Knights of Decayden, also know as Project Archipelago, was meant to be a fantasy action game with some RPG elements that was in development for the XBOX in 2002, at Totally Games. The game was based around flying ships and dragons, but the player was even able to fight in melee combats when needed… the result could probably have been something like the recent Lair for the PS3. Sadly, the game was cancelled for unknow reasons.
Thanks a lot to Hey Hey
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Avalon was an early prototype for a third person squad based shooter (that somehow reminds me of Outtrigger) that was in development in 2004 at Climax Studios for the (not yet released) Xbox 360. The project was probably being worked on the original Xbox development kit (or some early X360 ones) but it was soon cancelled for unknow reasons.
Thanks to Hey Hey for the contribution!
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A misterious project also know as “The Great Steam War” and “Blip and the Great Machine”, that was in development by 1Up Studios for the original XBOX, but after a while it just vanished without traces. Not much is know about the gameplay, but it seems that the player could have been able to control a “robot constructor” and to build parts of the levels to resolve puzzles. Iron Construct was cancelled when the studio closed down.
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In 2000, Kuju Entertainment produced a technology demonstration codenamed Tau, for Microsoft and its Xbox platform.
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Bayonetta is an action game for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, developed by Platinum Games in cooperation with Sega, who will publish the title. In April 2009, the official Platinum Games Youtube Channel released an interesting video in which we can see an early prototype version of the game, a build created in about a month of work.
Also, at Platinum Games’ blog we can find various concept arts with early designs of Bayonett’as characters and weapons. In Japanese TV special on the game we can seen even more concept arts, with a blondie and readhead protagonist. At 1UP we can read an interview with Kamiya, in which the talks about the design of the game:
“I had Mari Shimazaki, one of the designers, draw her for me,” the designer said. “She gave me a woman in a full-body black suit with her hair running through her hands. I thought that having black hair and a black outfit would make it hard for the player to see what the character was doing. But I loved that long hair; I could see it flowing in the air as she fought and I wanted to depict that. So we went through lots of minor changes; at one point she had red hair. But at the end of it, we went back to a style that had her hair around her arms, making her look really witch-like — and from there we said ‘Well, why don’t we just have her hair cover her all the way?’ That was how the current Bayonetta was born.”
More beta videos were upload to the Sega Youtube Channel. As we can read at The Silent Chief:
A lot of what’s seen in the videos never made it’s way into the final game, including the ability to ride Bayonetta’s motorcycle throughout a level and use it as a weapon. You’ll also notice that Bayonetta is a bit younger in the prototype footage.
Also, Mystie noticed that:
The models of Bayonetta and the Affinities that were used in the beta/prototype are left within the files in the final release.
In the TGS 2008 trailer, the crumbling clock tower scene takes place in modern times rather than old times, and Bayonetta has a slightly different model. Her eyes are pure blue instead of blueish-gray, the Umbran Watch looks slightly different, and the chains (as well as the belt buckles on her sleeve flaps) are silver instead of gold.
Thanks to Celine & Mystie for the contribution!
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