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The Game Archaeologist: Six more MMOs that never made it to launch
It's always possible to be surprised with reveals of older MMOs, even after years of writing this column. For example, I had never heard that Valve was initially working on an MMO called Prospero in the late '90s before we posted on it a couple of weeks ago. It's crazy to me that parts of what could have been a groundbreaking online title were then repurposed for Half-Life and Portal. It's not necessarily bad how things turned out, mind you, but I do get lost wondering what might have been. From time to time here on The Game Archaeologist, I like to turn our attention to MMOs-that-never-were: titles that died before launch thanks to funding shortfalls, studio collapses, or corporate bungling. We've covered titles like Wish, Ultima X, and Middle-earth Online, but today I want to catch up on several titles that have been haunting my list for a while now. So strap in as you get a six-pack of MMOs that were never released!
The Daily Grind: What MMO will never see the light of day?
MMO veterans probably remember DAWN, an "MMO" planned by Glitchless, which famously spawned the a company is at steak! meme before anyone called them memes. DAWN promised more features than any MMO had ever seen: permadeath, reproduction, player police and prisons, home construction, enforced roleplaying. You name it, Glitchless claimed it'd be in the game. And it would have likely been an amazing sandbox... if it hadn't been a scam meant to fool the gullible. We've all come across games that scream vaporware, even if the developers aren't exactly in on the joke. Today, we want to know what MMO out there has you convinced it'll never actually launch, and why. Is it because of dodgy developers biting off more than they can chew? A skittish publisher with a track record for early cancellations? A naive or dated pricing scheme, graphics set, or understanding of the competition? Whatever the reason, tell us: What upcoming MMO will never see the light of day? Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!
