Missing, Presumed Dead

For every masterpiece megaseller, there are a half-dozen games that never made it out of the gate. Sometimes games in development simply never leave development, even though their existence has been announced to the world with screenshots, previews - sometimes, even reviews. Now that the Xbox 360 is slowly taking over, what will happen to these almost-rans on the original Xbox?

Game: Black9
Didn't Come Out: Fall 2003
What It Wasn't: An action/RPG with a slick, sci-fi storyline involving mercenaries, rival gangs known as the Illuminati and a fight for the domination of all mankind, Black9 looked too good to be true - and sure enough, it was. Majesco had very high hopes for this as the start of a franchise; VP of Marketing Ken Gold said it had "an engrossing storyline, coupled with tactical, mission-based game play and streamlined RPG-style skill development," which would combine "to make Black9 a standout product for 2003." It also boasted strong multiplayer elements (including Xbox Live co-op play), a sci-fi system of nanotech upgrades, Unreal engine technology under the hood making things look hot, and no need for a space between "Black" and "9." It was that bad-ass.
Will It Live Again? Not likely. Developer Taldren is currently focused on an MMO and a space strategy game for the PC, and the official website (www.black-9.com ) now simply points to Majesco's website.