The builders of The Simpsons: Hit & Run lastly sat down to debate why the cult traditional open-world sport by no means bought a sequel, and truthfully, it appears like they’re simply as confused as followers.
Programmers Cary Brisebois and Greg Mayer, producer Steve Bocska, designer Darren Evenson, government producer John Melchior and designer-writer Chris Mitchell dove into the small print of what occurred in a name with reporter Ben Hanson. A three-minute clip of the interview was posted November 20 on the MinnMax YouTube channel.
As it seems, a follow-up sport was within the works by Radical Entertainment, the builders revealed. But when requested concerning the rationale behind the choice to halt manufacturing on the sequel, Melchior stated, “I do not know.”
“It was a 5 sport deal for much less cash than I believe Vivendi paid for the primary sport,” Melchior continued, detailing how his boss on the time was equally befuddled by the sport being tabled. “He was identical to, ‘I do not perceive. I gave it to you on a silver platter, why aren’t you simply saying sure and doing these video games?’ It was simply a actually weird choice. I’ll by no means perceive it. Most folks on the manufacturing degree by no means understood it.”
The authentic sport — additionally developed by Radical Entertainment — was launched by Vivendi Universal Games in 2003. As phrase of an alien conspiracy breaks out in Springfield, gamers can take part in a number of quests to research the sequence of unusual occasions that unfold. And as followers of The Simpsons: Hit & Run know properly, one of the crucial iconic options is the sport’s Grand Theft Auto-inspired racing missions.
The plan for the sequel was to increase on gamers’ driving capabilities by permitting them to tow objects from autos. Mayer even created a prototype for the brand new function previous to the sport’s disbandment.
This prototype, a Powerpoint presentation and a couple of property have been the extent of the work that had been accomplished on the brand new sport by the point the information broke that the venture was being cancelled. Even the plot had but to be fleshed out, Mitchell admitted: “It was everywhere in the map.”
“In these early days, form of all people simply imagines what they need, so I’m certain there have been 12 competing storylines at that time,” Mitchell went on. “Who is aware of what the ultimate story would have been?”
Back then, the potential of the sport not reaching fruition was unthinkable — particularly with 4 extra potential video games on the horizon, the builders agreed: “This was going to be a franchise, little doubt in anyone’s thoughts,” Melchior stated.
“It was a no-brainer; it was like, properly after all we will be doing this,” Evenson added. “The stars are aligned, we’re treading down this path. And then it was identical to a, ‘Huh, I assume we’re not.'”
Melchior credit Vivendi failing to acquire a license for the online game rights to The Simpsons as one of many major components within the sequel sport’s downfall. By the identical token, the manager producer identified that Vivendi was capable of safe the rights to Buffy the Vampire Slayer, a equally fashionable franchise, with out concern.
EA signed a contract for the online game rights to The Simpsons in 2005, however the final time the writer launched a sport primarily based on the sequence was in 2007.
“It was unhappy as a result of there was no momentum loss between the delivery of this sport and the work being accomplished on the sequel,” Melchior mourned.
So there you’ve gotten it; it appears to be like like a sequel to The Simpsons: Hit & Run is formally dominated out as lengthy as EA retains the rights to the franchise. But a minimum of we will nonetheless hold hoping for a remaster of the unique.
Katie Reul is a freelance author at IGN.
