''The Cutting Room Floor'' (TCRF) is a website dedicated to the cataloguing of unused content and leftover

debugging In computer programming and software development, debugging is the process of finding and resolving '' bugs'' (defects or problems that prevent correct operation) within computer programs, software, or systems. Debugging tactics can involve in ...

material in video games. The site and its discoveries have been referenced in the gaming press. The site started out as part of a blog but was reworked and relaunched as a

wiki A wiki ( ) is an online hypertext publication collaboratively edited and managed by its own audience, using a web browser. A typical wiki contains multiple pages for the subjects or scope of the project, and could be either open to the pu ...

in 2010. The reworked site is considered by ''

Edge Edge or EDGE may refer to: Technology Computing * Edge computing, a network load-balancing system * Edge device, an entry point to a computer network * Adobe Edge, a graphical development application * Microsoft Edge, a web browser developed by ...

'' to be a major catalogue of unused video game content.

History

''The Cutting Room Floor'' was started by Rachel Mae in 2002 as part of a blog. It mainly focused on

Nintendo Entertainment System The Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) is an 8-bit third-generation home video game console produced by Nintendo. It was first released in Japan in 1983 as the commonly known as the The NES, a redesigned version, was released in America ...

games, and was occasionally updated. In the late 2000s, Alex Workman, better known as Xkeeper, reworked the site into a

, which launched on 2 February 2010. The site has since specialised in what gaming media, including ''

'' and ''

Wired ''Wired'' (stylized as ''WIRED'') is a monthly American magazine, published in print and online editions, that focuses on how emerging technologies affect culture, the economy, and politics. Owned by Condé Nast, it is headquartered in San Fra ...

'', have likened to video game archaeology; ''

Kotaku ''Kotaku'' is a video game website and blog that was originally launched in 2004 as part of the Gawker Media network. Notable former contributors to the site include Luke Smith, Cecilia D'Anastasio, Tim Rogers, and Jason Schreier. History ...

'' described them as "routinely responsible" for it. Its members analyse video game code and content using various tools, such as

debugger A debugger or debugging tool is a computer program used to software testing, test and debugging, debug other programs (the "target" program). The main use of a debugger is to run the target program under controlled conditions that permit the pr ...

s and

hex editor A hex editor (or ''binary file editor'' or ''byte editor'') is a computer program that allows for manipulation of the fundamental binary data that constitutes a computer file. The name 'hex' comes from 'hexadecimal', a standard numerical format f ...

s, and if something interesting is found, an "uncover" starts. According to Xkeeper, the site's members co-operatively analyse their findings to work out how to re-enable content. The site's goal is to catalogue "as many deleted elements as possible from all sorts of games". In December 2013, ''Edge'' considered ''The Cutting Room Floor'' to be the largest and best-organised catalogue of unused video game content. Around this time, the site had 3,712 articles. In June 2016, Xkeeper said that the website has largely avoided copyright issues. Amongst the more noted discoveries are the secret menus in the ''

Mortal Kombat ''Mortal Kombat'' is an American media franchise centered on a series of video games originally developed by Midway Games in 1992. The development of the first game was originally based on an idea that Ed Boon and John Tobias had of making a v ...

'' games, and ''

The Legend of Zelda ''The Legend of Zelda'' is an action-adventure game franchise created by the Japanese game designers Shigeru Miyamoto and Takashi Tezuka. It is primarily developed and published by Nintendo, although some portable installments and re-rele ...

'' prototype, which was "extensively" catalogued and what ''The Cutting Room Floor'' moderator GoldS considers the site's most important article. ''The Cutting Room Floor''s community is reported to have paid 700 dollars for an unreleased '' Tetris DS'' prototype. A coding error in ''

Super Mario Bros. is a platform game developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES). The successor to the 1983 arcade game '' Mario Bros.'' and the first game in the ''Super Mario'' series, it was first released in 1985 for ...

'' that changed the behaviour of the Spiny eggs also made the gaming press. In May 2018, ''Kotaku'' and ''

Eurogamer ''Eurogamer'' is a British video game journalism website launched in 1999 and owned by alongside formed company Gamer Network. Its editor-in-chief is Martin Robinson. Since 2008, it is known for the formerly eponymous games trade fair EGX ...

'' reported on a ''

Pokémon Gold and Silver and are 1999 role-playing video games developed by Game Freak and published by Nintendo for the Game Boy Color. They are the first installments in the second generation of the Pokémon (video game series), ''Pokémon'' video game series. The ...

'' prototype and its assets that had been documented on the website. Other material catalogued include hidden messages, as well as regional and revisional differences, such as differences between versions and ports.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cutting Room Floor (website), The Video game websites Wiki communities MediaWiki websites 2002 establishments in the United States

History

See also

References