Worlds of What If: A Series of Video Game Alternate Histories

[Salnax]

Mr Khan said:

Salnax said:
I'm working on an epic history. The big one: What if the PlayStation was never created?

So far, I've come to a few conclusions, but I'm being held back by my limited knowledge of all things Sega. Does anybody have a concrete reason why the Saturn lacked a real Sonic game? How much did the Saturn cost at what points in time? And what Saturn games should I know more about? Thanks!

From TVTropes, regarding Sonic XTreme

Sonic X-treme is notorious for its executive meddling. First, the main game and boss levels were broken up and given to two different teams, which ended up building them into essentially two completely different games. Then, the team making the boss levels were shown a demo of the then-in production NiGHTS Into Dreams game, further inspiring the team to deviate the levels from the main game and causing Nights creator Yuji Naka to threaten to leave on grounds of plagiarism. Then, when Sega of Japan came over to check up on the progress, they loved the engine for the boss levels so much, they demanded that the game be made with it, even though the team was dangerously close to deadline and short on men due to arguments about the game's direction. It finally took the game's director coming down with pneumonia before the plug was finally pulled.

Wow. That sounds like development hell. I'll be sure to read everything TVTropes has to offer on SSaturn-related stuff.