Unseen 64 contributor Liam Roberson published a video to YouTube today purporting to showcase footage of a cancelled massively multiplayer online game, Hero World, that would have linked into games in the Guitar Hero and DJ Hero franchises.
It’s an intriguing find, and while it’s unclear where Roberston obtained the footage showcased in the video (embedded above), Unseen 64 has proven to be a reputable source for cancelled or otherwise “lost” game projects in the past.
Many of the reported details also make sense: Roberston claims the project was formulated by DJ Hero/Guitar Hero developer FreeStyle Games following the 2010 release of DJ Hero 2, successfully pitched to Activision, and ultimately given to defunct Dutch developer Virtual Fairground to build using the studio’s Flash-based browser MMO engine The Ride.
Hero World was being designed as a persistent MMORPG with an accompanying Facebook game, but was reportedly cancelled by Activision in early 2011 as part of a widespread culling of Hero game projects.
Virtual Playground is said to have been paid a reduced fee by Activision, which Robertson alleges contributed to the studio’s bankruptcy shortly thereafter.
At the time of publication, author was a supporter of the Unseen 64 Patreon.