Tragically Cancelled - Investigating StarCraft: Ghost
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- Опубликовано: 12 сен 2024
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It had been four years since Blizzard released StarCraft, and its expansion, Brood War for the PC. The science fiction-themed real-time strategy game proved to be a critical and commercial smash upon its release in 1998, drawing in millions of players around the globe to battle for the fate of humanity - or rather, the “Terrans” - in the game’s riveting single-player campaign, and trade wits in its competitive multiplayer mode. It was a revelation for both casual and professional fans of the genre - and they wanted more.
Their wishes would be answered when Blizzard and Nihilistic Software would reveal StarCraft: Ghost, an action-stealth game set in the StarCraft universe, for home consoles. Centered on Nova, a powerful and deadly psionic warrior, Ghost quickly became a highly anticipated game due to its ambitious and varied combat system, and for offering a novel new way to experience a beloved universe.
However, despite a strong initial showing, Ghost would spend the next several years fighting for its life. Revisions, delays, and a change in development studio would push the game further and further into the periphery - before disappearing entirely. Ghost would become its very own namesake; always up in the air in the sea of possibility, but never tangible. And yet from its corpse, Nova would survive, slowly becoming one of the StarCraft universe’s biggest characters thanks to a litany of multimedia appearances.
This is the story of StarCraft: Ghost.
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Apologies for the re-upload, everyone! There were some copyright-related issues with the previous video so we had to make some adjustments. Our next video, in which we will cover the journey of an elite group of soldiers that have disappeared from the PlayStation platform, is still on schedule, however! :)
The only franchise about a "group of elite soldiers" that I can think of for the PS2 is the SOCOM series. Or maybe Full Spectrum Warrior?
GVMERS that’s okay man we understand
SOCOOOOMMMM
Haze?
What was the copyright issue?
"No, I am not Kerrigan. And if I had my own game, you'd know it!!"
-Nova, Heroes of the Storm.
As a huge fan of Metal Gear and Splinter Cell, the cancellation of Ghost really hurt. The game had plenty of potential. Great video though!
My feelings exactly! ☆SIGH☆
I know how you feel 😔
Same, But watching the gameplay which wasn’t public knowledge then, I’m glad they cancelled. It looked childish compared to MGS and Splinter Cell and didn’t capture Starcraft vibes either
"As a huge fan of Metal Gear and Splinter Cell" Contradictory statement if I ever heard one.
Soooo you're telling me that Ghost was almost done, then cancelled because everyone was working on World of fucking Warcraft ?
They kept Nova around because she has such a waifu potential.
Yeah man, Blizzard at it's head is weird rapey ...well, rapists, they're lazy greedy trust fund boomers, HENCE all the news coverage lately.
The same thing is what epic did with Fortnite. WOW was the THING back in the day.
More money is made off of a single skin in Fortnite than entire games Epic makes. Wow was the Cash Cow that they've been milking for almost 20 years.
I remember being so goddamn hyped for this game. I can't tell if I love this channel for its investigations, or if I hate them for bringing up depressing memories of games that would never be.
I still want this game so badly to this day. I was so devastated when this was cancelled...
Remember when Blizzard backed fun and interesting titles and didn't bow to their Chinese government overlords? Pepperidge Farm remembers.
That's what happens when you're bought. Blizzard was no more when Activision bought them.
when did they start bowing to China anyway? I'm guessing sometime around WoW coming out.
@@xucthclu Probably whenever Activision bought them, or when Tencent bought into Activision Blizzard. Idk which was first.
Blizzard in a nutshell.
This hurts me both because the game looks like it had potential to be amazing and also because I love Metal Arms dearly and would have loved to see more games in a similar vein, made by Swingin' Ape. I want more of both the game and the studio and have ended up with neither :'(
It’s sickening to watch footage of this game. Would have been a classic that people would have played until the end of time. Perhaps we would even get some sequels.
try having actually played it , it was amazing. You actually felt a part of this universe , especially the stealthy parts , I remember feeling that fear that you would only feel in like early resident evil games or dead space , not because of horror but because it felt like you were being hunted and could be easily killed if you f up. Maybe I was just young and overhyped but I felt more immersed in a demo than I ever did in wow.
If you don't feel immersed in WoW, try playing it on an RP PVP server. You'll probably find some guy on the other side leveling at about the same rate, and there's your rival since you'll probably kill each other being a pvp server. Then the guild can be there to help out, so there's the cohorts. Make your own story out of it.
Might have ended up a decent halo clone with the multiplayer
People would have loved this game. It was that era, that Console Gen.
Poor Swingin' Ape. Metal Arms is one of my favorite games, and to see the devs just get thrown under the bus really made me sad.
As a character though, Nova is still somewhat popular. She lives on in Fanfiction, Deviant Art and Cosplay. A game taking advantage of current technology and engines would do well I think. Like a Sam Fisher for the next gen.
I remember wanting to play this so bad... terrible loss.
Also, what was the copyright issue that warranted a reupload?
6:01 Hey that's John Bain, AKA Total Biscuit
It was bittersweet to see him pop up in this video
RIP big fella
Imagine how epic a Blizzard game like this would be with today's tech and resources. I would LOVE for them to make a Ghost game in the 2020s with full story, cinematics and so forth from a 1st person shooter/stealth perspective. *drool*
They were, it was secretly started up back in 2017. But then Activision came in and shook things up. It's just been announced that it has indefinitely been cancelled to make way for Overwatch and Diablo 4 because they already have Modern Warfare coming out too.
It warms my heart to know Swingin' Ape got to work on another game in a studio as prolific as Blizzard's.
It curdles my blood to know it was cancelled because of World of Warcraft.
So this is what happened to swinging ape studios. I always knew activision bought them out, but never knew they were making Starcraft Ghost. Metal Arms was a really fun game.
blizzard bought them out. blizzard wasnt a part of activision back then
The look of Metal Gear Revegence reminded me heavily of the look of this missed opportunity of a canceled game.
I want a 100 hour plus open world game in the Starcraft universe. Action-RPG like Witcher 3 or Borderlands 2, focused on a strong narrative with romance, interesting characters. Am I the only one that wants a game like this????
Well don't rely on blizzard to give it to you. They couldn't develop anything themselves, which is why thery contracted swinging ape and nihilistic in the first place. Their attitude is top down and domineering. Watch footage of them hovering over employees on their keyboards, actually pressing keys for them in some cases. That footage is supposed to make them look good.
It's the same problem with gearbox software - randy pitchford and his chucklefucks at the top laughing it up and spitballing ideas while the interns down below have the whip cracked at them, working through the crunch time. All western studios are like this. Blizzard is no better.
Watch the 'why RTS died' video. You'll have to rely on an indie developer selling to the mid-market or lower if you want something with passion in it.
Yes. That would be dumb. Mabey you can get it with a warcraft game but starcraft has a much dumber story and overthinking it will kill it
Always had to side with Tosh in Wings of Liberty. Went through too much with that man to turn around and work with Nova lol
darkproject08 Yep. Same here. ;)
Not to mention that's the canon choice.
Canon choice? I think's it's more like an optional side story, since I didn't see Tosh ever mention again after the Terran Campaign iirc. :P
Exactly. The two multiple choice mission duo subplots were entirely unnecessary
Absolutely. And yet I never even use ghosts or spectres in single player, except that single mission with Tosh.
I'm still mad this never got made. What they had in the alpha build that got leaked was great.
The UX graphic design in Ghost is beautiful. Love the padlock ghost ability animation at 10:19.
Thanks for making this video! I remember being a preteen StarCraft fan desperately craving more info about this game for years after its announcement. Seeing all my beloved tiny sprites up to scale and in 3D blew my mind. I practically had a shrine to the Game Informer magazine that made Starcraft: Ghost its cover story, and it will always be "the one that got away" for me in gaming.
You mention a few times that "they felt it would be too dated." Maybe Blizzard needs to learn to find a good design and stick with it without 100,000 iterations. Hell, I look up this game every two years, more or less, to see if anything else has surfaced about it. Sadly, it seems dead and thankfully not forgotten.
This channel gives Unseen64 a run for its money!
Metal Arms was such an amazing game, i miss it...
I remember as a kid, Slosh had that line about how there "might be a big nasty queen swarmer, but he could be wrong"
Now I'm old enough to understand that it was just a cut boss. But as a kid, I took that to mean that I had to unlock it somehow. I played as far into Nuts of Steel mode as I could in an attempt to unlock that imaginary boss, but I couldn't make it past the trenches.
I'll forever wonder what the swarmers were, who the zombiebot king was, what those things were that you released by shooting open a rock in level 3, etc.
You know I would love the thought of a Starcraft: Marines a FPS shooter where players play a squad of Terran Marines to fight off Zergs in Last Stands and tight corridors of a Terran Battlecruisers. While facing Giant Ultralisk Starship Troopers style
If it offers modes where you can play as a Hydra and kill terrans. Perhaps they could even find a way to implement the protoss.
15:52 there are 2 big reasons why NOVA received so much love
For sure, it's not the fault of the Ghostbusters.
2005 version looks bloody amazing blizzard fucked up big not releasing it.
Imagine Blizzard announcing a next gen StarCraft ghost at blizzcon. They would be swimming in all the cash being thrown on stage
Since it’s Blizzard-Activision now maybe we can get a COD-ish FPS version of Starcraft. I’d love to play as a Terran marine in first person.
I had the chance to play this as an attendee at BlizzCon 2005... Man this was a great game.
I always wanted to know what it would be like to be in the shoes of a sexy psionic supersoldier that could also turn invisible.
Oh well, one can dream, can't they?
read her book, then youll know
I love Starcraft and I was looking forward too Starcraft ghost
damn it looks like a mix of ratchet and clank with the starcraft universe that would have been awesome
Metal Arms was a great game - surprised i haven't heard more about it after all these years.
Hey, I remember Metal Arms Glitch in the System. I had it for PS2 growing up, fun little action game.
I was just watching a video from YongYea about this unfinished build of this game's leak and this came in recommend and even though I am subscribed to this channel from a long time I hadn't seen this video. And after seeing that footage of that leak build and this doc I really mourn the lost potential of this game.
I finally got to play this on my upgraded 128mb OG 1.0, this game feels and plays amazing, so sad they cancelled it! could have been a really amazing game!
What they SHOULD have done, was set it up so you could play the game as either RTS or FPS, allowing a team of players doing FPS to play against a single player doing the RTS portion.
that's a horrible idea. RTS/FPS hybrids exist, and they simply don't work.
If Blizzard plays it's cards well they could definitely do a great Star Craft shooter game, even after all the backlash Star Wars Battlefront II had, EA did a fantastic job with fixing it and releasing Jedi Fallen Order, i am sure a similar game based on the Starcraft universe would be a hit success, maybe just hire the great story writers from the past and a great game could still happen.
Underated channel as we allways said, need more pylons.
Thunder Kat indeed, need more pylons
6:59
Yeah, she just opened that door with her foot. This game would have been incredible.
Blizzard used to be known as the company that never released bad games, how the mighty have fallen. RIP Blizzard
That's still true. Blizzard never released a bad game.
Activision-Blizzard on the other hand...
@@Golemoid Guys do you have phones? Let´s see tomorrow if Blizzard still is an out of dated april´s fool joke.
@@Mithrandirkun The Diablo phone game isn't bad. People just didn't realize Blizzard was also making the Diablo 4 they were clammering for.
Always makes me wonder how videogames, gamers lives, and the world as we know it would have changed if cancelled or pitched games weren't cancelled or would have been sucessful. No telling where videogames would have gone if the companies had no real world limits to creating them.
Starcraft:Ghost could really be a game kinda like borderland or destiny. I'd definitely buy it over the two I mentioned. What a missed opportunity!
When people start saying "the old Blizzard who cared about its games was destroyed by Activision", I always like to remind them of what their beloved company did to Starcraft: Ghost and Blizzard North.
(Not to mention directly insulting players but I think this one was actually deserved)
I figured when they say "old blizzard" it's Blizzard North. I guess not everyone feels the same way we do?
The main character looks like some R34 material there.
Hydra i think more people know her for the porn ads than the games
That ass is to die for.
Bergonath Imagine having your entire career come down to one character's legendary ass, in a game that got cancelled. Blizzard is savage.
This is a game I would love to see get kickstarted and redeveloped to fit modern consoles and pcs. People are still crazy about this, and if advertised now would do very well. Imagine a new Blizzard trailer popping up on your tv screen for Starcraft Ghost. Think the hype was real back then? More people play games now than ever.
I would love to see a video for the following cancelled first-person shooter game: "Investigating Coded Arms: Assault" :-D
👏Finish👏this👏game👏Blizzard. Don't go Valve on us.
Whatever this would have been has already been released as SC2 DLC mission packs
Blizzard moved on to more popular shite catering to the ignorant masses
they did more than 10 years ago... and this game is crap
I actually wish Valve went Blizzard on us. Blizzard actually did something with the SC:Ghost side-franchise and didn't leave us blue balled on news concerning the game's release or cancellation. They actually gave us an answer to the question, while Valve just leaves it hanging and let's Half-Life rot.
you maybe don't understand the difference, Valve never announced HL3, Blizz announced SC Ghost. Valve itself said they worked on HL3 but it didnt work out. Valve is a different company because they dont have to publish games like blizzard. Blizzard itself said they won't develope tripple A big games because they are not that profitable... Valve worked on HTV Vive, Steam OS, Steam gamepad, Dota2/CSGO/TF2/Artifact + 2 unannounced games. and Valve has just around 300 employees compared to 4700 at Blizzard. What did they do with 4700 people? like nothing at all.
One of the saddest cancellations in video game history if you ask me.
I still remember checking Blizzard's homepage every other day to see if there was any news on Ghost, especially looking forward to playing that "Capture the station"-mode with my buddies.
Oh Blizzard, what have you done...
Great video as always. Huge fan. Hopefully down the road you'll do a investigate vid on the America's Army games. Considering the first one was awesome and have gotten worse over time.
your voice had bass tone that feel relaxing
A v tuber did an interview with an X Blizzard art designer and he talked about why Ghost was cancelled. was interviewed by Pippa
I remember getting the Diablo 2 LOD chest and inside it had a booklet showcasing upcoming games from blizzard....World of warcraft in all its glory, and another game that I was looking forward to with the upmost anticipation...Starcraft: Ghost :(
Freaking youtube.
Why does everyone have to re-edit something for some stupid copyright bot.
Ugh.
I bought the original Xbox in advance of the release of this game, it was the sole reason why I bought it. I was a PC gamer and hadn't bought a console since Genesis. I bought quite a few game for the system just waiting for Ghost. Then the unthinkable news of an Instant #1 seller being canceled happened, it was beyond shocking. I think I bought a few more niche games for Xbox, and then it's been sealed in an air tight container since. I wonder if all that in mint condition is worth anything. ;)
Someone give my a TLDR summary of this video. I had to stop 2 minutes in because I couldn't handle the heartbreaking memories I have of this game. =(
There is a second shooter IP in the works at blizzard which still remains covered.
Maybe they are taking the concept of ghosts multiplayer and turn it into a battlefield like fps with all the vehicles, outer space fights and expansive combat?
Cancelled sadly.... to give extra development resources to Diablo 4 and Overwatch 2. I'd say Activision has had their hand in this because they already have the Call of Duty IP
And this vid just became outdated since a dev kit unfinished version of Starcraft: Ghost has been leaked a couple of days ago lol.
Not really outdated since this is investigating why it's unfinished in the first place
@@KaoticReach1999 Nope,he was investigating on why the game became vaporware and was eventually canned in the first place.
can anyone link me a video of the behind the scenes talk from this video about StarCraft ghost? I've been searching for it and can seem to find it.
I'm pretty sure I still have a pre-order for this game..
What treat. Sc2 is in my top 5 games ever. I never saw this upload from you channel so I’m hyped to watch through this now
Nova is Blizzard's Baby Child , Her Own Game may Not Have been successfully Released but she still remains in Most Blizzard's Games becoz they love her so Much...
Is it just me or games from 1997-2003 had amazing music
We will never see this game in it's final form, RIP
I was so stoked for this game when it was announced....*sigh* what could have been 🥺😢🥺😢
Hell i remember this game. I was in high school when I found out about it.
tough the ending of covert ops would make a great starting point if they ever decide to raise the game from the dead. we can always hope, as long as Pandora keep her stupid box closed.
I remember hyping this to my friends back in middle school, they had an article in PC Gamer.
What music is being used for the credits? I like it a lot.
I honestly never got around to playing Starcraft 2 or Diablo 3 for some reason, but I would really like to see them do something new with the Starcraft franchise, it doesn't even have to be a real time strategy game, it could be anything.
Had this preordered with gamestop way back when.
can you do the rise and fall of "Tribes" first online shooter I played had stupid big player counts for capture the flag - like 64 vs 64
It can still be developed if they could employ Crytek engine, they can make it on literally existing platform. Crysis itself already has most of elements that Nova could employ. Albeit its just a theory. That will never happen.
Mind you... the thought of SC: Ghost is really awesome.. but it might have well turned out like C&C:Renegade. I hope they still make a SC fps. The Nova missions are fun. also that you can change gear etc. I'd love that in an FPS. Like in Hitman 2 i think when you could purchase and mod your weapons.
do Bloodrayne 3 shroud
Hah, and to think this project secretly started up again in 2017 but just has been announced that it will be cancelled a second time to make way for Diablo 4 and Overwatch 2.... Thanks Activision
I regret not playing this years back at Gen Con Indy when Blizzard had more of a presence there. Might have been the N64 build if I remember correctly.
Hope that the idea could return someday, they said recently that they are making a lot of games.
Something about these game reminds me of Rogue Trooper.
this was uploaded in some point in time no long ago
Still waiting on my GameCube copy I reserved back in 2003.
I saw this for pre order. I hope people got their money back. It's probably for the best it never got done if you think about it. If it were substandard then she wouldn't be as cool looking appearing in starcraft 2.
Man, I remember waiting with bated breath for this game for years, haven't thought about it recently until I watched this.
I don't think the StarCraft 64 is lackluster: actually, it's the living proof that RTS genre can work with console controllers. Plus, it featured a CG intro, which was kind of great achievement to have on the cartridges of N64. The only other game to feature CGs on N64 was the incredible port of Resident Evil 2. Plus, the StarCraft 64 has a 2 player mode with split screen: It could be quite revealing in a versus match, but with 2 players against the CPU, it was a blast to play. The only lackluster part is, obviously, graphically wise.
Dude the teaser they made has given more hype to this project than anything blizzard has ever created marketing wise
2021, who is still waiting?
play the alpha, the xbox build got leaked last year.
Saddest reason IMO for this cancellation is cause Starcraft Ghosts had an interesting setting of being a third-person sci-fi stealth action game I don't think there are any other games like that
It was an absolute fucking crime this game wasn't released. I could think of many other games, especially Scalebound, that had great potential to become notable experiences on their platforms. This game was actually a genuine step forward into newer territory compared to the other games and would've been a great change. But now, Blizzard is currently so completely fucked beyond repair that they couldn't manage a simple game without exploiting people's finances with blatant underdeveloped bullshit. I would've played this game nonstop over whatever the fuck they're releasing now because unlike the majority of their "games" now THIS ONE ACTUALLY SEEMS MORE FUN! Goddamn it!
You didn't mention that Tosh and Nova ware a couple before mind wiping.
Starcraft Ghost Nova is the tits. Loved the book and it made a character from a scrapped game become one of the most powerful psychics in the Starcraft universe.
Tho Ghost and Nova was first scrapped. Her story was told in several books in 2006 before She appeared in SC2. Well worth a reading if you can find them.
What are those books name?
Hoping a starcraft ghost like your playing Call of duty Advance warfare. That type of graphics. Might be badass.
the game have some much potential to bad it never come out, it was ahead of it time i think
still holding up hope for maybe not Ghost, but any realization of Starcraft in FPS form. recent recruitments vaguely fuel this.
I knew it was going to get canceled when WoW came out. The first experience I had with wow - I picked the game up around thanksgiving in 2004. The next weekend I read at login on my server: Your place in the queue: 1100 and it was slowly ticking down. It did not get better for about 6 months when they split it into three.
Is any of the commentary different or just imagery. If it just imagery that sticks but is acceptable. If they forced you to change what you say that would more problematic.
Oh and thank you guys for doing what you do. I show my kids these videos so they learn about the artifacts that our era are creating. You guys are awesome.