Dungeon Keeper 3
Encyclopedia
Dungeon Keeper 3: War for the Overworld is a cancelled PC
strategy game
developed by Bullfrog Productions
for Microsoft Windows
. Dungeon Keeper 3 was set to be the next installment in the Dungeon Keeper franchise where the slogan “Evil is good” set the series apart from conventional games. Players were charged with managing evil creatures in an underground dungeon and protecting it against the stereotypical righteous and goodly adventurers that conventionally appear in role-playing games. The series won praise from reviewers for its innovative design and devilish humor. The sequel to Dungeon Keeper 2
, it was set to lead the player to do battle in the surface realm of the goodly heroes. A short trailer for the game is included in Dungeon Keeper 2, which shows Horny the horned reaper reaching the surface world.
High-level conceptualisation and design documentation formally began after the release of Dungeon Keeper 2
in June 1999, with a small design team drawn from the same development staff. Game designer and scriptwriter Zy Nicholson resigned from the studio in late 1999 and was replaced on the project by Ernest W. Adams. Though never officially announced by publisher EA, development was acknowledged by a website update from the DK3 team in early February 2000. Development was cancelled in March 2000, though it was not until August the same year that Bullfrog Productions
revealed that the game had been cancelled. At the time, Bullfrog's website explained that it had cancelled production to work on other projects:
The projects that provoked Dungeon Keeper 3's cancellation were EA's Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings games. Though there are no plans for developing any new Dungeon Keeper
games at the moment, the Bullfrog statement points out that this is always a possibility for the future.
Improvements in the economy and multiplayer aspects of the game were planned, and a new race was conceptualised. In addition, the new race, as well as the goodly heroes, were designed to be playable.
The innovative nature of the Dungeon Keeper series proved to be incompatible with EA's business model after the company acquired the rights, as the project showed to be a higher risk than EA's other titles that were based on films that were popular at the time. However, like most of the studios EA has bought and closed, EA holds onto the rights to the games but won't continue to develop the franchise.
Personal computer
A personal computer is any general-purpose computer whose size, capabilities, and original sales price make it useful for individuals, and which is intended to be operated directly by an end-user with no intervening computer operator...
strategy game
Strategy game
A strategy game or strategic game is a game in which the players' uncoerced, and often autonomous decision-making skills have a high significance in determining the outcome...
developed by Bullfrog Productions
Bullfrog Productions
Bullfrog Productions was a UK computer game developer that was founded in 1987 by Les Edgar and Peter Molyneux. The company achieved recognition in 1989 for their third release, Populous....
for Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...
. Dungeon Keeper 3 was set to be the next installment in the Dungeon Keeper franchise where the slogan “Evil is good” set the series apart from conventional games. Players were charged with managing evil creatures in an underground dungeon and protecting it against the stereotypical righteous and goodly adventurers that conventionally appear in role-playing games. The series won praise from reviewers for its innovative design and devilish humor. The sequel to Dungeon Keeper 2
Dungeon Keeper 2
Dungeon Keeper 2 is a strategy game developed by Bullfrog Productions and published by Electronic Arts in 1999 for Microsoft Windows. It was released in Europe and North America in June 1999. It was the sequel to Peter Molyneux's Dungeon Keeper and predecessor to the canceled Dungeon Keeper 3...
, it was set to lead the player to do battle in the surface realm of the goodly heroes. A short trailer for the game is included in Dungeon Keeper 2, which shows Horny the horned reaper reaching the surface world.
High-level conceptualisation and design documentation formally began after the release of Dungeon Keeper 2
Dungeon Keeper 2
Dungeon Keeper 2 is a strategy game developed by Bullfrog Productions and published by Electronic Arts in 1999 for Microsoft Windows. It was released in Europe and North America in June 1999. It was the sequel to Peter Molyneux's Dungeon Keeper and predecessor to the canceled Dungeon Keeper 3...
in June 1999, with a small design team drawn from the same development staff. Game designer and scriptwriter Zy Nicholson resigned from the studio in late 1999 and was replaced on the project by Ernest W. Adams. Though never officially announced by publisher EA, development was acknowledged by a website update from the DK3 team in early February 2000. Development was cancelled in March 2000, though it was not until August the same year that Bullfrog Productions
Bullfrog Productions
Bullfrog Productions was a UK computer game developer that was founded in 1987 by Les Edgar and Peter Molyneux. The company achieved recognition in 1989 for their third release, Populous....
revealed that the game had been cancelled. At the time, Bullfrog's website explained that it had cancelled production to work on other projects:
A third episode of the Dungeon Keeper saga was underway, but opportunities to develop new intellectual properties on new platforms such as PlayStation 2 have meant that DK3 has been put on hold. There are currently no plans for another Dungeon Keeper game, however it remains an important franchise and there may be opportunities for us to pursue that direction in the future.
The projects that provoked Dungeon Keeper 3's cancellation were EA's Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings games. Though there are no plans for developing any new Dungeon Keeper
Dungeon Keeper
Dungeon Keeper is a strategy video game released developed by Bullfrog Productions under Peter Molyneux and released by Electronic Arts in July 1997 for the PC in which the player attempts to build and manage a dungeon or lair while protecting it from 'hero' characters intent on stealing the...
games at the moment, the Bullfrog statement points out that this is always a possibility for the future.
Improvements in the economy and multiplayer aspects of the game were planned, and a new race was conceptualised. In addition, the new race, as well as the goodly heroes, were designed to be playable.
The innovative nature of the Dungeon Keeper series proved to be incompatible with EA's business model after the company acquired the rights, as the project showed to be a higher risk than EA's other titles that were based on films that were popular at the time. However, like most of the studios EA has bought and closed, EA holds onto the rights to the games but won't continue to develop the franchise.
See also
- Dungeon KeeperDungeon KeeperDungeon Keeper is a strategy video game released developed by Bullfrog Productions under Peter Molyneux and released by Electronic Arts in July 1997 for the PC in which the player attempts to build and manage a dungeon or lair while protecting it from 'hero' characters intent on stealing the...
- Dungeon Keeper 2Dungeon Keeper 2Dungeon Keeper 2 is a strategy game developed by Bullfrog Productions and published by Electronic Arts in 1999 for Microsoft Windows. It was released in Europe and North America in June 1999. It was the sequel to Peter Molyneux's Dungeon Keeper and predecessor to the canceled Dungeon Keeper 3...
- Bullfrog ProductionsBullfrog ProductionsBullfrog Productions was a UK computer game developer that was founded in 1987 by Les Edgar and Peter Molyneux. The company achieved recognition in 1989 for their third release, Populous....
- DungeonsDungeons (video game)Dungeons is a strategy/simulation video game developed by Realmforge Studios and published by Kalypso Media. It was officially announced August 12, 2010 and was released on January 27, 2011 in Germany and February 10, 2011 in North America.-Gameplay:...
- Community sequel
External links
- Dungeon Keeper 3 at IGNIGNIGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...