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Volition wants to return to Freespace.. how do we show them this is the Best Idea[TM]

ShadowfireShadowfire Vermont, in the middle of nowhereRegistered User regular
edited February 2011 in Games and Technology
Remember this?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UrchciHCI8A

How about when Kurtwood Smith gave you your top secret
Colossus briefing.
Freespace1box.jpgx1Mm587y.jpg

It's been twelve goddamn years since Freespace 2. Twelve. That hurts my heart. It apparently hurts Jim Boone's heart too, as well as many folks at Volition.
FreeSpace 2 hit the PC back in 1999, garnering wide praise and a wide fanbase, but reportedly moderate sales. But would Volition be interested in returning to the franchise? “You have no idea," Boone told NowGamer. "There is a group of people that would commit murder to do that game. The biggest problem that we have is… oh man, that game is so beloved. I did a bunch of missions for both games and it’s so dear to my heart I can’t even tell you. The problem we had was Freescape 2 didn’t sell as well…"

The space-sim genre started to disappear shortly after FreeSpace 2, which the producer attributes to one thing: the death of the joystick. "Here’s my theory, but I readily admit that I’m not the most objective person on this right?" explained Boone.

"My theory is this: The reason why we all think [the genre] died is because this was a time when Quake was out and it was very much about the mouse and keyboard. Before that, when we did Descent for example, it was perfectly common for people to have joysticks – we sold a lot of copies of Descent. It was around that time that the more modern FPS with mouse and keyboard came out, as opposed to just keyboard like Wolfenstein or something.

"So people just stopped getting joysticks. They were just gone. And then you still had console, but it was all digital - so my theory has been, ever since we’ve got analogue as a standard controller for consoles no one has done a heavy-duty, top, top quality space sim on console."

Is it a niche that Volition could cater for in the future? "I feel like there’s an opportunity there," added Boone, "but I’ve got no data to support that."

Whaddya reckon then FreeSpace fans? Is this good news? Get petitioning Volition now.

So... how do we convince Volition and, more importantly, THQ that this is something where some money can be made? Ideas?

Shadowfire on

Posts

  • TychoCelchuuuTychoCelchuuu PIGEON Registered User regular
    edited February 2011
    Shadowfire wrote: »
    So... how do we convince Volition and, more importantly, THQ that this is something where some money can be made? Ideas?

    Alter the very fabric of reality, because in the world we live in today, nobody would buy a new Freespace game that is faithful enough to the series to be better than FS2 + SCP is right now.

    TychoCelchuuu on
  • ApogeeApogee Lancks In Every Game Ever Registered User regular
    edited February 2011
    Unless it's on consoles or uses a mouse, it won't sell.

    Now, Freespace on the wii with motion controls? Maybe...

    Apogee on
  • ShadowfireShadowfire Vermont, in the middle of nowhereRegistered User regular
    edited February 2011
    I'd have no problem with it being on consoles (particularly if it supported the sexy AC6 stick), and I'm sure that would be necessary. Besides, Project Sylpheed was pretty damn good.

    Shadowfire on
  • EvangirEvangir Registered User regular
    edited February 2011
    Console Freespace would work with some stream-lining. I'd love a PC FS3 with joystick support, but the chance of that happening is virtually zero. And as Shadowfire mentioned, Sylpheed worked really well on 360. I was so impressed with those controls.

    Oh man, this article probably means nothing, but I am fucking EXCITED anyway.

    Evangir on
    PSN/XBL/STEAM: Evangir - Starcraft 2: Bulwark.955 - Origin: Bulwark955 - Diablo 3: Bulwark#1478
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  • DockenDocken Registered User regular
    edited February 2011
    It breaks my heart to think that gaming culture has devolved to such an extent that a masterpiece like Freespace would never sell these days...

    :(

    Fact of the matter is, no matter how much I love the franchise, I don't think it would sell anymore... the world has changed. For the Worse.

    Docken on
  • KarlKarl Registered User regular
    edited February 2011
    If they can make a Freespace game that can work on consoles then this could happen.

    It would take a fuckload of stream lining though because Freespace 2 had a function mapped for almost every button on my keyboard.

    Karl on
  • edited February 2011
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  • Mortal SkyMortal Sky queer punk hedge witchRegistered User regular
    edited February 2011
    I want this to be a PC exclusive affair. If this can be arranged then I can live with however they design it.

    Mortal Sky on
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