Least successful point ’n’ click videogame launch

Produced by Prince of Persia creator Jordan Mechner, The Last Express cost $6 million (£3.6 million) to make and was released on 1 April 1997 to rave reviews. But the game’s publisher Brøderbund’s marketing department quit before the launch date and so there was no advertising for the game. Then Softbank, one of the title’s distributors, pulled out of the games industry. Brøderbund was subsequently bought by The Learning Company and its games production ceased. The Last Express was pulled from the shelves after just a few months. Interplay bought the rights in 2000 and it was re-released as a budget title. But Interplay went bankrupt soon after. The Last Express sold just 100,000 units overall – well under its sales target of 1 million.