Bilson: Saints Row XBLA shelved due to "really high" costs, SR 3DS "never started" development

THQ core boss Danny Bilson has admitted that the reason Saints Row: Drive By, which would have tied in with Saints Row: The Third, was canned on Xbox Live Arcade was because of "really high" costs.

Last E3, Bilson confirmed that an XBLA title was in development, with a 3DS version also due.

THQ confirmed recently that it was "not developing" the game.

"Honestly, it was an Xbox Live game that we started that was really good, but the costs were getting really high for the platform, so we shelved it. That's all it is; it's not really a big story," he told GameSpot.

On the subject of the 3DS version, Bilson said it hadn't even begun development.

"No, we talked about doing a Saints Row 3DS game, but we never started it," he said.

"We have a couple of other things in development on the 3DS, but we wound up not starting that and starting a couple of other brands instead. There was no drama in any of that, honestly."

Saints Row: The Third launches this November for PS3, 360 and PC.