News on Cancelled Video Games & Lost Media

As you may have noticed, Unseen64 is currently on “archive” mode: there are no new articles published weekly but you can still check the current database of cancelled and beta video games. In 2022 monokoma became a dad and with a newborn son he don’t have any more time to write new articles for Unseen64.

Even if there may be no site updates, our patrons told us they will still donate on Patreon to help us pay the U64 server every year, so we can keep it online and everyone else can find these pages on Google, to read about these canned games we may never play.

The current plan for Unseen64 is as follows:

► Upload a full Unseen64 backup on Archive.org (screens / videos / details of cancelled games still not added to the site + a copy of the current website). It’s kinda a slow process (because of our internet connection here in Italy and the average Archive.org speed), but piece by piece we’ll keep uploading stuff until everything is archived and everyone can download and make copies of these files.

► Create new accounts on the Unseen64 website for people who’d like to write and publish articles in autonomy. If you want to add new cancelled games to Unseen64, send us an email to [email protected] and we’ll create your account! We’ll also open a Unseen64 Discord to let the new authors collaborate together easily and organize new articles in autonomy.

► Keep the Unseen64 archive online, with or without new articles, so the published info, screens and videos for these cancelled games can be easily found and shared with more people.

As always feel free to write any questions in the comments below or send us an email to [email protected], we’ll read everything ASAP :)

Others, PC / MAC

Dark Hermetic Order (Intelligent Games) [PC – Cancelled]

monokoma

16-02-2022

1 Comment

Dark Hermetic Order is a cancelled first person action adventure game that was in development around 1996 by Intelligent Games as a sequel to Azrael’s Tear, planned to be published on PC by Williams Interactive. The team was mostly known for such titles as Imperium and Dune 2000, but unfortunately many more of their projects never saw the light of day (Bloodline, Flying Circus, Conjure, King of Wall Street, Deadline News, Cops & Robbers). In Dark Hermetic Order players would take the role of a secret agent with magic powers, who infiltrates a strange cult to eliminate their leaders.

Some details about the development and cancellation of DHO were shared online by former IG’s employee Jason Redway:

“After the release of PGA European Tour Golf and the subsequent course discs Jason moved on to a project that was already in progress with Intelligent Games. This project was called Dark Hermetic Order (DHO) and was underway for Williams Interactive. It was a follow-up to the recently released Azrael’s Tear and would be Jason’s first commercial product utilising his 3D skills. Using 3D Studio, Jason created several rooms and became a senior member of the team over the year that followed. Unfortunately during a management re-shuffle at Williams Interactive DHO was cancelled and work stopped. During the next year Jason worked on several prototype projects and some cancelled demos including Subbuteo, Need For Speed 2 and Flying Circus.”
“Previously we had a 3D adventure game (Azreal’s Tear), a golf game (PGA European Tour) and the recently completed Waterworld – this one was the closest that we had experience of combat strategy gaming. Initial ideas were that we would use the 3D engine we had produced Azreal’s Tear and the recently cancelled Dark Hermetic Order to create the first realtime 3D RTS. With this brief I was tasked to create a short atmosphere setting video that we would present to Westwood.”

A single screenshot from Dark Hermetic Order was published in a few gaming magazines such as PC Player Germany, but we hope one day someone could find footage or even an early prototype.

Thanks to Alex for the contribution!

Others, PC / MAC

Atma: The Mythic Light of India [PC – Cancelled]

monokoma

11-02-2022

No Comments

Atma: The Mythic Light of India is a cancelled adventure game that was in development by Vinayak 4D Games around 2000 / 2001, planned to be released on PC. Gameplay would have been similar to Myst, but set in India and you would play the role of Indrani (the queen of the gods in Hinduism) following a mystical storyline for personal enlightenment. Players would move through different Asian locations and mesmerizing landscapes (Atma was one of the early games built on the Unreal engine), resolving mind-bending puzzles.

As we can read from an old press-release:

“Together with her husband Indrani ruled the extraterrestrial city of Amaravati until the demon, Prince Venadatte, dressed up as a royal guest, gave the royal couple a false nectar of gods. After drinking it, Indra lost his divine power and was imprisoned by Venadatte in a crystal cell. Indrani managed to escape to Earth. There appeared the Valley of Saints located on the slopes of the Himalayas. Now he must do everything he can to return, free his husband and defeat the demon. The plot of the game is full of Indian culture and customs. At every step you can see the fascination of the artists with the Far East manifesting itself in the form of known concepts such as Karma, meditation, Shakti, Yoga, etc.”

We don’t know what happened to the game but after a while it just vanished along with the team. As it happens often with these lost games we speculate they were not able to find a publisher interested in the project and without money they had to close down the studio.

Thanks to Josef for the contribution!

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Videos:

N-Gage, Others

Hinter Wars: The Aterian Invasion [N-Gage, PC – Cancelled]

monokoma

10-02-2022

No Comments

Hinter Wars: The Aterian Invasion is a cancelled online RPG that was in development around 2005 / 2006 by Activate Interactive, planned to be published by Nokia for N-Gage and PC. As in other MMORPG players would choose between different characters, each one with their own skills and appearances, then log online to explore the game world, fight enemies and chat with their friends.

A playable beta was available for free on their official website, and people could help the team testing their server for online multiplayer. Players could then play on their PC while at home, then continue their adventure outside using the same profile on N-Gage. Some more details on Hinter Wars’ settings and gameplay were also shared at the time:

“HinterWars: The Aterian Invasion’ was derived from an original storyline that revolves around a group of space-faring races that face the possibility of being invaded by the Aterians. The game features four broad character types – the Humans, Firans, Brucians and Taikuus – whose costumes, appearances and armour can be customized according to each player’s specifications. The game also allows interaction between players such as broadcast and private chat, trading of items and teaming up for conquests. Successes are rewarded by new downloads, rare items, additional power and experience, virtual cash rewards – and ultimately, fame within the HinterWars gaming community.”

Possibly because of the N-Gage failure on the market, Nokia and Activate canned the project and Hinter Wars was never completed.

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Playstation 3 (PS3), PS Vita, Sony

This Means War! (bigBIG Studios) [PS3, PSVita – Cancelled]

monokoma

06-02-2022

1 Comment

This Means War! Is a cancelled third person team-based shooter that was in early development by bigBIG Studios around 2009, planned to be released on Playstation 3 or PSVita. The team was mostly known for Pursuit Force and Little Deviants, but they worked with Sony on many more canned projects, such as Survive, Autorobotica and this one.

By looking at the only remaining images we speculate This Means War!’s gameplay could have been similar to Battalion Wars, possibly with a huge emphasis on team VS team online multiplayer. Players would have been able to use military weapons and vehicles to fight other teams on small spherical levels (somehow similar to Mario Galaxy planets). Many different character classes would have been available as DLC to be purchased on PSN, each one with different skills, appearance and nationality.

Unfortunately as far as we know This Means War! was never officially announced by Sony nor bigBig Studios, so we don’t have more details about the project and why it was never released. In 2012 Sony closed bigBIG Studios: some images from This Means War! are preserved in the gallery below to remember the existence of this lost project.

Thanks to Tonz for the contribution!

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