Academy of Flight
| Academy of Flight | |
|---|---|
| Developer(s) | Eurocom |
| Publisher(s) | Electronic Arts, LEGO Interactive |
| Director(s) | Rob Matthews |
| Platform(s) | GameCube, PlayStation 2, Xbox |
| Release | Cancelled |
Academy of Flight, also referred to as LEGO Flight, is a cancelled LEGO-themed action game developed by Eurocom Entertainment Software. It was planned for release by Electronic Arts on GameCube, PlayStation 2, and Xbox.
Development
LEGO Flight was developed at Eurocom Entertainment Software during late 2001 and early 2002. Rob Matthews worked as the game's project manager, which was his first assignment upon joining Eurocom in October 2001. Matthews was put in charge of a small team creating a pitch document for a console game based on a proposed LEGO toy line planned to celebrate the centenary of flight. While the development team was not shown any proposed designs for the toy line, Matthews recalled in 2019 that it was intended to feature notable 20th century aircraft, including the Wright Flyer, a Boeing 747, and a Space Shuttle. In late 2001 Matthews and his team were flown to the LEGO Group's headquarters on one of the company's private jets, where they met some of the company's staff and toured their facilities and factory.[1]
The LEGO Flight pitch was developed further during the first two months of 2002, deciding on a game similar to Blast Corps where the player would use aerial vehicles to rescue people. The game was planned to be developed for GameCube, PlayStation 2, and Xbox. Though the team presented the game pitch to LEGO, the project ultimately fell through due to Eurocom shifting focus to developing 007: Nightfire, which Matthews joined the development of in April 2002.[1] Matthews continued working at Eurocom as a project manager until November 2012,[2] when the company laid off 150 of its 200 employees;[3] Eurocom shut down the following month.[4]
Academy of Flight was announced in a press release on 10 December 2001, where it was listed as one of the LEGO Software franchises to be co-published under a three-year agreement between Electronic Arts and the LEGO Company.[5][6]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Brickome (25 March 2019). "Information about Academy of Flight". Rock Raiders United. Archived from the original on 25 March 2019.
- ↑ "Robert Matthews". MobyGames. Archived from the original on 23 March 2024. Information sourced from LinkedIn.
- ↑ Yin-Poole, Wesley (23 November 2012). "GoldenEye Reloaded, 007 Legends dev Eurocom hit by job losses". Eurogamer Network Limited. Archived from the original on 27 November 2012.
- ↑ Yin-Poole, Wesley (7 December 2012). "James Bond developer Eurocom makes remaining staff redundant, ceases trading". Eurogamer Network Limited. Archived from the original on 10 December 2012.
- ↑ Ahmed, Shahend (10 December 2001). "EA to copublish LEGO games". GameSpot. CNET Networks, Inc. Archived from the original on 2 August 2003.
- ↑ Bergman, Thomas (11 December 2001). "Lego & EA Team Up". WorthPlaying.com. Archived from the original on 25 December 2001.
