The Lord of the Rings: Gollum - The failure of an ambitious project

Middle-earth, a place full of magic and adventure. But what happens when an ambitious studio like Daedalic Entertainment tries to tell the story of the iconic Gollum? An in-depth look at the highs and lows of game development and the background to the failure of "The Lord of the Rings: Gollum". It also shows the challenges that developer studios face when venturing into big franchises.

From Daedalus to Icarus

Daedalic Entertainmentonce a favorite of the German gaming scene, was known for its point-and-click adventures. But over time, the desire to be one of the big names in the industry grew. With "The Lord of the Rings: Gollum", this dream was to become reality. But instead of the longed-for flight of fancy, the company fell into a deep slump.

After the debacle surrounding Gollum, Daedalic withdrew from development and has since acted solely as a publisher. It is a sad ironythat a studio that was once praised for its creative and innovative games, such as the Deponia series, was brought down by a project that had so much potential.

The harsh reality behind the scenes of "The Lord of the Rings: Gollum"

The YouTube channel Game Two has taken a closer look at the history of Daedalic Entertainment and in particular the development of "Gollum". The documentary shows a picture of a studiowhich was under pressure and where a climate of fear prevailed. Overtime, underpaid employees and a harsh tone were the order of the day.

Particularly telling: the letter of apology for the Gollum debacle, which most likely from an AI, ChatGPT, was written. This incident shows how much the trust between developer and publisher had eroded and how little respect was shown to the project and its creators.

Technical hurdles and budget problems

One of the main problems in the development of "Gollum" was the budget. At only 15 million euros, it was far below what is usual for AAA titles. Despite a team of experienced developers, resources were limited. This meant that many planned features and content could not be implemented. Scenes were not animated, characters were hidden and innovative mechanics were replaced by simple solutions.

It's a classic example of how too tight a budget and too high expectations can lead to a perfect storm that dooms a project to failure.

The Lord of the Rings: Gollum - The End of a Dream

"The Lord of the Rings: Gollum" was supposed to be the breakthrough for Daedalic Entertainment, but it turned out to be a nail in the coffin. The game was savaged by critics and gamers alike. Bugs, crashes and unfulfilled promises led to a storm of indignation.

The development team at Daedalic finally had to swallow the bitter pill and give up development. It is a painful reminder that even the most talented teams can fail when circumstances are against them.

You can watch Game Two's report on the failure of "The Lord of the Rings: Gollum" at on YouTube here.

And if you don't watch your feet, there's no telling where they'll take you...

The history of The Lord of the Rings: Gollum is a reminder for the entire industry, but especially for the German gaming industry. It shows how important it is to create realistic Goals to pay attention to the well-being of employees and to communicate transparently with the community. It is a reminder that not every risk pays off and that the road to success is often rocky.

But it is also a story of passion, ambition and the desire to create great things. It shows that even in the midst of failure, lessons can still be learned and experiences gained that are invaluable for future projects.