The Simpsons: Hit & Runis one of the best games ever released in the early 2000s. Available onPlayStation 2,Xbox, andNintendo GameCube, fans have wondered for years why we never got a sequel. Unfortunately, the reason isn’t surprising: the publisher decided not to pursue additional games.
Normally, a licensed game based on a property likeThe Simpsonswould also have to deal with licensing fees to use character likenesses. According to Joe McGinn, lead designer for the game, that wasn’t the case. “Gracie Films offered our publisher a deal to make three sequels, with all Simpsons rights and voice actors, for the preferred price of zero dollars (we wouldn’t have to pay anything for the Simpsons license, in other words),” he said in a comment on a recent YouTube video from Summoning Salt about the game, as spotted byGamesRadar+.
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Despite this incredible deal, the publisher passed on the offer. “Some crazy person at the publisher—we never found out who—said no.” McGinn mentions that the team were all huge fans of the show, and making the game in the show’s Golden Age made their time in development that much more enjoyable.
The Simspons Hit & Run Is Still Beloved All These Years Later
Another developer, Jeffrey Pidsadny,chimed in on the video as well. “It is amazing to see people still enjoying this game after 20 years,” he commented. “As the game’s Level Designer it is tough for me to watch as this was my 2nd game, but, there are principles here that were applied to building cities inMidnight Clubat R* and later inCarnage Racing.”
Fans have been clamoring for a game remake for quite some time. Given the industry’s tendency to focus on remakes, you have to wonder if it’s only a matter of time. Activision recently saw success remakingTony Hawks' Pro Skater 1+2 HD, but they also decided not to pursue the next entries in the franchise.Hawk vows the franchise will return, though.
The Simpsons: Hit and Run Producer Shares Thoughts on a Remaster
The producer of The Simpsons: Hit and Run speculates on the possibility of a remaster.
The Simpsons: Hit & Runtakes inspiration fromGrand Theft Auto III, often satirizing the popular open-world game. It is one of the most popular video games based onThe Simpsonsproperty, with only the 1991 arcade release rivaling its popularity. Despite the success ofHit & Run, there was only one non-mobileThe Simpsonsvideo game release: 2007’sThe SimpsonsGame, published by Electronic Arts.
Radical Entertainment and Vivendi Games, the developer and publisher forHit & Run, have since closed their doors, so someone else would need to handle a hypothetical remake.
The Simpsons Hit and Run
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