Sadness (video game)
Encyclopedia
Sadness was a survival horror game in development by Nibris
for the Wii
console
and was one of the earliest titles announced for the system. While the game initially drew positive attention for its unique gameplay concepts, such as black-and-white
graphics and emphasis on psychological horror
over violence, Sadness became notorious when no evidence of a playable build was ever publicly released during the four years it spent in development. It was revealed that Sadness had entered development hell
due to problems with deadlines and relationships with outside developers, leading to its eventual cancellation
by 2010, along with the permanent closure of the company.
rather than violence, containing "associations with narcolepsy
, nyctophobia
and paranoid schizophrenia." More notable was the announcement that the game would sport black-and-white
visuals stylized as gothic horror.
Nibris promised that Sadness would provide "extremely innovative game play," fully utilizing the motion sensing capabilities of both the Wii Remote
and the Nunchuk. For example, it was suggested that players would use the Wii Remote to wield a torch and wave it to scare off rats; swinging the controller like a lasso in order to throw a rope over a wall; or picking up items by reaching out with the Wii Remote and grabbing them. Sadness was also planned to have open-ended interactivity between the player and the game's objects, being able to use any available item as a weapon. Suggestions included breaking a glass bottle and using the shards as a knife, or breaking the leg off a chair and using it as a club
. The game would also not utilize in-game menus (all game saves
would be done in the background) nor a HUD
in favor of greater immersion
.
Ukraine
, Sadness was to follow the story of Maria Lengyel, a Victorian era
aristocrat
of Polish
-Hungarian origin who has to protect her son Alexander after their train to Lviv
derails in the countryside. Alexander, who is struck blind
by the accident, begins to exhibit strange behavior that progressively worsens. The game's scenarios and enemies
, such as those based on the werewolf
and the likho
, are inspired by Slavic mythology
. In order to "make the player feel that he is participating in events [and] not merely playing a game," the game was planned to feature a branching storyline, influenced by the player's actions and concluding with one out of ten possible endings.
's Revolution (before its final name "Wii" was announced), later releasing a live action
concept trailer
which demonstrated potential Wii Remote
control in gameplay. Nibris partnered with Frontline Studios, who would be in charge of programming
Sadness, and Digital Amigos, who would develop the game visuals
, and it was reported that the game would be released by the fourth quarter of 2007.
From 2007 onward, Nibris drew criticism from various websites and blogs for the lack of playable demos, trailers, or even screenshot
s of the game in action. Speculation that Sadness was nothing but vaporware
intensified following a number of events, particularly the announcement that Frontline Studios was no longer working on the project (citing "artistic differences") and the game's delay to 2009. Several announcements that were made by Nibris were also never realized, such as a new trailer by late 2007 or an appearance at the 2008 Game Developer's Conference. Destructoid
chose to stop covering Sadness following the delay, doubting the game's existence and citing the lack of proof outside of concept art
and "fancy talk." Joystiq
labeled Sadness as both a "comedy of errors" and a "public embarrassment." Fog Studios, Nibris' marketing partner, responded to the accusations on vaporware on at least two occasions, once in June 2008 and again in September 2009, insisting that Sadness development was still underway, but was in need of a publisher
.
In May 2009, N-Europe interviewed Adam Artur Antolski, an ex-Nibris employee and scriptwriter for Sadness, who revealed that the game's delays were caused by prolonged dispute over the game design
, which led to constant failures to meet deadlines. Antolski asserted that because no consensus could be made among the staff and with Frontline, the only progress made during the first year was completion of the script, concept design, and "only one 3D object
- some minecart I believe." When asked regarding the announcement that Nibris would be present at that year's Electronic Entertainment Expo, Antolski expressed skepticism, stating that "Nibris always was better in promoting than making anything." As such, Nibris did not appear at E3 2009, and the game silently missed the projected Autumn 2009 release date.
Nibris' official website, which had not been updated since its announcement of appearing at GDC 2008, closed in February 2010. On April 5, N-Europe reported that Arkadiusz Reikowski, one of the game's music composers, released some of his unfinished work to the public and confirmed that Sadness had been abandoned by Nibris and was no longer in the works. In October Nibris itself transformed into a coordinator for the European Center of Games, ceasing game development permanently, and remaining staff and projects were also reported to have been handed over to Bloober Team, another game developer.
NIBRIS
Nibris was a video game development company located in Krakow, Poland, developing primarily for the Nintendo DS and Wii video game consoles. Nibris was most known for its cancelled Wii project Sadness, a survival horror game...
for the Wii
Wii
The Wii is a home video game console released by Nintendo on November 19, 2006. As a seventh-generation console, the Wii primarily competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3. Nintendo states that its console targets a broader demographic than that of the two others...
console
Video game console
A video game console is an interactive entertainment computer or customized computer system that produces a video display signal which can be used with a display device to display a video game...
and was one of the earliest titles announced for the system. While the game initially drew positive attention for its unique gameplay concepts, such as black-and-white
Black-and-white
Black-and-white, often abbreviated B/W or B&W, is a term referring to a number of monochrome forms in visual arts.Black-and-white as a description is also something of a misnomer, for in addition to black and white, most of these media included varying shades of gray...
graphics and emphasis on psychological horror
Psychological horror
Psychological horror is a subgenre of horror fiction that relies on character fears, guilt, beliefs, eerie sound effects, relevant music and emotional instability to build tension and further the plot...
over violence, Sadness became notorious when no evidence of a playable build was ever publicly released during the four years it spent in development. It was revealed that Sadness had entered development hell
Development hell
In the jargon of the media-industry, "development hell" is a period during which a film or other project is trapped in development...
due to problems with deadlines and relationships with outside developers, leading to its eventual cancellation
Vaporware
Vaporware is a term in the computer industry that describes a product, typically computer hardware or software, that is announced to the general public but is never actually released nor officially canceled. Vaporware is also a term sometimes used to describe events that are announced or predicted,...
by 2010, along with the permanent closure of the company.
Concept
Sadness was promoted as a unique and realistic survival horror game that would "surprise players," focusing on psychological horrorPsychological horror
Psychological horror is a subgenre of horror fiction that relies on character fears, guilt, beliefs, eerie sound effects, relevant music and emotional instability to build tension and further the plot...
rather than violence, containing "associations with narcolepsy
Narcolepsy
Narcolepsy is a chronic sleep disorder, or dyssomnia, characterized by excessive sleepiness and sleep attacks at inappropriate times, such as while at work. People with narcolepsy often experience disturbed nocturnal sleep and an abnormal daytime sleep pattern, which often is confused with insomnia...
, nyctophobia
Nyctophobia
Nyctophobia is a phobia characterized by a severe fear of the darkness. It is triggered by the brain’s disfigured perception of what would or could happen when in a dark environment....
and paranoid schizophrenia." More notable was the announcement that the game would sport black-and-white
Black-and-white
Black-and-white, often abbreviated B/W or B&W, is a term referring to a number of monochrome forms in visual arts.Black-and-white as a description is also something of a misnomer, for in addition to black and white, most of these media included varying shades of gray...
visuals stylized as gothic horror.
Nibris promised that Sadness would provide "extremely innovative game play," fully utilizing the motion sensing capabilities of both the Wii Remote
Wii Remote
The , also known as the Wiimote, is the primary controller for Nintendo's Wii console. A main feature of the Wii Remote is its motion sensing capability, which allows the user to interact with and manipulate items on screen via gesture recognition and pointing through the use of accelerometer and...
and the Nunchuk. For example, it was suggested that players would use the Wii Remote to wield a torch and wave it to scare off rats; swinging the controller like a lasso in order to throw a rope over a wall; or picking up items by reaching out with the Wii Remote and grabbing them. Sadness was also planned to have open-ended interactivity between the player and the game's objects, being able to use any available item as a weapon. Suggestions included breaking a glass bottle and using the shards as a knife, or breaking the leg off a chair and using it as a club
Club (weapon)
A club is among the simplest of all weapons. A club is essentially a short staff, or stick, usually made of wood, and wielded as a weapon since prehistoric times....
. The game would also not utilize in-game menus (all game saves
Saved game
A saved game is a piece of digitally stored information about the progress of a player in a video game. This saved game can be reloaded later, so the player can continue where he or she had stopped...
would be done in the background) nor a HUD
HUD (video gaming)
In video gaming, the HUD is the method by which information is visually relayed to the player as part of a game's user interface...
in favor of greater immersion
Immersion (virtual reality)
Immersion is the state of consciousness where an immersant's awareness of physical self is diminished or lost by being surrounded in an engrossing total environment; often artificial. This mental state is frequently accompanied with spatial excess, intense focus, a distorted sense of time, and...
.
Story
Set in pre-World War IWorld War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
, Sadness was to follow the story of Maria Lengyel, a Victorian era
Victorian era
The Victorian era of British history was the period of Queen Victoria's reign from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. It was a long period of peace, prosperity, refined sensibilities and national self-confidence...
aristocrat
Aristocracy
Aristocracy , is a form of government in which a few elite citizens rule. The term derives from the Greek aristokratia, meaning "rule of the best". In origin in Ancient Greece, it was conceived of as rule by the best qualified citizens, and contrasted with monarchy...
of Polish
Poles
thumb|right|180px|The state flag of [[Poland]] as used by Polish government and diplomatic authoritiesThe Polish people, or Poles , are a nation indigenous to Poland. They are united by the Polish language, which belongs to the historical Lechitic subgroup of West Slavic languages of Central Europe...
-Hungarian origin who has to protect her son Alexander after their train to Lviv
Lviv
Lviv is a city in western Ukraine. The city is regarded as one of the main cultural centres of today's Ukraine and historically has also been a major Polish and Jewish cultural center, as Poles and Jews were the two main ethnicities of the city until the outbreak of World War II and the following...
derails in the countryside. Alexander, who is struck blind
Blindness
Blindness is the condition of lacking visual perception due to physiological or neurological factors.Various scales have been developed to describe the extent of vision loss and define blindness...
by the accident, begins to exhibit strange behavior that progressively worsens. The game's scenarios and enemies
Mob (computer gaming)
A mob, mobile or monster is a computer-controlled non-player character in a computer game such as an MMORPG or MUD. Depending on context, all such characters in a game may be considered "mobs", or usage may be limited to hostile NPCs and/or NPCs vulnerable to attack.-Purpose of mobs:Defeating...
, such as those based on the werewolf
Werewolf
A werewolf, also known as a lycanthrope , is a mythological or folkloric human with the ability to shapeshift into a wolf or an anthropomorphic wolf-like creature, either purposely or after being placed under a curse...
and the likho
Likho
Likho, liho is an embodiment of evil fate and misfortune in Slavic mythology, a creature with one eye, often depicted as an old, skinny woman in black or as an evil male goblin of forests...
, are inspired by Slavic mythology
Slavic mythology
Slavic mythology is the mythological aspect of the polytheistic religion that was practised by the Slavs before Christianisation.The religion possesses many common traits with other religions descended from the Proto-Indo-European religion....
. In order to "make the player feel that he is participating in events [and] not merely playing a game," the game was planned to feature a branching storyline, influenced by the player's actions and concluding with one out of ten possible endings.
History
Sadness was announced by Nibris on March 7, 2006 as a title for NintendoNintendo
is a multinational corporation located in Kyoto, Japan. Founded on September 23, 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi, it produced handmade hanafuda cards. By 1963, the company had tried several small niche businesses, such as a cab company and a love hotel....
's Revolution (before its final name "Wii" was announced), later releasing a live action
Live action
In filmmaking, video production, and other media, the term live action refers to cinematography, videography not produced using animation...
concept trailer
Teaser trailer
A teaser campaign is an advertising campaign which typically consists of a series of small, cryptic, challenging advertisements that anticipate a larger, full-blown campaign for a product launch or otherwise important event. These advertisements are called "teasers" or "teaser ads"...
which demonstrated potential Wii Remote
Wii Remote
The , also known as the Wiimote, is the primary controller for Nintendo's Wii console. A main feature of the Wii Remote is its motion sensing capability, which allows the user to interact with and manipulate items on screen via gesture recognition and pointing through the use of accelerometer and...
control in gameplay. Nibris partnered with Frontline Studios, who would be in charge of programming
Game programming
Game programming, a subset of game development, is the programming of computer, console or arcade games. Though often engaged in by professional game programmers, many novices may program games as a hobby...
Sadness, and Digital Amigos, who would develop the game visuals
Video game graphics
A variety of computer graphic techniques have been used to display video game content throughout the history of video games. The predominance of individual techniques have evolved over time, primarily due to hardware advances and restrictions such as the processing power of central or graphics...
, and it was reported that the game would be released by the fourth quarter of 2007.
From 2007 onward, Nibris drew criticism from various websites and blogs for the lack of playable demos, trailers, or even screenshot
Screenshot
A screenshot , screen capture , screen dump, screengrab , or print screen is an image taken by a computer to record the visible items displayed on the monitor, television, or another visual output device...
s of the game in action. Speculation that Sadness was nothing but vaporware
Vaporware
Vaporware is a term in the computer industry that describes a product, typically computer hardware or software, that is announced to the general public but is never actually released nor officially canceled. Vaporware is also a term sometimes used to describe events that are announced or predicted,...
intensified following a number of events, particularly the announcement that Frontline Studios was no longer working on the project (citing "artistic differences") and the game's delay to 2009. Several announcements that were made by Nibris were also never realized, such as a new trailer by late 2007 or an appearance at the 2008 Game Developer's Conference. Destructoid
Destructoid
Destructoid is an independent video game-focused blog based in San Francisco, California that was founded in March 2006. It has since grown into one of the most widely read video game sites on the Internet, reaching more than 3 million unique visitors per month...
chose to stop covering Sadness following the delay, doubting the game's existence and citing the lack of proof outside of concept art
Concept art
Concept art is a form of illustration where the main goal is to convey a visual representation of a design, idea, and/or mood for use in films, video games, animation, or comic books before it is put into the final product. Concept art is also referred to as visual development and/or concept design...
and "fancy talk." Joystiq
Joystiq
Joystiq is a video gaming blog founded in June 2004 that has since become one of the most successful sites within the Weblogs, Inc. family of weblogs. It is the centerpiece of WIN's own network of video gaming blogs, which also includes a blog dealing specifically with the popular MMORPG World of...
labeled Sadness as both a "comedy of errors" and a "public embarrassment." Fog Studios, Nibris' marketing partner, responded to the accusations on vaporware on at least two occasions, once in June 2008 and again in September 2009, insisting that Sadness development was still underway, but was in need of a publisher
Video game publisher
A video game publisher is a company that publishes video games that they have either developed internally or have had developed by a video game developer....
.
In May 2009, N-Europe interviewed Adam Artur Antolski, an ex-Nibris employee and scriptwriter for Sadness, who revealed that the game's delays were caused by prolonged dispute over the game design
Game design
Game design, a subset of game development, is the process of designing the content and rules of a game in the pre-production stage and design of gameplay, environment, storyline, and characters during production stage. The term is also used to describe both the game design embodied in a game as...
, which led to constant failures to meet deadlines. Antolski asserted that because no consensus could be made among the staff and with Frontline, the only progress made during the first year was completion of the script, concept design, and "only one 3D object
3D modeling
In 3D computer graphics, 3D modeling is the process of developing a mathematical representation of any three-dimensional surface of object via specialized software. The product is called a 3D model...
- some minecart I believe." When asked regarding the announcement that Nibris would be present at that year's Electronic Entertainment Expo, Antolski expressed skepticism, stating that "Nibris always was better in promoting than making anything." As such, Nibris did not appear at E3 2009, and the game silently missed the projected Autumn 2009 release date.
Nibris' official website, which had not been updated since its announcement of appearing at GDC 2008, closed in February 2010. On April 5, N-Europe reported that Arkadiusz Reikowski, one of the game's music composers, released some of his unfinished work to the public and confirmed that Sadness had been abandoned by Nibris and was no longer in the works. In October Nibris itself transformed into a coordinator for the European Center of Games, ceasing game development permanently, and remaining staff and projects were also reported to have been handed over to Bloober Team, another game developer.