Earlier this week, we reported a rumour about Nintendo's plans to revive a "dead and buried" game. This rumour stems from a comment made by Game Informer's Senior Editor Imran Khan on last week's Kinda Funny Games show. According to the source, Nintendo has intentions of reviving a certain project, even though it was "officially" canned.
Of course, this sent the rumor mill wild, with various outlets and fans speculating it could be the axed Wii title Project H.A.M.M.E.R. or perhaps even PlatinumGames' Scalebound, which was intended to be an Xbox One exclusive.
At the time, industry insider, video game historian and Nintendo Life contributor Liam Robertson chimed in on Twitter to have his say and after a handful of requests, he's now published a video discussing the possibility of Nintendo reviving the above-mentioned titles. Take a look below:
To be blunt about it, Mr. Robertson is certain Project H.A.M.M.E.R will never return, citing it as a "catastrophe" for everyone involved in the development process - with Nintendo spending millions of dollars trying to get it to work over the period of five years. There was such a severe level of mismanagement, about half of Nintendo Software Technology ended up leaving and Nintendo lost a lot of faith in the studio in the process. Mr. Robertson believes it to be one of the most "expensive and damaging" cancelled projects in the company's history and as a result, doesn't expect it to be revived.
As for Scalebound, Mr. Robertson has enough sources at PlatinumGames to get an idea of what's going on, which makes it hard for him to believe the game would ever make a return - even though he does think there still is a very small possibility it could. His main reasoning as to why nothing would be happening with this game right now, though, was tied to how it was very "personal" to a number of former employees. If it was restarted now, without the original team, it wouldn't be the same creative vision.
The cancellation also plays a part, with Microsoft and Platinum coming to the agreement the project was unsalvagable. Mr. Robertson doesn't believe Platinum would go back on such a big decision within the space of a few years. Performance issues are another factor in play, as the game had a huge sense of scale and it wasn't even able to run properly on the original Xbox One. In order for the game to run on the Switch, it would need to be significantly scaled back, and by this stage, it might not even be the same vision. To top it off, PlatinumGames' finances and resources are already stretched and Microsoft still owns Scalebound.
One surprise from Mr. Robertson was a comment about how he had heard Nintendo and Microsoft "are working on some big things together." Still, he doesn't think it involves Microsoft selling Scalebound to Nintendo. Adding to this, Nintendo seemingly has a lot of respect for Platinum and the original creators of Scalebound, so it wouldn't be looking to acquire the IP.
Do you think these games will ever make a return? Leave a comment below.
[source youtu.be]
Comments 53
Why would anyone here be getting their hopes up?
So, the Tingle Horror game is still a possibility then?
I want Scalebound to come to Switch as an exclusive with the only purpose that Xbox fanatics will throw a tantrum it would be hilarious.
IMHO, although I understand what the former staff that contributed to the dev't of Scalebound would feel if the rumor was true, the "creative vision" still stems from a single person which was Kamiya. I do also feel the rumor is a bit far-fetched but if Kamiya still wants to make the game even w/o some of the former staff, he'll do it cuz it's still 'his' game with 'his' vision (provided the resources are available to him). Whether or not that vision could be made into reality with the Switch remains to be seen and a whole other topic all together (assuming the whole IP ownership was sorted out).
So for me this still can go both ways.
The dead series being revived is Golden Sun. We are all about to experience the rising of the new sun. Alex will finally pay...
Don't you love when gaming news outlets jump on a rumor, only for it to turn out false... two days later?! Hope no one will be too disappointed by this news, but anyone who got excited over the rumor set themselves up for disappointment.
Why don't you go to Mr. Robertson for his opinion more often, Mr. Doolan? If he has inside info AND is a NL contributor, we could avoid a lot of these articles based on soon to be deflated rumours on this page. That would be nice. I understand he's busy and all, but if he has done work for NL, you must have some easy way of contacting him. Now I see you just retold what he talks about on Twitter and in his video, but it would be nice if you could create more articles based on your own research, for example talking directly with this Mr. Robertson.
Nobody cares about any of those two non-existant games, we just want F-Zero back.
Mega Man Legends 3 approves.
Wow, Nintendo and Microsoft working together on a game? I like thinking about such a collaboration.
Regarding Project HAMMER, forget it, the game never looked good, moreless average at best.
@Zach777 Nintendo is reviving an officially cancelled game. Golden Sun just does not fit into the category.
@gloom But the same would happen with everyone on the Nintendo side of things if Microsoft were to bring it back for the next Xbox.
The cancelled game is gonna be Goldeneye HD, it was going to be an Xbox Live game in 2008 but agreements in between Nintendo and Xbox fell through. Now with relations much better, and Xbox Live coming to the Switch, I can imagine this HD port of Goldeneye being revived and released as an eshop title. It was nearly completely finished after all.
Theres still a chance of scalebound being revived for switch so ill wait for actual info from nintendo and platinum.
@Quarth We'll keep an eye on things and speak to Liam if anything interesting happens.
If the rumor is true, it has to be donkey kong racing. With MK8 doing so well there’s no way they release 9 so soon and DKR would fill the void.
I'm still wanting Sadness...
I'm interested to what it could be, but I bet I'll be dissapoint lol
@BobbySteez so soon??? It's 5 years old nearly lol
I'm actually expecting Goldeneye.. that would make the switch explode. Related to all the news about getting Xbox Live on the switch... Whatever that means.
It was clearly supposed to be Ravenblade until Retro took over Metroid 4
Nintendo and Microsoft working together on a game? My far fetched hopes of a AAA cross platform Blast Corps 2 just become slightly less far fetched. Although not by much to be fair.
@Liam_Doolan Thanks!
@Cathousemaster A new Goldeneye developed by Rare and exclusive to Xbox One/ Switch with crossplay. Now that would be something.
Also can't get it out of my head, people seem to forget that scalebound was originally a Wii exclusive title many years ago ... Why shouldn't Ninty own it again? I'd rather have a game less visually impressive than it not come.out at all
Not saying he’s wrong, because I highly doubt Scalebound or Project HAMMER are the rumoured “dead and buried” game Nintendo is reviving in any form, but weren’t Splatoon 2 and Mario Kart 8 DX suppose to be fake according to LR?
I'm sure it's just me, but if I'm being totally honest...
... I want it to be a new Nintendogs game for Switch. I'm not sure it'd be considered 'dead and buried', but... I just want one.
I feel like if platinum was allowed to use Breath of the Wild's engine they could rework the game into that's game's style of graphics, with an advanced physics engine to play with. All in an effort to make the game run well on the switch
@Quarth It's all still speculation and rumor, and that stands until we hear officially from Platinum, Microsoft, or Nintendo. Whatever gets Liam clicks is what will be "reported" on, whether it's true, false, or wildly unsubstantiated or poorly researched.
@kraventhehunter1 i hope not, Goldeneye is now such an old game that has no chance to compete with modern shooters
@OorWullie do you know that Goldeneye, the movie, is 24 years old? Why would anyone want to develop a game based on an old movie
@shoeses buy a dog
Eh nobody wanted Project H.A.M.M.E.R. and Scalebound seems like really out of bounds. I still say it is more probable that MM Legend 3 happens, though knowing Nintendo the game must be something nobody expects and has thought yet.
@BlackenedHalo Yes I do, great movie and for me the last great Bond. I doubt it would happen now either but the game kind of transcends the movie. A new game in the series would be tapping into the nostalgia for the original game not the movie. Goldeneye 64 didn't release till 2 years after the movie,then there was Goldeneye Rogue Agent from EA in 2004 and Goldeneye 007 for Wii in 2010 as well as that cancelled Xbox Live game, so it's not impossible.
@OorWullie that is right, maybe it is Goldeneye after all 😁
It's funny how I discovered and got my hy hopes up for a revive of Project Hammer only yesterday and now I'm already seeing those hopes crushed (under an hammer maybe?).
The shortest-lived hype I ever had for a rumour, I guess XD
If scalebound will come back as a Switch exclusive and will be actually good, Xbox fans will get crazy on Microsoft
We need every fan to pretend we don't expect F-Zero to return. This might fool Nintendo into reviving the franchise.
@OorWullie
Blast Corps 2 would be amazing, the original was unlike anything I’d played at the time.
But does Mr Robertson have any idea what the resurrected project is instead? His logic is sound and I agree entirely, but the whole article is based on his beliefs, not actual substantiated research.
Anyone could have said this - it’s just that he has insider history which gives him credence, but there’s little here to suggest he’s actually done any fresh digging on this or found a counterpoint.
I mean he’s probably still right, but no more so than anyone else saying “nope” to those 2 games.
The dead and buried game is E.T., because it's dead and is literally buried. Something like 700,000 copies were put in the ground.
@Zach777 You're going to make me cry
Remember when that other cancelled game was brought to life and finally released? Ya know, Duke Nukem? Everyone was so glad that finally happened, and that it was such a critical and commercial success. Right??
Scalebound would be cool, but I can guarantee you that if it turns out to not be Scalebound, people are going to complain about it not being a rumour that has no ground to stand on.
@Zach777 God hear you. Indeed Alex has to pay.
Cosmic Walker.
Prey sure it is a Punch Out title, it fits into the motion controls and there is no first party game this year that focuses on motion controls.
Not going to lie, I love big hammers. I would have enjoyed Hammer being announced. But I have never played a Megaman Legends game. So please, please, help Capcom bring it back.
I'm just gonna go out on a limb and say the game's gonna be a new Stunt Race FX.
I think we'll find out when we find out, right now it's just random guesses in the dark. It's also possible that this rumor just isn't even true and there is no dead and buried game being worked on, though it's less fun to think that could be the case. Personally if it's not scalebound I'd hope for Mega Man Legends 3 or maybe even Metroid Dread for a good 2D metroid game.
@Zach777 Man, as much I have heard about the original game, I really would love to see it come back! I never played it and I am recently getting into RPGs so it would be perfect for me. Take care.
Eh he's just one guy, just because he doesn't 'think' either will return, doesn't mean he's right, i still think Hammer could be the game, but now with less motion control and more about open worlds and destruction (sounds a bit like Crackdown 3 lol)
@CurryPowderKeg79 It's the Zelda mobile game
@MongolRaider lol, wouldn't that be something. A sequel to ET
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