Wild (video game)

Summary

Wild is a survival game that is being developed by Wild Sheep Studio and to be published by Sony Interactive Entertainment. The game was announced in 2014 and had infrequent updates during development, with the game eventually being rumored to be cancelled after game director Michel Ancel retired from the game industry in 2020, making it a vaporware game.

Wild
Developer(s)Wild Sheep Studio
Publisher(s)Sony Interactive Entertainment
Director(s)Michel Ancel
Writer(s)Michel Ancel
Platform(s)PlayStation 4
Genre(s)Survival
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer

Gameplay edit

Wild is set during the prehistoric Neolithic period in a procedurally generated world.[1] Within the game world, the player controls a human and can use smaller animals to spy on others, or larger animals to support the player and their tribe in fights with other humans.[2] Animals can be controlled by using shamanic powers - once "possessing" an animal the gameplay moves to the point of view of the controlled creature, and then proceeds using the skills and characteristics of that animal.[3]

Development edit

2014-2020: Announcement edit

Wild began development in 2014 at Wild Sheep Studio, a developer based in Montpellier founded by Michel Ancel from Ubisoft.[4][5] Initial plans for the game included a very large, continent-sized open world, dynamic weather complete with seasonal variations, online play, and the ability to play as any wild creature in the world, including wolves, sheep, fish, ants, cats, birds, etc.[6] A gameplay trailer for the game was shown at Gamescom in August 2014 and then at Paris Games Week in October 2015, where the developers released a new gameplay trailer and a film about the production of the game.[7][8]

Due to the lack of updates during development, many journalists considered the game to be vaporware.[9][10][11][12]

2020: Ancel's departure edit

In September 2020, Ancel announced his retirement from the gaming industry but added that development on the game would continue without him.[13]

References edit

  1. ^ Dent, Steve (29 October 2015), "Befriend a bear or get killed by it in PS4-exclusive 'Wild'", www.engadget.com
  2. ^ Haas, Pete (28 October 2015), "PS4 Exclusive Wild Lets You Possess Animals, Talk To Gods", www.cinemablend.com
  3. ^ Dale, Laura Kate (27 October 2015), "PS4 exclusive Wild looks like symbiotic Animorphs", www.destructiod.com
  4. ^ "WiLD: Technology & People behind an Environmental Adventure". 80.lv. 28 October 2015.
  5. ^ "Rayman creator Michel Ancel leading new indie studio Wild Sheep, will stay at Ubisoft (update)". polygon.com. 31 July 2014.
  6. ^ "Introducing WiLD, a PS4 exclusive from Rayman creator Michel Ancel", blog.eu.playstation.com, 12 August 2014
  7. ^ Anderson, Kell (12 August 2014), "Gamescom 2014: PS4 Exclusive WiLD Looks Wacky, Wonderful, and, Erm, Wild", www.pushsquare.com
  8. ^ "PARIS GAMES WEEK: WILD GAMEPLAY TRAILER". gameindustry.com.
  9. ^ "Wild :Michel Ancel Posts Picture, Promises More Spoiler-Free Screens Soon". www.gameinformer.com. 27 Jan 2017.
  10. ^ Kolner, Chris (27 Dec 2016), "Thanks for Nothing, Videogames: The 2016 Vaporware Awards", www.wired.com
  11. ^ Fulton, Will (19 June 2017), "Here are the top vaporware games that are currently MIA", www.digitaltrends.com
  12. ^ "Where the Heck Is PS4 Exclusive Wild?". GAMING. Retrieved 2020-02-04.
  13. ^ Phillips, Tom (September 18, 2020). "Rayman creator Michel Ancel quits video games to work on wildlife sanctuary". Eurogamer. Retrieved September 19, 2020.

External links edit