Summary
Between AAA developers and indie teams, the industry is pretty secret about how long it takes to make a video game and what happens during cycles. Interviews can shine some light on the subject, but said light can be dim. Recently, Early Access builds have given fans a more direct taste of how a game can change during development. The big one right now isHades 2on Steam’s Early Access.
One of the things that can change during a development cycle is titles. What’s in a name? Sometimes just that, a name. Other times a name change can signal something more significant like an entire retooling of a concept. Let’s look at some known and fairly obscure examples. Links to some behind the scenes work will be provided on Unseen64 which always a great source for beta info.
Capsule Monsterswas the original pitch forPokemonand there are a lot of sketches of the prototype phase online.Capsule Monsterscan be seen on some of the art too. There were stores at one point selling Pokemon and whips seemed to play a big role in the gameplay which seems cruel now. Other monsters never became Pokemon creatures either.
It’s interesting to think about scrapped ideas when it comes to Pokemon because there are a lot of behind-the-scenes things out there like the Space World demo version ofPokemon GoldandPokemon Silver. Development for the firstPokemongames started as far back as 1990 before the project was eventually released in Japan in 1996 under the titles ofPocket Monsters RedandPocket Monsters Green. Of course, North America shortened the names when they were released in 1998 and the rest is history.
WhenFinal Fantasy 13was announced in 2006, several tie-in projects came with it includingFinal Fantasy Versus 13. This was going to be an action RPG set in roughly the same universe which was being directed by Tetsuya Nomura, theKingdom Heartslead.
While it received many trailers over the years, it had just as many years wherein nothing was shown. Eventually, there was a trailer in 2013 and at the end, the name was changed toFinal Fantasy 15and it switched development from the PS3 to the PS4. It would still be another three years before the game was released.
This is one of the stranger stories because all footage ofMonado: Beginning of the Worldlooks exactly like Xenoblade Chronicles. It seems like the name was the only issue with the game and it was a smart choice to eventually switch. For context,Xenogearswas released on the PS1 in 1998.
Several key members of that staff, including the director Tetsuya Takahashi, left Squaresoft to create a new studio, Monolith Soft. They developedtheXenosagatrilogyfor Bandai Namco and then made a deal with Nintendo for this Wii RPG. In the end, it made sense for the legacy of the company to make a new “Xeno” project even though the name “Monado” was still a large part of the story as it was the game’s overpowered sword.
Nicowas the next project from Fumito Ueda followingIco’srelease in 2001. There was an initial trailer for it showcasing a very Ico-looking hero with horns and a party of other heroes chasing a large beast. This could have conveyed a multiplayersetup likeMonster Hunter, but that was never the case.
The idea of giant bosses stayed though and the project was eventually renamed toShadow of the Colossusduring development and it was released in 2005. Interestingly enough, the name is different in Japan as it is calledWander of the Colossus. Technically, that makes more sense since the hero’s name is Wander. That’s a bonus name fact for an alltime great likeShadow of the Colossus.
Rainy Woodswas the game being developed beforeDeadly Premonitionand it is almost unfair to call it out on here. It’s almost a completely different game and the history behind it is fascinating. It seemed like a more intense mystery game without the quirk of Agent Francis York Morgan.
It was unveiled in 2007, was shortly “canceled” after that, and got rebooted asDeadly Premonitionwhen it was shown to the public in 2009 but it wouldn’t release until 2010. LikeShadow of the Colossus, the Japanese name is different: Red Seeds Profile. For thosewho love this good/bad game, fans should check out everything Unseen64 has onRainy Woods.
Race’n’Chasehas to be one of the limpest video game names of all time. That was the proposed title behind the originalGrand Theft Autowhich would have made a different franchise. Imagine playingRace’n’Chase: San Andreason the PS2 in 2004. Jokes aside,the team that would become Rockstarimagined the game with a bigger emphasis on cops and robbers hence the elaborate albeit obvious title. Not many pieces of concept art exist but there are many more details online through documents and personal accounts on how the project changed over time besides the name.
The first concept was drawn up in 1995, scrapped, and eventually the project was renamed toGrand Theft Autointernally and it was released in 1997.Race’n’Chasewas not scrapped entirely though as Rockstar eventually brought the concept back for a series of arcade games inGrand Theft Auto OnlinecalledRace and Chase. It is playable too and the game looks like an authentic homage to the 90s arcade scene.
