PS4 exclusive Until Dawn thrust developer Supermassive Games into the limelight but the title was originally a Sony London Studio project. Announced as a PlayStation Move game for the PS3, Until Dawn was once canceled and then resurrected as a Supermassive project. Now, its original developers have spoken out in an interview with Time Extension.
Until Dawn’s Twists and Turns
Former devs of Until Dawn revealed in an interview with Time Extension that their version of the game was unexpectedly canceled in March 2011. The original game wasn’t made public but was briefly shown off in promotional videos for PlayStation Move. Despite the cancellation, London Studio was under the impression that things were going well, even going so far as to bring on a new director: Mark Simmons of Silent Hill fame.
Unexpectedly, layoffs accompanied the cancellation, and the original developers were blindsided when the game re-emerged as a Supermassive project. “No one knew it had been moved to another studio… It was surprising when we found out. I think a lot of people were pretty gutted,” said one former unnamed dev in the interview.
According to Time Extension’s sources, Until Dawn’s original version was described as “just at the point of getting good,” when it was taken away from the team. The original developers described the experience as “a little bit soul-destroying,” highlighting the emotional toll it took on the team.