Project Spark’s servers will be shut down this week.
Microsoft Studios seemed to fulfill its promise: the possibilities truly were endless when it came toProject Spark.
Yet,Project Sparknever achieved the same level of acclaim of similar titles such asLittleBigPlanetandSuper Mario Maker.
Thats not necessarily the kiss of death in gaming, of course.
The real stab to the heart was the wayProject Sparkwas introduced to the world.
Microsoft unveiledProject Sparkduring its otherwise abysmal E3 2013 presentation.
You might remember that as the conference that almost sank the Xbox One before it was even released.
These kid-friendly titles also featured game creators, and in the case ofDisney Infinity, much more popular characters.
From the very beginning,Project Sparkseemed destined to be overshadowed.
Even after Microsoft reversed its controversial Xbox One design decisions, things didnt get much better forProject Spark.
One year after launch, nearly 50 paid DLC packs were available.
Imagine ifSuper Mario Makercost upwards of $100 for all of its modes and tools.
A lot of player-madeProject Sparkcreations just arent great.
Conker to the Rescue?
The digital add-on didnt do a great job of revitalizing the aging game creator, though.
And worst of all,Conkers Big Reunionjust wasnt very good.
In September 2015, Microsoft announced that future episodes ofConkers Big Reunionhad been canceled.
One recent top-rated submission even mimics a WWE game, with mixed results.
Theyre a little rough around the edges, but the characters and events are still very recognizable.
With the lack of Marvel games in recent years, these levels are not bad substitutes.
Chris Freiberg is a freelance contributor.
