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THE GAMES THAT WEREN'T

Frank Gasking, David Crane (Foreword)



 

Now larger than both the movie and music industries combined, the video game industry has provided more than 40 glorious years of interactive entertainment across a plethora of hardware platforms, including consoles, computers and handheld devices. We truly are spoilt for choice when it comes to picking something to play, and that dizzying array is growing by the day.


Even so, there are a great many video games that have sadly never seen the light of day, for a variety of reasons, and many of these have incredible unsolved mysteries or gripping untold tales attached to them. The Games That Weren't aims to give these unknown titles a chance to shine by lifting the lid on their stories – even if we weren't able to actually play them as their developers intended.


Providing illustrated snapshots of unreleased games dating from 1975 to 2015, The Games That Weren't is Bitmap Books’ biggest and most ambitious book to date. It includes a wide range of titles from the Atari 2600 right up to the Sony PlayStation 4, by way of arcade, home computer, console, handheld and mobile platforms. Years in the making, it's packed to bursting point with exclusive content, in-depth interviews and much more besides.


Many of these lost classics are expanded upon in detail, as we share the untold stories and recollections of those involved with their design and development, as well as shedding some light on intriguing mysteries along the way. Assets and screenshots – some of which have never been seen before – help illustrate the narratives, and in the case of games for which no images exist, there are specially-created artist's impressions that give a tantalizing visual interpretation of what could have been.


Covering more than 80 games – including Star Fox 2, Green Lantern and SimMars – across a 40-year span, and packed with content such as five specially-created 'Hardware That Wasn't' blueprint pieces and interviews with industry legends such as David Crane, Jeff Minter, Matthew Smith, Dan Malone, Eugene Jarvis, Dylan Cuthbert, Andrew and Philip Oliver, Geoff Crammond, Scott Adams, Jon Hare and many more, The Games That Weren't showcases and pays tribute to well-known and not-so-well-known unreleased titles, as well as games you might never have heard of – until now. As if that wasn't enough, the book has been produced to the signature high standard Bitmap Books readers have come to expect, with eye-catching fluorescent colours and high-quality binding on superb paper stock, and it comes with a free digital copy, so you can take it with you everywhere.


While the games industry has much to celebrate in the games that did make it onto shelves, there's something uniquely captivating in looking at titles that never achieved the finish line. We hope that The Games That Weren't will keep the memory of these failed masterpieces alive.

 

PUBLICATION DETAILS

LANGUAGE

BINDING

EDITION

ISBN

YEAR

PAGES

English

Hardcover


9781838019129

2020

644

 

TAGS


Publishers: #BitmapBooks (Bitmap Books)

Languages: #English

Format: #Hardcover

Accessibility: N/A

Year: #Year2020


Companies:

#Acclaim (Acclaim Studios Austin)

#ActiveMinds (Active Minds)

#Activision (Activision)

#AdelineSoftware (Adeline Software)

#ArgonautGames (Argonaut Games)

#Atari (Atari)

#BackboneEntertainment (Backbone Entertainment)

#BigBit (BigBit Ltd.)

#BitsStudios (Bits Studios)

#BlackIsleStudios (Black Isle Studios)

#BlitzGames (Blitz Games)

#CanvasSoftware (Canvas Software)

#Captivation (Captivation)

#CyberdyneSystems (Cyberdyne Systems)

#Darkworks (Darkworks)

#DataDesignInteractive (Data Design Interactive)

#DaveNuttingAssociates (Dave Nutting Associates)

#DurellSoftware (Durell Software)

#EldritchTheCat (Eldritch the Cat)

#GameShastra (GameShastra)

#GCE (GCE, General Consumer Electronics)

#Gearbox (Gearbox Software)

#HotGen (HotGen)

#ImagesSoftware (Images Software)

#ImagineSoftware (Imagine Software)

#InfiniteLives (Infinite Lives)

#InfiniumLabs (Infinium Labs)

#InteractiveStudios (Interactive Studios)

#Konix (Konix)

#Llamasoft (Llamasoft)

#LostToys (Lost Toys)

#Lucasfilm (Lucasfilm)

#Maxis (Maxis)

#MiracleGames (Miracle Games)

#NikitovaGames (Nikitova Games)

#PeakstarSoftware (Peakstar Software)

#Psygnosis (Pysgnosis)

#RealismStudios (Realism Studios)

#Robotoki (Robotoki)

#SensibleSoftware (Sensible Software)

#Simergy (Simergy)

#SoftwareProjects (Software Projects)

#Sunsoft (Sunsoft)

#System3 (System 3)

#Tengen (Tengen)

#Vectorbeam (Vectorbeam)

#VidKidz (Vid Kidz)

#VisualScience (Visual Science)

#Williams (Williams Electronic Games, Inc.)

#ZombieStudios (Zombie Studios)


Public Figures:

#AdamRippon (Adam Rippon)

#AlisonKelly (Alison Kelly)

#AndrewOliver (Andrew Oliver)

#AricWilmunder (Aric Wilmunder)

#CharlieKellner (Charlie Kellner)

#ChrisDownend (Chris Downend) #ChristianSenn (Christian Senn)

#ChrisWild (Chris Wild)

#ChuckSommerville (Chuck Sommerville)

#ColinGrunes (Colin Grunes)

#DanKitchen (Dan Kitchen)

#DanMoss (Dan Moss)

#DaveNutting (Dave Nutting) #DavePayne (Dave Payne)

#DaveSherman (Dave Sherman)

#DavidColley (David Colley)

#DavidCrane (David Crane)

#DavidSiller (David Siller)

#DavidSullivan (David Sullivan)

#DennisKoble (Dennis Koble)

#DougMacrae (Doug Macrae)

#EdLogg (Ed Logg)

#EduardoRisso (Eduardo Risso)

#EugeneJarvis (Eugene Jarvis)

#FlorianDesforges (Florian Desforges)

#GarryKitchen (Garry Kitchen)

#GaryBergmann (Gary Bergmann)

#GaryRichards (Gary Richards)

#GeraldBroas (Gerald Broas)

#GuillaumeGouraud (Guillaume Gouraud)

#JamieFenton (Jamie 'Jay' Fenton)

#JedMargolin (Jed Margolin)

#JeffMinter (Jeff Minter)

#JohanForslöf (Johan Forslöf)

#JohnDarnell (John Darnell)

#JohnGibson (John Gibson)

#JohnHall (John Hall)

#JohnNewcomer (John Newcomer)

#JohnPickford (John Pickford)

#JohnRay (John Ray)

#JohnSalwitz (John Salwitz)

#JonHare (Jon Hare)

#JoshSawyer (Josh Sawyer)

#KarlJeffery (Karl Jeffery)

#KevinMulhall (Kevin Mulhall)

#KlausPeterPlog (Klaus-Peter Plog)

#LarryDeMar (Larry DeMar)

#LarryRosenthal (Larrry Rosenthal)

#LarsJensen (Lars Jensen)

#LeeChaden (Lee Chaden)

#LyleRains (Lyle Rains)

#MarcRosocha (Marc Rosocha)

#MarkIndictor (Mark Indictor)

#MarkLong (Mark Long)

#MarkMorris (Mark Morris)

#MartinKelsey (Martin Kelsey)

#MartinPiper (Martin Piper)

#MatthewSmith (Matthew Smith)

#MattReichert (Matt Reichert)

#MicahRusso (Micah Russo)

#MikeAlbaugh (Mike Albaugh)

#MikeSingleton (Mike Singleton)

#NoahFalstein (Noah Falstein)

#OscarFerrero (Oscar Ferrero)

#OwenRubin (Owen Rubin)

#PeterGillett (Peter Gillett)

#PhilipOliver (Philip Oliver)

#RickAdams (Rick Adams)

#RobertTrevellyan (Robert Trevellyan)

#RobinLevy (Robin Levy)

#RoyGibson (Roy Gibson)

#SacredSquareGames (Sacred Square Games)

#SandyWhite (Sandy White)

#ScottAdams (Scott Adams)

#ScottBrocker (Scott Brocker)

#SeanTownsend (Sean Townsend)

#SimonButler (Simon Butler)

#SteveWetherill (Steve Wetherill)

#TimSkelly (Tim Skelly)

#TraceyKing (Tracey King)

#WarrenDavis (Warren Davis)

#YannisBrown (Yannis Brown)


Games:

#100Bullets (100 Bullets)

#8Kings (8 Kings)

#AkkaArrh (Akka Arrh)

#AOTMZFECFM (Attack of the Mutant Zombie Flesh Eating Chickens from Mars)

#AttackOfTheMutantCamels (Attack of the Mutant Camels)

#Bandersnatch (Bandersnatch)

#BlackDeath (Black Death)

#BlackHawk (Black Hawk)

#Blackjack (Blackjack)

#Blaster (Blaster)

#Boggle (Boggle)

#BoundHigh (Bound High!)

#Boxer (Boxer)

#BubbleBobble (Bubble Bobble)

#Cannonball (Cannonball)

#CaptainSeahawk (Captain Seahawk)

#Carmageddon (Carmageddon TV)

#CCTV (CCTV)

#ChipsChallenge (Chip's Challenge)

#Conquest (Conquest)

#Creation (Creation)

#DarkSeed (Dark Seed)

#DarkTower (Dark Tower)

#Deadlock (Deadlock)

#DeathPit (Death Pit)

#Deathwatch (Deathwatch)

#DickSpecial (Dick Special)

#DieHard (Die Hard 64)

#Dizzy (Dizzy Returns)

#EyeOfTheMoon (Eye of the Moon)

#Fallout (Fallout 3: Van Buren)

#Flashback (Flashback Legend)

#Frogger (Frogger 2: Swampy's Revenge)

#Gazza (Gazza 2)

#Gauntlet (Gauntlet)

#GreenLantern (Green Lantern)

#HalfLife (Half-Life)

#HardDrivin (Hard Drivin')

#HeartOfYesod (Heart of Yesod)

#HumanElement (Human Element)

#KeystoneKannonball (Keystone Kannonball)

#Lemmings (Lemmings 2)

#LethalWeapon (Lethal Weapon)

#LooneyTunes (Duffy Duck: Starring in the Great Paint Caper)

#MailPlane (Mail Plane)

#Mario (Super Mario's Wacky Worlds)

#MARSOC (MARSOC)

#MegaTwins (Mega Twins)

#Millipede (Millipede)

#MinerWilly (Manic Miner, Jet Set Willy, Jet Set Willy 2, Miner Willy Meets the Taxman)

#MiniGolf (Mini Golf)

#Oops (Oops!)

#PrimalRage (Primal Rage 2)

#PropellerArena (Propeller Arena: Aviation Battle Championship)

#Putty (Putty Squad)

#RescueOnFractalus (Rescue on Fractalus!)

#ResidentEvil (Resident Evil)

#RidgeRacer (Ridge Racer)

#RollingThunder (Rolling Thunder)

#Safire (Safire)

#Sebring (Sebring)

#SexNDrugsNRockNRoll (Sex 'n' Drugs 'n' Rock 'n' Roll)

#SimMars (SimMars)

#SolarJetman (Solar Jetman)

#Sonic (Sonic X-treme)

#SpitfireFury (Spitfire Fury)

#Spooky (Spooky)

#StarFox (Star Fox 2)

#StarringCharlieChaplin (Starring Charlie Chaplin)

#StuntCarRacerPro (Stunt Car Racer Pro)

#Subtraddition (Subtraddition)

#Terminator (The Terminator)

#Tetris (Tetris DS)

#TheLastNinja (The Last Ninja)

#TheLizzieBordenMurders (The Lizzie Borden Murders)

#ThePhantom (The Phantom)

#ThrillKill (Thrill Kill)

#TimeBomb (Time Bomb)

#TinyToons (Tiny Toon Adventures: Defenders of the Universe)

#TonyHawk (Tony Hawk's Shred Session)

#Tork (Tork)

#USSA (USSA)

#Vindicators (Vindicators)

#VirtuaHamster (Virtua Hamster)

#VirtualTank (Virtual Tank)

#Waterworld (Waterworld)

#WolfPack (Wolf Pack)


Misc:

#Atari400 (Atari 400/800)

#Atari2600 (Atari 2600, Atari VCS)

#Atari5200 (Atari 5200)

#Atari7800 (Atari 7800)

#AtariJaguar (Atari Jaguar)

#AtariST (Atari ST)

#AtariGameBrain (Atari Game Brain)

#BBCMicro (BBC Micro)

#CancelledGames (Cancelled Games)

#Commodore64 (C64, Commodore 64)

#KonixMultiSystem (Konix Multi-System)

#NGage (Nokia N-Gage)

#PanasonicJungle (Panasonic Jungle)

#Vectrex (Vectrex)

#ZXSpectrum (Sinclair ZX Spectrum)


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