I don't know about that, who knows what the survey results were, or even how much they affected the decision.

I definitely believe this. I think most leaks are intentional. They like to hear feedback on risky ideas and media without having to officially release it so they don't get criticised if it's **** or whatever.

Well it's not an impossibility.

Once they started designing levels I'd say that they quickly realized that a horse didn't fit in with how you move through the environment. The terrain looks really rough...not a good place for a horse.

What survey are you talking about, bb?

I don't think they needed that to be honest... They were already conducting some surveys with some marketing companies to make sure they were doing the right thing, by calling in some gamers, and asking what they thought of the actual game, like most developers do....!

Well, they could've still leaked it to get far more opinions which seems easier, tbh.

All it takes is a minor piece of concept art to leak on the internet about a unreleased game or a concept and there will be a huge reaction and criticism. It's quite useful for the devs.

^It's not useful when the criticism is knee-jerk and shallow.

I feel like they would have decided on that before building terrain.

The horse could have been a fast travel system and the areas between hubs could have been designed for use with the horse, thought because there is so much platforming involved in TR maybe they found this to be an issue.

It always seemed to me that the leaked concept for the game involved a more traditional open world setting as opposed to hubs.

The Nielson survey, that's where the concepts and brief were from, apparently.

That's what I thought as well. I think it leaked on purpose.

Remember, big open areas, hubs etc. But if they added the horse, it could mean faster traveling and it could make the game play shorter. Maybe that's the reason they removed it.

Wait...there are base camps that offers fast traveling....uhm, idk. :/

Yeah I think a horse only works well for open world environments. I didn't even like it much in UC3.