Fans of the Little Big Adventure series appeared to have it pretty good recently; not only could they look forward to a remastered version of the first game, but a full-scale reboot was also on the way – 'was' being the operative word here, as developer 2.21 has just announced that the reboot has been cancelled due to a lack of interest from publishers (thanks, PC Gamer).
Ben Limare, CEO of 2.21, has issued a statement which says no publishing deal was forthcoming for the reboot, and cited the lack of interest in adventure games, the cost of maintaining a large team and the simple fact that the Little Big Adventure series isn't popular enough to attract the attention of a publishing partner. Development on the game has been halted, and Limare says the project is considered to be cancelled at this moment in time. A consequence of this is that 2.21 is having to lay off some of the staff it had taken on to tackle the reboot.
The good news is that the remastered version of the original game is still going ahead, despite the fact that it, too, doesn't have a publisher at the moment. The reason for this, according to Limare, is that the remaster has a much lower development cost, which should make it easier to find a publisher. Limare has also stated that 2.21 could potentially self-publish the remaster, either by turning to crowdfunding or getting another studio to partner-up on the cost. Limare also stated that some of the ideas the studio had for the reboot could potentially be incorporated into the remaster, but no decision has been made as yet.
On the topic of the remaster, Limare adds that the feedback from the game's playtest was encouraging. "With 4000 participants and 2000 detailed feedback forms, we're immensely grateful," Limare says. "A remarkable 33% of you rated the experience a 9 or 10/10, and 80% scored us a 7 or higher. We're excited to improve and grow from this constructive feedback."
While there are reasons to be cheerful, despite the negative news, Limare ends by saying that "the future of Twinsen hangs in the balance over the next few weeks. Rest assured, we are wholly committed to turning the tide."