Ever wondered what happened to StarCraft: Ghost or Mario 128 or Shenmue 3? Some games disappear with a whimper, never officially cancelled but no longer in development. Others are give a legitimate sendoff via press release, only to resurface years later. Seeking closure, we assembled a list of some titles that have gone missing in action. We made some calls, did some snooping and endeavored to discover the truth about the games we once eagerly anticipated.

This list is by no means complete -- there are plenty more games that fell through the cracks -- but these are the titles whose mystery kept us up late at night. Throughout the week we'll discover what became of former GameCube, PS2, Xbox and PC games and see if there's any hope some might make a return in the future.

BlizzardBlizzard

What Was Promised

The quintessential dungeon-crawler has devoured hundreds of hours from the lives of gamers. Considering the success of Diablo, it was a no-brainer that the title would see a third installment at some point in the future. It has been more than six years since the release of Diablo II and Blizzard remains relatively quiet about the future of the franchise. Rumors over the past year hint that Diablo 3 could be another MMO. Blizzard has announced that it is working on a new MMO, and said it would be quite different from WOW. It's not clear, however, if the upcoming MMO is a new IP or based on either the Diablo or StarCraft universe.

Where It Stands

Don't fret, another Diablo game is in the hopper. This according to numerous high-ranking executives at Blizzard who have, over the past six months, assured in various interviews that the Diablo series would live on. It began at the German Games Convention in 2006, when Blizzard COO Paul Sims assured fans that the company's popular franchise had not been forgotten. "As you probably already know, there is no doubt that we will continue the StarCraft and Diablo franchise," Sims told IGN.

However, don't get too excited. As Blizzard VP Itzik Ben Bassat recently told the crowd at a London WOW: The Burning Crusade launch event, " We cannot wait to be here in a few years, or however long it will be" to announce Diablo 3

3D RealmsTake-Two Interactive

What Was Promised

Duke Nukem Forever hardly needs any introduction. The perpetually-anticipated fourth in the series, Forever's development saga is legendary, including a switch from the Quake engine to the Unreal engine and a string of unofficial release dates that stretch from 1998 to 2006 and beyond. Technically, developer 3D Realms has always promised the release of Duke Nukem Forever, "When it's done." But somewhere along the way, the game became more of a punch line than an anticipated release.

Where It Stands

Last June, Duke Nukem Forever's publisher Take-Two made a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission that noted it had renegotiated its Forever deal with 3D Realms. Under the new terms of the agreement, Take-Two would pay 3D Realms $4.25 million for delivery of Duke Nukem Forever, as opposed to the original $6 million offered. The arrangement included a bonus promissory note of $500,000 if the game arrived by December 31, 2006. Apparently, 3D Realms decided it didn't need that extra half mil. But recently the developer posted a job ad alongside an updated picture of the Duke looking pretty sharp. Maybe 3D Realms will finally get this game out the door one day -- but don't be surprised if Duke Nukem Forever makes the list of M.I.A. PC games in 2009.

BethesdaBethesda

What Was Promised

In December 2003, the morale of PC fans plummeted with the news that Black Isle Studios, the team that made Fallout 2, had been closed. It appeared that a new Fallout game was just wishful thinking. But in April 2004, during a call to investors, Interplay revealed it was planning on making a new Fallout title for PC. Though the game was not currently being developed at that time, the mere promise that some day Fallout 3 would come was enough to make PC fans cheers. As fate would have it, Interplay hit some financial snags and Fallout 3 was once again in danger. Fortunately, in July 2004, Bethesda Softworks grabbed the rights to Fallout, opening the way for Fallout 3 to finally see development.

Where It Stands

It's coming. AT E3 2005, Bethesda's booth sported a Fallout 3 poster. The game itself was not on display, but was confirmed to be in production. A year and a half later, nothing more has been said about Fallout 3. Fear not, Bethesda's official stand is that Fallout 3 is still in development for PC, but we won't hear much about it until later in the year.