10 Rejected Video Game Ideas Literally EVERYONE Would've Loved
4. Scalebound
In a sense, Scalebound was Platinum Games’ dream title. They had attempted to pitch it to publishers in two different years before settling on other IPs like Bayonetta and The Wonderful 101 before, finally, Microsoft snatched up the concept.
Platinum and Microsoft was certainly a unique and surprising collaboration.
As such, it allowed the studio to try to get out of their comfort zone. Scalebound was to have more emphasis on roleplaying elements, a first for the developers, as opposed to straight forward action. Players would receive experience for caring for their draconic friend as well as exterminating enemies as they explored the game’s beautiful environments.
Early looks at the game were exciting and the partnership between man and dragon was definitely something that captivated gamers. Decades of killing the flying lizards, now we could partner with and control one? It was almost too much.
In January 2016, the game’s end of year release window was pushed back as the team struggled to implement features like co-operative multiplayer. Then, eventually, the game was cancelled.
Scalebound is a shining example of a tantalising project that, like a rampaging dragon, became too big for its creators to get a handle on.