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Games That Could Have Been

Posted by Zonk on from the sparks-in-their-creators-eyes dept.

Gamespot, to accompany a piece on the art of pitching a game has up a companion article on a few good pitches from talented developers that never quite made it into games. My favorite of the three, from Will Wright: "I've always been fascinated with airships, and I wanted to do a game about the Hindenburg. And it was originally conceived as a cross between Myst and a flight simulator, if you can imagine that. You basically wake up on the Hindenburg. You're all alone. It's flying toward Lakehurst, New Jersey. You can walk anywhere on the ship. You can turn lights on and off. You can steer. You can adjust the engines. But every time you come into Lakehurst, it blows up. And you have to figure out why, and it becomes like this weird mystery flight simulator thing. I'd still love to do that."

5 of 99 comments (clear)

  1. Because... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    And you have to figure out why 'Cause you're on the Hindenburg and it's filled with frickin' hydrogen?
    1. Re:Because... by Cyclon · · Score: 4, Insightful

      We're quoting Mythbusters as an authoritative source now?

    2. Re:Because... by Gulthek · · Score: 4, Insightful

      O. M. G.

      Mythbusters is *entertainment*, not science! While their antics are somewhat entertaining, they are just that: antics. There is no rigor, no carefully thoughtout experiments, no theory, and no reasoning. While they may prove something empirically (and some of their questions lend themselves well to this) their methods make it impossible to generalize to answer the question with authority.

    3. Re:Because... by blueg3 · · Score: 4, Insightful

      That summary of their analysis isn't that good -- it skips the important admissions of where what they tested differs from actual Hindenburg design. It does include that they used hydrogen-air mixtures instead of hydrogen. It also includes that the doped cloth (doped in an intentionally more-reactive mixture than was actually used on the Hindenburg) burned faster than undoped cloth, but this doesn't really address the question of why it was on fire in the first place, which was the real problem.

      If the skin of the Hindenburg was really painted with thermite, then it would be fairly safe -- thermite is tough to ignite (though, once burning, is very hot and difficult to extinguish).

  2. Nnamtsreg by mqduck · · Score: 5, Informative

    One would be excused for thinking this post is a trolling (which, if you will remember, is tactically trying to stir up trouble for the troll's own amusement). Though I wouldn't mind if I DO stir up emotions, my goal isn't entertainment for myself or anyone.

    Okay, the substance of the post:
    Let us not forget that Gamespot should still be shunned continually until it at least somehow repents for firing Jeff Gerstmann. Gamepost denied the rumors, Jeff hasn't, and frankly the facts of the matter speak for themselves.

    It may well be a fine article (I wouldn't be a Slashdotter if I actually READ it), but we shouldn't forget the apartment policy (of at least willingness) of censorship - especially not just because it's been a little while, and "who cares anymore?".

    Sure, I'm blowing it out of proportion, but you should be righteously angry to a relative degree.

    --
    Property is theft.