12 Biggest Missed Opportunities In Gaming History

8. Shenmue

The world's first triple-A game, Shenmue was given a bank-straining budget reported to be $70 million, though creator Yu Suzuki would later state the figure was closer to $47 million. Either way - and despite still selling over a million copies - the game just couldn't quite make the big time.

Whether it was the stilted voice acting - something standards had been raised on thanks to the likes of Metal Gear Solid - the awkward combat or plethora of distracting minigames that ruined its overall focus, Suzuki's team appeared to prioritise everything other than fun gameplay loops and replayability.

Shenmue was a bold, somewhat necessary step for immersion and controllability in video games as a medium, it's just a shame all that work and solid critical response couldn't translate into a worthwhile reputation.

Here's to Shenmue III, because who knows what the hell that's going to like in the end.