Untitled Michael Crichton game
From Sega Retro
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Untitled Michael Crichton game |
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Publisher: Sega Corporation[1] |
Developer: Sega Corporation[1] |
Planned release date(s): |
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An untitled Michael Crichton game was announced in September 2002 as collaboration between Sega Corporation (likely Sega of America), famous writer Michael Crichton, and Hollywood screenwriter Michael Backes.[2] Planned as an entirely new IP which could be spun-off into a multimedia franchise (with a tie-in novel and film intended to release alongside the game), it was scheduled to be both developed and published by Sega themselves, with executive Mark Baric expecting the company to spend $10 million dollars on the first game alone. Despite the optimism of the involved parties, nothing seems to have come of this collaboration, and despite a planned 2004 release date would ultimately never reach store shelves.[1]
History
A Crichton-managed video game, Timeline, had been reportedly planned for a port to the Dreamcast around the year 2000, with the port reportedly in production by Crichton's own Timeline Computer Entertainment - a spinoff of Virtus Corporation. However, nothing but rumors were ever heard of the port, with a possibility that this version was a fictional creation by the Russian language magazine Strana Igr.[3][4]
Two years after Timeline Computer Entertainment's closure in October 2002, Virtus executive and Red Storm Entertainment founder Mark Baric was interviewed by Raleigh, North Carolina's WRAL TechWire, where he announced a new partnership with Sega, Michael Crichton, and former Rocket Science Games screenwriter Michael Backes.[5] According to Baric, the agreement had largely been finalized, with the involvement of attorneys and the signing of official contracts. He stated Sega would handle development and publishing, and expected them to spend around $10 million dollars on the project. Additionally, he expected this to result in a tie-in Crichton book and feature film, which would all be release as concurrently as possible, and that this would be the "first property" in a line of new franchises produced by the author. Despite a planned 2004 release date, no further details (including the platform it was supposed to launch on) were ever announced, and nothing more appears to have come of the project.[2][1]
Magazine articles
- Main article: Untitled Michael Crichton game/Magazine articles.
Interviews
Press releases
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Interview: Mark Baric (2002-10-21) by WRAL TechWire
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Press Release: 2002-09-23: Sega partners with Michael Crichton on a new title for release in 2004
- ↑ Strana Igr, "Avgust 2000 1/2" (RU; 2000-xx-xx), page 14
- ↑ Strana Igr, "Dekabr 2000 1/2" (RU; 2000-xx-xx), page 58
- ↑ https://wraltechwire.com/2002/10/21/mark-barics-timeline-continues-on-with-new-gaming-deals/ (Wayback Machine: 2024-03-03 11:43)