Topic: Original XCOM from Microprose was actually cancelled + worked on in secret...

[MysterD]

What a story!!!

Eurogamer on Youtube - Original XCOM from Microprose actually was cancelled, but still worked on in secret, and it got released.

Seems that original Microprose XCOM game was officially cancelled by shareholders Spectrum Holobyte.
Nobody in Microprose UK dev' team actually told the creator Julian Gallop about cancellation at that time!!!
Dev' team worked on XCOM anyways, in secret.
Spectrum Holobyte went to Microprose b/c Spectum needed a game fast and had no games on tap for release soon.
Dev' team (without the creator there) told Spectrum they still worked on XCOM anyways.
Spectrum was actually happy b/c now they could fill the gap & were given 3 months to finish it.
Hit the dead-line by crunching; game got released + history was made.
Oh, and...Gallop found out 20 years later (which was some 4 years ago) that the XCOM game was originally cancelled and that the dev' team were actually working on it behind Spectrum's back! LOL!!!

[Cobra951]

20 years of secrecy?  Good thing it all went well.  Great story.

[Quemaqua]

Wow, that's super nuts. Can't believe it hasn't come out until now.

[MysterD]

While I don't normally play many strategy games, still...
Just imagine a world without what many consider one of the best + most influential strategy games of all time.
It boggles the mind that Spectrum actually cancelled this damn game.
Kudos for the dev' team having the guts to do the damn thing anyways.

Nothing's funnier than Gallops finding out 4 years ago that XCOM was cancelled by their bosses + the dev team hid that info from him for so long; and that they all still worked on it anyways + got it released in 1994. LOL.
That's just...hilarious.