The Circle No Longer Turns: Project Copernicus Trailer Leaks

The saga of 38 Studios’ demise earlier this year is basically all finished, at least in terms of the twists and turns that we saw back in May (we posted almost 20 stories about the studio’s sudden collapse and the fallout that ensued). But yesterday saw the leak on Kotaku of an unfinished teaser trailer for “Project Copernicus,” the codename given to the Kingdoms of Amalur MMO that 38 Studios’ staff worked on for four years.

Steve Danuser, the former creative director of the studio, explained the trailer’s context on a blog post. Danuser says that the script, audio, and even video footage was likely going to be revised, and that the finished version would’ve been the official announcement for the game when it was close to being finished. He also explains the emotional impact of seeing the trailer online—especially so soon after the studio’s closure:

“Seeing this video posted online gives me a mix of emotions. On the one hand, I love this teaser and am very proud of the work it represents. On the other hand, it makes me sad to be faced once more by what could have been. […] Even though it’s really cool, it would have been spectacular by the time we were done with it. I wish you could see it with the same context we did on the inside of the studio, through the eyes of a passionate team that wanted to make something really special.

I still miss that world something fierce.”

Take a look at the trailer above. While my socks haven’t been blown off by any stretch, the game looks fun, and definitely full of personality and creativity. It’s a damn shame that the company went under and that the work of all these people has amounted to an unfinished trailer.

Mobhunter via Eurogamer