Short answers, pulled from the story.
Daikatana sold only 40,351 copies in the United States through September 2000, far short of the 2.5 million units Ion Storm had forecast as the break-even threshold. The failure stemmed from years of development delays, a damaging advertising campaign, mass staff departures, and largely negative reviews that criticised outdated graphics, poor AI, and repetitive gameplay.
Daikatana was directed by John Romero, co-founder of id Software and a co-developer of Wolfenstein 3D (1992), Doom (1993), and Quake (1996). He left id Software to found Ion Storm, where Daikatana was his first project as a director.
A 1997 print advertisement carried the phrase "John Romero's about to make you his bitch." Designed by Sasha Shor, the ad was approved by both Romero and Ion Storm CEO Mike Wilson. Romero later said the reaction to the poster damaged the game's image before release and continued to affect his public career long afterward.
Daikatana is divided into four episodes set in different locations and eras: Japan in 2455 AD, ancient Greece in 1200 BC, Norway during the Dark Ages in 560 AD, and near-future San Francisco in 2030 AD. Players travel between periods using the eponymous Daikatana sword.
The Daikatana 1.3 patch is an unofficial community project started by modder and IT professional Frank Sapone, first released in 2014. It fixes bugs, improves the sidekick AI, restores online multiplayer, adds widescreen support up to 4K and 5K resolutions, and adds compatibility with macOS (including Apple silicon), Linux, and FreeBSD.
Ion Storm received a $13 million advance from publisher Eidos Interactive, and the game carried a rumoured total budget of $30 million. Development stretched from an announced 1997 release date to the game's actual release in May 2000.