See, now hearing things like this worries me. There’s rumors floating around (apparently started by IGN who credit those wonderful “anonymous internal sources” we all know and love) that Nintendo has quietly axed Project H.A.M.M.E.R. It’s an easy rumor to believe since Nintendo hasn’t given us one single sliver of info since the game was shown at E3 last year. But at that point, a demo of the game was playable. At E3 2006, it ceased to be a concept and became a living, breathing game. It’s odd to think that after so much had been done, they could just let it quietly drift away.

Iwata had promised that ‘hardcore’ gamers would be satisfied with what Nintendo puts out in 2007. But all he’s talking about are the same franchise sequels we have been expecting all along: another Metroid, another Mario, and another Smash Bros. While I’m eagerly anticipating all those titles, what about new, quality IP?

I had expected games like Project H.A.M.M.E.R. to fill a void in Nintendo’s portfolio. Use the brand new control scheme to entice third-party developers to the idea that the Wii can still handle intense, ‘hardcore’ gamer action and gameplay. Games like Project H.A.M.M.E.R. and Disaster: Day of Crisis were going to be revolutionary; not just in the direction Nintendo was taking with their system, but in the direction they were taking their games.

The worrying part of Project H.A.M.M.E.R.’s rumored disbandment is the most believable: that the development group has been moved to a new project, working on an “expanded audience” style of game. This translates to a casual game, something along the lines of Brain Age, Big Brain Academy, Wii Play, etc. It’s painfully believable. And if true, demonstrates that Nintendo really has abandoned their true ‘hardcore’ base.

Because while their base has obviously already purchased a Wii, so has everyone else, now. Nintendo doesn’t need the hardcore gamer anymore. They can toss out a few more games they consider ‘hardcore’ to appease the dedicated few, but then shell out nothing but casual “expanded audience” games to the masses.

I’m hoping this rumor doesn’t turn out to be true. Not necessarily because I expected big things from Project H.A.M.M.E.R., but because I worry about the future of the quality of games we will receive should Nintendo’s focus shift this drastically in such a short span of time.