A few weeks ago, you may remember a news piece confirming that once-Wii-exclusive The Grinder was also in development for Xbox 360 and PS3. The game was supposed to be a 4-player cooperative shooter in the vein of Left 4 Dead. No longer.
In another revelation, IGN has found out that The Grinder will not be a first-person game. Instead, it will be a top-down shooter much like Gauntlet or Monster Madness. Why the sudden change of heart? Developer High Voltage Software felt that the title would have a better chance to stand out in its current state rather than yet another FPS for the more powerful consoles.
While the article does mention that no decision has been made about changing the Wii version, things do not look good for those who were looking forward to another shooter on Nintendo’s platform.
I myself find the decision a curious choice. For one, even though it is true that the Xbox 360 and PS3 have a glut of FPS games to choose from, there are not that many similar to Left 4 Dead. Another objection I would raise to High Voltage would be regarding how successful games similar to The Grinder’s new design have been on these consoles. Games like Monster Madness and Fairy Tale Fights have had their prices slashed by retailers in record time.
The only logical option I see is that The Grinder will be available only by downloading it. The screenshots make it look like it could be a great XBLA game.