I didi recently, at the Dreamcast cancelled library (Agartha is a personal favourite)). Why can it never see the light of day

"Pretty much developed" is not finished - look at the number of bugs, etc you find in the finished articles. An unfinished piece would not stack up and would be slated. People will criticise the smallest thing in beta tests (free) so why would they pay for something coming off the scrap heap. Duke Nukem Forever has been nearly finished five or six times at this stage - it doesn't mean it would be any good.

Also, what price tag do you place on an unfinished game?

Things usually don't make the cut for a reason - when you see some of the tripe that makes it through, you have to worry about that which is left behind...

jaykhunter

I suppose if they're good games, they'd need to update the graphics to look good; otherwise sounds great. I don't think anyone would buy a game because it was previously unreleased or took ages in development (i.e. anyone buying Alan Wake because it was first shown back when the 360 first came out)

JKH

Retr0gamer

There's been plenty of unreleased games that have been picked up and finished and released as indie projects a lot so yeah there's a market for it but it's more an indie/niche market for enthusiasts.

mawk

long live van buren!

Overheal

In a nutshell, the North American video game Market Crash of 1983, which basically came about because Publishers did nothing but push dozens of titles out to market that were woefully incomplete or just piss poor. Think ET for the Atari.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_American_video_game_crash_of_1983

Basically if they did release crap like that it would have to be in a very controlled way.

But I guess thats what they did with Command and Conquer, the First Decade.....

K.O.Kiki

Unfinished games still need a lot of work before they can be made to play with non-development machines.

Or maybe the unfinished build just sucked.
Look at Resi 4, it had to change direction completely before they were happy with how the game played.

corcaigh07

i hope some dreamcast games like that flying game that was cancelled because of 9/11(cant think of the title), colin mcrae 2, half-life and others could be released on XBLA. its unlikely but these games were practically finished before cancellation so it shouldnt take much effort

Mr. K

Resident Evil 1.5 is probably the most famous and in-demand unfinished game:

http://residentevil.wikia.com/Resident_Evil_1.5

http://kotaku.com/314619/an-extensive-look-at-resident-evil-15

There are online petitions and loads of YouTube comments begging for its release. As a serious RE fan, I'd be interested to play it.

On the other side, as a fan, I can see that they ended up using most of the 1.5 material in the released version of 2. I suspect that many of those wanting to see it released would freak out about how similar it is, thus proving the old axiom (that some gamers are impossible to please).

johnny_ultimate

I don't know if there is a major market for them, but having them as special features in sequels, special editions etc... would be a fantastic extra feature to give an insight into game design. As said by others, the major problem would be they wouldn't be very stable, and if the developers didn't think it was worth finishing in the first place the publishers probably aren't going to pay to get them running! It would be great if there were more in-depth documentation of these unreleased games and prototypes though, even in video form if they aren't worth playing.

Mr. K

johnny_ultimate wrote: »

It would be great if there were more in-depth documentation of these unreleased games and prototypes though, even in video form if they aren't worth playing.

Didn't the first God of War have something like this? Or at least an in-depth analysis of elements cut from the final game?

cherryghost

If an unreleased game is to be released, it would'nt be an unreleased game then, would it?

That's MY fun fact.

Mr Trade In

Final Fantasy VII HD, I know it was a prototype demo for the launch of the PS3 but ever since it was seen people have been clamouring for it,would sell millions.

K.O.Kiki

^-- F*ck Final Fantasy VII.

And here's Graham calling you a fool:
Escapist News Network.

Mr. K

Mr Trade In wrote: »

Final Fantasy VII HD, I know it was a prototype demo for the launch of the PS3 but ever since it was seen people have been clamouring for it,would sell millions.

It'll happen someday. I'm not sure I really want it to, but Squeenix know how well it would sell!