Early Concept Art Hints at SC's WC Origins (November 19, 2014)

ChrisReid

ChrisReid

Super Soaker Collector / Administrator
Concept artist Rob McKinnon has mocked up images for both major Hollywood studios and video game developers like Cloud Imperium Games. His relationship with Chris Roberts actually goes back several years to some of the earliest fighter pilot and Hornet pictures for what would become Star Citizen. There are also some very interesting mockups in his portfolio for when the game was being pitched as a potential Wing Commander game. The soldier below is labeled as a "Confederation Marine" for an untitled Wing Commander project. Mr. Roberts is well entrenched in his new IP these days, but numerous references have made it clear that he originally wanted to make a WC game. That ship has sailed for the time being, but it's always possible for Chris to return to the franchise after WC Movie distribution rights revert back next year!








--
Original update published on November 19, 2014
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Howdy,

It's true! The early concepts for several of our ships and characters originated with a 2011 attempt to relaunch Wing Commander. We had a hint of it at the CIC (link below), but the idea was that EA would sponsor the game and Chris would develop it in Michigan (which at the time was offering a great tax incentive for game developers moving there.) https://www.wcnews.com/news/2011/09/08/breaking-news-is-a-new-wing-commander-already-in-the-works

The project had actually died by the time we reported on it... but it would have been cool! When it didn't pan out, Chris decided to go his own way and spent about a year coding the live demo released at GDC Next. We called it "Space Trader"behind the scenes, until settling on Squadron 42 and Star Citizen mere hours before he left on his first press tour to announce it!

Rob McKinnon is a great concept artist who continues to work on new Star Citizen designs. He's been especially influential in creating the look for the characters... but as you can see here, he also did the Hornet!
 
Last edited by a moderator:
One of these days you'll have to show us all the original art that has the WC logo on it... and presumably the Kilrathi concepts that I assume exist! It's no surprise that the Scythe looks like a Dralthi.
 
So close...yet so far! I love these behind-the-scenes stories. I just wish one day we'd be posting about them after the release of a new Wing Commander...
 
Dundradal said:
So close...yet so far! I love these behind-the-scenes stories. I just wish one day we'd be posting about them after the release of a new Wing Commander...
Click to expand...

"The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams" - Eleanor Roosevelt

"Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life." - Proverbs 13:12
 
ChrisReid said:
Terrifying indeed... are those from his WC Movie work or more concept stuff for proto-Star Citizen Wing Commander?
Click to expand...

These seem to have to be something newer than the movie. I would think they must have been part of the proto-star-citizen pitch. But looking at his resume the WC movie is the only related item in the list.

Some of his concept work does include a Salthi... An odd choice. However the movie script does have Salthi in it, they just didn't make it into the finished movie.
 
Last edited:
ChrisReid said:
Terrifying indeed... are those from his WC Movie work or more concept stuff for proto-Star Citizen Wing Commander?
Click to expand...

I believe a few of these are rather recent. The dates on the Kilrathi stuff dates from around the 2011-2012 timeframe. (There's a date in the upper left as you click on the artwork)
 
Additionally, and quite unimportantly. I'm sure Chris Roberts would say it's all right to post these as their usefulness is long-gone and the original (and far superior) vehicle concept is long since released, I did a TINY TINY amount of work on SC prior to it becoming detached from WC. I was meant to incorporate these into the engine as I learned it as sort of an OJT/interview process, but I took a new job and had to pick the real thing over an awesome fictional universe! Chris is really a wonderful guy and took more than his fair share of time out to discuss his plans for SC with me. He's an incredibly huge thinker and a very nice fellow to boot. Quite a remarkable person. SC will be amazing. I only wish I had the spare time to play it! :)
 

Attachments

  • 1.jpg
    1.jpg
    1.2 MB · Views: 53
  • AdamHornet 09-24-11.jpg
    AdamHornet 09-24-11.jpg
    224.5 KB · Views: 53
Last edited by a moderator:
A bit of follow up: IMDB doesn't seem to list his WC credit (this seems to be his IMDB page http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0246668/?ref_=fn_al_nm_4 ) though the credits provided by one of the production partners ( https://www.wcnews.com/wcpedia/Carousel_Picture_Company's_Wing_Commander_Provisional_Unit_List ) lists him as "costume illustrator" . It's quite possible then that these are indeed from the original movie pitch.

Klavs81 said:
I believe a few of these are rather recent. The dates on the Kilrathi stuff dates from around the 2011-2012 timeframe. (There's a date in the upper left as you click on the artwork)
Click to expand...

That certainly places them in the right time frame for the start of Star Citizen... though not conclusive enough to fully make the jump since those dates are simply the dates that Mariano posted them to his blog, and not the actual date the image was created on.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top