10 Dumbest Reasons Video Games ALMOST Got Cancelled
How could anyone think GoldenEye would suck?
There are few things more heartbreaking to a gamer than when a hyped video game suffers the Big C - Cancellation.
However, the dissolution of a gaming project can be a blessing in disguise. Considering how badly Duke Nukem Forever and Alien Colonial Marines turned out, the developers should've trusted their gut when things went south.
However, there are just as many great titles that nearly got canned. Classics like Super Smash Bros., Harvest Moon, and the original Donkey Kong narrowly avoided ending up on the chopping block.
Now, that's not suggesting there aren't valid reasons to axe a game, even if it has the potential to be awesome. If the higher-ups don't have the funding or resources to see an IP through to the end, they'll have no choice but to close shop. It's not fair - it's business.
However, the reason why certain games were on the verge of cancellation is so absurd, you'd think it was a joke. When you learn the truth behind why studios nearly dropped Grand Theft Auto, Battlefield 1, or Star Fox 2, you'll struggle to believe it.
10. A Flood - No Man's Sky
No Man's Sky's chaotic launch is well-documented. After being touted as the be-all-and-end-all of gaming, fans were dismayed to learn Hello Game's project was tedious, boring, and above all, not the greatest thing since sliced bread.
But after the developers whipped up dozens of updates, No Man's Sky is much closer now than what we initially expected. With future updates planned, the formerly vilified title seems destined to only get better with time.
In hindsight, it's a miracle No Man's Sky made such a miraculous recovery, and it's not just because of its abysmal debut. The fact this survival title exists in the first place is astounding, since Hello Game's office in Guilford was completely flooded. According to managing editor, Sean Murray, "We lost all our PCs, laptops, equipment, furniture, dev-kits, work in the blink of an eye." And when the insurance refused to cover the damage, the developers were stuck between a rock and a hard place.
Rather than quitting, Murray and his team made a makeshift work station, and plowed through. Despite facing trials and tribulations on a biblical scale, No Man's Sky saw the light of day.