Behind the scenes of vaporware Xbox Windows Phone game Loondon

Very seldom does an Xbox for Windows Phone game become cancelled subsequently its annunciation. In fact, Microsoft hardly even announces new mobile games in advance any more than, making practically every game that materializes a surprise (if its Achievements haven't been discovered offset).

It'south difficult to imagine present, but back in Baronial of 2022, Microsoft announced a whopping fifty Xbox Live WP7 launch titles, about of which somewhen made it to the Windows Telephone Store. That said, several games on that listing take never been released. A few stragglers like Real Soccer go on to trickle out fifty-fifty at present, but we can safely assume that nearly or all of the residual have been quietly cancelled either by Microsoft or the original developers.

At present that the lengthy introduction is over, caput by the interruption for our exclusive behind-the-scenes await at one such cancelled Xbox game: Loondon, from Indonesian programmer Flip-due north-Tale.

Flashy origins

Original concept art for the residents of the circus where Loondon's Jonah lives

The story of Loondon began in Indonesia in 2009, when two young programmers, Bima Ariasena and Luke Ferlius (who likewise does 3D art) decided to work together to create a Flash game on the spider web. At the time, Flash games were booming and so it seemed like a way to make coin doing something they loved. Luke recruited his friend Staven Andersen, a talented 2D artist (see his DeviantArt profile), completing the cadre team.

Now they just needed a name. Staven and Luke suggested they telephone call the team Flip-n-Tale. The proper name has a double meaning: on one hand, it evokes the concept of flipping through a book to read the tales contained within. But it also represents 'flipped' or twisted tales, in keeping with Staven'south generally dark fine art style.

The team's get-go effort, Traffic Trouble, was a puzzle game in which players had to manually control city traffic by toggling traffic lights – sort of like Flying Control, but much simpler. A mostly pedestrian effort, its serious, dystopian backstory and quality artwork hinted at the team's potential.

Loondon

Flash version screenshots

Flip-n-Tale released their sophomore title Loondon in February 2022. Information technology quickly proved to be the team'due south most pop and financially successful title, actualization on many Flash gaming websites similar Kongregate and garnering numerous critical reviews around the web. Loondon would have even become a Microsoft-published Windows Phone 7 title if not for a handful of unfortunate events.

The proper noun Loondon is a portmanteau of the words 'London' and 'loony.' The developers looked at the actual metropolis of London every bit representing the beacon of "civilisation, enlightenment, and humanity" throughout history.

Viewed through the context of colonialism, London and the British Empire considered themselves the ideal civilization, reducing other groups to the level of primitives and savages. Flip-n-tale's home country Indonesia is no stranger to the effects of colonialism, though their oppressors were actually the Dutch, not the British. Simply 'Hague' is so much harder to combine with 'loony.'

The Flash version of Loondon is not very circuitous as adventure games go. There is no failure status, no wrong choices for players to make. Interactive objects and characters are e'er easily identifiable (not a bad affair), and the whole thing can exist completed in less than one-half an 60 minutes. Merely its brief narrative (based on the tales of the Skillful Samaritan and the crucifixion of Jesus Christ) boasts a surprising gravitas. The central themes of self-sacrifice and 'practicing what yous preach' resonate far more than than expected from a Flash game.

The other reason Loondon caught on with web gamers is undoubtedly its beautiful and darkly atmospheric artwork. The role player and most interactive objects are confined to a flat plane at the bottom of the screen – a smaller-scale approach than most chance games. But the backgrounds are simply packed with details and make strong apply of parallax scrolling. Every new scene is only a treat to behold. In contrast, the 3D characters appear small and nondescript, a letdown given the quality of their bodily concept illustrations.

The Windows Phone 7 port

Concept art for the Hades family unit, new characters for the WP7 version

Barely a month afterwards Loondon launched, representatives from Microsoft and Kongregate met during a Game Developers Briefing luncheon. Microsoft's new smartphone platform, Windows Phone vii needed games bearing the Xbox Live designation to release alongside it in October that year and the months to follow. Kongregate then put Flip-due north-Tale in touch with Microsoft, and before long Loondon joined the other titles appear for launch.

WP7 Loondon (as I'll phone call it) became the team's get-go foray outside of Flash game development. A full of 7 members worked on the port over a period of ten months, communicating with their producer via Skype calls and email.

Above and at correct: early 3D tests, including a new WP7 puzzle

The mobile version included a host of changes from the original version, most noticeably switching from a primarily 2D graphics engine to an entirely 3D one. The goal was to maintain the original version's fine art style while giving information technology a more dynamic appearance. Nevertheless, a lot of the beauty and detail of Staven's designs was clearly lost in the process, seemingly playing to the Flash game's weaknesses rather than its strengths.

On the other hand, the WP7 game as well featured tangible improvements like new areas, characters, and puzzles. The script, originally written in rhyming but occasionally stilted English, received several revisions while maintaining the same overall narrative. To increase replay value, Flip-n-Tale added hidden tasks and 200 GamerScore worth of Achievements. Because these tasks were missable, they added a degree of challenge non present in the original game. The Friends Leaderboard compared time taken to complete the game.

The cancellation

Actual WP7 screenshots

Even with the new content and work the team put into WP7 Loondon, it could notwithstanding be completed in virtually half an hour. This proved its undoing. Sometime around May 2022, the game'south producer at Microsoft informed Flip-north-Tale that it was simply too short to sell by itself. The new plan would have arranged Loondon along with Little Cycle, another chance game appear at launch. The Loondon squad, who had already completely finished their work on the game, agreed and waited for further news.

The weeks of waiting turned into months, and it became apparent that movement on the Loondon/Piffling Bike compilation had come up to a halt. Emails from Flip-n-Tale to their producer went unanswered. To this twenty-four hour period, the team has never received official confirmation of their game's cancellation, making the game technicaly vaporware. Like the Windows Phone ports of Yie Ar Kung Fu and Time Pilot, information technology remains in limbo, finished simply never to be released.

What happened? In all likelihood, the game's producer moved on to a unlike position within Microsoft. Such migrations are commonplace within the gigantic corporation, causing countless inefficiencies. In one case the project'south original proponent stepped away from information technology, no ane ever stepped dorsum in to shepherd it along to release.

Fifty-fifty without a modify in regimes, a lack of progress on Piffling Wheel may have played a function. With that game cancelled past its developer 1 Click Domestic dog, the possibility of bundling WP7 Loondon with a like title apace evaporated. Could it have been released past itself? We take to remember that during WP7 Loondon's production period, the lowest price for an Xbox Windows Telephone game was $2.99. The 99 cent price indicate didn't come along until April 2022.

Compared to other $two.99 games, a title that can be fully completed in half an hr doesn't represent a tremendous value. And yet Ghostscape (an adventure game of equal length) launched in Baronial 2022 at that very price. Blame either a double standard or dissimilar leadership for the discrepancy in how the games were treated. For what it'due south worth, WP7 Loondon boasted a deeper story and better artwork than Ghostscape, making it no less deserving of a release.

Looking to the time to come

More WP7-specific concept art

Flip-due north-tale received total payment for their work on WP7 Loondon, and as such they harbor no ill will confronting Microsoft. They would even be open up to working with Windows Phone 8 or Windows 8 in the future, just their next project is an iOS game. They chose not to release another Flash project after changes in Google's advertizing regulations apparently dried up the revenue from the Flash game market. If their iOS titles prove successful, Flip-n-Tale would similar to co-operative out to other mobile platforms, consoles, and Steam.

It's undoubtedly a shame that hazard fans will never be able to play the Xbox version of Loondon on Windows Telephone. Withal thanks to the availability of the Wink version, we tin at least experience the game in its original form – and for free.

Many thanks to the members of Flip-n-Tale for their cooperation in the making of this story. Stay tuned for a future installment concerning the fate of Little Bicycle, WP7 Loondon'south would-be companion game.

Source: https://www.windowscentral.com/behind-scenes-vaporware-windows-phone-game-loondon

Posted by: torresancom1966.blogspot.com

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