Phantom Dust officially not in active development

Sucks if you wanted it

^^^^^^ Who is this guy and why is he so ugly?

Microsoft announced a Phantom Dust reboot at its E3 conference in 2014, but less than a year later the project was shelved, allegedly due to unfair demands by Microsoft.

Developer Darkside was shutdown and over 50 people lost their jobs despite coming up with what seemed like an alright game looking at leaked footage. At that time, Microsoft maintained it was still working on the game, and it was unclear if another developer was going to clean up Darkside's work or if it would turn into a new project entirely.

However, in an interview with Gamer Tag Radio, Xbox marketing lead Aaron Greenberg said "we don't have an active developer on it right now."

"It's been a passion project for [Xbox boss] Phil [Spencer] and a lot of the folks on the team," Greenburg said. "And we're currently exploring what we're gonna do longer term with Phantom Dust. The project is not cancelled but we don't have an active developer on it right now. It's a project that, like many things, will take a little more time. But at this point we're not giving any more updates on it."

This is old news.

Wonder if they'll still bother with it.

You know, Microsoft has got their own The Last Guardian now. Neat.

Not really we were just told darkside wasn't working on it anymore and they were gonna move it to another developer. In which we now know they have not

@Animal-Mother: I mean there was an article on Gamespot about this a few days ago, I remember reading it. I'm surprised no one posted this before now.

That's pretty shit, I remember last e3 they teased this game.

Ohh I didn't read it i'm sorry! Uhmm I dont post much anymore but i'll keep eyes out next time :P

@Animal-Mother: Hey no worries. I don't mind, you seem to be the first that made a thread on SW, so that's good at least. On topic this seemed more of a strategy game, so I'm not too hurt its not in development. Sucks for those that really wanted it though.

Oh it has years of E3s, videos, promises and hype to reach Last Guardian levels. Let's not over exaggerate.

Man, just like souls.

MS doing what they do best.

I remember how xbox fans were hyping the CGI video, but it isn't a big budget shooter or established western RPG so those titles will always get the dirty step child treatment from MS.

It's weird because I thought this was only going to be a network download level title anyway. They would have been better off coming to Sonys' door with the idea for the remake and it might have happened.

Now can people see why devs rather skip dealing with MS altogether. "unfair demands by Microsoft." there is no need for conspiracy theories on why companies are developing and releasing more games for PS4 when this is right in your face.

Its a Microsoft IP but yeah, I'm sure it would've happened...

LOL

Another reason to hate cg reveal trailers.

Devs, either announce your game with gameplay or don't bother.

Once the new developer was pulled off of Phantom Dust and shut down after dealing with a shoe string budget from M$, I feared this would happen. Plus, it was never the original team behind this new Phantom Dust anyways...

Oh well.

Shame, I loved the original's online MP.

They are still looking for another developer to take over for it. True, they have not found one yet. Game isn't cancelled though. Microsoft should just get their own developers to work on it instead of outsourcing development of these games. This is obviously Microsoft's fault though. If they wanted more content in a game they should have negotiated with the developers on what was needed to add the extra content. Can't expect a developer to do more work without more funding to pay for it. That's just dumb. Not like they don't have the money to fund it.

Thanks MS

Wait you're not banned again? lol

@Animal-Mother: "Allegedly due to unfair demands from MS"

MS wanted 1080p 60 fps?

Hehe

Probably wanted Kinect features.

So the game went the way if it's namesake.

Microsoft kept increasing the scope of the game without upping the budget.

http://kotaku.com/how-a-small-game-studio-almost-made-it-big-1696997142

That's a fantastic piece on the whole business if you're interested.

Hmm maybe it's a good idea certain companies don't just throw out announcements, before they are ready to be shown.

Oh man, I remember playing Phantom Dust on the original Xbox. Such weird, trippy-ass game. Thought is was pretty good though.

lol guess I'll be waiting until 2023 for it

Never made sense they'd hired another dev to finish a game after refusing to pay the original dev to do so. At the time I figured MS must have had issues with the first dev team and we were only getting the "mean ole MS, innocent lil us" version of events. Now that we know MS has been lying about the continued development for months, it lends a whole lot more credence to the story out there.

So this story has gone from bringing a cult favorite back to life because of Spencer's love of the original, to a trashed studio done in by impossible MS demands on a shoestring budget, dozens unemployed, and MS flat out lying to gamers about the prospects of the game for months before finally coming clean. Wow.

In Phil Spencer we trust.

I'm a little confused about this whole Phantom Dust story.

First off the game's original creator, Yukio Futatsugi, now has his studio Grounding Inc, who made Crimson Dragon, a game he directed. Word was in 2013 he wanted to crowdfund a Phantom Dust remake, but said the rules of Kickstarter prohibited his company from using the Kickstarter service due to the studio needing to be based in the US/UK. Because of that rule, he would have to either start an international company or partner with one.

Now, since the game was being developed under Darkside Games, I'm curious as to why that was. Was the game announced at E3 being developed by Futatsugi or had someone else acquired license access from Microsoft? After all MS holds the IP, and word was that MS reached out to Darkside games to make the reboot, not Futatsugi / Grounding Inc. After all, if MS was funding it and Futatsugi developing, then he'd of done it under Grounding Inc, right? So, given that wasn't the case, did someone else acquire the license to make the sequel?

All reports of this that mention Futatsugi only mention that he created the original game, but make no talk like he was involved in this remake in the slightest. Only bits I can find that make mention is Futatsugi saying that he made an announcement on his Twitter of the game making an appearance at E3, and talk the year prior of MS saying they were in discussions with Futatsugi and about their long standing relationship. But, I can find nothing about Futatsugi post-E3 being involved.

So, I'm confused here on many levels. At first it was mostly just baffling MS would behave such a way. Now after having taken a step back, I'm kind of wondering if what was maybe going on behind the scenes was that MS gave the project to Darkside Games but then maybe Yukio Futatsugi appealed to MS to basically take the project away from Darkside Games to give it to his company Grounding Inc to develop, since he was the game's proper creator. If that's the case then I'm wondering why isn't he on top of it right now. Well, I also read elsewhere that when he was done with Crimson Dragon he was thinking of doing a Crimson Dragon RPG or Panzer Dragoon HD remake, maybe he's not making Phantom Dust reboot because he's doing one of those projects.

Anyhow, that's the big question for me, where was Yukio Futatsugi in all this?

Maybe there's a silver lining to all this in the end, once you look past the reactionary internet, maybe there will be a Crimson Dragon RPG or Panzer Dragoon HD remake, then to be followed by a Phantom Dust reboot created by the game's original designer Grounding Inc, to be published by MS. It's a stretch, but it would be a pleasant surprise in the end.

TL;DR version of above post.

• This game was being made by Darkside Games, not Grounding Inc, and it's Grounding Inc which is Yukio Futatsugi's studio, and he's the original creator of Phantom Dust
• Yukio Futatsugi had expressed interest having Grounding Inc do the Phantom Dust remake since 2013
• MS gave the project to Darkside Games in 2014.
• Futatsugi appeal to MS that he wanted to make the game after the project had been given to Darkside Games, and MS changed their mind about who should lead the remake
• this meant to give Futatsugi / Grounding the project, they'd have to get Darkside Games off of it

From this, one could imply that:

• the game is still potentially on, and being developed by the game's proper creator
• being that Grounding Inc isn't working on it could mean they're busy with something else (Panzer Dragoon HD or Crimson Dragon RPG)

Of course, I expect both Grounding and MS are silent on the matter, after all any discussion might bring up how callous Darkside's demise was, especially being Darkside appeared to be acting in good faith. At the very least they should have been compensated for their troubles and taken off the project. That ugliness aside, I'd prefer Grounding be on the project.

Sony has been really good about announcing new games and showing gameplay footage right out the gate.

Yeah I was kidding. I'm surprised that MS wanted more without paying up. They can afford it, especially if it's them making the requests.