Sega Loses Game to Terrorists

[Kamalot]

Today, we look back with fond remembrance and regret at the potential greatness that was snuffed from existence, the premature death of Propeller Arena: Aviation Battle Online.

http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/68/411/320/propeller_arena_logo[1].jpg

Propeller Arena was one of the upcoming shining stars for the Dreamcast. It offered fast, arcade-like action, full 3D flying and aerial combat, online gameplay and voice chat that was really pushing Live-like capabilities before the Xbox even launched. The game's crazy back-and forth action played quite a lot like a Mario Kart in the skies.

What could possibly go wrong?

September 11th, 2001.

You can find out more about this game in my article, Terrorist Victim - Propeller Arena: Aviation Battle Online (http://kamalot.blogspot.com/2005/09/terrorist-victim-propeller-arena.html).

[FunkyPoopMonkey]

God I love this game. Had fantastic tight control. Some of the best dogfighting action you can find on a console, without needing a degree in psysics and 100 buttons.

[Deadend]

It would be awesome if they sexed it up and released it... I wank a Crimsion Skies Kiler!

[gsmith]

I heard a ton of people died too

[Tricky Thumb]

It would be awesome if they sexed it up and released it... I wank a Crimsion Skies Kiler!

To offer your adult services for this game really shows your level of dedication.

Oh and pinning September, 11th for this game never being released sort of comes off a little... strange?

[Demize99]

RTFA? Sega's quote says all.

[Rangoth]

I hate to break it to you but, I have this game sitting in my Dreamcast. A copy of the image slipped out of the company and was auctioned off in a private auction a couple years back. It went fairly high if my memory serves, the guy who bought it was a prick for a while and refused to release the image however I guess he changed his mind because I suddenly got a copy in the mail from a buddy. It is damn hard to find but if one looks hard they can find it!

[UnderHero5]

Yeah, I aquired a copy of it back when it was "released" as well.
I had huge high hoped for it. It definitely isn't a bad game, but it wasn't anywhere near all the fuss I had made over when it was canned.

I played it for a couple hours though, hehe.

[FunkyPoopMonkey]

I hate to break it to you but, I have this game sitting in my Dreamcast. A copy of the image slipped out of the company and was auctioned off in a private auction a couple years back. It went fairly high if my memory serves, the guy who bought it was a prick for a while and refused to release the image however I guess he changed his mind because I suddenly got a copy in the mail from a buddy. It is damn hard to find but if one looks hard they can find it!
The guy is aware of it. This speaks about it being available for download. Read the article.

[Morrolan]

It's funny. At the time, I thought that they were canning it because they were pussies. "Come on guys," I said, "nobody's going to be stupid enough to get on your case simply because your game contains both planes AND buildings."

Looking back, though, remembering all the stupid shit that went on in the year or so following... I'd say it was a smart move. Saved themselves a bit of grief, I'd say.

[FunkyPoopMonkey]

It's funny. At the time, I thought that they were canning it because they were pussies. "Come on guys," I said, "nobody's going to be stupid enough to get on your case simply because your game contains both planes AND buildings."

Looking back, though, remembering all the stupid shit that went on in the year or so following... I'd say it was a smart move. Saved themselves a bit of grief, I'd say.

Yeah but these are fuckin PROPELLER planes. Not huge commercial airliners with hundreds on-board. And there's no reward for crashing yourself into a building, unlike GTA where killing innocents gets you money and such. There's no motive to do such a thing. Further, I don't recall the buildings sustaining any damage from this. And there was only one level with tall tower buildings. Sega should have just removed that one level.

By the way, anyone who didn't play more then a couple hours, with no manual of course, probably didn't even know about the special moves; the key feature that sets this game apart from the rest.

[Bushido]

Looking back, though, remembering all the stupid shit that went on in the year or so following... I'd say it was a smart move. Saved themselves a bit of grief, I'd say.



Oh grief from whom? Every media source capatalized on the tragic events of 11/09.

[KarmaGhost]

I'm getting it now. Glad I brought my DC with me when I moved.

[Kagger]

wait...how can you play it on the dreamcast if it was never released? I'm so lost...(I didn't start following gamest till the year when cube/xbox were relesed)

[FunkyPoopMonkey]

wait...how can you play it on the dreamcast if it was never released? I'm so lost...(I didn't start following gamest till the year when cube/xbox were relesed)
READ....THE...ARTICLE...

[Orphiuchus]

Am I the only one who finds it a teency bit tasteless to call a video game a casualty of a terrorist act that killed thousands of people? Yes?

Nevermind then.

[Morrolan]

As far as I'm concerned, it's time to stop walking on eggshells about that damned attack. Yes, it was tragic. That doesn't mean that FOUR YEARS LATER, someone can't make a tongue-in-cheek thread-title about it.

[SynapseLapse]

Propeller Arena is very much to flying and combat what Crazy Taxi is to racing/driving. It's fun, but this game is mostly well known because it was cancelled. I got a hold of a copy and I was pretty disappointed with the combat in it.

[Rangoth]

Amen Morrolan.

[Goronmon]

Am I the only one who finds it a teency bit tasteless to call a video game a casualty of a terrorist act that killed thousands of people? Yes?
Actually,I find it more tasteless that people think that a facetious remark in a newspost can somehow lessen the impact of the attack.

[Rangoth]

Alright kids, how about we just drop the whole damn subject before someone hops on their soapbox? I would really rather not talk politics.

[if76]

I think the article's dig at rockstar is unfair. They've never capitalized on real-life events rather they've generated their own controversy. Besides I seem to recall things were taken out of Vice City (or was it GTA3) because of 9/11.

[Rangoth]

Really? I missed that one. I remember things were taken out of either Spiderman 1 or 2. What was taken out of GTA?

[Eran Hawke]

I think the article's dig at rockstar is unfair. They've never capitalized on real-life events rather they've generated their own controversy.
You are so right

There are never any car jackings, muggings, shootings, drive-bys or hookers murdered in real-life. They invented all of those things, right?

Honestly, just because they didn't happen to capitalize on a large-scale event does not mean that they don't cash in on what are no doubt tragedies when they happen to people in real life. As an example, just look at the random sniper killings in DC from a few years ago. The whole area was in terror because two guys decided to randomly kill innocent people. People’s families were indiscriminatingly ripped apart. That’s the same action you can undertake in their video game, the game actually rewards you for being an asshole.

Propeller Arena, from the look of it, didn’t reward you for murdering innocent people, not would it let you. Like Crazy Taxi, the game is about being a game first and not a terrorist simulator.