The Dev Team Behind The Beloved The Simpsons: Hit & Run Opens Up About The Game’s Lack Of A Sequel
The development team behind the beloved video game, The Simpsons: Hit & Run, has recently disclosed their surprise at the fact that the game never received a sequel. Despite the numerous requests from fans, it seemed like a “no brainer” for them to continue working on more games after the game’s initial success back in 2003.
The 2003 title, The Simpsons: Hit & Run, has become a cult classic amongst gamers, especially for its unique features that allowed players to completely demolish Springfield, play as different characters, and complete fun and original missions. Despite its popularity, the developers revealed in a new interview with MinnMax that they are just as puzzled as the fans as to why a sequel was never given the green light.
The dev team, including programmers Cary Brisebois and Greg Mayer, producer Steve Bocska, designer Darren Evenson, executive producer John Melchior, and designer-writer Chris Mitchell, shared their insights on the conversations that ended the possibility of a sequel and more games two decades ago. Melchior expressed his bewilderment, stating, “It was a five-game deal for less money than I think Vivendi paid for the first game. He was just like, ‘I don’t understand. I gave it to you on a silver platter, why aren’t you just saying yes and doing these games?’ It was just a really bizarre decision. I’ll never understand it. Most people on the production level never understood it.”
Mitchell further added, “In those early days, kind of everybody just imagines what they want, so I’m sure there were 12 competing storylines at that point. Who knows what the final story would have been?”
The team had initially envisioned The Simpsons: Hit & Run as the start of a franchise, with the possibility of four more potential games in the pipeline. However, the unexpected decision to halt the continuation of the series left the developers in disbelief. Evenson shared, “The thought of making more games was a no-brainer; it was like, well of course we’re going to be doing this. The stars are aligned, we’re treading down this path. And then it was just like a, ‘Huh, I guess we’re not.'”
While the comments suggest that a sequel may not be forthcoming, there is always the possibility of a green light in the future. For the latest gaming news and updates, check out Dexerto’s full coverage here.
