Second Life
It was all over the news for a while and was even supposed to replace Skype. But it just didn’t live up to the hype.
Target in Canada
It rolled out pretty strong with over 100 stores but due to inventory problems and a lack of market understanding, Target had to back out (and most likely won’t ever return to the land of maple syrup)
CD Encyclopedias
These were the successors to those massive 26 book encyclopedia libraries that your mom got duped into buying (World Book anyone?). At any rate, Encarta lasted for few a short years, or long enough to do a few middle school projects and now we use Google.
Comet ISON
People were saying how it would be the brightest comet EVER! You’ll be able to see it in the DAYTIME! And then it broke up as soon as it rounded the sun.
3D TV
Everyone ran out to buy their 3D TVs with the 3D glasses. Today nobody watches TV wearing 3D glasses
Google Glass
It’s the batteries that hold gadgets like this down. No matter how advanced we get, battery technology is pretty stagnant
Segway
Although it wasn’t exactly a flop, when you compare it to what the expectations were (bigger than the car?), it certainly didn’t do all that well.
Parachute pants
While they were definitely in style for a while, unlike many other aspects of fashion, these bad boys never made a comeback. (Thank goodness)
Freddy Adu
At 14, this prodigy soccer player was the youngest athlete to ever sign a professional contract in the US. He was even supposed to be the next Pele but after a few years he just sort of disappeared into mediocrity.
Google+
It was supposed to compete with Facebook. Well it lost. But somehow it’s still around.
M. Night. Shyamalan
He was supposed to be the next Steven Spielberg. Now, he is more of a hit or miss as far as movies are concerned.
QR codes
They were supposed to change the way we interact with…stuff. Now they just look like square barcodes that get randomly pasted on…well…stuff.
The World
These artificial islands were constructed off the coast of Dubai and were meant to be really nice real estate in the shape of a world map. When the financial crisis came though, it didn’t quite pan out. As they say, Dubai is basically just one big fad in city form.
Y2K
Basically the world was supposed to end. Nothing happened.
Mars One
Remember that Dutch company that was looking for volunteers for their one way Mars mission? Well, at first people took it seriously but it turns out that it’s nothing more than a scam and a way to get money out of the “volunteers”. They’re even trying to come out with a reality show now
Tout
It was supposed to the be the next big social media site and it was based around users posting short video clips. It tanked but then Vine came around a few years later and took off.
McWhopper
Granted, it was just a shrewd marketing stunt on behalf of Burger King (who publicly suggested the concept), but when McDonald’s predictably declined to cooperate, it just served to make the chain look like an old grouch who couldn’t do anything but compete.
Apple Maps
It just couldn’t stand up to Google in the geography department
SEGA Dreamcast
It was probably the biggest console flop of all time, especially considering all of the hype.
Solar powered roadways
It was all the rage when it hit Kickstarter not long ago. It hasn’t quite kicked off as hoped. BUT, some roads are being considered as potential solar roadway technology bearears, such as the sidewalks of Route 66 in Missouri.
Tim Tebow
The hype definitely died after a while
Esperanto
It was supposed to be the language that people everywhere start using for communication. Big nope.
LaserDisc
It was kind of like the DreamCast of optical discs. We just skipped it and went for DVDs.
Communism
It’s still around but definitely not the way it used to be
XFL
The Extreme Football League was supposed to be “hardcore” football. It barely lasted one season
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