Why was Split Second 2 cancelled?
Split Second 2‘s demise remains one of the most short-sighted and creatively damaging cancellations in racing game history. Despite the success of developer Black Rock Studio‘s intense inaugural Split Second release in 2010, sweeping corporate changes instituted by Disney‘s new interactive media management caused the much-anticipated sequel to be unceremoniously scrapped before it could even gain speed.
Black Rock Studio – A Pedigree in High Velocity Gameplay
Founded in 1998, Brighton, UK-based Black Rock Studio had established their credentials across multiple well-received racing franchises like Pure and MotoGP prior to Split Second‘s launch in May 2010. Their professed aim was creating games that gave players the exhilarating feeling of "being there" thanks to factors like reactive environments and visceral sound design.
Split Second realized the studio‘s vision spectacularly by integrating a reality TV theme with intricate track dynamics – letting players literally bring down the house on rival racers with triggered environmental traps and explosions. Buoyed by an 87% critical score on Metacritic and over 1 million sales in its first two months, Split Second seemed destined for a long and destructive franchise run.
Corporate Restructuring Slams the Brakes
However, storm clouds were brewing higher up Disney‘s corporate ladder. On the heels of Disney‘s acquisition of Split Second publisher Black Rock in 2007 and the departure of Disney Interactive exec Graham Hopper in 2010, the company installed games industry veteran John Pleasants as the new Executive Vice President.
Pleasants instituted sweeping changes intending to shift all focus solely onto Disney-licensed properties while freeing up funds for an acquisition spree of mobile developers like Playdom and Tapulous. As part of this cultural about-face, Split Second 2 was viewed as an unnecessary drain of resources compared to Disney Infinity or iOS releases.
Over 100 of Black Rock‘s 200+ developers were laid off by December 2010, leaving just a 40-person skeleton crew according to then-chairman Nick Baynes. All work on Split Second 2 ceased, though tantalizing conceptual art would later emerge hinting at features like snow courses and heavily armored SUVs.
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| May 2010 | Split Second launches to critical acclaim |
| June 2010 | Disney executive Graham Hopper resigns his position as head of Disney Interactive Studios |
| November 2010 | John Pleasants introduced as new Disney Interactive VP |
| December 2010 | Over 100 Black Rock employees laid off; Split Second 2 cancelled |
| June 2011 | Black Rock Studio shuttered forever by Disney |
Dashed Hopes for What Could Have Been
While Split Second 2 itself never progressed far enough for concrete details to emerge, Black Rock Studio seemed poised to capitalize on all of the structural groundwork and gameplay innovation established by the first title‘s success.
The original Split Second‘s reality show conceit left doors wide open for new environments like airports and city streets along with even more audacious manipulation – perhaps letting racers literally tear chunks out of the pavement beneath opponents. Some tantalizing concept art pieces hinted at features like deadly snow plows indicating at least cursory planning work had begun:
A snow-covered environment and hazard-wielding SUV from surfaced Split Second 2 concept art
Of course, the studio‘s pedigree in racing gameplay could have also introduced refinements like an expanded career mode, online multiplayer improvements, and handling tweaks letting drivers better counter environmental attacks.
While some may claim Split Second already executed its core concept flawlessly, truly great sequels evolve franchises by building upon gameplay foundations – something we can now only imagine Black Rock Studio achieving with Split Second 2.
Corporate Restructuring‘s Creative Carnage
Split Second 2‘s cancellation highlights the creative carnage unleashed when corporate decisions steamroll over both successful products and the developers crafting them. Disney execs were clearly fixated on matching competitors‘ shift towards mobile development and leveraging internal IP – but overvaluing short-term Licensing opportunities versus nurturing original franchises ultimately limits innovation.
When accountants overly dominate creative direction by discarding passions and institutional knowledge without a second thought, cultural history suffers the collateral damage. Disney has since shuttered almost all of their console game development; hearing Pleasants blithely justify Black Rock‘s closure as "prioritizing allocation of resources" offers little consolation.
