BERLIN – October. 24, 2024 – YAGER Development GmbH, the Berlin-based game studio celebrating its 25th anniversary, announces the launch of "Pitch Archives," a comprehensive video series offering unprecedented insight into the company's unreleased game concepts and prototypes. The series premiere, featuring "Vertical War," debuts on YAGER's YouTube channel and official website, marking the beginning of a journey through the studio's rich creative history.
Unveiling 25 Years of Creative Vision
"Pitch Archives" represents YAGER's commitment to transparency and community engagement, offering fans and industry enthusiasts an intimate look at the creative process behind game development. The series delves deep into the studio's archives, showcasing various game pitches and prototypes that, while never reaching full production, played instrumental roles in shaping the studio's evolution and future successes.
Each episode will explore the complete development context of these unreleased titles, from initial concept sketches to technical prototypes, accompanied by interviews with team members who were involved in their creation. This unprecedented access to YAGER's creative vault provides valuable insights into the game development process and the evolution of the industry over the past quarter-century.
"Vertical War" - The Series Premiere
The inaugural episode, released on October 17, 2024, spotlights "Vertical War," an ambitious third-person cover shooter concept from 2006. Developed during a pivotal moment in gaming history, when titles like Gears of War were revolutionizing the genre, "Vertical War" sought to push boundaries by introducing innovative vertical gameplay mechanics to the cover shooter formula.
Set in a sprawling dystopian megalopolis known simply as The City, the game would have placed players in the role of an elite police officer investigating the disappearance of a wasteland ambassador. As players descended through the towering urban landscape, they would have encountered mysterious mutated creatures called "The Creep" while uncovering a conspiracy with global implications. The game's unique vertical traversal system would have allowed players to navigate the city's heights and depths in ways that had never been seen in the genre at that time.
The “Vertical War” can be found on YAGER’s official YouTube Channel.
A Documentary Journey Through Gaming History
The bi-weekly "Pitch Archives" series serves as more than just a retrospective of unreleased games. Throughout 2024, each episode will contribute to a larger narrative about YAGER's evolution as a studio, culminating in a comprehensive documentary scheduled for release at the year's end. This documentary will weave together the individual stories of these unreleased projects with YAGER's broader journey, featuring exclusive interviews, never-before-seen footage, and insights into the studio's creative philosophy.
The documentary will explore how projects like "Vertical War" influenced the development of successful titles such as "Spec Ops: The Line," and how lessons learned from these unreleased concepts continue to shape YAGER's approach to game development today. It will also examine the broader context of the gaming industry's evolution over the past 25 years, with YAGER's journey serving as a compelling through-line for this larger story.
Connecting with the Community
New episodes of "Pitch Archives" will be released every two weeks on YAGER's YouTube Channel and the official company website. Each release will be accompanied by in-depth articles, developer insights, and behind-the-scenes material that expands on the episodes' content. This regular cadence of content ensures that fans and industry professionals alike can engage with YAGER's history and creative process throughout the anniversary year.
The series represents YAGER's dedication to transparency and community engagement, offering viewers not just a window into the past, but insights into the creative and technical challenges that shape game development. Through "Pitch Archives," YAGER aims to contribute to the broader discussion about game development while celebrating the creative spirit that has driven the studio for 25 years.
| Press Contact | Sérgio Tavares Marketing Director press@yager.de |
| About YAGER | YAGER is a passionate game development studio based in Berlin and founded in 1999. YAGER’s team of highly experienced and skillful developers creates and markets unique & innovative action games. With empathy and openness, YAGER enables over 130 international employees to grow with the company and achieve ambitious goals together. To learn more, please visit: www.yager.de |