Skip to main content

Long read: The beauty and drama of video games and their clouds

"It's a little bit hard to work out without knowing the altitude of that dragon..."

If you click on a link and make a purchase we may receive a small commission. Read our editorial policy.

Shaq flashed a bit of Shaq Fu last night

He's a big chap isn't he.

Smiling man mountain Shaquille O'Neal stomped onto The Game Awards rostrum last night to present a short new video from the crowd-funded project Shaq Fu: A Legend Reborn.

There are only 10 seconds of actual gameplay (starting at the 50-second mark), and in them we see titular hero Shaq charge left and right smashing through enemies. He uses a handful of special abilities, and the action packs pace and punch - but it also looks pretty basic.

Bear in mind that what you see is a vertical slice: a prototype meant to embody the values of a full game. It's a concept to build a whole game from. Also remember that this isn't mega-money project but an Indiegogo-funded venture that raised nearly $500,000.

The trailer doesn't mention original developer Big Deez Productions (who?) but does mention Saber Interactive, a team that helped bring The Master Chief Collection to life. Oh good that's reassuring.

Shaq Fu was originally stated as coming to PC, PS4, PS3, Xbox One, Xbox 360 and Wii U. It's not clear if that's still the plan.

Watch on YouTube