Way back in October, we brought word that Spielberg's "ultra-real" game, code-named LMNO Project, had been shelved — a rumor EA said was "incorrect".
Earlier this year, we heard that despite the many denials, Steven Speilberg action title LMNO (pronounced Elemental) was dead in the water, the budget pulled, the assets locked away. The game was apparently victim of the sluggish economy.
In a recent interview, game designer Jason Rohrer gives that LMNO-is-D.O.A. talk further credence when he let this slip about the title: "On top of that, I did some consulting work, most recently for EA on the Spielberg LMNO project. My understanding is that project's pretty much been canceled now, what with the changing economy, but I'm not sure."
So maybe canceled, maybe not. This guy isn't sure. What we're sure about: if you're a consultant, you probably shouldn't go around blabbering the status of projects you've worked on. But, hey, we're not consultants. We're gourmet chefs. No, really.
Update: EA contacted Kotaku, stating: "The rumor is incorrect. EA remains deeply committed to its collaboration with Steven Spielberg and projects we are developing together. LMNO was a code name for a project in development at EALA. While the project continues to develop at EALA with Steven, we no longer refer to it as LMNO. We have no further details to reveal at this time."
Interview: Jason Rohrer [EDGE via Joystiq]