After 13 years, we learned about the existence of the canceled Call of Duty game. However, his concept could have been a hit at the time
Game news After 13 years, we learned about the existence of the canceled Call of Duty game. However, his concept could have been a hit at the time
While Steam reports 14,000 games released on its service in 2023, video games are certainly surprisingly dynamic. However, while layoffs have been looming for several weeks, how many projects will never see the light of day?
Buried treasure
At a time when more and more of us are interested in video games and their past (via websites, magazines, broadcasts on YouTube or Twitch, etc.), not a week goes by without a surprising discovery. Recently, we learned that the game Clockwork Night 2 on Saturn includes, in its data, the first episode of the same license. Some have even discovered demos that, with the simple touch of a button, give access to all the content! Video games are rich in mystery and we are far from the end of our surprises. These findings are pleasant, especially since the games in question are finished and marketed. But there are less interesting stories …
Unfortunately, it happens regularly that abandoned games are discovered. Sometimes these are limited to prototypes and are only playable at an embryonic level of development, but it also happens that titles are completely finished… but never saw the light of day commercially! Examples are numerous and if these discoveries are great for video game enthusiasts, We can’t help but think about these developers who worked for months on unfinished work. And this concerns all firms and all producers. Together, we can cite Half-Life Blue Shift or Propeller Arena on Dreamcast, Star Fox 2 on Super Nintendo, Thrill Kill on PlayStation, Battletoads the arcade game on Game Boy, etc.
Abandoned call of duty?
We just learned that Activision worked on Call of Duty mixed with zombies for several months. The title, which was supposed to be a multiplayer game tinged with microtransactions, ultimately never saw the light of day. Where it is more worrying is that we are talking about a development that has stretched over almost 8 months, which is significant. It was an insider gaming site that saw information on the LinkedIn profile of one of the Raven Software developers. In parallel with Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 (2023) and Call of Duty: Black Ops II, Activision was working on an episode based on zombies, but it was ultimately a rights issue that caused the project to fall short. Subsequently, the license went through a horror-type extension, but this once again shows that not all projects are successful. And inevitably, when such a situation arises, it must be heartbreaking for designers. This is something that should never be overlooked when evaluating work.
