The 10th Planet

Last updated
10th Planet
Developer(s) Centropolis Entertainment
Bethesda Softworks
Publisher(s) Bethesda Softworks
Producer(s) Bruce Nesmith [1]
Programmer(s) Kaare Siesing [2]
Writer(s) Roland Emmerich, [3] Dean Devlin [3]
Engine XnGine [2] [4] [5]
Platform(s) Windows [6]
ReleaseCancelled

The 10th Planet was a cancelled space combat game that was to be published by Bethesda Softworks.

Contents

Overview

The 10th Planet was intended to be a 3D space combat strategy game where players defend the solar system from alien invaders. [7] Gameplay would have emphasized tactical spaceship building to allow players to fine-tune their ships. Over 100 customizable ship components were planned, including engines, thrusters, shields, and weapons. [7] The 10th Planet was set in the distant future where the Solar System had become a ravaged battlefield with armadas of starships. Using a previously unknown tenth planet orbiting the Solar System as a staging ground, an alien force planned to conquer Earth.

Development and marketing

Development for The 10th Planet began in 1994 as a joint project between Centropolis Entertainment and Bethesda. [8] [7] However, Centropolis stopped work on the game due to its film commitments. [8] The developers kept publicized information to a minimum. GamePro magazine staff described the shoot'em up gameplay as Star Fox meets X-Wing. While the game was intended to be released on home computers, PlayStation and Saturn versions were considered. [6] According to Todd Howard, the game never made past pre-production. [9] It was showcased at E3 1995. [4] The developers aimed to release the game in 1996. [10] [11] [3] This was pushed to October 1997 [12] [8] and later to 1998. [13] [14] XCar: Experimental Racing was advertised as a free bonus to those who pre-ordered the game. [15]

References

  1. "The 10th Planet Preview". PC Gamer . Archived from the original on October 12, 1997. Retrieved November 12, 2019.
  2. 1 2 Giovetti, Al (September 1996). "The 10th Planet Preview". Computer Games Magazine . pp. 20–22. Retrieved November 12, 2019.
  3. 1 2 3 McNicholas, Conor (October 1995). "The Bizarre Tenth Planet". PC Zone . p. 18. Retrieved August 23, 2021.
  4. 1 2 "Hollywood and high-tech converge on The Tenth Planet". PR Newswire . May 11, 1995. Archived from the original on July 20, 2024. Retrieved July 21, 2024 via Gale Research.
  5. "Meet Top Holywood Producer Dean Devlin of Centropolis Entertainment in Bethesda Booth". PR Newswire . May 12, 1995. Archived from the original on July 21, 2024. Retrieved August 20, 2024 via Gale Research.
  6. 1 2 "Special Feature". GamePro . March 1996. p. 72,73. Retrieved March 1, 2022.
  7. 1 2 3 "Bethesda". PC Gamer . 1994. p. 64. Retrieved July 12, 2021.
  8. 1 2 3 Meyer, Bill (June 13, 1997). "Bethesda Busts Out". CNET Gamecenter . Archived from the original on July 17, 1997. Retrieved November 12, 2019.
  9. "Making Starfield with Bethesda's Todd Howard The AIAS Game Maker's Notebook Podcast". YouTube . September 25, 2023. Event occurs at 16:10. Retrieved September 26, 2023.
  10. White, Rod (February 27, 1996). "An Interview with Todd Howard, Producer of Terminator: Future Shock". PCM&E Magazine. Archived from the original on 1997-06-07. Retrieved August 31, 2023. Disable JavaScript to avoid being redirected&access the Interview
  11. "The 10th Planet". centropolis.com. Archived from the original on January 20, 1997. Retrieved March 28, 2023.
  12. Lee, Helen (May 22, 1997). "Bethesda's E3 Lineup". GameSpot . CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on June 11, 2000. Retrieved November 12, 2019.
  13. "XCar Web Site Launches". GameSpot . July 17, 1997. Archived from the original on February 2, 1999. Retrieved October 19, 2022.
  14. Burn, Timothy (December 15, 1997). "Wings of Gold' failed to lift game firm aloft". The Washington Times . Archived from the original on February 4, 2025. Retrieved February 18, 2025 via Gale Research.
  15. Dean Wisley Smith (1999). The Tenth Planet. National Geographic Books. p.  265. ISBN   9780345485151 . Retrieved November 12, 2019.