B.C. (video game)
Encyclopedia
B.C. was an action-adventure video game developed by Intrepid Computer Entertainment, a satellite of Lionhead Studios
, and published by Microsoft Game Studios
for the Xbox
. The game was cancelled in 2004 due to unknown reasons. B.C. was going to take place during a prehistoric time period on a single continent which contained five levels. The player controls a tribe who has to evolve and migrate to become the best species in the game. Tribe members can be of different classes and each can level up different ways to evolve. The main enemies in the game are an ape-like creature called the "simians"; however, the world is also inhabited with many types of dinosaurs as well as other creatures, including the dodo
.
Early images at E3 showed extreme clarity and self shading but early reviews called the artificial intelligence
the most impressive game aspect. According to Gamespot.com's information on BC, the game would have had a foodchain, like Peter Jackson's King Kong: The Official Game of the Movie
, in which each part would have been subject to being eaten by something higher on the foodchain. In addition, the dinosaurs and other creatures would have been intelligent, interacting with each other, thus acting independently of the player. It would have been possible to affect the videogame world as a whole, leading some people to comment on the driving of certain species to extinction. Other activities would have included capturing and training certain animals to use against tribal enemies. Animals known to exist in the world would have been Tyrannosaurus
, Velociraptor
, Pachycephalosaurus
, Smilodon
, Apatosaurus
(or Brontosaurus as the game would have focused on anachronisms) dodo
s, ape-men, and others.
As part of the exaggeration, in addition to anachronisms in the dinosaur age, BC would have featured dinosaurs as being larger than they really were. In one preview, Molyneux was quoted as saying that the Rex seen in screenshots was a child, a third the size of its parent. the game was also planned to be very bloody. GameSpot quoted Molyneux as saying that the dinosaurs will spill "swimming pools full of blood" when killed.
where the user controls a tribe during the early evolution era. The main goal in B.C. is to raise the tribe to become a threat and over-power the other species. In order to accomplish this, the user must populate six levels with different people from the tribe. Two types of tribe members are hunters and a chemist. Once a level is populated enough, the user takes five of their best tribe members to the next level in order to try and populate that area. After populating three levels, the user comes in contact with apes that are on the same evolutionary stage as the tribe members. These apes, called "Simians", do no like the tribe and attempt to kill them.
Lionhead Studios
Lionhead Studios is a British computer game development company led by industry veteran Peter Molyneux, and acquired by Microsoft Game Studios in April 2006. Lionhead started as a breakaway from the developer Bullfrog, which was also founded by Molyneux. Lionhead's first game was Black & White, a...
, and published by Microsoft Game Studios
Microsoft Game Studios
Microsoft Studios is the video game production wing for Microsoft, responsible for the development and publishing of games for the Xbox, Xbox 360, Games for Windows and Windows Phone platforms. They were established in 2002 as Microsoft Game Studios to coincide with the release of the Xbox, before...
for the Xbox
Xbox
The Xbox is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Microsoft. It was released on November 15, 2001 in North America, February 22, 2002 in Japan, and March 14, 2002 in Australia and Europe and is the predecessor to the Xbox 360. It was Microsoft's first foray into the gaming console...
. The game was cancelled in 2004 due to unknown reasons. B.C. was going to take place during a prehistoric time period on a single continent which contained five levels. The player controls a tribe who has to evolve and migrate to become the best species in the game. Tribe members can be of different classes and each can level up different ways to evolve. The main enemies in the game are an ape-like creature called the "simians"; however, the world is also inhabited with many types of dinosaurs as well as other creatures, including the dodo
Dodo
The dodo was a flightless bird endemic to the Indian Ocean island of Mauritius. Related to pigeons and doves, it stood about a meter tall, weighing about , living on fruit, and nesting on the ground....
.
Features
- Brutal prehistoric combat: Players experience savage battles in an uncivilized, merciless era. Heads and limbs get torn off, and pools of blood congeal after brutal conflicts in a violent, dangerous world--where only the strong survive.
- The world as a weapon: Gamers will discover and create a multitude of deadly weapons, using naturally occurring materials. Enemies can be poisoned with native plants. An avalanche can be triggered to kill predatory opponents. Interactive environments allow for multiple solutions. Any object can be picked up or used as a tool or weapon, and wild animals have the potential to be predator or prey.
- A massive prehistoric world: Players must lead their tribe through the nascent earth's deadly, but beautiful environments. From ancient rainforests to underwater settings, from scathing desert heat to fierce mountain blizzards, gamers must weather the elements.
- Deadly adversaries: The tribe becomes the hunted when deadly creatures, ranging from saber-toothed tigers to velociraptors, stalk tribe members for food or viciously defend their young when they perceive danger.
- Evolution or extinction: Players could choose which type of people to be included in their tribe. Some examples included: hunters, mystics, and fighters. Each type benefits the tribe in its own specific way.
Early images at E3 showed extreme clarity and self shading but early reviews called the artificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence is the intelligence of machines and the branch of computer science that aims to create it. AI textbooks define the field as "the study and design of intelligent agents" where an intelligent agent is a system that perceives its environment and takes actions that maximize its...
the most impressive game aspect. According to Gamespot.com's information on BC, the game would have had a foodchain, like Peter Jackson's King Kong: The Official Game of the Movie
Peter Jackson's King Kong: The Official Game of the Movie
Peter Jackson's King Kong: The Official Game of the Movie is a first person shooter action adventure game based on the 2005 film King Kong...
, in which each part would have been subject to being eaten by something higher on the foodchain. In addition, the dinosaurs and other creatures would have been intelligent, interacting with each other, thus acting independently of the player. It would have been possible to affect the videogame world as a whole, leading some people to comment on the driving of certain species to extinction. Other activities would have included capturing and training certain animals to use against tribal enemies. Animals known to exist in the world would have been Tyrannosaurus
Tyrannosaurus
Tyrannosaurus meaning "tyrant," and sauros meaning "lizard") is a genus of coelurosaurian theropod dinosaur. The species Tyrannosaurus rex , commonly abbreviated to T. rex, is a fixture in popular culture. It lived throughout what is now western North America, with a much wider range than other...
, Velociraptor
Velociraptor
Velociraptor is a genus of dromaeosaurid theropod dinosaur that existed approximately 75 to 71 million years ago during the later part of the Cretaceous Period. Two species are currently recognized, although others have been assigned in the past. The type species is V. mongoliensis; fossils...
, Pachycephalosaurus
Pachycephalosaurus
Pachycephalosaurus is a genus of pachycephalosaurid dinosaur. It lived during the Late Cretaceous Period of what is now North America. Remains have been excavated in Montana, South Dakota, and Wyoming. It was an herbivorous or omnivorous creature which is only known from a single skull and a few...
, Smilodon
Smilodon
Smilodon , often called a saber-toothed cat or saber-toothed tiger, is an extinct genus of machairodonts. This saber-toothed cat was endemic to North America and South America, living from near the beginning through the very end of the Pleistocene epoch .-Etymology:The nickname "saber-tooth" refers...
, Apatosaurus
Apatosaurus
Apatosaurus , also known by the popular but scientifically deprecated synonym Brontosaurus, is a genus of sauropod dinosaur that lived from about 154 to 150 million years ago, during the Jurassic Period . It was one of the largest land animals that ever existed, with an average length of and a...
(or Brontosaurus as the game would have focused on anachronisms) dodo
Dodo
The dodo was a flightless bird endemic to the Indian Ocean island of Mauritius. Related to pigeons and doves, it stood about a meter tall, weighing about , living on fruit, and nesting on the ground....
s, ape-men, and others.
As part of the exaggeration, in addition to anachronisms in the dinosaur age, BC would have featured dinosaurs as being larger than they really were. In one preview, Molyneux was quoted as saying that the Rex seen in screenshots was a child, a third the size of its parent. the game was also planned to be very bloody. GameSpot quoted Molyneux as saying that the dinosaurs will spill "swimming pools full of blood" when killed.
Gameplay
B.C. is an action-adventure gameAction-adventure game
An action-adventure game is a video game that combines elements of the adventure game genre with various action game elements. It is perhaps the broadest and most diverse genre in gaming, and can include many games which might better be categorized under narrow genres...
where the user controls a tribe during the early evolution era. The main goal in B.C. is to raise the tribe to become a threat and over-power the other species. In order to accomplish this, the user must populate six levels with different people from the tribe. Two types of tribe members are hunters and a chemist. Once a level is populated enough, the user takes five of their best tribe members to the next level in order to try and populate that area. After populating three levels, the user comes in contact with apes that are on the same evolutionary stage as the tribe members. These apes, called "Simians", do no like the tribe and attempt to kill them.
Music
According to an FAQ with IGN.com, each of B.C.s levels had its own music which would relate with the level's atmosphere.Cancellation
At the moment, the game has been cancelled, fans believing that it was too ambitious to be made; indeed, even while the game was still in production, Molyneux said that he was unsure when he could release it due to "the ambitious nature of the gameplay and the high standards the people developing it are pushing for." According to one article, as of May, 2002, "[the demo build] was roughly 50 percent complete". Its cancellation was announced in late 2004 with Molyneux saying "The decision to suspend work on any games project is always a very difficult one, particularly when it is a title with the potential of BC."External links
- B.C.—Xbox.com archived June 5, 2004