Video game development is basically organized chaos. The developers thought about something at the beginning. But ended up making legendary franchises in a completely different genre.

Somebody messed up. Somebody changed direction halfway through. They didn't know what they were cooking, but they obviously knew they were cooking something. And that’s basically gaming history in a nutshell.

Here, we will be discussing such kinds of games, which were not even in the plans initially.

1. Grand Theft Auto

Did you know that an iconic franchise like GTA originally started its life as a racing game called Race ‘n’ Chase? During development, a bug caused the police cars to ram players aggressively.

And the developers instantly realized that this chaos would have made a way bigger future than a racing game franchise.

2. Devil May Cry

Devil May Cry initially began its journey as an early version of Resident Evil 4. However, the developers couldn't contain the action-heavy gameplay so that it barely looked like a survival-horror game anymore. So, Capcom turned it into a completely new IP. 

Also, there was a combat glitch that let players juggle the enemies in the air. Today, that's no longer a glitch; the whole combat system of DMC is built around it.

3. Counter-Strike

Counter-Strike only exists because two modders thought Half-Life’s multiplayer was boring. Minh Le and Jess Cliffe created a tactical shooter mod for fun.

This mod got so popular that Valve couldn't stop itself from buying the rights and hiring both developers.

4. Pikmin

Thanks to Nintendo's "Mario 128" tech demo, which was shown during the GameCube era. That's where Pikmin evolved from. That demo actually showcased hardware power by displaying huge numbers of moving characters on-screen at once. 

That experiment eventually gave birth to Pikmin's signature gameplay of controlling large groups of tiny creatures.

5. Geometry Wars

During the development of Project Gotham Racing 2, Bizarre Games originally used Geometry Wars as internal software for testing Xbox controllers. Developers enjoyed messing around with the prototype. 

And it was eventually included as an unlockable arcade machine inside the racing game. Later, it got its own standalone game.

6. Metal Gear

Hideo Kojima never had any intention to make Metal Gear a stealth game. He wanted everyone to go all guns blazing. But the MSX2 computer wasn't powerful enough to handle that many sprites on screen at once. 

So, the team was forced to slow the gameplay down and avoid direct combat. Glad it happened, as it invented one of gaming’s most iconic stealth franchises.

7. Super Smash Bros.

Super Smash Bros. was meant to be a generic multiplayer fighting prototype named Dragon King: The Fighting Game. However, it was later decided that the company would replace the original characters with Nintendo mascots. And it became one of the biggest franchises in Nintendo's history.

8. BioShock

BioShock had so many versions before it became the underwater masterpiece we know today. Sometimes it had a monster-filled spaceship, sometimes an abandoned N*** laboratory setting. 

The developers tried and tested so many things, but only audio logs, plasmids, and companion-style storytelling survived. That's why the game is so unique.

9. Banjo-Kazooie

Banjo-Kazooie was called Dream: Land of Giants, as it was a completely different RPG project. The original concept featured humans, pirates, and an isometric RPG structure.

However, Super Mario 64 opened the eyes of the developers, and they shifted to a 3D platformer idea. And the rest is, as we know, history.

10. Diddy Kong Racing

Diddy Kong Racing became a different game on its development journey. At first, it was a real-time strategy game about a time-traveling caveman.

Then it turned into a racing title called Pro-Am 64. Rare later added Diddy Kong because Banjo-Kazooie missed its release window. It also needed a mascot for the holiday season. And that's how the last-minute branding change made one of the Nintendo 64's most beloved racers.

Read more at Gaming Community by Max Level!

Written by

Nilendu Brahma

Edited by

Zaid Quraishi