The Simpsons Hit & Run—a GTA-style send-up that somehow managed to be actually pretty dang good—came out in 2003 to some stirring commercial success. I have some fond memories of romping around Springfield as an accident-prone Homer, and while I’m certainly not alone, the game never had a sequel. Turns out, it very nearly had four.
Missed Opportunities for Sequels
Detailing the potential for multiple sequels to The Simpsons Hit & Run as revealed by the game’s developers in an interview, it’s clear that the publisher’s decision to decline the offer for additional games was unexpected. An interview clip from the MinnMax YouTube channel highlighted this surprising turn of events, where the publisher’s bizarre lack of interest in capitalizing on the game’s success was discussed.
The Aftermath of the Decision
The reactions from the game’s executive producer and designer upon learning that the sequels to The Simpsons Hit & Run would not be pursued were ones of disbelief and confusion. The executive producer, John Melchior, and designer, Darren Evenson, expressed their shock and disappointment, as the team was confident in the game’s continued success and had already begun work on the sequel.
“I remember the call,” says Melchior. “They were like ‘we decided to pass’, and I was like: ‘On which game?’ ‘The Simpsons licence.'” He recalls Steven Bersch, who was the president of Fox Interactive at the time, being similarly confused: “He was just like ‘I don’t understand, I gave it to you on a silver platter, why aren’t you just saying yes and doing these games?’ It was a really bizarre decision, I’ll never understand it. Most people on the production level never understood it.”
Follow the discussion further with interviewer Ben Hanson on his Twitter for more insights into the gaming industry’s decision-making processes.
While a game not getting a sequel isn’t exactly new, it’s rare that the studio itself would have no idea why. Usually fingers can be pointed at money problems, mismanagement, overambition—but it really does seem like Vivendi just wasn’t interested in the golden goose. The situation with The Simpsons Hit & Run stands out as an anomaly in an industry where sequels are often green-lit for far less successful titles.
