Outworld 2375 AD

From Sega Retro

Development schedule

Would have likely been developed alongside Outback Joey (likey by Western). Was likely finished around the same time, or very very close to being finished. The game was probably virtually complete around late 93/sometime into 94, and was one of the first games consistently advertised. There were protos, review copies, promotional slides, a trademark, and a lot of other evidence which seems to indicate some sort of actual release.

Release status?

If we can find the owner of the game from that lost Nintendo Age thread, and if we can learn what the cart looks like (and if it came in a box), we'll be able to determine its release status. If the cart is indeed an actual official release (and the owner is confusing the "HeartBeat cheapness" with it being a prototype), then that's proof of release right there. If it's a proto, we've still got work to do.

For release

  • All the other games, which were previously thought to be completely unreleased, were actually objectively and officially released.
  • Development had been mostly/entirely completed, likely before the company transferred its assets to its sister company. It likely would have been ready to go, like the other games.
  • A copy is known to exist. Claimed to be a prototype but this could be being confused with the cheapness of the original release. Is from Lansing, Michigan (the sister company's headquarters).
  • Tons of advertising, promotional material, a trademark, proof that the game was virtually complete. Behind Joey, this was the biggest game HeartBeat pushed. And if it was basically complete, AND they somehow released the (arguably much less interesting) golf/hockey titles so late and so cheaply, why wouldn't they have released Outworld back when they did have more money?

Against release

  • Cancelled copyright claim (somewhat common for extremely-limited releases)
  • Only a single person is known to own a copy, and that person states its a prototype. (however, going by the look of PGA/NHLPA, they could have easily confused the cheapness of the release with it being a prototype)
  • Zero non-press images of game, virtually zero non-press information.

Can anyone find this critical Outworld 2375 AD Nintendo Age thread?

  • Unseen64 references a Nintendo Age thread where a collector posts an image of promotional screenshot films for Outworld 2375 AD, and later another collector (notably from Lansing) states he owns a prototype. While Unseen64 claims they're linking to the Nintendo Age thread, its instead a dead link to some website called GoCollect? It's also unarchived, and I'm not able to locate the original thread. However, I'm pretty unfamiliar with Nintendo Age. Is anyone able to somehow find the original thread, or at least a cached copy of it/some information/the text/anything?

CartridgeCulture (talk) 02:02, 4 October 2021 (EDT)