Getaway PS3 was only in pre-production

By Ellie Gibson Published 8 July, 2008

As was Eight Days, says Sony man.

Sony Worldwide Studios president Shuhei Yoshida has revealed more about why The Getaway PS3 and Eight Days were cancelled - stating that both titles were only in the pre-production phase.

"People were doing the right things on the projects, and there were things in the games that were working really well," he told Threespeech.

"But the projects were coming to the end of the pre-production stage, and that is the time when we evaluate every product. Because after that, we would assign more resources to them, and they would really become major investments.

"This is a regular appraisal process for every project," Yoshida continued. "We do evaluate and cancel projects all the time, because we do start more projects than we finish, and if we finished the same number of projects that we started, that would mean we were not taking any risks at all, and that wouldn’t move our industry on any further."

The Getaway and Eight Days were first shown at E3 in May 2005, but only in tech demo form. Hardly any more was said about the games until last month, when Sony cancelled development on both titles, citing a need to reallocate resources.

At least network service Home is still on track. When asked by Threespeech whether it'll be here in time for Christmas Yoshida replied, "We certainly hope so - every indication is positive."

So what's with the delay? "With the timing of the launch, we’ve always set target dates, such as the end of last year or spring of this year, but our problem is always implementing features, testing with beta users, getting feedback and making modifications," said Yoshida.

"When we become confident that it is good enough to make it available to all users, that would be the right time. We have been making good progress, but recently, we have been thinking that this fall is the timing we will work towards."

Picture of Ellie.

About Ellie Gibson

Since joining Eurogamer in the mid 2000s, Ellie has written about subjects as diverse as the fall of Gizmondo, the rise of Hollyoaks actresses in Red Alert games and the noise a bear makes under NSFW circumstances.

Read more articles from Ellie by visiting the Ellie Gibson archive page.

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Comments (35) Latest comment 4 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • kyotokid #1 4 years ago

    3 years of pre-production? Nice.

  • HermitArcader #2 4 years ago

    Post deleted at 09:17:39 22-12-2011

  • beckyh #3 4 years ago

    This is one of my biggest ps3 disappointments, I was looking forward to the game despite Getaway 2 being crap.

  • Laika #4 4 years ago

    In before Xbots...

    Oh wait too late.

  • the_dudefather #5 4 years ago

    Thos bastards canceling a game? only Sony would do something like this

  • krudster #6 4 years ago

    Damage limitation to the max!

  • FladgeMangle #7 4 years ago

    I live in near countryside and I know that smell....

    Lucky for Phil Harrison, he bailed out of this shitstorm before it blew up in his face. Bad luck for all the other lost souls riding his bloated galleon onto the rocks. Now we know why he went to Atari when he did, it was "anywhere but here!"

  • Laika #8 4 years ago

    In after more Xbots.

  • dominalien #9 4 years ago

    Hoooo, two games not many people cared about are cancelled, it's a shitstorm, everyone run for your lives, or at least for your fresh rose-scented smell!

  • bad09 #10 4 years ago

    "This is one of my biggest ps3 disappointments, I was looking forward to the game despite Getaway 2 being crap."

    Absolutely I loved the first Getaway and even after the second was crap I was drooling at the thought of 3 :(

    Still Buzz and Singstar sell will sell and pointless Home is still on track so I suppose Sony couldn't care less.

  • FladgeMangle #11 4 years ago

    @ dominalien

    You clearly don't know much about games development. It's a shitstorm for the Sony studios because three years have been wasted and that is a lot of money gone up in smoke. Heads will roll, probably from the thronging talent pool beneath the managerial algae.

    It's also a massive embarrassment for SCEE London who haven't produced a decent AAA title since the launch of the PS2 and it's left them without an IP to call their own. Buzz! is developed by Relentless and Eye Toy has for a long time been at Kuju brighton (whatever daft name they have now). They'll probably have to reduce their role to that of "outsource bitch" for other, better run external studios.

    So yes, it's a shitstorm.

  • Darren #12 4 years ago

    I remember seeing that video of PS3 The Getaway at the infamous E3 2005 - the one of a busy London - but I guess like everything else shown at that show, it was pre-rendered to spec. Except in this case the game never existed anyway so it's conclusive proof that Sony DO lie! ;) LOL

  • monkeymagic #13 4 years ago

    I just don't understand it... from a business point of view, the Getaway games sold millions and I'd have thought easily made up its production costs and turned Sony a profit. I'd assume a third game would do the same, especially after those lovely videos of the engine.

  • Collymilad #14 4 years ago

    @ FladgeMangle

    So either Sony are lying or you don't know what you're talking about?

    Read the article again.

  • Madafunkola #15 4 years ago

    @ The Dudefather
    WHAT! They cancelled High School Musical: Sing It, Bratz Babyz AND Disney Princess!!!!!!!!!!!!
    f*CKING mICRO$OFT!!

  • lambtron #16 4 years ago

    "@ The Dudefather
    WHAT! They cancelled High School Musical: Sing It, Bratz Babyz AND Disney Princess!!!!!!!!!!!!
    f*CKING mICRO$OFT!!"

    We can only dream what might have been...

  • FladgeMangle #17 4 years ago

    Collymilad, this is bullshit, like I said in my maybe-too-subtle-for-the-hard-of-thinking "I know that smell..." first post.

    Canning these two titles is really bad for Sony London at ground zero, whichever way you spin it.

    I'm concerned because when this sort of think happens peoples lives can be really messed up, but usually not those responsible which why I'm also a bit angry.

  • Kryon #18 4 years ago

    @the_dudefather

    Judging by your link, the PS3 has had over double as many cancellations as the 360 even though Sony's machine has been on the market for a much shorter period. Interesting...

  • Joppers #19 4 years ago

    @Darren

    That Getaway Piccadilly Circus demo ran in real-time on a PS3 at GDC 2006.

    I should know, I was controlling it ;)

  • monkeymagic #20 4 years ago

    Indeed Joppers, the videos are over on Kikizo and mightily impressive. Nice controls you have there!

  • Eighthours #21 4 years ago

    Well, this retconning is all rather embarrassing.

  • kangarootoo #22 4 years ago

    @FladgeMangle

    "It's also a massive embarrassment for SCEE London who haven't produced a decent AAA title since the launch of the PS2 and it's left them without an IP to call their own."

    Erm. Except for SingStar and EyeToy of course, which are two of the most successful products Sony have ever had...

    Methinks your anger is granting you a somewhat selective grasp of the facts.

  • kangarootoo #23 4 years ago

    @Kryon

    That list is good, but it is far from exhausive. I would be wary of making any judgements based purely on the numbers contained therein.

  • jebus #24 4 years ago

    Jesus - his lying is nearly up to Phils standards.

  • FladgeMangle #25 4 years ago

    @ kangerootoo -

    Eyetoy is not a Sony London IP anymore. Zoe Mode (Kuju Brighton) have had it for years. Not reading my posts properly has given you a selective grasp of my knowledge.

    The original did well though and maybe I was a bit heavy-handed in my criticism of the studio. They do still have Singstar too. What they don't have (and probably never did) is an IP that can go head-to-head with the likes GTA, Metal Gear or Final Fantasy.

  • Godz_Mercenary #26 4 years ago

    Seriously, I love you EuroGamer but posting articles this late is silly. This news is over a month old. Other sites had this posted at the beginning of June.

    You're still number one though.

  • kangarootoo #27 4 years ago

    @FladgeMangle

    "Eyetoy is not a Sony London IP anymore. Zoe Mode (Kuju Brighton) have had it for years. Not reading my posts properly has given you a selective grasp of my knowledge."

    Oh dear.

    Sony outsourced PS2 EyeToy games to Kuju whilst they worked on PS3 stuff, but the EyeToy brand has always remained Sony property. So Kuju don't "have" EyeToy as you put it.

    You know the PS-Eye camera? The one with the (admittedly odd looking) mic array across the top? There are games on the PSN Store for it, made by Sony. Kuju din't make that did they. Kuju no more own EyeToy that the devs who made Eye of Judgement do.


    "What they don't have (and probably never did) is an IP that can go head-to-head with the likes GTA, Metal Gear or Final Fantasy"

    I think that is kind of the point. They probably don't want games to go head to head with those titles, as they make far more cash with stuff like SingStar and EyeToy (which is why I mentioned them).


    And I didn't pull you up on Buzz! before, but whilst you are correct that Relentless are making the game (they aren't making the PSP version I might add), Sony own the brand.

    All of this info is out there on the web if you would only bother to look.

    And whilst I am acting all superior and arsey, kangaroo has no letter e in it ;)

  • AJUK #28 4 years ago

    The Getaway tech demo stuff was used to create the London track for GT5p I believe? Don't know if it has been mentioned anywhere else, but at least it means a part of The Getaway lives on for PS3?

  • FladgeMangle #29 4 years ago

    @kangarootoo

    I meant to say "developed IP" but oh well you got me.

    My knowlege is a little old it seems and you've got me again. This I will put my hands up at. DON'T SHOOT!

    It doesn't change the fact that Sony London, the flagship SCEE studio, has nothing to show for itself after three years of PS3 development except a handful of party games.

    I absolutely refute the idea that this is on purpose.

  • T4RG4 #30 4 years ago

    Around and round, not getting anywhere with either title and finished off with some bull about project appraisals. HA! Whatever.

  • monkie_king #31 4 years ago

    Sony Lolndon?

    /coat

  • fobsta #32 4 years ago

    Eight Days was in full production before I left Sony in 2007. Massive team. Across sites with external contractors.

    Launch days were set but they were never realistic.

  • kangarootoo #33 4 years ago

    @FladgeMangle

    "DON'T SHOOT! "

    I'm glad you take my comeback in good spirit. Point taken :)

    "I absolutely refute the idea that this is on purpose."

    Can't argue against that point dude :D

  • kangarootoo #34 4 years ago

    "Sony Lolndon?

    /coat"

    Good work :)

  • BartonFink #35 4 years ago

    Thank god for that the other two were god awful tat.