Great Danes
Deadline Games A/S was a Danish game developer based in Copenhagen, Denmark. The studio opened in 1996, beginning with Chris Mottes and Simon Jon Andreasen among their key personnel. The developer began as a small team, mostly producing budget titles, before slowly growing in numbers and ambition to produce higher-profile games.
Many of Deadline’s early efforts were PC CD-ROM titles designed around educational learning or simulation. The studio’s first wave of titles include Blackout, CrossTown: Giften, CrossTown: Englen, Globetrotter, Globetrotter 2, In the City, On the Farm, Suspect, The Angel, The Poison, Desert Rat, and Blowback.
Mexican Wave
Partnering with publisher Eidos Interactive (then operating under the name Sci Entertainment), Deadline’s next project would be Total Overdose: A Gunslinger’s Tale in Mexico, commonly referred to simply as ‘Total Overdose’. While the studio had previously dabbled with military simulation, Total Overdose was the team’s first open-world third-person shooter. The higher-profile console game would release in September 2005 for the PlayStation 2.
Total Overdose received generally mixed or ‘average’ reviews, with the combat often being praised while the graphics and storyline were frequently criticised. Nevertheless, Eidos remained hopeful that the franchise could grow into something greater and commissioned a spiritual successor. ‘Chili Con Carnage’ would release in 2007 exclusively for the PlayStation Portable.
Many reviewers reported confusion at the successor’s change of name, classifying the game as a sequel, remake, re-imagining, or a reboot. Chili Con Carnage received ‘average’ reviews which were a little more positive than Total Overdose, however, the game’s limited release saw disappointing sales. Deadline offered to develop a true Total Overdose sequel, known as Total Overdose 2: Tequila Gunrise. It would feature the entire map of Mexico, but was cancelled after Eidos Interactive pulled out of the partnership.
Who Watches The Watchmen?
Now in need of a new publisher, Deadline would team up with Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment who were seeking a game tie-in for their popular DC Comics movie, Watchmen. Watchmen: The End Is Nigh was developed on a tight budget, and released as a two-part, episodic game that serves as a prequel to the film adaptation.
The game was originally announced for release in downloadable installments on Microsoft Windows, PlayStation Network, and Xbox Live Arcade, with the first one released in March 2009 to coincide with the film’s theatrical release. The second episode was released in July 2009. While the first episode saw some initial popularity, largely from fans of the film, downloads soon began to wane following mixed to ‘unfavourable’ reviews.
In an effort to expand the audience and boost sales, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, produced a physical release of the game, with both episodes released together on a single disc. Watchmen: The End Is Nigh – The Complete Experience released on July 21st, 2009, for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. The PlayStation 3 version also featured an optional upgraded ‘limited edition’ version which included the extended Director’s Cut version of the film in Blu-ray format.
(Gotta Have) Faith and a .45
Reinvestment in the Watchmen game proved unrewarding for Warner Bros. Interactive, with players shifting en masse to the publisher’s hugely successful triple-A Batman: Arkham Asylum game. Despite their best efforts, Warner Bros. Interactive would struggle to find additional funding for Deadline Games after Watchmen: The End Is Nigh’s lackluster performance. However, Deadline would hope to recover from their misfortune by reinventing themselves as a triple-A developer.
Meanwhile, Deadline would pool their remaining resources into a new IP for the PlayStation 3. The new project, named ‘Faith and a .45’, would follow a young couple named Luke and Ruby, two outlaws during the Great Depression. This idea evolved from a tech demo about a “Bonnie & Clyde”-esque couple, inspired by the real-life couple of outlaws who travelled the Central United States during the 1930s. The game was to follow the couple’s escape from law enforcement in a “gritty, emotional shooter”.
The gameplay would be similar to cover-based third-person shooters like Army of Two and Kane & Lynch. Particular focus was placed on the dual-character dynamic, with online and offline co-operative play available. It was unconfirmed if the single-player experience, which featured Luke as the main protagonist, would have Ruby follow player instructions similar to Elizabeth in BioShock Infinite, or be an alternate playable character which the player could switch to.
The End Is Nigh… Literally
Despite positive feedback from gamers who loved the game’s concept and impressive visuals, Deadline had a great deal of trouble selling Faith and a .45 to publishers. A market already saturated by third-person shooters, early footage of the game depicting it as a post-apocalyptic sandbox before its revision, along with Deadline Games’ previous track record of mediocre titles, resulted in no publisher being interested in releasing the game.
The team’s partnership with Warner Bros. Interactive was also nearing its end, with the publisher no longer able to support Deadline Games following very few sales of the repackaged Watchmen projects. Faith and a .45 would also not fall under their usual release criteria. With Deadline’s cash reserves tied up in Faith and a .45’s development which was nearing completion, the team was unable to self-publish or continue operations.
As such, Deadline’s two additional upcoming titles in early development, ‘Killing Pablo Escobar’ and ‘Shadow Hunter’, were cancelled. Despite desperate attempts to get Faith and a .45 published all the way up until their final day, Deadline Games had no choice but to file for bankruptcy on 29th May 2009. Faith and a .45 would never see release or completion, and the promising title would be lost to time, much to the frustration of loyal fans.
