Independent Studio Opens Doors to Share Canceled Magic School Project

Canceled video games are usually shrouded in secrecy, the kind of thing we only learn about through leaks long after the fact. But Dinosaur Polo Club, the indie studio behind the simple strategy games, is still keeping it under wraps. small metro And small highwaysMicrosoft has revealed a recently cancelled project in a refreshing bout of transparency.

The game was codenamed School of MagicThis was an attempt by the studio to expand away from the clean, streamlined experiences it was known for. The problem? As the concept grew in scope, it became clear to the studio that a much larger team was needed, leading them to abandon it.

You can get an idea of ​​what it looked like in the shots above as well as from the concept images in the gallery below. (There’s more. On ArtStation.)

“In the end, we saw no way forward. School of Magic“ “However, we still want to share the amazing work the team produced during the prototype creation process,” studio CEO Amy Wolken said in a statement.

There is one positive: none of the team members working on the game will be let go. Instead, the studio says the plan is to “redirect their skills to new projects within our renowned team.” Mini series.”

While it may be disappointing that School of Magic The game will never be released — that sounds great to me — it’s great to see a studio so open in a very strict industry. And for those who worked on the game, it’s a huge bonus to be able to share the work they put into it, even if there’s no final product for people to play.

“A lot of great game development never sees the light of day because studios are often shy about sharing when things don’t go as planned,” Wolken added. “Instead, we chose to celebrate what we’ve learned along the way and the great work our team has done.”