Overview of Saber Interactive’s Ambitious Yet Unfulfilled Projects
- Saber Interactive, renowned for its development of Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary, once pursued a controversial game themed around Donald Trump in 2018.
- Titled **Trump Fu**, the project aimed to bring a Trump-centric twist to the concept of fighting games, inspired by the mixed reception of **Shaq Fu: A Legend Reborn**.
- Despite the abandonment of **Trump Fu** and the poor performance of **Shaq Fu**, the studio’s endeavors ultimately led to securing a lucrative contract for NBA Playgrounds, a title that thrived due to its well-timed launch on the Nintendo Switch.
In a surprising turn, **Saber Interactive**, a studio esteemed for its work on iconic titles such as Halo, envisioned a video game featuring Donald Trump. Although the project was ultimately shelved, its conceptual roots can be traced back to the studio’s interactions with basketball legend Shaquille O’Neal.
Exploring Saber Interactive’s Celebrity-Focused Fighting Games
- **Shaq Fu: A Legend Reborn** (2018)
- **Barack Fu: The Adventures of Dirty Barry** (2018)
- Launched as a downloadable content (DLC) for Shaq Fu
- **Trump Fu** (canceled after mid-2018)
The Lackluster Reception of Shaq Fu’s Barack Obama DLC
After raising $458, 884 through an Indiegogo campaign, Saber Interactive launched **Shaq Fu: A Legend Reborn**, which unfortunately received dismal reviews in 2018. The game even featured a DLC titled **Barack Fu: The Adventures of Dirty Barry**, yet as Karch stated, the expansion “absolutely nobody played.”
Conceptually, **Trump Fu** aimed to create an outlandish storyline where Trump’s cabinet would sabotage him, causing his plane to crash in the Mexican desert, requiring him to make a daring escape back over the wall. Karch noted that this narrative was part of the ambitious vision for the game, which fizzled out along with the idea of a Putin-character led fighting game, both of which never came to fruition.
Despite the setbacks of **Shaq Fu: A Legend Reborn**, this venture helped pave the way for Saber Interactive to land a successful contract for **NBA Playgrounds**.Launched in May 2017 amidst a scarcity of titles for Nintendo’s new hybrid console, the game performed excellently on the eShop. The favorable timing contributed significantly to its commercial success, leading Karch to reflect on their profits from the title, noted from the comfort of his Gulf Stream 280 private jet purchased for $23 million in 2022.
Leave a Reply