Michael Jackson entered talks with Shiny Entertainment—the studio behind Enter the Matrix and Earthworm Jim—to develop a new video game, founder David Perry disclosed. Perry first met Jackson at Neverland Ranch while showing him a pre‑release build of Enter the Matrix, and the meeting sparked a joint brainstorming session for a game that would not star the pop icon but would use his music and creative vision.
The working title eventually settled on Dark Rim, described as a fantasy action‑adventure about kingdoms, war and magic that later shifted toward a darker, psychological narrative exploring dreams, depression and a hidden realm beyond sleep. Gameplay ideas centered on remote possession, allowing players to fly over battlefields as an eagle, then transfer their spirit into other characters to solve puzzles or turn enemies against their masters. The design also envisioned gifted children teaching unique abilities and battles that unfolded as ongoing wars.
The plan called for an entirely new Michael Jackson album exclusive to the game, hoping to lure his worldwide audience into gaming for the first time. The project never left the prototype stage; Perry said “life took its turn,” noting the timing of the 2003 Enter the Matrix launch, a controversial documentary, and the later legal troubles that kept the game from ever releasing.
