Now we all know that Ubisoft's planned Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time remake has been canceled and will never see the light of day after several other titles in the works were similarly terminated due to the company's massive restructuring.
Even though Ubisoft says it's not going anywhere, it's unclear what the future holds for the Prince of Persia franchise. One thing is clear: The shocking cancellation brought back Prince of Persia creator Jordan Mechner's memories of past projects that suffered the same fate.
If Ubisoft can't remake a PS2 game, how can we trust it can do anything?
Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time Remake has officially been cancelled.
Now, in a new blog post, Mechner has explained more of his feelings about the situation, sending his “sympathy” to everyone involved with the project.
“I was hoping my first post of the new year would celebrate the release of The Sands of Time, but alas, there is nothing like that,” Mechner wrote. “The cancellation of the remake as part of Ubisoft’s restructuring was disappointing news for me and all the fans who had been eagerly awaiting it.”
Our condolences to the development team in Montreal. I can imagine how they must feel. Having a project stalled is a brutal experience. It is a side of the gaming industry that the public is not familiar with, but it is very familiar to developers.
Cancellation so close to release can be especially devastating for younger team members who don't have decades of released titles on their resumes. It's hard to suddenly accept that the hard work you were proud of over the past four years and looking forward to seeing the world see on your new business card will now never see the light of day. Words like loss and mourning may seem exaggerated, but artists put their sincerity into their work. Memories of nights and weekends spent in the studio instead of at home with loved ones, sacrifices that felt worthwhile at the time only add to the pain retrospectively once those items are no longer there.
I love games, playing games, and making things. But news like this makes me especially grateful that I have devoted the past five years to creating books and art. Graphic novels have very small production budgets. The creative freedom of trusting that what I write and draw will be delivered directly to readers is priceless.
… In the case of Prince of Persia, despite this month's disappointment, I think the long-term outlook gives us reason for hope. The community of fans and developers that has grown up around Prince is filled with unquenchable passion, talent, and determination. Our patience was recently rewarded with the awesome Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown and The Rogue Prince of Persia. I know it will pay off again.
It is clear that Mechner's words come from a place of experience. Naturally, he's not the only one upset by the events that occurred late last month.
From VA to developers, the sands of time cancellation have not settled well.
Following its cancellation, voice actor Eman Ayaz confirmed his involvement in the canceled project, saying he had been working on it for three years. Like most people, Ayaz found out about the project's cancellation via the Internet, which was a heartbreaking moment for her.
Elsewhere, a supposed developer described the title as being in conflict with Ubisoft's larger goals. Given how fresh the cancellation is, these feelings aren't likely to change anytime soon.
- released
-
October 28, 2003
- ESRB
-
Juvenile // Blood, suggestive themes, violence
- developer
-
Ubisoft Montreal
- engine
-
jade
Stardew Valley is one of the only games I want to play forever.
ConcernedApe's farming sim is the definition of a modern indie classic.

