12 Video Games Too Big To Fail (That Did Anyway)
6. Daikatana
Why It Was "Too Big"
If you were even remotely following video games in the late 1990s, it was impossible not to hear about Daikatana.
The latest, much-anticipated new project from Quake and Doom wunderkind John Romero was hyped up as a major leap forward for the FPS genre, with overzealous marketing even infamously claiming, "John Romero's about to make you his bitch."
Why It Failed Anyway
Daikatana is a classic case of a game that just spent too damn long in the oven. Romero had an over-ambitious design for it and laughably optimistic standards for the time-frame of its completion, resulting in Daikatana ultimately releasing almost 2.5 years after his initial Christmas 1997 projection.
Between Romero's inability to manage his team efficiently, a mid-production engine switch, numerous delays and the walk-out of many team members, the sunny PR tide eventually turned ugly against the game, as it became clear the end result would disappoint.
And that it did. Visually unremarkable and mechanically uninspired, Daikatana was skewered by critics and fans alike for disappointing in pretty much every aspect.
The Damage
It was consequentially a huge flop at retail, resulting in the closure of developer Ion Storm's lavish Dallas office.
Romero's career never fully recovered, and today Daikatana remains a fascinating test case for how dangerous personality-driven games development truly can be (not to mention unchecked hype).