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| Wing Commander Series Introduction |
What is Wing Commander?
The original trilogy of Wing Commander games tells the story of a
generation-spanning galactic war against the cat-like Kilrathi.
Ensuing games follow the same characters through other conflicts,
ultimately ending shortly after introducing a mysterious new alien
threat. A host of spinoff games were also developed, including the
multiplayer Armada and the cult-classic Privateer. To fans, the
universe is rounded out by a collection of "mass media" tie-ins,
including novels, an animated series and a major motion picture. More
importantly, Wing Commander was the vanguard of PC gaming for nearly a
decade -- setting new standards for both excellence and system
requirements with each progressive release.
The original game redefined immersion by combining cinematic
storytelling with action-packed gameplay. Though commonplace today,
in 1990 these things were a shock to an industry still dominated by
text cursors and garage development. Wing Commander's massive success
helped move PC gaming from hobbyists into the mainstream. The sequel,
Vengeance of the Kilrathi, set out to provide a true 'interactive
movie' experience by offering a storyline replete with action, loss,
betrayal and love. Creative Labs continues to credit Wing Commander II
's full-speech introduction for making its SoundBlaster card the
standard in PC audio.
Wing Commander III: Heart of the Tiger took the movie concept even
more literally, and pioneered what became an era of 'Full Motion
Video' game production. The game's film shoot included Star Wars' Mark
Hamill as Colonel Christopher Blair and Malcolm McDowell as Admiral
Geoffrey Tolwyn. The game was literally interactive: cutscenes changed
depending on mid-scene choices and how the game was played. Gamers
around the world were enthralled, pushing the game past all previous
sales records. Wing Commander IV: The Price of Freedom made another
quantum leap in this regard, boasting a $14 million movie production budget.
At the time the most expensive game in history, WC4 continues to
represent the high water mark of the now largely ignored 'FMV era' of
gaming. The game's high production values make it virtually
indistinguishable from a big budget Hollywood movie.
The fifth main game in the series, Prophecy, returned to the series' roots:
shorter movie scenes combined with jaw-dropping action. Prophecy was
one of the first games designed to make use of special 3D accelerator
cards, allowing it spaceflight graphics that finally approached its
pre-rendered FMV in quality. Prophecy's sequel, Secret Ops, was the
first episodic game released on the internet. Electronic Arts
continued the game's story with a free set of missions and narrative each
week for two months.
In 1999, Wing Commander made it to the big screen. The Wing Commander
movie, now available on DVD, differs from many 'game to movie'
scenarios -- it was directed by series creator Chris Roberts, who
oversaw every game up until Prophecy. Set just before the original
game, the film tells the story of Christopher Blair's first combat
missions. Other Wing Commander developments include Armada, a modem
and network-based multiplayer game released in 1994, well before the
success of internet gaming, Academy, a mission builder, and the
Privateer series. Privateer and its sequel, The Darkening, use the
same setting and gameplay as Wing Commander while adding a 'freeform'
element. Instead of a military officer, the character is a mercenary
who can make his own decisions as to which missions to select and how
to arm his ships.
Wing Commander can be found in other mediums, too. Two series of
novels: one from Baen and one from HarperCollins, tell stories which
connect to the games and the movie. A thirteen episode animated series
based on the events of the original game ran on the USA Network in
1996. The show continues to impress longtime fans with its detail to
the continuity of the games. Even a Wing Commander card game was
published, following the success of WC3!
There have been few Wing Commander releases in recent years.
Electronic Arts has ported two games in recent years. In 2003
Electronic Arts published Wing Commander Prophecy for the GameBoy
Advance. True to tradition, Prophecy pushed the GBA to the edge of its
abilities by offering a working 3D engine on a tiny data cartridge,
In the last year, ports of Wing Commander and its addon, The Secret
Missions, were released as part of 'EA Replay' for the PSP -- bringing
the classics back to a modern audience.
What will the future bring? Wing Commander Arena looks set to redefine
the XBox Live Arcade experience... and beyond that, there's always
hope!
Learn More About...
Computer Games
Wing Commander
The Secret Missions
The Secret Missions 2
Wing Commander II: Vengeance of the Kilrathi
Special Operations 1
Special Operations 2
Wing Commander III: Heart of the Tiger
Wing Commander IV: The Price of Freedom
Wing Commander: Prophecy
Wing Commander: Secret Ops
Privateer
Righteous Fire
Privateer 2: The Darkening
Wing Commander Academy
Wing Commander Armada
Wing Commander Arena
Books
Freedom Flight
End Run
Fleet Action
Heart of the Tiger
The Price of Freedom
Action Stations
False Colors
Movie Novelization
Pilgrim Stars
Pilgrim Truth
Mass Media
Academy Animated TV Show
Wing Commander Movie
Movie and Game Soundtracks
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