Some cool 1.5 exclusive screenshots (**As seen on TV!**)

[News Bot]

It was scrapped in 1997, sometime after Sugimura was brought in. I think we actually had the month for it, but I'll have to dig that up.

[Rick Hunter]

But the files from the trial edition are from december 1996, right?

[News Bot]

But the files from the trial edition are from december 1996, right?

You're going to have to be more specific when you say "files." That doesn't really narrow it down.

[Kegluneq]

Alpha build was shown at the August '96 TGS, iirc. The next TGS after that one was in April '97, but 1.5 apparently got canned early in 1997 so I think it's unlikely that they were showcasing a scrapped product there.

The alpha build was first shown at the July 1996 V-Jump Festival. If I'm not mistaken, the video footage shown at August 1996 TGS was the one that featured Leon in his civilian clothes.

It was scrapped in 1997, sometime after Sugimura was brought in. I think we actually had the month for it, but I'll have to dig that up.

There are no assets of 1997 in the Complete Disc footage. It would seem that even if the project was cancelled in 1997, there's not a build that contains any of Capcom's progress in those months.

[News Bot]

Seems pretty accurate. I don't see why they'd compile a build and circulate it shortly before scrapping. By early 1997 the scenario was being reviewed and changed by Sugimura due to prior concerns.

[Rick Hunter]

You're going to have to be more specific when you say "files." That doesn't really narrow it down.

I am talking about the 1.5 backgrounds, which are supposedly more advanced than the "final build", shown on bioflames and on the dual shock edition of biohazard director's cut edition.

I use this thread as a reference for the dates:

http://www.the-horror.com/forums/showthread.php?9733-Biohazard-1-5-Comparative-Analysis

If those backgrounds are newer than the "final build", then this build is from early december 1996. And those backgrounds are the latest material they probably ever worked on.

They might have taken the decision to definitely scrap the game in 1997. But this material and those dates would indicate they stopped working on it in 1996, way before they took the decision to start again from scratch.

Does it make sense?

[Black~Crow]

So, is everybody done bitching at one another? Fantastic. Now we can get back to more important topics- Like MrBzork's latest post

"people always love a number of no meaning. progress of todays is about 92,70% to midnight."

Finally a percentage! Anyway, where did he write this? And if he wrote this, why does he state people love a number of no meaning? It does have meaning, if it indicates how long we have to wait for a playable game, or new video. All he has to do is make a thread, that only he can write on, and write the game is 92 % done, we have to work out more bugs etc. I would look at that thread instead of this one. I have to look through pages on here to find out what is going on with the game. And like today, it is nothing more than a dispute among fellow members.

[News Bot]

It would make sense for them to stop working on it in late 1996 once they knew a professional scriptwriter was coming in to revise the scenario a few weeks later. They'd mainly be waiting on his changes more than anything else since most of the basic gameplay aspects were pretty much finalized, but that's just speculation. Also take into account that backgrounds aren't gospel for accurately telling a game's development timeline outside of a general overview. Builds aren't always compiled chronologically and not everything is kept up-to-date, and often several builds are compiled at once although each have varying data. I'm sure Carnivol could elaborate more on that than a pleb like me.

Though this is probably a sign that I should probably compile everything we have on 1.5's development since I'm pretty sure most of this was addressed months ago.

[Darkness]

zork was being sarcastic in that post, don't take that seriously.

[Kegluneq]

It would make sense for them to stop working on it in late 1996 once they knew a professional scriptwriter was coming in to revise the scenario a few weeks later. They'd mainly be waiting on his changes more than anything else since most of the basic gameplay aspects were pretty much finalized, but that's just speculation. Also take into account that backgrounds aren't gospel for accurately telling a game's development timeline outside of a general overview. Builds aren't always compiled chronologically and not everything is kept up-to-date, and often several builds are compiled at once although each have varying data. I'm sure Carnivol could elaborate more on that than a pleb like me.

Though this is probably a sign that I should probably compile everything we have on 1.5's development since I'm pretty sure most of this was addressed months ago.

That would be great. BioHazard 1.5's development story is quite confusing, to say the least. For example, I can't figure out what's up with the video footage of August 1996 TGS and the press footage of the V-Jump Festival also shown on August 1996 TGS (I think). Can you clarify on that?

And is this going to be part of that book that you spoke about a few days ago (Making of BioHazard, I believe)?

[AsteroidBlues]

Finally a percentage! Anyway, where did he write this? And if he wrote this, why does he state people love a number of no meaning? It does have meaning, if it indicates how long we have to wait for a playable game, or new video. All he has to do is make a thread, that only he can write on, and write the game is 92 % done, we have to work out more bugs etc. I would look at that thread instead of this one. I have to look through pages on here to find out what is going on with the game. And like today, it is nothing more than a dispute among fellow members.

Basically what he said was this: "Since people seem to love useless percentages, the current day is 92.7% over!" (Midnight being 100%)

[randomwab]

It would make sense for them to stop working on it in late 1996 once they knew a professional scriptwriter was coming in to revise the scenario a few weeks later. They'd mainly be waiting on his changes more than anything else since most of the basic gameplay aspects were pretty much finalized, but that's just speculation. Also take into account that backgrounds aren't gospel for accurately telling a game's development timeline outside of a general overview. Builds aren't always compiled chronologically and not everything is kept up-to-date, and often several builds are compiled at once although each have varying data. I'm sure Carnivol could elaborate more on that than a pleb like me.

Though this is probably a sign that I should probably compile everything we have on 1.5's development since I'm pretty sure most of this was addressed months ago.

As far as I know, 1.5's development ran from April 96 through to December 96. Sugimura was brought in during January 97 which was when development was halted. Roughly three months were spent rewriting and further planning the game, and full scale development started up on "Final" again by April 97. And let's not forget that Final was released January 98, so they developed the majority of Final in roughly 9 months. Considering the amount of content in 2, it really is crazy.

[News Bot]

As far as I know, 1.5's development ran from April 96 through to December 96. Sugimura was brought in during January 97 which was when development was halted. Roughly three months were spent rewriting and further planning the game, and full scale development started up on "Final" again by April 97. And let's not forget that Final was released January 98, so they developed the majority of Final in roughly 9 months. Considering the amount of content in 2, it really is crazy.

Haha, yeah that's what we pretty much have in our notes. It explains quite a lot. The discrepency between the December builds seems like just mismatched builds compiled at different intervals with different data, rather than chronologically.

And is this going to be part of that book that you spoke about a few days ago (Making of BioHazard, I believe)?

That book only covers BH1, but if we're quite lucky, there will be enough to cover BH2 in a follow-up book.

[yurieu]

Basically what he said was this: "Since people seem to love useless percentages, the current day is 92.7% over!" (Midnight being 100%)

No, no no no, I assume it will be 92.7% at exactly 12:00 pm.

you know, these dudes are great. not only acquiring the game, but being the first ones on earth hacking it and modding it.

[Rombie]

That's weird. Correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't the game canned in december 1996? The backgrounds in the trial edition seem to confirm that, since it's the most recent material we can find.

So they showed the game for the TGS (as a placeholder of the final game), around 4 months later, knowing they would never release it?

Yes, exactly. Externally the game hadn't been announced as scrapped either at the time, it was vague until around May or so I think, with what exactly was going on. This was also in Japan although the scrapping of it was known there before anywhere in the west. Even I can't pin it down as in the west Capcom USA officially delayed it before news came out about the scrapping being why.

That's why putting an exact date on the change in of itself has been difficult. I suspect someone like imacwesker or NB can pull out a quote with a more specific month from a later interview but the whole delay/scrapping thing was vague for most of the first half of 1997. And looking from NB's comment that doesn't even seem to be that obvious a point if he has to double check.

The assumption is that the game was put on the show floor like you said, because it was expected and would have looked bad for Capcom as a no show so they took what is likely content from the last completed build made (also explaining the latter mix of footage at the E3 later). Again though this was just the assumption, nothing was confirmed but I am sure staff from the time could tell you more if they were asked. *cough*

Geluda - I can't confirm it. There are demo units behind the front video display with the eye on it that are part of the display but I don't know if they are just showing other products like the Saturn Biohazard. I haven't ever found images or video myself but I haven't really looked. There might be some more info out there. A playable is more likely later in dev of course but then as we know Capcom was already scrapping this and they may not have seen the point of anything more than video. But that's really the point I wanted to make, that it was at least on the show floor.

Edit - Capcom also had a fan club video release in April 1997 that had a Biohazard special that had 1 PSX and Saturn plus a 1.5 trailer on it. So again even though internally it was being reworked, externally Capcom didn't let it be know until at least May or June.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_TYHu59dfMU