Prerelease:Saints Row IV

This page details pre-release information and/or media for Saints Row IV.

To do: Quite a bit to cover. Cleanup and rearrange this page first before covering 2013 prerelease. Scrapped Saints Row: Part Four title that was shown off in Volition's 10th anniversary stream. Considering that the game was originally developed as Enter the Dominatrix (which was supposed to be an expansion to The Third, like Gat Out of Hell), it's best that this article should be extended to include that. Early concept art

After the overwhelming financial success of Saints Row: The Third, a fourth game was certain, beginning life as two different projects; one as a mainline numbered sequel called Saints Row Part Four and a fully-fledged DLC called Enter The Dominatrix, similar to the later entry Gat Out of Hell.

The main-numbered entry was scrapped due to the CEO of THQ preferring the gameplay of Enter The Dominatrix, thus going ahead with developing that into a mainline game, hoping it would reverse THQ's financial troubles at that time. The decision was internally mixed at best, but decided to go ahead with developing it anyway. There were some apparent multiple last-minute changes that were made throughout the game's development.

Where the game received varying critical reviews and sales estimating around a million copies compared to its predecessor, overall reception was even more divisive than the previous, with some criticizing the game as "glorified DLC", but has gained praise for having more content. Worse, it was overshadowed by Grand Theft Auto V weeks after release.

Developmental Timeline

2011

• November 11 - Volition plans development on the next Saints Row entry after Saints Row: The Third.

2012

• Feb. 2 - Volition begins development on Three Point Five, a DLC for Saints Row: The Third.
• Feb. 16 - A press video for Three Point Five is shown to limited press outlets.
• circa. Mar. - Volition creates a Tech Demo showing off the next entry in the series, named Saints Row: Part Four.
• circa. Mar. - Three Point Five becomes Enter The Dominatrix.
• Apr. 1 - Saints Row The Third: Enter the Dominatrix was unveiled to the public, as an April Fools' prank.
• May 2 - Enter The Dominatrix is revealed to the public as a legitimate DLC, with a scheduled release for September 2012.
• Jun. 20 - A build of Enter The Dominatrix is shown to then President of THQ, Jason Rubin. Impressed with the work, he suggests Volition makes it into a full game. Saints Row: Part Four is shelved.
• December 19 - THQ, Volition's Publisher, files for bankruptcy.

2013

• Jan. 23rd- Volition is acquired by Koch Media, becoming Deep Silver Volition.
• Feb. 21 - The new entry in the series goes by the name of Saints Row: Episode IV, but due to potential legal issues, changes it's name to Saints Row IV.
• Aug. 20-23 - Saints Row: IV releases.

Sub-Pages

2011-2012

Saints Row Part Four The ambitions in its prime.

Saints Row: Three Point Five February - June 2012. Once upon a time, there was a dlc...

[[File:| center | | 64px]]

Enter the Dominatrix Back when superpowers and aliens were one-off thoughts.

2012-2013

Saints Row: Episode IV A long time ago, in a simulation far far away...

[[File:| center | | 64px]]

2012-2013 General prerelease media for the finalized game we got.

2011-2012

Early Development

Saints Row The Third: Enter the Dominatrix

To do: Get video files of WIP cutscenes included in the Saints Row IV expansion.

An expansion for Saints Row: The Third started development as Saints Row The Third: Three Point Five, and later became Saints Row The Third: Enter The Dominatrix.

It was unveiled to the public on April Fools' Day 2012, but was removed since then. Its existence would be true all along when it was unveiled again in May 2, 2012. A later source said that the expansion would be released in September 2012.

The official description of the DLC reads:

For centuries, alien warlord Zinyak has eyed Earth and its precious natural resources and females with a watchful eye. As he prepares an armada for invasion, he has only one worry: the Third Street Saints. Once a simple street gang from Stilwater, the Saints have evolved into a global empire, replete with bombastic TV advertising and tasteful consumer products, the kind of TV advertising and consumer products that would give any alien warlord pause. Clearly, the Saints are the biggest badasses on Earth. Now, in order to prepare his forces for domination, Zinyak captures the leader of the Saints and imprisons him in an elaborate virtual reality simulation. This simulation program looks and feels like Steelport, but it is the world that has been pulled over your eyes to blind you from the truth. Here, you are a slave. Welcome... to the Dominatrix.

Change in Direction

After showing the work-in-progress Enter the Dominatrix expansion to Jason Rubin, the president of THQ, they requested that the elements present in the expansion pack should be included in the next mainline Saints Row game. He further elaborates on this;

When I looked at the Enter The Dominatrix expansion in production at Volition, I was blown away by the ideas and desire to expand the fiction of the franchise,” said Jason Rubin, THQ’s President. “I asked the team what it could achieve given more time, more resources, and a broader scope for the project. We all agreed we wanted to play that game. When it comes to Saints Row, it’s clear our fans want bigger, better, and even more over the top, and that’s why Enter The Dominatrix will now be incorporated into a vastly expanded, full-fledged sequel, scheduled for calendar 2013.” “We believe the potential for this sequel is far greater as a full-priced, full-length, high quality, connected experience.”

— Jason Rubin, President of THQ - June 2012

The expansion was announced to be cancelled to the public on June 20, 2012, whilst any further work that was done on the existing Saints Row Part Four project were immediately shelved. Despite the unexpected cancellation of the mainline game, elements from the project were reworked into the final. A "Director's Cut" of the cancelled Enter The Dominatrix expansion pack would be released as regular DLC for Saints Row IV.

Concept Art

A concept of two characters kissing underneath a pink spotlight was given out as a print at GAAM 2014 as a charity fundraiser.

2012

As shown in a Development build from 2012, a year before Saint's Row IVs eventual release, a few changes were present. These include the original title being known as Saint's Row: Episode IV- a tongue in cheek reference to Star War's titling- and the opening meta disclaimer being one that is somewhat reminiscent to those from games such as High on Life, or even films such as Fight Club. This disclaimer is as follows:

Saint's Row: Episode IV is a game and not real. Any characters, locations, and names in this game are entirely fictional. This game also contains objectionable language and simulated acts of violence and therefore probably shouldn't be played by anyone that takes themselves too seriously.

The original plot of Saint's Row IV was far from what the game ended up becoming- Ultor had cloned Adolf Hitler, Genghis Khan and Cleopatra, who in turn would have lead all of the rival gangs in the game, similar to the original structure present in the first three games.. without the addition of Hitler at least. This may have been cut due to the tastelessness of the addition, or simply the fact that this was before the plot was merged with cut Saint's Row: The Third DLC: Enter The Dominatrix.

(Source: [3])

(Source: [4])

2013

Unused Vehicles

Vehicles not found in the final game can be seen in pre-release media.

Blaze

The Blaze from Saints Row 2 and Saints Row The Third was featured in a pre-release screenshot. It is completely absent from the final game.

Taxi

Pre-Release	Final

The Taxi model used in Saints Row The Third can be spotted in the PAX Demo. The final game uses a new taxi model based on the Kayak instead.