Tonight Microsoft will hold a press conference in Japan announcing upcoming games. While we’re waiting to hear about the future of the Xbox 360 let’s take a look at their abandoned past.
Along with True Fantasy Online Live Microsoft developed and canceled another Japanese developed online game. Fishing Live Online was a multiplayer fishing game where players log on and fish for bass in a group. The large 2km x 2km (appx. 1.5 square miles) lake was said to be a living ecosystem, constantly changing and reacting to the fishing players. Microsoft even snagged equipment manufacturers like Jackall brothers, Pure Fishing inc, and Quintrex to provide realistic equipment for Opus, the developer. Yes, that’s the developer of Red Ninja: End of Honor.
Unlike True Fantasy Online Live this game was forgotten fast, but it may have been repackaged for North America. Atlus published a game called Pro Fishing Challenge on the Xbox with similar features, but no persistent online world. The game was never published in Japan so it’s interesting to think that Atlus *may* have rescued one of Microsoft’s canned projects. Too bad they didn’t get True Fantasy Online Live instead, right?
Aside from publishing Halo Wars, Ninja Blade, and a handful of Xbox Live Arcade games we haven’t seen much from Microsoft Game Studios this year. Should make for an interesting conference.
