Dirty Harry (canceled video game)

Last updated

Dirty Harry
Developer(s) The Collective
(PS3/X360)
Sensory Sweep
(DS/PSP/PS2/Xbox/Wii/PC)
Publisher(s) Warner Bros. Interactive
Platform(s)
ReleaseCanceled
Genre(s) Action

Dirty Harry is a canceled video game that was in development by The Collective for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, and Sensory Sweep Studios for its other versions, intended to be published by Warner Bros. Interactive. The game was to continue the story of the 1971 film of the same name starring Clint Eastwood as Harry Callahan, the protagonist. Eastwood was intended to reprise his role, lending his voice and likeness [1] as well as consulting and creative input. [2] The game was to follow the same storyline of the film, with the San Francisco detective tracking down a serial killer named Scorpio. [3] Versions were planned for the PlayStation 2, Xbox, Nintendo Wii, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 consoles, the Nintendo DS and PlayStation Portable handhelds, and Microsoft Windows, with a planned release date of 2007. [3]

Contents

Story

The game was to take place between Dirty Harry and Magnum Force , [4] [3] with the aim being to give more depth to the character. [2]

Development

Loose Cannon Studios, a game development company based in Seattle, proposed the concept of a video game based on the Dirty Harry IP to Warner Brothers Interactive as early as April 2006. [5] The game's development was handed over to The Collective, who took over the game's development.

A trailer for the game has been the only example given of the game's gameplay or engine capabilities. It is neither a computer generated cutscene nor actual gameplay. Instead, Warner Bros. gave its models and engine schematics to an animation house to produce a simulation of the gameplay. [3] [2]

The trailer ends with the classic scene from Dirty Harry. The "Do I feel lucky?" line was pulled straight from the film as Clint Eastwood never recorded a voice over for the video game. [4]

Warner Bros. was reluctant to release details on the gameplay, but offered a few hints. An early concept for the game featured a free-roaming San Francisco. However, after the game was put into full development in February 2006, this idea was dropped in favor of a "mission-based" structure. [2]

One key aspect of gameplay was discussed in slight detail. As in the films, Harry Callahan walks the line between bad cop and psychopath. Players were also to walk that line. The game was to feature reactive AI, both for crooks and cops. While there was no further explanation, it appeared that if the player was soft on crooks, they may not take Harry Callahan seriously. On the other end, excessive force will put you in trouble with the police chief. [2]

Before its cancellation, Eastwood was set to reprise his role in the game saying he accepted because: “I get to be me as a young guy again […] Revisit my youth.” [6]

Promotion

According to official press releases by Warner Bros., "Dirty Harry helped define a genre and introduced the world to a character who has since become a cultural icon, so bringing Clint Eastwood's authentic Dirty Harry character to this next generation of consoles provides exciting promise for game playing audiences everywhere", said Jason Hall, senior vice president of Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment. "Our work with The Collective is aimed at culminating in a game with an all-new story that allows players to experience the action and suspense of the legendary franchise firsthand." [7]

"Working with Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and Clint Eastwood to create a compelling, state-of-the-art game that brings Dirty Harry Callahan to life on next generation consoles is very exciting", said Doug Hare, co-founder and Vice President of Production for The Collective. "We are focused on creating genre defining story-telling gameplay, along with next generation graphics depicting action-packed sequences that are consistent with the renowned films." [7]

Cancelation

The game was canceled [8] in 2007 due to reported "trouble" at The Collective, [9] [2] which was later revealed to be budgetary issues and a rushed schedule—along with their then-recent merger with Shiny Entertainment to form Double Helix Games.

Related Research Articles

<i>Dirty Harry</i> 1971 film by Don Siegel

Dirty Harry is a 1971 American neo-noir action thriller film produced and directed by Don Siegel, the first in the Dirty Harry series. Clint Eastwood plays the title role, in his first appearance as San Francisco Police Department (SFPD) Inspector "Dirty" Harry Callahan. The film drew upon the real-life case of the Zodiac Killer as the Callahan character seeks out a similar vicious psychopath.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Argonaut Games</span> British video game developer

Argonaut Games is a British video game developer founded in 1982. It was known for the Super NES video game Star Fox and its supporting Super FX chip, and for Croc: Legend of the Gobbos and the Starglider series. The company was liquidated in late 2004, and ceased to exist in early 2007. It was relaunched in 2024.

<i>The Enforcer</i> (1976 film) 1976 film by James Fargo

The Enforcer is a 1976 American neo-noir action thriller film and the third in the Dirty Harry film series. Directed by James Fargo, it stars Clint Eastwood as Inspector "Dirty" Harry Callahan, Tyne Daly as Inspector Kate Moore, and DeVeren Bookwalter as criminal mastermind Bobby Maxwell. It was also the last film in the series to feature John Mitchum as Inspector Frank DiGiorgio.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Collective (company)</span> Defunct American video game developer

The Collective, Inc. was an American video game developer based in Newport Beach, California. Founded in 1997 by ex-Virgin Entertainment employees, the company merged with Backbone Entertainment in 2005 to create Foundation 9 Entertainment. Under Foundation 9, The Collective was merged with Shiny Entertainment and into Double Helix Games in October 2007.

<i>Rayman Raving Rabbids</i> 2006 party video game

Rayman Raving Rabbids is a 2006 party video game developed by Ubisoft Montpellier and published by Ubisoft for the Wii. It was also released for the PlayStation 2 and Windows in 2006 as well as the Xbox 360 in 2007 and Mac OS X in 2008. It is a spin-off for the Rayman series and the debut title for the Rabbids franchise. The game received generally positive reviews from critics, with praise for its frantic gameplay, humor and implementation of the Wii's features, with the other versions being less well received.

<i>Dirty Harry</i> (film series) American action film series

Dirty Harry is an American neo-noir action thriller film series featuring San Francisco Police Department Homicide Division Inspector "Dirty" Harry Callahan. There are five films: Dirty Harry (1971), Magnum Force (1973), The Enforcer (1976), Sudden Impact (1983) and The Dead Pool (1988). Clint Eastwood portrayed Callahan in all five films and directed Sudden Impact.

<i>Justice League Heroes</i> 2006 video game

Justice League Heroes is a 2006 console video game for the PlayStation 2 and Xbox platforms. It was developed by Snowblind Studios, published by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment in conjunction with DC Comics and was distributed in Europe by Eidos Interactive. Based on the long-running comic book series Justice League, it was written by comic book writer Dwayne McDuffie. It uses the Snowblind Studios game engine.

<i>Dirty Harry</i> (1990 video game) 1990 video game

Dirty Harry is a 1990 video game based on the Dirty Harry film franchise starring Clint Eastwood. It was developed by Canadian studio Gray Matter and released exclusively for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wargaming Chicago-Baltimore</span>

Wargaming Chicago-Baltimore is an American game developer that operates in Chicago, Illinois and Hunt Valley, Maryland.

Turok is a series of first-person shooter video games based on the comic book character of the same name. It is set in a primitive world inhabited by dinosaurs and other creatures. The series was originally developed by Acclaim Studios Austin as Iguana Entertainment and published by Acclaim Entertainment from 1997 until Acclaim's bankruptcy in September 2004. A series reboot was then developed by Propaganda Games and published by Disney Interactive Studios. The series generated more than $250 million in revenue by 2002.

Batman: The Dark Knight was a cancelled action-stealth game for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 developed by Pandemic Studios from September 2006 until its cancellation in October 2008. It would have been the first open world video game to feature the DC Comics superhero Batman and was based on Christopher Nolan's film The Dark Knight. In Batman: The Dark Knight, the player controlled Batman, who could freely explore Gotham City, drive vehicles, and perform missions. Pandemic was given access to the film's script and other materials, and the film's cast would have reprised their roles for the game.

<i>Lego Harry Potter: Years 1–4</i> 2009 action-adventure video game

Lego Harry Potter: Years 1–4 is an action-adventure game developed by Traveller's Tales and published by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment. The game is based on the Lego Harry Potter toy line, and its storyline covers the first four books by J.K. Rowling and its film adaptations in the Harry Potter film series, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (2001), Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002), Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004), and Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005).

<i>Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1</i> (video game) 2010 video game

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1 is a 2010 action-adventure game. It is based on the 2010 film of the same name. It was released on 16 November 2010 in the United States, 18 November 2010 in Australia, and on 19 November 2010 in Europe and India. The game was released for mobile devices, Nintendo DS, Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, Wii, Xbox 360.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Video games in the United States</span>

Video gaming in the United States is one of the fastest-growing entertainment industries in the country. The American video game industry is the largest video game industry in the world. According to a 2020 study released by the Entertainment Software Association, the yearly economic output of the American video game industry in 2019 was $90.3 billion, supporting over 429,000 American jobs. With an average yearly salary of about $121,000, the latter figure includes over 143,000 individuals who are directly employed by the video game business. Additionally, activities connected to the video game business generate $12.6 billion in federal, state, and local taxes each year. The World Economic Forum estimates that by 2025 the American gaming industry will reach $42.3 billion while the worldwide gaming industry will possibly reach US$270 billion. The United States is one of the nations with the largest influence in the video game industry, with video games representing a significant part of its economy.

<i>Lego Jurassic World</i> 2015 video game

Lego Jurassic World is a Lego-themed action-adventure video game developed by TT Fusion and published by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment. It adapts the plots of the first four films in the Jurassic Park franchise, and is part of a series of Lego-themed video games. The game was released for Nintendo 3DS, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita, Wii U, Windows, Xbox 360, and Xbox One on 12 June 2015 to coincide with the theatrical release of Jurassic World. An OS X port by Feral Interactive followed shortly thereafter, on 23 July. Lego Jurassic World was later released for Android and iOS on 31 March 2016. A Nintendo Switch version was later released on 17 September 2019.

<i>South Park</i> (franchise) American comedy franchise

South Park is an American multimedia franchise created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone. It is based on the television series of the same name, developed by Brian Graden for Comedy Central.

<i>Harry Potter</i> video games Licensed video games based on the Harry Potter novels

The Harry Potter video games are a series of video games based on the Harry Potter novel and film series originally created by English author J. K. Rowling. Many of the Harry Potter-inspired video games are tie-ins to the film adaptations of the same name. There are multiple distinct versions for individual games.

The 2020s is the sixth decade in the industry's history. The industry remains heavily dominated by the actions of Nintendo, Sony, and Microsoft, but it remains unforeseen how their dominance will be affected by cloud gaming and the smartphone and tablet market. Virtual reality headsets are expected to become more popular over the course of the decade. The industry was heavily impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The ninth generation of video game consoles went on sale, beginning with the Xbox Series X and Series S and the PlayStation 5. Notable games released in the 2020s included Animal Crossing: New Horizons, Doom Eternal, Final Fantasy VII Remake, The Last of Us Part II, Ghost of Tsushima, Fall Guys,Hades, Among Us, Genshin Impact, Cyberpunk 2077, It Takes Two, Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, Resident Evil Village, Metroid Dread, Valorant, Forza Horizon 5, Horizon Forbidden West, Elden Ring, Stray, Xenoblade Chronicles 3, Cult of the Lamb, God of War Ragnarök, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, Baldur's Gate 3, Starfield, Super Mario Bros. Wonder, Marvel's Spider-Man 2, Alan Wake 2, Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty, Tekken 8, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, Helldivers 2, Black Myth: Wukong, Astro Bot, Metaphor: ReFantazio, and Grand Theft Auto VI. Game development companies have come under increasing criticism for "crunch" practices, forcing workers to work long hours in the build-up to release.

References

  1. ↑ Thorsen, Tor (May 6, 2005). "Dirty Harry, Clint Eastwood making next-gen consoles' day". GameSpot. Retrieved May 16, 2023.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Robertson, Liam (April 29, 2008). "Dirty Harry Video Game [Cancelled - Xbox 360, PS3, PC] - Unseen64". Unseen64: Beta, Cancelled & Unseen Videogames!. Retrieved May 16, 2023.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Edwards, Roger (September 19, 2015). "Dirty Harry - The Video Game". Contains Moderate Peril. Retrieved May 16, 2023.
  4. 1 2 "E3 06: Dirty Harry Impressions". GameSpot. May 11, 2006. Retrieved May 16, 2023.
  5. ↑ "Dirty Harry Pitch pg 1: shows cover page of sales pitch folder for a computer game as delivered to a prospective client on 5/2006 - presented as a faux "police file"".
  6. ↑ "Eastwood revisits World War II with pair of Iwo Jima films".
  7. 1 2 "Dirty Harry Game to Next-Gen Consoles - Press Release". Nintendo World Report. May 16, 2005. Retrieved May 16, 2023.
  8. ↑ McIntyre, Brandon (December 23, 2020). "The Canceled Dirty Harry Video Game We'll Never Get To Play". SVG. Retrieved May 16, 2023.
  9. ↑ Thorsen, Tor (March 1, 2007). "Collective staff cuts follow Dirty Harry 'transitioning'". GameSpot. Retrieved May 16, 2023.

Further reading

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.