The story revolves around the failed video game project "Crowe 64" (also known as "Catastrophic Crowe") and its creator, Manfred Lawrence, a German video game developer. Lawrence was inspired by a drawing made by his daughter, but the project was plagued by problems, including Lawrence's own difficult personality and perfectionism. Despite initial enthusiasm and a $10 million investment, the project was eventually abandoned by Nintendo. Lawrence's behavior became increasingly erratic, and he eventually disappeared at sea, leaving behind only a note to his wife. Years later, a beta copy of the game surfaced, and a man named Adam Butcher purchased it, potentially uncovering a darker side to the story.
Here are the key facts extracted from the text:
1. The video game industry was very competitive in the late 1990s.
2. Sega was the first to release a console in the sixth generation with their Dreamcast.
3. Nintendo was expecting another platformer after the success of Mario 64 in 1996.
4. A game called "Crowe 64" or "Catastrophic Crow" was in development for the Nintendo 64.
5. The game was conceived by Manfred Lawrence, a German video game developer.
6. Lawrence was inspired by a drawing made by his daughter.
7. The game was initially expected to be released in 1999.
8. Lawrence's company, Opus Interactive, had investors willing to finance the project.
9. Nintendo licensed the game and gave its blessing for its release.
10. The game's development was plagued by problems, including Lawrence's perfectionism and difficult personality.
11. Lawrence was known to be a micro-manager and would often take over the work of others.
12. He sent home 80% of the developers and claimed he would take over their positions.
13. The game's investors were terrified, confused, and furious with the project's progress.
14. In 2001, Nintendo made an announcement that made Crowe 64 obsolete.
15. The game was abandoned by Nintendo and never released.
16. Manfred Lawrence disappeared in 2001 and is presumed dead.
17. A man named Adam Butcher investigated the story of Crowe 64 and found a newspaper clipping about Lawrence's disappearance.
18. Butcher also purchased a beta copy of Crowe 64 from an online auction.
19. The beta copy was a developer cassette from Opus Interactive.
20. Butcher had the cassette taken to his native England for further investigation.
Note: I've excluded opinions and focused on extracting facts from the text.