Canceled video games are typically shrouded in secrecy, the kind of thing we only learn about via leaks well after the fact. But Dinosaur Polo Club, the indie studio behind the minimalist strategy games Mini Metro and Mini Motorways, has revealed a recently canceled project in a refreshing bout of transparency.

The game was codenamed Magic School, and it was an attempt for the studio to branch out from the clean, streamlined experiences it has become known for. The problem? As the concept grew in scope, it became clear to the studio that a much bigger team would be needed, which led them to abandon it.

You can get a sense of what it would’ve been like in the footage above as well as from the concept images in the gallery below. (There’s even more over on ArtStation.)

“Ultimately, we simply did not see a path forward for Magic School,” studio CEO Amie Wolken said in a statement. “However, we still wanted to share the amazing work the team had produced over the course of prototyping.”

One silver lining: none of the team members working on the game are being let go. Instead, the studio says that the plan is “to redirect their skills to the new projects within their celebrated Mini series.”

While it may be disappointing that Magic School won’t ever launch — it sure sounds cool to me — it’s wonderful to see a studio be so open in such a tight-lipped industry. And for those who worked on the game, it’s a big bonus to be able to actually share the work they did on it, even if there’s no final product for people to play.

“So much great game development never sees the light of day because studios are often shy about sharing when things don’t go as planned,” added Wolken. “Instead, we are choosing to celebrate what we learned along the way and the incredible work from our team.”

Self-driving cars are gaining traction in the U.S., and while Elon Musk’s Tesla is leading this new automobile category, many new companies have started to emerge or are in the making. However, a Fortune report has highlighted how these self-driving cars, particularly those with Chinese origins, pose a grave danger to Americans.

Fortune reported that self-driving cars owned by Chinese companies have traversed 1.8 million miles in California alone, collecting all sorts of data that is sent back to their home country. The report mentioned how this data could be used for espionage and even war planning by China if it were ever to come to that.

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Chinese self-driving cars and their data collection

A total of 35 companies have been approved by the state to test their self-driving cars, and seven of them reportedly are wholly or partly China-based. Five of these companies drove on California roads last year – WeRide, Baidu’s Apollo, AutoX, Pony.ai and DiDi Research America – collectively traveling 1.8 million miles. Some Chinese companies have also been approved to test in Arizona and Texas.

These cars capture video of their surroundings and map the state’s roads to within two centimeters of precision. After collecting this data, these companies transfer it from the cars to data centers, which are sometimes based in China. The publication cites experts who claim that this situation leaves the data accessible to the Chinese government.

Baidu’s privacy policies mention that any data may be processed and stored in China. According to the report, Pony.ai transmitted U.S. data to China until 2021.

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Self-driving car (Baidu’s Apollo) (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

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How is this data collection dangerous?

Fortune didn’t present any evidence that the Chinese government is exploiting the data collected by self-driving cars or that these companies are actually giving Beijing control over their data. However, the publication pointed out that the U.S. government doesn’t verify what data is being shared and doesn’t have a proper agency handling the issue.

The report notes that the data from self-driving cars, which use lidar technology to create detailed 3D maps, could be exploited by foreign adversaries for mass surveillance and military planning. While these maps help autonomous vehicles navigate, their detail makes them valuable for military and intelligence purposes.

Lidar, also used by the U.S. military in Iraq and Afghanistan, can map battlefields and monitor threats. At a societal level, this technology can track individuals’ movements, including visits to sensitive locations like places of worship and domestic abuse shelters.

The inside of a self-driving car while moving (AutoX) (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

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What’s being done about this?

These self-driving cars from Chinese companies are prompting regulatory action. While these vehicles offer advanced technology, they also, as we mentioned, present potential risks related to data collection and national security. The U.S. government is taking steps to address these concerns, with Rep. Elissa Slotkin introducing a bill to formalize national security reviews of Chinese-made connected vehicles.

This move mirrors China’s strict data security laws, which require companies like Tesla to store data locally and partner with Chinese firms. The U.S. is considering similar measures to regulate data collection and storage by Chinese automotive companies operating in America. As the technology evolves, balancing innovation with national security remains a key challenge for policymakers.

Self-driving car (Pony.ai) (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

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Kurt’s key takeaways

The rise of Chinese-made self-driving cars in the U.S. highlights the complex balance between technological innovation and national security. While these vehicles offer significant advancements, the data they collect poses potential risks that cannot be ignored. The U.S. government’s move to scrutinize and regulate this data collection is a necessary step. As this technology evolves, so, too, must our approach to regulating it, ensuring that innovation serves the public interest while safeguarding national security.

What types of data collection do you think should be restricted or regulated for foreign tech companies operating in the U.S.? Let us know by writing us at Cyberguy.com/Contact.

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