Lost Sonic Game Gets X-Treme Flashback

Thanks to The Lost Levels for its in-depth report on 'lost' Sega Saturn title, Sonic X-Treme, originally shown in playable form at E3 1996. However, "what gamers didn't know was that the game was being rushed to completion on a compressed development timeline, a fateful decision that would eventually doom the entire project." Using interviews with the original developers of Sonic X-Treme, which was to "take full advantage of the 3D environment in a free-roaming fashion, much more like Mario 64 than NiGHTS", its ultimate fate is discovered, with an overstressed, overworked developer being told by medical staff that "he thought I had 6 months to live", and the entire project eventually cancelled.

Comments

Re:Awesome Product, Bad Management

[dancingmad]

In contrast, a lot of people bemoan and curse Yamauchi, head honcho of Nintendo until a few years ago (indeed, he was known as Mother Brain), but his hamfistedness kept stuff organized and working and was a major aspect of Nintendo's success.

Re:Awesome Product, Bad Management

[Anonymous Coward]

While Yamaguchi _IS_ a bit of a nutcase, he was a sound businessman. Very _very_ rooted in real world returns rather then super-flashy whizbang stuff.