Dirty Harry (canceled video game)

Dirty Harry is a canceled video game that was in development by The Collective intended to be published by Warner Bros. Interactive. The game was to continue the story of the 1971 film of the same name starring Clint Eastwood as Harry Callahan, the protagonist. Eastwood was intended to reprise his role, lending his voice and likeness[1] as well as consulting and creative input.[2] The game was to follow the same storyline of the film, with the San Francisco detective tracking down a serial killer named Scorpio.[3] Versions were planned for both the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 consoles, with a release in 2007.[3]

Dirty Harry
Developer(s)The Collective
Publisher(s)Warner Bros. Interactive
Platform(s)PlayStation 3, Xbox 360
ReleaseCanceled
Genre(s)Action

Story

The game was to take place between Dirty Harry and Magnum Force,[4][3] with the aim being to give more depth to the character.[2]

Development

Loose Cannon Studios, a game development company based in Seattle, proposed the concept of a video game based on the Dirty Harry IP to Warner Brothers Interactive as early as April of 2006.[5] The game's development was handed over to The Collective, who took over the game's development.

A trailer for the game has been the only example given of the game's gameplay or engine capabilities. It is neither a computer generated cutscene nor actual gameplay. Instead, Warner Bros. gave its models and engine schematics to an animation house to produce a simulation of the gameplay.[3][2]

The trailer ends with the classic scene from Dirty Harry. The "Do I feel lucky?" line was pulled straight from the film as Clint Eastwood never recorded a voice over for the video game.[4]

Warner Bros. was reluctant to release details on the gameplay, but offered a few hints. An early concept for the game featured a free-roaming San Francisco. However, after the game was put into full development in February 2006, this idea was dropped in favor of a "mission-based" structure.[2]

One key aspect of gameplay was discussed in slight detail. As in the films, Harry Callahan walks the line between bad cop and psychopath. Players were also to walk that line. The game was to feature reactive AI, both for crooks and cops. While there was no further explanation, it appeared that if the player was soft on crooks, they may not take Harry Callahan seriously. On the other end, excessive force will put you in trouble with the police chief.[2]

Promotion

According to official press releases by Warner Bros., "Dirty Harry helped define a genre and introduced the world to a character who has since become a cultural icon, so bringing Clint Eastwood's authentic Dirty Harry character to this next generation of consoles provides exciting promise for game playing audiences everywhere", said Jason Hall, senior vice president of Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment. "Our work with The Collective is aimed at culminating in a game with an all-new story that allows players to experience the action and suspense of the legendary franchise firsthand."[6]

"Working with Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and Clint Eastwood to create a compelling, state-of-the-art game that brings Dirty Harry Callahan to life on next generation consoles is very exciting", said Doug Hare, co-founder and Vice President of Production for The Collective. "We are focused on creating genre defining story-telling gameplay, along with next generation graphics depicting action-packed sequences that are consistent with the renowned films."[6]

Cancelation

The game was canceled[7] in 2007 due to reported "trouble" at The Collective,[8][2] which was later revealed to be budgetary issues and a rushed schedule—along with their then-recent merger with Shiny Entertainment to form Double Helix Games.

References
  1. Thorsen, Tor (May 6, 2005). "Dirty Harry, Clint Eastwood making next-gen consoles' day". GameSpot. Retrieved May 16, 2023.
  2. Robertson, Liam (April 29, 2008). "Dirty Harry Video Game [Cancelled - Xbox 360, PS3, PC] - Unseen64". Unseen64: Beta, Cancelled & Unseen Videogames!. Retrieved May 16, 2023.
  3. Edwards, Roger (September 19, 2015). "Dirty Harry - The Video Game". Contains Moderate Peril. Retrieved May 16, 2023.
  4. "E3 06: Dirty Harry Impressions". GameSpot. May 11, 2006. Retrieved May 16, 2023.
  5. "Dirty Harry Pitch pg 1: shows cover page of sales pitch folder for a computer game as delivered to a prospective client on 5/2006 - presented as a faux "police file"".
  6. "Dirty Harry Game to Next-Gen Consoles - Press Release". Nintendo World Report. May 16, 2005. Retrieved May 16, 2023.
  7. McIntyre, Brandon (December 23, 2020). "The Canceled Dirty Harry Video Game We'll Never Get To Play". SVG. Retrieved May 16, 2023.
  8. Thorsen, Tor (March 1, 2007). "Collective staff cuts follow Dirty Harry 'transitioning'". GameSpot. Retrieved May 16, 2023.

Further reading
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