Activision once tried to create its own version of Grand Theft Auto, but the project ended in failure. However, from this wreckage emerged one of the most beloved open-world games of all time. Sleeping Dogs was originally meant to be the third installment in the True Crime series.

Video game development is anything but simple. Beyond the technical and creative aspects, there are business decisions that can shape the fate of an entire franchise. Sleeping Dogs is a perfect example of how a game can rise from the ashes of a failed series and go on to achieve legendary status.

The True Crime series, developed by Luxoflux and published by Activision, offered players a crime-filled, modern open world—similar to GTA, but with the twist of playing as a cop. The first game, True Crime: Streets of LA, was a hit, but the second installment, True Crime: New York City, flopped both critically and commercially. Activision initially planned to revive the series with a third game, but the project ended up taking a completely different path when a new publisher stepped in.

The Rise and Fall of True Crime

True Crime felt like a Rockstar-style open-world experience, but with a focus on law enforcement instead of crime. The first game, Streets of LA, launched in 2004 and was a massive success. “It sold over 300,000 copies in its first week and reached 600,000 within a month.” Eventually, it racked up more than 3 million copies sold worldwide.

But the sequel, True Crime: New York City, didn’t live up to expectations. Reviews were mixed, and the sales numbers were underwhelming. “It only managed to sell 72,000 copies in its first week”—a massive drop compared to the first game. As a result, Activision abandoned the franchise and turned to a different studio, United Front Games, to develop a new GTA-style open-world experience.

The Failure That Saved Sleeping Dogs

Initially, Activision wasn’t looking to revive True Crime. Instead, they funded United Front Games in 2007 to develop a completely original open-world project called Black Lotus, set in Hong Kong. However, the similarities between this concept and the True Crime series became evident, leading Activision to rebrand the game as True Crime: Hong Kong in 2009.

But this would be short-lived. After multiple delays, Activision abruptly canceled the game in late 2010, citing “quality concerns” and claiming that it didn’t measure up to industry giants like Grand Theft Auto or Red Dead Redemption. The decision blindsided the development team. “The game was playable from start to finish and was virtually complete in terms of content,” said producer Stephen Van Der Mescht in an interview.

With the project shut down, United Front Games faced a crisis. They laid off 120 employees and were on the verge of shutting down entirely. Then, Square Enix swooped in and purchased the publishing rights—but not the True Crime IP. This led to the game’s transformation into Sleeping Dogs. From there, a new chapter began, and what was once an abandoned project became one of the most beloved open-world games of its generation. Meanwhile, Activision let the True Crime franchise fade into obscurity.

Source: 3djuegos