What Could Have Been/Playing With
A work was meant to have something in it, but it never made it to the final release, due to something else.
- Normal: A highly anticipated video game runs into development trouble, causing it to be released before it is really finished.
- Exaggerated: A highly anticipated video game runs into Development Hell, languishing for twenty years before it is released to a tepid response.
- Justified: A highly anticipated video game is released before it is really finished because the developers run out of money and the publisher pushes for it to be released as it is.
- Inverted: A video game in development is expected to be a bloated borefest. It runs into development trouble and much of the bloat is left out, resulting in a surprisingly well-liked game.
- Subverted: A highly anticipated video game runs into development trouble, resulting in the belief that it will be bad. Suddenly, an early reviewer raves about it exceeding his wildest expectations...
- Double Subverted: ...but it still turns out to be widely disappointing.
- Parodied: A video game about a struggling video game developer who is forced to release a game early is released.
- Zig Zagged: Articles about an upcoming game are alternatively very positive and very negative. When it is released, it creates a Broken Base between those who think it exceeded their expectations and those who think it could have been much more.
- Averted: A highly anticipated video game has a smooth development. It is released to universal acclaim.
- Enforced: A highly anticipated video game is forced to be released too early by the publisher. It is obvious that the developers are not happy about leaving anything out.
- Lampshaded: A highly anticipated video game runs into development trouble, causing it to be released before it is really finished. A sequence has the player run up to a large fissure, in front of which there is a sign that says, "Area (still) under construction".
- Invoked: A highly anticipated video game turns out to be disappointing. The developers reveal what they wanted to do in an article titled "What Could Have Been".
- Exploited: A highly anticipated video game runs into development trouble, causing it to be released before it is really finished. The developers put the cut content into DLC that they sell later.
Back to What Could Have Been. A place where something bad happened...