Delayed Video Games

These are the games that went through many development complications. Some have good excuses but some are simply unacceptable.

"A delayed game is eventually good, but a rushed game is forever bad."

- Shigeru Miyamoto

A summary of what you must NOT do when making a video game:

• Always stick to one game engine
• Choose your publisher wisely
• Don't make public announcements that are too ambitious and not 100% guaranteed
• Communication with fellow employees is key
• Spend money wisely
• Game design is important. Write stuff down first before implementing it
• Just don't take FOREVER (Haha! Suck it, 3D Realms!)

Please suggest more games that went through development hell.

The games have been carefully listed, so the ones that are still under development (or cancelled) will be on top whereas the other ones that have been released are at the bottom.

Special thanks to Gump.

List items

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  1. StarCraft Ghost

  Development Date: 2001

  Announced Release Dates: 2003, 2004

  Official Release Date: N/A

  Number of Years In Development: 10 (2001 - present)

  Why Is It Taking So Long: It's currently on hold although many sources has claimed it is cancelled. The reason being is because Blizzard thinks that Ghost may not be as good as its predecessor and might upset the audience.

  Worth The Wait?: Maybe

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  2. This Is Vegas

  Development Date: 2006

  Announced Release Date: 2008

  Official Release Date: N/A

  Number of Years In Development: 5 (2006 - 2011)

  Why Is It Taking So Long: Publisher Midway Games' financial troubles in 2009. Rumor has it that the game is cancelled.

  Worth The Wait?: No

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  3. Beyond Good and Evil 2

  Development Date: 2007

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  Announced Release Dates: N/A

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  Official Release Date: TBC

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  Number of Years In Development: 4 (2007 - present)

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  Why Is It Taking So Long: Ubisoft representatives stated that the game's development was officially on-hold due to unknown reasons.

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  Worth The Wait?: Yes

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  4. Sadness

  Development Date: 2007

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  Announced Release Date: Autumn 2009

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  Official Release Date: N/A

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  Number of Years In Development: 4 (2007 - present)

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  Why Is It Taking So Long: Co-producer Frontline Studios parted ways on March 17, 2007 due to artistic differences, in need of publishers

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  Worth The Wait?: Mixed opinions

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  5. Duke Nukem Forever

  Development Date: April 28, 1997

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  Announced Release Dates: 1997, 1998, 1999, 2001, 2007, 2008, 2011

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  Official Release Date: June 10 (Europe) & 14 (US), 2011

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  Number of Years In Development: 14 (1997 - 2011)

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  Why It Took So Long: Game engine changes, change of publishers, poor decision making, too much World of Warcraft (According to director George Broussard...jackass XD)

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  Worth The Wait?: Yes and no

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  6. Prey

  Development Date: 1995

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  Announced Release Date: ?

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  Official Release Date: July 11, 2006

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  Number of Years In Development: 11 (1995 - 2006)

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  Why It Took So Long: Change of development team (Designer Tom Hall left the company), game engine changes, change of hearts, team focused on other things

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  Worth The Wait?: Yes

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  7. Team Fortress 2

  Development Date: 1998

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  Announced Release Dates: 1999, 2000

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  Official Release Date: October 10, 2007

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  Number of Years In Development: 9 (1998 - 2007)

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  Why It Took So Long: Game engine changes, development team focused time on Half-Life 2 and its add-ons.

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  Worth The Wait?: Yes

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  8. Too Human

  Development Date: 1999

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  Announced Release Dates: ?

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  Official Release Date: August 19, 2008

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  Number of Years In Development: 9 (1999 - 2008)

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  Why It Took So Long: change of consoles from the PlayStation (Planned as four discs) to GameCube and now to Xbox 360, game engine disputes

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  Worth The Wait?: No

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  9. Spore

  Development Date: 2000

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  Announced Release Date: N/A

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  Official Release Date: September 7, 2008

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  Number of Years In Development: 8 (2000 - 2008)

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  Why It Took So Long: Game design conflicts, change of designers

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  Worth The Wait?: Not really

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  10. Half-Life 2

  Development Date: 1998

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  Announced Release Date: September 30, 2003

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  Official Release Date: November 16, 2004

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  Number of Years In Development: 6 (1998 - 2004)

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  Why It Took So Long: The infamous hack and leak of the game.

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  Worth The Wait?: Yes

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  11. Richard Garriott's Tabula Rasa

  Development Date: May 2001

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  Announced Release Date: ?

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  Official Release Date: November 2, 2007

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  Number of Years In Development: 6 (2001 - 2007)

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  Why It Took So Long: Conflicts between developers and vague direction of the game, developers shifted focus on City of Heroes, twenty percent of original team was replaced.

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  Worth The Wait?: Not really

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  12. Mafia II

  Development Date: 2004

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  Announced Release Date: 2007

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  Official Release Date: August 24, 2010

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  Number of Years In Development: 6 (2004 - 2010)

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  Why It Took So Long: The conflict and disagreements Illusion Softworks had with the head programmer. It was the main reason why the company delayed plans for the sequel

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  Worth The Wait?: Yes

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  13. Alan Wake

  Development Date: 2004

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  Announced Release Date: 2010

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  Official Release Date: May 18, 2010

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  Number of Years In Development: 6 (2004 - 2010)

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  Why It Took So Long: Extensive postproduction which ended up taking twice as long as originally planned

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  Worth The Wait?: Yes

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  14. Call of Cthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth

  Development Date: 1999

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  Announced Release Date: ?

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  Official Release Date: October 24, 2005

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  Number of Years In Development: 6 (1999 - 2005)

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  Why It Took So Long: Change of publishers, game development disputes, console disputes

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  Worth The Wait?: Yes

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  15. L.A. Noire

  Development Date: 2006

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  Announced Release Date: 2010

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  Official Release Date: May 17, 2011

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  Number of Years In Development: 5 (2006 - 2011)

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  Why It Took So Long: Development costs

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  Worth The Wait?: Yes

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  16. Red Dead Redemption

  Development Date: 2005

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  Announced Release Date: 2010

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  Official Release Date: May 18, 2010

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  Number of Years In Development: 5 (2005 - 2010)

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  Why It Took So Long: Development disorder of the most "epic proportions"

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  Worth The Wait?: Yes

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  17. Gran Turismo 5

  Development Date: 2005

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  Announced Release Date: N/A

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  Official Release Date: November 24, 2010

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  Number of Years In Development: 5 (2005 - 2010)

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  Why It Took So Long: Internal conflicts between developers about release date and deadlines

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  Worth The Wait?: Yes

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  18. Kameo: Elements of Power

  Development Date: 2001

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  Announced Release Date: ?

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  Official Release Date: November 15, 2005

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  Number of Years In Development: 4 (2001 - 2005)

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  Why It Took So Long: Development went on hold after Microsoft bought Rare in 2002, change of consoles from GameCube to Xbox and finally to Xbox 360

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  Worth The Wait?: Yes

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  19. Brütal Legend

  Development Date: 2005

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  Announced Release Date: 2008

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  Official Release Date: October 13, 2009

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  Number of Years In Development: 4 (2005 - 2009)

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  Why It Took So Long: Change of publishers (Damn you Activision!)

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  Worth The Wait?: Yes

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  20. The Agency

  Development Date: 2007

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  Announced Release Date: ?

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  Released Date: Cancelled

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  Number of Years In Development: 4 (2007 - March 31, 2011)

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  Why Is It Taking So Long: No clue

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  Worth The Wait?: No

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  21. John Romero's Daikatana

  Development Date: March 1997

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  Announced Release Date: 1997, 1998, 1999

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  Official Release Date: May 23, 2000

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  Number of Years In Development: 3 (1997 - 2000)

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  Why It Took So Long: Game engine changes, poor decision making, false advertising, company politics (half of development team quit), cockiness

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  Worth The Wait?: No

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  22. Ghostbusters: The Video Game

  Development Date: 2006

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  Announced Release Date: 2008

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  Official Release Date: June 16, 2009

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  Number of Years In Development: 3 (2006 - 2009)

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  Why It Took So Long: Change of developers, change of publishers (Damn you Activision!)

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  Worth The Wait?: Yes