Something to cry about

Yeah, this one's a bit late, but it's still something that I believe is worth commenting on. Especially since most mainstream outlets didn't do any reporting on it because of either the holiday break or a general lack of interest. I'm going to go ahead and guess the former, though I'm a tad skeptical that the latter is a possibility.

Mistwalker and AQ Interactive announced via PR last Thursday, on Christmas Day, that their Xbox 360 project Cry On was canceled. It's not exactly the most surprising news; we hadn't heard any concrete news on the game in the three years it was announced, not much else than a few pieces of concept art. With nothing after all of this time, people would be surprised if it was announced that it wasn't canceled. Hell of a Christmas gift there, guys.

But even upon considering all of that, it's still a shame that the project had to be tossed into the lost sea. Concept art alone is nowhere near enough to keep people intrigued for years on end, but the game's initial concept is what kept the glimmer of hope alive. Cry On was to be about a world where humans and giants lived side-by-side. Though similar to how many humans live, they weren't going to live in harmony. The game, producer and scenario writer Hironobu Sakaguchi explained, would invoke multiple emotions from players, most notably sadness and joy.

The concept sounds awfully grandiose, but if there's anyone that I think could have realized its intentions, it's Sakaguchi. One of the most stand-out aspects of both Blue Dragon and Lost Odyssey were its themes that appealed to players in a certain way through nostalgia and cinematic drama, respectively. After those games, I think Cry On could have had a similar impact if given the proper care. So it's a shame that it will obviously never be realized in any form.

Interestingly enough, AQ Interactive explained in the PR that the current economy was one of the reasons why the game was canceled. I made a point in last weeks News Roundup to say, in so many words, that the video game industry is definitely not recession-proof by listing a number of companies that were either laying off staff by the thousands or closing entirely. I'm not the only one that realizes this (does 1up owe me a coke?), but then again, it's nice to see some people are still optimistic. I'm sure that the economy is going to claim a few more victims by the time this crisis is over, so prepare to brace for the worst.