Hidden Palace contributors MrPinball64 and Ventura have uncovered various playable Fallout: New Vegas prototypes dating back to before the game went Gold, salvaged from two Xbox 360 dev kits they bought from a mom-and-pop store in Utah.
The pair were alerted to the dev kits by Kuriatsu.
The most complete build is the July 21, 2010 prototype, which marks the point at which Obsidian realised, during the game's incredibly short 18-month dev cycle, that it would have to cut content to optimise the experience for consoles. As such, the file size is two gigabytes larger than the finalised August 22 build.
Most of the tweaks are incredibly minor, like Vulpes having white hair, the Strip featuring more Securitrons, props being altered or outright removed, the presence of extra foliage and debris, and adjusted lighting in numerous scenes. But then we have the unsettling, alternate Mr House design, as first revealed in a behind-the-scenes documentary, and cut NPCs like the Wasteland Adventurer, who would warn you away from the deathclaws to the north.
There's undoubtedly more to be discovered, even after "hundreds of hours and weeks of work" from the newly formed Games' Past channel....
