Summary
- The Simpsons: Hit & Run was supposed to have sequels but the publisher turned down a deal for 3 more games.
- The decision was confirmed by former developers, leaving fans disappointed.
- Fans are still hopeful for a sequel or official remake, as the original game remains a classic despite the missed opportunity.
The Simpsons: Hit & Run could have had three sequels, but despite a deal working in its favor, the publisher ultimately decided against it. The newest confirmation that The Simpsons: Hit & Run was intended to be a multi-game series comes courtesy of a lead developer who worked directly on the original game.
The Simpsons has seen numerous game adaptations over its storied history, but The Simpsons: Hit & Run has always stood out to fans as a classic. Released in 2003, The Simpsons: Hit & Run had similar gameplay to Grand Theft Auto, and quickly drew the attention and praise of fans and ultimately sold three million copies within four years. Despite the game's positive reception, it would ultimately never see a follow-up. However, that wasn't the plan.
The Simpsons Is Losing One Of Its Most Iconic Voice Actors
While there are no signs of stopping for The Simpsons, one of the longest-running voice actors finally calls it quits.
Now, former The Simpsons: Hit & Run designer, Joe McGinn, has opened up a bit about how the game was supposed to have sequels and never got them. On a video about The Simpsons: Hit & Run speedrunning on YouTube channel Summoning Salt, McGinn commented on the video under the username noviwan. After reminiscing a bit about the game, McGinn noted that Gracie Films, the production company behind The Simpsons, offered the game's publisher Vivendi an offer to make three sequels with access to the voice actors and show rights for no cost to the publisher. For some reason, someone at the publisher turned down the deal.
McGinn's Story Corroborates With Other The Simpsons: Hit & Run Developers
While the reason behind Vivendi's decision is unclear, its choice to say no to the offer has been corroborated by other members of the development team. Previously, an interview with the game's producers, writer, programmers, and another designer confirmed that they had a license for up to five games using The Simpsons IP. Following the development of both The Simpsons: Road Rage and The Simpsons: Hit & Run, the IP was dropped by the company, and no sequel was ever released.
Twenty years later, fans are still hoping that the license could be renewed and a full sequel or official remake finally released. The revelation that this series could have had multiple sequels and never got them is probably adding insult to an already-injured fanbase, as the gaming Simpsons community is still dealing with the fallout of The Simpsons: Tapped Out shutting down in October. However, while The Simpsons: Hit & Run is becoming more difficult to access as time goes on, at least as an offline game, players can still give it another whirl. Tapped Out, for all intents and purposes, is no longer accessible at all.
- Released
- September 16, 2003
- ESRB
- 3+
- Developer(s)
- Radical Entertainment
- Publisher(s)
- Radical Entertainment
- Engine
- unreal engine 5
WHERE TO PLAY
Save Springfield! By car. By foot. By the seat of your pants.
Springfield's biggest driving hazards are let loose! Drive yourself crazy in lawless fender-benders and chaotic head-on collisions as your favorite Simpsons character. Unbuckle your seatbelt and set out on foot to investigate creepy crop circles and a diabolical conspiracy threatening to obliterate Springfield. Drop that donut and grab the wheel!
- Multiplayer
- Local Multiplayer
- Franchise
- The Simpsons
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 2, Xbox One, GameCube, Microsoft Windows
- Genre(s)
- Action-Adventure, Sandbox
- How Long To Beat
- 10 hours
