Video game development is a long, complicated process, and not everything makes it to store shelves. It’s pretty common forgames to get canceled, with some triple-a games never seeing the light of day. Such is the case withNew Frontier,a canceled Capcom game with a swashbuckling sci-fi aesthetic, recently revealed by Did You Know Gaming’s Liam Robertson.
The game would have apparently been “DestinybeforeDestiny,” according to the video, with some comparingNew Frontierthe canceledTV showFirefly.The game was going to be an open-world action RPG, with roughly six months being invested in creating a vertical slice, a proof of concept used by developers for demos. However, Capcom canceled the game in late 2013, largely due to the cost of developing the game.
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Players would have explored planets and found ancient alien technology, which is where theDestinycomparison is intended to come into play, with gameplay instead putting a heavy emphasis on third-person melee combat. Screenshots from the game look fairly impressive considering the time that it was being developed, and it’s interesting to think what could’ve become of the game had it released.
Information about the game starts around 5:10.
No game is safe from being canceled, an unfortunate reality of game development.EA has canceledStar Warsgamesmany times, despite how large of a franchiseStar Warsactually is, proving just how much is at stake. However, Capcom is still creating games today, and it’s always possible thatNew Frontier,eventually, sees the light of day in some sort of reboot, though that doesn’t seem very likely.
Part of the issues stems from publishers looking to create sequels to long-standing franchises rather than create brand-new IP. New IP is a much greater risk, leading to more difficulty getting those projects off the ground. That has pushed some studios to using Kickstarter to fund development for new games, a method that has proven successful in recent years. EvenObsidian Entertainmentused it to get funding forPillars of Eternity.
There are likely thousands of other games that were canceled before development really kicked off, many of which gamers will likely never hear about. It’s disappointing that they didn’t make it to release, but that’s simply the nature of the business.
