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Prepare for Sadness: Nibris showing something at E3

by JC Fletcher { May 6th 2009 at 2:45PM }

Sadness "developer" Nibris sent out a message to its YouTube channel's subscribers, indicating that something related to the developer will be shown at E3 this year. Note that the message doesn't specify the vaporous Sadness game, or that a game will be shown at all -- merely an "update." Which means that even in the unlikely event that Nibris shows up and displays something, it could still be disappointing.

Nibris is still holding to a Fall 2009 date for Sadness, so it's quite likely that this "update" is intended to be related to the mythical horror game. We hope Sadness actually does show up -- we'd love to add the day the game becomes real to our timeline (which we posted in 2007).

Rub your eyes: Sadness 'footage' emerges, disappears again [Update 1]

by Chris Greenhough { Aug 21st 2008 at 10:30PM }

Go Nintendo's RawMeatCowboy recently received an email from an anonymous, shadowy figure calling themselves "rabbits can't be sad." That's pretty weird, but stranger still, the email contained something we almost never expected to see: footage of Nibris' "vaporware" title, Sadness. Despite the unconventional method of its delivery, it definitely looked like the real deal.

We say "looked" because now it's gone, pulled down by RawMeatCowboy, who (we're guessing) was asked to remove the footage. In his amended post, RMC simply writes: "Sorry for the inconvenience, but I unfortunately have to remove this post. That is all I can say at this time."

So after being relentlessly mocked (not least by us), has Nibris actually been making a game all along? Really, really slowly?

[Update 1: Some enterprising soul grabbed the footage before it was pulled, and added it to YouTube -- thanks, DaisukeKiriyama!]

Gallery: Sadness

[Via Go Nintendo]

Previously, we've had plenty of reasons to believe that Sadness is about as likely to exist as Bigfoot: just take a look at our timeline of the game to see what we mean.

Nibris Web site promises Sadness for Fall 2009

by Kyle Orland { Jul 7th 2008 at 7:29PM }

Previously on The Young and the Sadness.

*A mysterious stranger, Nibris, enters the scene*
Nibris: Come away with me, and I'll make all your mature-themed, Wii horror gaming dreams come true.
Joystiq: Can it be? Is it true?
Nibris: It is true! Just listen to my story and you'll know in your heart that it is so.
Joystiq: I'm just not sure I can believe in you.
Nibris: Look, I bring you concept art to prove my fidelity.
Joystiq: Lies! I heard you're already planning to run out on me.
Nibris: Would I release these official screenshots if I was planning to halt development?
Joystiq: I just don't know what to think! *Sobs*

And now, today's episode:

Nibris: Look at my new Web site. I promise you, Sadness will be out by Fall of 2009. Meet me at the Leipzig Games Convention if you still have faith in me. In us.
Joystiq: Sorry, dear, I've moved on. Give me a ring when you're ready to show me a playable demo.

[Via NintendoWiiFanboy]

Sadness website does nothing to dispel vaporware rumors

by Phil Larsen { Jul 3rd 2008 at 9:30AM }

Hold on, what's all this? A Sadness rumor that actually came true? This can't be right -- and it sort of isn't. The website is there, and it's got stuff on it, but the stuff is old and it's a pretty amateur attempt at a website. It's just, you would think that the creators of the most talked-about Wii game pretty much ever would make the effort to put together a good show, but it looks somewhat awful.

The screens are old and tiny, the text is formatted all wrong (and translated poorly), and there is no trailer, although it will be "Coming soon (this vacation maybe)." Maybe? Maybe? Whatever.

To top it off, the release is scheduled for Fall 2009. That is, over a year from now. On the plus side, Nibris representatives will be attending the Leipzig Game Convention this year, so if nothing turns up at E3 we might find something there.

Gallery: Sadness

[Via GoNintendo]

Inconsequential Sadness news #287 -- website, more details 'coming'

by Phil Larsen { Jun 20th 2008 at 4:15PM }

There's nothing left to say. Sadness is the definition of sadness, and it always will be. We'll post about this "news", oh yes -- but until a physical copy of the game is actually in a Nintendo Wii console, right in front of us and running properly, we won't be certain of its existence. Forward motion is a myth.

The latest on Sadness is thus: the official website will be launched next week, along with some new images. A chap from Fog Studios (because they're so damn hazy on the details) says it's all real, and Nibris is still working away without a publisher. The lack of a publisher means a lack of a release date. If the game exists.

Rest assured, if any of the above actually happens, we will let you know. We know what a promise from anyone remotely associated with Sadness is worth, so don't hold your breath.

Gallery: Sadness

[Via GoNintendo]

Wii Warm Up: A little Sadness

by Alisha Karabinus { Jun 11th 2008 at 8:00AM }

Yes, it's back, in IGN-forum-rumor form: Sadness, the game that ain't, or may be eventually. Back in April, after an appearance by poster "nibris" in the IGN Wii Lobby when a screenshot surfaced, we were expecting more media and a trailer by the end of May. Well, Twiilight_Prince recently returned, with an all-new possible screenshot (seen above), and a statement that the website was supposed to go live by the end of May. A third of the way into June, it's nowhere to be seen ... but should we expect more from a company that apparently has some dude on the internet doing their PR?

Sadness makes us, well, sad. We're sad because it's such a great idea and because it seems to be going nowhere ... or, if it's going somewhere, it's really, incredibly slow about it. On the one hand, we would be almost tempted to cut a new dev a little slack. Making games is hard (notice we're not doing it), and making a game that sounds cool is even harder. But damn, y'all. Stop making promises already, since you've yet to keep a single one. If they'd just do that, we would probably be more inclined to believe it when something does surface. Because we want to believe. As it is, however ... we just don't.

But let's talk about this possible screenshot. Real? Fake? Awesome? Not? Tell us.

See also: A look back through time: Sadness

[Update: Corrected the spelling of the poster's name.]

Gallery: Sadness

Nibris licenses Gamebryo for Sadness

by Alisha Karabinus { Apr 15th 2008 at 12:00PM }

Could it be -- possible forward motion on Sadness? According to a recent press release, Polish developer Nibris has licensed Emergent's Gamebryo platform for the long-discussed, never-seen title ... and word is that the recent screenshot was real. Gamebryo is the base of several recent and forthcoming titles, including Civilization IV, The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, and Fallout 3. Of course, it's also being used for Chiquititas.

But don't get excited just yet. Nibris has been promising screenshots and video from purported black-and-white thriller Sadness for two years now, but according to the press release, they've only recently chosen the Gamebryo engine and have been working on the title for "several months." They recently said we'll see something concrete next month, and while we're not holding our breath, we will be pleasantly surprised if the game actually seems to be under active development.

Gallery: Sadness

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in!]

Gamebryo floats on vapor, powers Sadness

by Jason Dobson { Apr 14th 2008 at 10:30AM }

We do declare Emergent Technologies, you must have caught the vapors. The middleware company's Gamebryo engine, which lurks beneath the hood of a number of games including Oblivion and the forthcoming Fallout 3, has been licensed by Nibris for its vaporous Wii title Sadness.

The Polish company celebrated the news by offering up what it calls the first official screenshot from the oft-delayed black-and-white "crime noir thriller," which we've posted above for your perusal. Says Nibris project manager Tomasz Wisniowski, the team is using the tech to include "quite a few graphical effects...which some believe are impossible to attain on the Wii." We have to wonder, however, if one of those effects includes actually making it to retail?

Gallery: Sadness

Nibris returning with more promises

by Alisha Karabinus { Apr 8th 2008 at 10:30AM }

clicky clicky

Most companies choose to issue media via press releases or exclusive articles. But here we're talking about companies with actual games, not just a campaign of windbaggery and empty promises. Nibris, where they tend to focus on the latter, apparently feels releasing what is purportedly the first and only screenshot of Sadness to date (two years late, mind) to some random dude on the Internet is what makes for good PR.

The IGN Wii boards have blown up over the past few days due to the unending campaign of one Nibris supporter, a single purported screenshot, and a few cryptic remarks from the Nibris president himself, who is long known to frequent message boards. The numerous threads are a mess, so we'll attempt to sum up: user Twiilight_Prince posted the above, stating it was an actual in-game screenshot from Sadness and that he had received it from Nibris. He then apparently received messages from the user posting as Nibris, asking him to remove it. He did. Someone else also posted it, and received similar messages. Eventually, the reported PMs were posted. In them, Nibris (who we assume is president Piotr Babieno) did in fact ask for the shot's removal ... and also promised that there would be screens from Sadness and a trailer next month.

Now where have we heard that before? It's same to assume we're not holding our breath around here -- but here's the apparent screenshot for your perusal.

[Thanks, Joe!]

Finally, a game about the Library of Congress classification system [Updated]

by Justin McElroy { Jan 18th 2008 at 10:25AM }

Since the inception of the video game, there have been those who would try to re-purpose electronic interactive entertainment for more ... educational pursuits. As a rule we're typically supportive of these efforts, but a recent project by students at Carnegie Mellon's Entertainment Technology Center has just pushed us too far. They've just used a game called Within Range to ... teach the ~~Dewey Decimal System~~. [Update: It's the Library of Congress classification system. See below paragraph for more insight into how this error was made.]

We've made it clear how we feel about libraries (or as we think of them, the crappy, flammable Internet that also has homeless people), so you can understand why this is so offensive to us. That's doubled by the fact that the fun has been filed under "N" for "non-existent." Think all games deserve a fair shake? Go ahead, but don't say we didn't warn you.

[Thanks, Michael S.]

Nintendo states the obvious regarding Sadness

by JC Fletcher { Jan 3rd 2008 at 12:00PM }

Thanks to a GoNintendo reader who called up Nintendo and asked about the status of Sadness, we have a new entry on our Sadness Timeline of, well, sadness. 2008: Nintendo says that Sadness "has yet to be announced for release on the Wii console," at least in any form to which Nintendo pays attention.

The Nintendo rep then suggests that, since they're not publishing it, it's probably the responsibility of one of Nintendo's third-party licensees. And that indirectly brings up the reason Nintendo doesn't have any official word about the game. Sadness doesn't actually have a publisher -- only a licensing company, who isn't on the licensee list and therefore probably won't be publishing the game.

As far as Nintendo (and all outward signs are concerned), Sadness is starting 2008 as an incorporeal game. We're a little surprised that the Nintendo rep made no indication of ever having heard of the game, but it's not surprising at all that no official announcements have been made.

Sadness: a chronology of disappointment

by Christopher Grant { Jan 2nd 2008 at 9:00PM }

We had such a good time reading this, we thought we'd share for a laugh. If you're the kind of person who really splits a seam reading about Duke Nukem Forever's glacial progress, you're sure to get a laugh out of the comedy of errors that we know as Sadness. This vaporous piece of software has been teasing gamers for nearly two years and, despite that lengthy timeframe, we've yet to see even a single screenshot. Stop by Wii Fanboy's Sadness chronology and relive all those precious moments like it's your first time.

A look back through time: Sadness

by Alisha Karabinus { Dec 31st 2007 at 5:30PM }

There were several things in 2007 that made us sad. Super Smash Bros. Brawl was delayed, Project H.A.M.M.E.R. got canceled, then it didn't, then it did, and now we're just stuck with rumors that it might exist, somewhere, in some form. People told us that the Wii Zapper would make us kill our families. We got no hard drive love. Reggie didn't kick any ass, though he might have taken (down) some names (we're not sure). But the thing that's made us saddest of all is the ongoing saga of the aptly-named Sadness, the Nibris vaporware game. For all we know, we could be playing it right now; their idea of a game may be centered around stringing us along for a couple of years. It's fun for the whole family!

Or, y'know, sad. So grab your tissues and journey with us through a timeline of Sadness.

*Not actual Sadness concept art, because Nibris hasn't bought/commissioned it yet from artist Mark Ryden.

Gallery: Sadness

Continued →

Nibris has the cure for holiday Sadness

by JC Fletcher { Dec 24th 2007 at 7:00PM }

Nibris has released their long-awaited Sadness ... Christmas card. Proving that somebody does something relating to Sadness occasionally, Nibris sent this Sadness-themed Christmas card to GoNintendo. "Merry Christmas and Happy Sadness," it reads, as a grey thing leans on a giant ball ornament with the Sadness logo. At least we think that's what's happening -- there's either a 'noise' effect applied to the whole image or it's just a really easy Magic Eye picture.

If this was the game, it would be out now. Maybe Nibris should change their plan and release Sadness as a small collection of holiday greeting cards, instead of their overambitious plan to release a video game.

Sadness suspension suspicions sadden some

by Kyle Orland { Nov 1st 2007 at 5:40PM }

This is getting ridiculous. Since initially announcing survival-horror project Sadness way back in April 2006 (when the Wii was still called the Revolution, for Pete's sake), Polish developer Nibris has leaked precious little concrete information about the troubled title. Now come word that the game, which was originally slated for Q4 2007 has been pushed back to sometime in 2009, according to an e-mail received by a NeoGAF poster.

It's a shame the development progress has been so spotty, since the Wii could definitely use a new horror title that wasn't ported from the GameCube. Here's hoping Sadness ends up coming out before Duke Nukem Forever

[Via WiiFanboy]