A look back through time: Sadness

There were several things in 2007 that made us sad. Super Smash Bros. Brawl was delayed, Project H.A.M.M.E.R. got canceled, then it didn't, then it did, and now we're just stuck with rumors that it might exist, somewhere, in some form. People told us that the Wii Zapper would make us kill our families. We got no hard drive love. Reggie didn't kick any ass, though he might have taken (down) some names (we're not sure). But the thing that's made us saddest of all is the ongoing saga of the aptly-named Sadness, the Nibris vaporware game. For all we know, we could be playing it right now; their idea of a game may be centered around stringing us along for a couple of years. It's fun for the whole family!

Or, y'know, sad. So grab your tissues and journey with us through a timeline of Sadness.

*Not actual Sadness concept art, because Nibris hasn't bought/commissioned it yet from artist Mark Ryden.

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Things that are sad: a timeline of Sadness

1990: Enigma releases Sadeness (Part I). Follows up with a sequel not called Sadeness. Pre-Nibris people may have been inspired.

1992: Young Candace wants a pug. Doesn't get one.

1993:The Pixies break up. Dude, that was sad.

1997: Eric's girlfriend dumps him for his locker-mate.

2002: Dave's dog eats favorite pair of suede boots. Dave puts dog to sleep, but when he wakes up, they work out their problems. They live happily ever after.

2004: Nibris fails to release Sadness. However, they have a good excuse at this point since the Wii wasn't out yet and also, they hadn't thought of it.

2005: Nibris starts talking Revolution games; the first is Raid over the River.

2006 (February/March): Nibris announces gothic horror title Sadness for the Revolution, promises screenshots by April (note that we've still never seen a screenshot).

2006 (April): Nibris promises a psychologically-charged experience loaded with amazing atmosphere. Gamers begin to get tentatively excited.

2006 (April): Nintendo changes name of new console to "Wii." Many people found this sad.

2006 (May): Nibris releases live-action trailer "based on" Sadness.

2006 (July): More concept art emerges. Very freaky. But we're still waiting on those screens ....

2006 (July): Word is that Sadness has a publisher, but Nibris ain't telling.

2006 (July): We're told that Nibris is outsourcing the code to one company (Frontline Studios) and the engine to another (Digital Amigos). Novelists and psychologists have been consulted for the script. We're left wondering just what exactly the folks at Nibris are actually doing, since they have everyone else working on the actual game.

2006 (August): Nibris and Frontline to co-produce Sadness. There is is much rejoicing.

2006 (Winter): Nothing happens. That's pretty sad. Oh, wait! The Wii was released! Never mind; that's awesome. But nothing happens on the Sadness front.

2007 (April): Intrepid gamer challenges Frontline Studio about Sadness; Frontline reports that they are no longer interested in the title.

2007 (April): Nibris rep tells Cubed3 (the site that would later become the center for Nibris updates) that there will be a trailer by the end of the year, and that yes, really, the game really does for-real exist. Really. Looks like we're at the end of the year ... anyone see that trailer?

2007 (April): Nibris releases those screenshots a year late! Haha, no, we kid. It's just more concept art.

2007 (August): Concept art for yet another Nibris title -- Children of the Night, for the DS -- is revealed as not being concept art at all, but rather, just the work of an artist Nibris contracted. In fact, many of the pieces were used for other projects and were handed over as simple examples of ideas. Nibris president Piotr Babieno claims the not-concept-art pack was sent to Cubed3 by mistake.

2007 (November): Nibris tries to convince us Sadness really does exist, c'mon guys, for serious this time, but also adds that the title will be delayed until 2009. The fact that their new publisher/partner is Fog Studios does not help their case. They also promise website updates.

2007 (December): Nibris brings the lulz with holiday greeting cards.

2007 (today): A quick check reveals those "changes" to the website. Apparently, that means "all old media has disappeared."

The future: We predict Sadness will release the same day as Duke Nukem Forever. Actually, no. Duke Nukem Forever may have a better shot.