Savannah (lost build of cancelled Xbox 360 Kinect prototype; 2006-2007)

The main character of the prototype, a lion cub.

Status: Lost

Savannah was a Xbox 360 prototype made in 2006 by Rare Ltd. This was one of the many Rare prototypes made for Microsoft to test out their new motion camera for Xbox. It was the brainchild of artist Phil Dunne, who worked on such previous works as Donkey Kong Country 3 and Killer Instinct 2.

Gameplay

In Savannah, you controlled a lion cub, from birth to adulthood, with many challenges and survival tactics along the way for you to survival in the wilds of the African savanna. It is said to be a natural simulator of sorts. They were going for a more realistic style to the animals, going as far as giving the lions and hyenas a custom shell system. The team didn't know how good the camera was, but tried to work with the motion camera anyhow.

Cancellation

Finally, after a little more than a year in production, Savannah was turned down by Microsoft. Microsoft wanted their new motion camera (later called the Kinect) to be more fitted and costumed to children rather than a more mature audience. There were also plans to make a "hybrid motion controller" (which was mainly just a one button controller with a tilt thing on it) for this Kinect game, but that was canned aswell.

Availability

There is almost nothing about this game on the internet. Aside from some pictures, and a video uploaded on June 25th, 2011, that shows all of the known models/animations. There was a theme song that was uploaded by Steve Burke, another ex-staff from Rare. but sometime between 2012-2017 it was taken down. Some of their work might have been reworked into the Kinect game Kinectamals, but that is just a speculation.

Gallery

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Videos

All models/animations from Savannah (uploaded by Refurs}.

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A Did You Know Gaming episode on cancelled Rare games, including Savannah.

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External Links

• A Rare Gamer article on Savannah.
• A Eurogamer interview with Donnchadh Murphy, an ex-Rare staff member, who details Savannah and what it was going to be like.