Dog Day Afternoon (Wii) Sega downbeat, Project Hammer cancelled?

Rumor: Project H.A.M.M.E.R. Canned

(It should be noted that Hammer could have been cancelled simply because progress wasn't being made or the game was bad quality - IGN make an inference, but it's assumption till we hear more IMO)

Sega's Scott Steinburg questions the long time viability of the Wii.

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - The novelty of Nintendo Co. Ltd.'s Wii video game console could wear off by next year, a top executive at game publisher Sega said on Thursday, offering an unusual note of skepticism over the hit machine.

Rumor: Project H.A.M.M.E.R. Canned

gaminggeek

The reasons for Project HAMMER's cancellelation said by IGN kind of bothers me:

"Wii action title, tentatively titled Project H.A.M.M.E.R., has been terminated by publisher Nintendo. Sources further claim that the team formerly working on the title is now underway with one or more efforts that fall into the "expanded audience" lineup of games."

"Our sources were unable to provide a reason for the alleged termination. However, IGN Wii has heard separately that Nintendo is actively re-working some traditional games so that they are more accessible by casual players. If it is truly canned, Project H.A.M.M.E.R. may have become a casualty of Wii's newfound success in the mainstream market."

If this is why HAMMER has been canned, then I'll be very, very upset. Even though I never really anticipated HAMMER and even joked about NST, I still wanted this game to have a chance because this game stood for a couple of very important things about the Wii:

1. First, it's a original IP from Nintendo and shows that Nintendo was willing to bring new franchises to the Wii. This game was compared to God of War, so that really said something.
2. Secondly, it shows that the Wii will have traditional games on its systems to balance out their market with both casual and traditional games.

But if Nintendo did kill it because of this whole "expanded audience" crap, than I'm sorry to say that this is very disappointing. To make matters worse, the IGN article also mentions how Nintendo is re-working some of their traditional games so that they are more accessible to casual players. Does that mean games like Super Smash Bros. Brawl, Super Mario Galaxy, or Metroid Prime 3 will be tweaked? Even if those games aren't touched what about the future games? Will the next Zelda be dumbed down to appeal to casual players?

If the casual market is going to determine how future Nintendo games will be like, then don't invite me to the party. I'm not buying a Wii for a hundred party games and three traditional Nintendo games.

This news just brings the "poop" in the saying, "party pooper."

If the casual market is going to determine how future Nintendo games will be like, then don't invite me to the party. I'm not buying a Wii for a hundred party games and three traditional Nintendo games.

This news just brings the "poop" in the saying, "party pooper."

ASK_Story

I'll just repeat what I said in another thread:

People are understandably overreacting. The IGN article packaged in a lot of assumptions and suppositions there. The truth is we don't know the reasons behind this (rumoured) cancellation.

Remember Nintendo saw fit to cancel all of Retro Studios pre-Metroid output and it wasn't to move them onto minigames.

--This is a list of projects canceled during Retro's early days in development.

• Action Adventure - (canceled in favor of Metroid Prime)
• Car Combat (Thunder Rally) - (canceled)
• NFL Retro Football - (canceled)
• Raven Blade for the Nintendo GameCube - (canceled in favor of Metroid Prime)

The most likely cause of Project HAMMER's termination is the actual quality and progress of the current build. The reason that NST are onto audience expanding games is probably because it's too soon to get working on another big project so for the time being Nintendo is using them as extras to finish up a few non-games already in development.

The doomsday cults that inhabit this forum are inevitably latching onto the smallest things.

"Yes ladies and gentlemen, the wii has flopped, project hammer was cancelled, sega said wii sucks, its over, nintendo is pulling out of the console race, dreamcast wins"

Remember Nintendo saw fit to cancel all of Retro Studios pre-Metroid output and it wasn't to move them onto minigames.

--This is a list of projects canceled during Retro's early days in development.

• Action Adventure - (canceled in favor of Metroid Prime)
• Car Combat (Thunder Rally) - (canceled)
• NFL Retro Football - (canceled)
• Raven Blade for the Nintendo GameCube - (canceled in favor of Metroid Prime)

gaminggeek

FFS I don't want to play games for "casual" gamers. I'm the type of gamer that likes to be challenged. Bring the pain B**ches. I sure hope Nintendo doesn't want to appeal to the common gamer much.Deechu

Buy a wii, go online, download one of the myriad of impossibly hard nes games, get your ass spanked by a 20 year old game...then we'll see if you're still a 'hardcore' gamer...

But at that time (2001-2002) Nintendo wasn't trying to expand into the 'mainstream' market with 'casual games' on the Wii and DS as they are now (2007) so the comparison doesn't work.toment

IGN is assuming one link to another, in essence rather than reporting the news they are making up their own reasons for why it may be so and linking one rumour with another. Just because Nintendo is diversifying their games line-up doesn't mean that every cancelled game is shunned so that minigames can be made instead. Many, many titles have been cancelled before by many companies, until we hear the real story from NST or Nintendo we can't just continue this one-minded attitude of "the industry is casualising OMG" IMHO.

I think it was canned cause it was Project Hammer. Look at that game, did anyone want to play that. dvader654

[QUOTE="toment"]

But at that time (2001-2002) Nintendo wasn't trying to expand into the 'mainstream' market with 'casual games' on the Wii and DS as they are now (2007) so the comparison doesn't work.gaminggeek

IGN is assuming one link to another, in essence rather than reporting the news they are making up their own reasons for why it may be so and linking one rumour with another. Just because Nintendo is diversifying their games line-up doesn't mean that every cancelled game is shunned so that minigames can be made instead. Many, many titles have been cancelled before by many companies, until we hear the real story from NST or Nintendo we can't just continue this one-minded attitude of "the industry is casualising OMG" IMHO.

but you can't say there aren't a lot of mini-game collections being made for the Wii;) there's *some* reason for the community whine-fest :P

[QUOTE="ASK_Story"]

If the casual market is going to determine how future Nintendo games will be like, then don't invite me to the party. I'm not buying a Wii for a hundred party games and three traditional Nintendo games.

This news just brings the "poop" in the saying, "party pooper."

gaminggeek

I'll just repeat what I said in another thread:

People are understandably overreacting. The IGN article packaged in a lot of assumptions and suppositions there. The truth is we don't know the reasons behind this (rumoured) cancellation.

Remember Nintendo saw fit to cancel all of Retro Studios pre-Metroid output and it wasn't to move them onto minigames.

--This is a list of projects canceled during Retro's early days in development.

• Action Adventure - (canceled in favor of Metroid Prime)
• Car Combat (Thunder Rally) - (canceled)
• NFL Retro Football - (canceled)
• Raven Blade for the Nintendo GameCube - (canceled in favor of Metroid Prime)

The most likely cause of Project HAMMER's termination is the actual quality and progress of the current build. The reason that NST are onto audience expanding games is probably because it's too soon to get working on another big project so for the time being Nintendo is using them as extras to finish up a few non-games already in development.

Maybe I'm over-reacting coming off my Planet Puzzle League rant, but that IGN remark about the whole "expanded audience" thing just got me going again.

I hope Nintendo cancelled HAMMER because it was shaping out to be bad and not because of the "other" reason IGN stated. That was a great hind of insight you had there when you brought up the past Retro ordeal.

But let's forget HAMMER for a bit and touch on that second remark IGN said about Nintendo frantically tweaking their traditional games in development to be more accesible to the casual crowd. Let's hope the big three isn't on that tweaking rumor.