Ghostwire: Tokyo is an exciting new IP from Tango Gameworks and Bethesda, but the game wasn’t always planned as something new: it was originally planned as The Evil Within 3! According to GameSpot, Tango Gameworks was planning to make a direct follow-up to its 2017 game The Evil Within 2. However, at some point the developer decided that Ghostwire: Tokyo would become its own thing instead. It’s unclear if that was a result of the game placing more emphasis on action as opposed to survival horror, or if it didn’t make sense from a narrative perspective. Still, it’s interesting to think what could have been!
While some might find this strange, it’s certainly not the first time a developer decided to shift a game’s focus away from one IP and towards another; sometimes, it really does work out for the best! Back in the mid-90s, HAL Laboratory was working on a photography game called Jack and the Beanstalk, but the developer was struggling to find a hook. Following the popularity of the Pokemon franchise, a decision was made to incorporate the characters, and the game found massive success when it released in 1999 as Pokemon Snap.
It remains to be seen whether the decision to make Ghostwire: Tokyo its own separate game will similarly pay off. This case is a little different, as we have a developer moving a game away from a successful IP, rather than connecting to one. That can be a risky gamble in the video game industry, where new franchises often struggle to get attention from gamers. Of course, Ghostwire: Tokyo has gotten quite a bit of attention over the last few months, and it seems that a lot of people are interested to see how the final product turns out. If Tango Gameworks made the right call, the developer could end up with a strong new franchise on its hands!
Ghostwire: Tokyo is set to release March 25th on PlayStation 5 and PC. Readers can check out all of our previous coverage of the game right here.
Are you looking forward to Ghostwire: Tokyo? Are you surprised that the game was planned as The Evil Within 3? Let us know in the comments or share your thoughts directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp to talk all things gaming!
