Trivia Browser

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Franchise: Jurassic Park
subdirectory_arrow_right Atari Corporation (Company)
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Atari Corporation lead Larry Siegel attempted to sell main Atari CEO Jack Tramiel on the idea of making a Jurassic Park game for the unreleased Panther hardware before the book's movie adaptation even entered production. They would've also gained royalties for merchandising and the eventual movie, but Tramiel turned down the offer due to the cost being too high. Siegel claims this is how he "realized that [Atari] would never spend the money to have an anchor title."
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Adaptation, Cancelled Release, Corporate Affairs, Unreleased Content, Unreleased Hardware
person Rocko & Heffer calendar_month December 4, 2023
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Platform: Sega Saturn
subdirectory_arrow_right PlayStation (Platform)
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In 1992, after the failure of a deal to create a CD-ROM drive for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System, Sony approached Sega of America proposing that they collaborate on a next-generation CD-ROM console to compete with Nintendo. While Sega of America was open to the idea and even started testing the waters between the two companies by having each develop a handful of titles for the Sega CD, Sega of Japan shot down the concept. Consequently, Sony would reorient their efforts towards what would become the PlayStation, while Sega would develop their own next-gen console, the Sega Saturn, in-house. In an interview with Sega-16, Tom Kalinske cited the veto as a factor in his decision to step down as head of Sega of America.
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Console Wars, Corporate Affairs, Development, Early Idea, Unreleased Hardware
person VinchVolt calendar_month November 17, 2023
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Platform: Nintendo GameCube
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Attachment Among the files uncovered in a massive 2020 breach of internal server data from Nintendo are documents surrounding Project BB2, a never-released, iQue-branded version of the GameCube for the Chinese market. According to an executive summary from January 30, 2004, this system would've played games off of CD-ROM and DVD-ROM discs rather than the GameCube's proprietary format; consequently, it also would've been compatible with audio CDs and DVD video like the Panasonic Q. Project BB2 was also intended to feature karaoke support, owed to karaoke's high popularity in China.
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Cancelled Release, Corporate Affairs, Development, Early Idea, Leak, Music, Real Life, Unreleased Hardware
person VinchVolt calendar_month November 9, 2023
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Platform: Nintendo Switch
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Attachment Among the material uncovered in the 2020 Gigaleak, a large-scale data leak from Nintendo's internal servers, was a series of documents surrounding Project INDY, an early iteration of the Nintendo Switch co-developed with ST Microelectronics. Project INDY was envisioned as a successor to the Nintendo 3DS and was halfway between it and the Wii U in terms of processing power.

The system would've carried over many of the 3DS' features, including dual-screen functionality, touch controls, stereoscopic 3D, motion sensors, augmented reality functionality, and StreetPass support. The system also would've featured backwards compatibility with 3DS game cards, Bluetooth connectivity (including support for wireless speakers and headsets), GPS functionality, a videotelephony app, the ability to wirelessly project games to a TV screen via Miracast, and support to quickly convert a commercially released unit into a developer system, easing development costs for independent studios. Many of these features would be carried over to the Switch in modified forms.

Technical documents for Project INDY show that while prototype software was developed for the system, Nintendo were unsure about its specifications and came up with various alternative options, such as support for 120 fps video, an 800p display, and a design with a single, oblong touchscreen that spans the full face of the device save for two joysticks near each end. The latter design was the final iteration that Nintendo came up with before ceasing work with ST Microelectronics in late 2014. By this point, Nintendo had devised the Switch's final name, listing it on the design's blueprints.

An earlier iteration of this oblong design would also become the basis for a hoax image created in the interim between Nintendo president Satoru Iwata's announcement of the Switch's development in March 2015 and the company's first public reveal of the device in October 2016. The image is a 3D-printed mockup of the Switch based on a patent filed earlier in 2014, which itself reveals that Nintendo was still considering stereoscopic 3D, backwards compatibility with 3DS games, and videotelephony support.
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Backwards Compatibility, Corporate Affairs, Development, Early Idea, Hoax, Leak, Patent, Prototype, Real Life, Removed Feature, Unreleased Hardware
person VinchVolt calendar_month November 9, 2023
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Tails' Skypatrol
Tails' Skypatrol (1995)
subdirectory_arrow_right Mickey Mouse (Franchise)
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Attachment Tails' Skypatrol was originally developed as a licensed Disney game for an unreleased budget handheld system aimed at a younger audience with a focus on educational content - much like Sega's Pico - and was reworked into a Tails game for the Game Gear after the console was scrapped, due to the Game Gear's similar stats to the unreleased hardware. It is not known which Disney character Tails replaced, however a pre-release promotional video shows the Mickey Mouse character Peg-Leg Pete in place of Bearenger as the boss of Ruin Wood.
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Adaptation, Cancelled Release, Console Difference, Reskin, Unreleased Hardware, Unused Character
person Rocko & Heffer calendar_month November 4, 2023
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Plok
Plok (1993)
subdirectory_arrow_right Fleapit (Game)
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Attachment Plok! was originally envisioned as a coin-operated arcade game titled Fleapit, running off of Rare Ltd's Razz board, which was never used in a released game.

Chris Sievey, the actor behind the popular 80s UK comedy character Frank Sidebottom, had agreed to voice Plok in the game before its cancellation. The SNES game would not have any voice acting whatsoever outside of digitally-made grunts and laughter.
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Cancelled Release, Console Difference, Removed Feature, Unreleased Content, Unreleased Hardware, Unused Content, Voice Acting
person Rocko & Heffer calendar_month October 27, 2023
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Action 52
Action 52 (1991)
subdirectory_arrow_right Active Enterprises (Company)
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Attachment The Action Gamemaster was a 16-bit portable game console announced by Active Enterprises, infamous for Action 52, in 1994 - it would've had a slot for games designed for it, as well as adapters that would allow it to play SNES, Genesis, NES, and CD-ROM games, alongside adaptors that served as a TV tuner and cigarette lighter.

The console never released due to Active going out of business, and if it were to release it is unlikely that it would have bared much resemblance to the overly-ambitious original plan due to emulation not being in an advanced state at the time and patents for the 3 game platforms still being active.

Notably, the Action Gamemaster is also the name of a character in the NES version of the Cheetahmen minigame of Action 52.
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Anti-Piracy, Plagiarism, Unreleased Hardware
person Rocko & Heffer calendar_month October 7, 2023
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Console Database entry:
https://www.consoledatabase.com/consoleinfo/actiongamemaster/

NES World article on Active Enterprises' appearance at the Consumer Electronics Show 1994:
http://www.nesworld.com/aeces94.php
Platform: PC (Microsoft Windows)
subdirectory_arrow_right Nintendo 64 (Platform), Nintendo (Company)
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Attachment The NJS-3D1 was a PC flight stick made by Laral Group LLC - unusually, the flight stick bears the name and official quality seal of Nintendo on its packaging, along with a Nintendo 64 logo on the controller itself, despite not being compatible with any of Nintendo's hardware. The controller was made in a short-lived deal to manufacture PC accessories with Nintendo branding, with the only other product to come out of the line being a set of headphones.
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Cancelled Release, Controls, Unreleased Content, Unreleased Hardware
person Rocko & Heffer calendar_month October 5, 2023
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Platform: PC (Microsoft Windows)
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Attachment The KFConsole was a satirical computer announced in 2020 by Intel, Cooler Master, and Kentucky Fried Chicken that would have been shaped like a chicken bucket and have an oven for reheating KFC chicken. Despite Mark Walton of Intel claiming it to be a real product, the computer having a page on Cooler Master's website, official stats being available for the hardware, and similarly outlandish KFC marketing stunts eventually being released as products, it has not emerged in the years since and is believed to be vaporware.
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Cancelled Release, Unreleased Content, Unreleased Hardware
person Rocko & Heffer calendar_month October 5, 2023
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M.U.G.E.N
M.U.G.E.N (1999)
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M.U.G.E.N was originally intended as an engine for shooting games, however, it was changed to a fighting game engine due to a low amount of quality fighting games being available on PC at the time.
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Cancelled Release, Development, Early Idea, Technology, Unreleased Hardware
person Rocko & Heffer calendar_month October 1, 2023
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Company: Sega
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Attachment The Sega VR is an unreleased virtual reality headset prototype add-on for the Sega Genesis announced and worked on primarily by Sega of America throughout 1991-1994. Its release was cancelled due to development issues and younger users inducing motion sickness and severe headaches from use. Only 5 games were known to have been announced or in development before its cancellation:

• Nuclear Rush: A simulation in which users pilot a hovercraft in a futuristic war.
• Iron Hammer: A shoot 'em up piloting a helicopter gunship inspired by EA's Strike series.
• Matrix Runner: Reportedly a cyberpunk adventure game inspired by Konami's Snatcher.
• Outlaw Racing: A vehicle racing and combat game.
• Virtua Racing: A port of Sega's 1992 Formula One racing arcade game announced as a launch title for the Sega VR. It's unknown how far this port made it into development, but Virtua Racing would later be released for the standalone Sega Genesis in 1994.

In November 2020, the Video Game History Foundation announced that they had successfully emulated the Sega VR's original hardware through HTC Vive with the help of fellow preservation website Gaming Alexandria by using parts of the source code of Nuclear Rush, as well as insight on the hardware and inner-workings of the cancelled games from some of their lead programmers.
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Cancelled Release, Development, Unreleased Hardware
person MehDeletingLater calendar_month August 24, 2021
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