BREAKING NEWS: Rumors of New Wing Commander (January 27, 2008)

Here's an idea for you...what if they did a mind job and cast you (a la Tie Fighter) as "the bad guys"...

You are a kilrathi cadet, lowest born of the incoming fighter pilot class. You constantly have your fellow cadets taking potshots at you during training flights, you have equipment that constantly breaks down underneath you, you get fewer accolades for your successes than your "betters"
 
Exciting times indeed! :D

I wonder how far into development the game is at this point?

While I would ideally prefer a PC exclusive with full flightstick support, given the current PC gaming market, I'd expect (as others have already mentioned) a multi-platform console release -- hopefully with a simultaneous PC release or at least a port shortly afterwards -- although I can appreciate that it may only appear as an Xbox 360 title.

Bandit LOAF said:
I don't think video games can have 30-month development cycles anymore.
Well, there'll always be exceptions, such as WoW (5+ years), Doom 3 (3+ years), Stalker (5+ years), Heavenly Sword (3-4 years), etc and publishers do seem to love letting us know how expensive it is to develop AAA games these days, but yeah it does appear as though 3-year plus development cycles are quite rare. Looking back, the turnaround time for most of OSI's games seems pretty impressive for the scope of many, i.e. wasn't the WC3 to WC4 release about 13-14 months? Although OSI did essentially reuse the same RealSpace engine (with minor tweaks) which must have saved time.

Saying that however, I noticed that some of the Arena concept art that has been released was dated 2005 and didn't Gaia initially develop what became Arena as a generic/unique IP before approaching EA to turn it into a WC title? I don't know what the average development time for an XBLA game is, but 2+ years for Arena must be on the high end of the average timescale?

My gut feeling on a release timeframe based on Surfer Girl's snippet, would be end of 2008 at the earliest to H1 2009 if it's a full bore AAA game (a Bioware WC KOTOR perhaps? :)) with multiplayer (Live/PSN, etc) elements and H2 2009 or later if it's some kind of massive WC/Privateer Online, but obviously at this point, pending any official announcement and not knowing what kind of game it will be or when it began development; its release date is anyone's guess.

Well, the picket ship has detected possible jump traces at extreme range, let's hope the official burst transmission is imminent! :p

Hey Chris, new avatar?
 
Saying that however, I noticed that some of the Arena concept art that has been released was dated 2005 and didn't Gaia initially develop what became Arena as a generic/unique IP before approaching EA to turn it into a WC title? I don't know what the average development time for an XBLA game is, but 2+ years for Arena must be on the high end of the average timescale?

No, I don't believe that is correct. For example one of the pictures (which is *possibly* just dated wrong) from 2005 is without a doubt an Arrow: https://cdn.wcnews.com/newestshots/full/Ortho_Arrow.jpg

I'm pretty sure it was pitched by an EA insider and given to GAIA to do. Sean Penney, the project manager was at EA in Burnaby.

Also when we look at the timeline, the release date of Arena wasn't in EAs hands, rather it was up to MS. EA was ready to release in the spring (As is they still used the extra time to polish up a few things from what I understand.) Production was heavily underway in the fall of 2006. So late 2005 isn't really out of the question for Concept artwork.
 
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Wohoo, I am carefully getting excited and optimistic! Great news.

Concerning the content, I could not even tell you what I'd like to see: a new Privateer, a Kilrathi -side game, an Academy/Armada game, a SOPS follow-up, an Arena follow-up (timeline-wise). I think I will be happy with everything that is WC. Even a RTS or FPS would make me happy but I hope for something more classic.

For the platform, well, now that I own an XBox 360, it wouldn't be too bad if it was released for the Box (though I do hope I won't have to buy another console to play it) but I foremost hope it will be released for the PC. I need a new one.

Anyway, it's still just a rumour. But boy, great! And I second that Sean Penney should be involved, he did great stuff with Arena/ S*S.
 
I just knew it would be a great year for WC!

A rumor like this reminds me of a fresh snowfall. This could go in any direction! Will we be Kilrathi? Confed? Civilian? Some other faction? The only limitation at present is the mind....

We must wait for the tracks to be developed through the snow!!
 
So... even though I am trying not to set myself up for a possible dissapointment, is it too soon to throw out guesses about what it could be? My guess is that it will be a continuation of the Nephilim war (which was left excitingly mostly untouched in Star Soldier), but that the main character will not be Casey. I'm thinking they will do another character on another carrier, but continue the story about where it left off. Perhaps they would do something odd and make the player someone familiar, like Stiletto. Then again, I could also see it being a new rookie pilot.
 
I don't think video games can have 30-month development cycles anymore.

Agreed.

A full "AAA" Wing Commander title would probably take at least two years in development, or a huge team.


More interesting... if it's not an "epic space game", what could it be?
I mean how many options are there?

FPS? I somehow doubt that.
RPG? No idea...
RTS? Somewhat possible. At least I wouldn't mind commanding some fleets. Plus EA already has a complete engine for this.
MMO? Well... with the WC(!) Privateer universe, this is quite possible, but I guess that would be an "epic space game" again. At least I know this is an area EA would like to have more games in.
 
I think you're reading the quote out of context -- it's just not the *specific* 'epic space game' she referred to in an earlier post.
 
I see...

So EA is developing an epic space game and a Wing Commander tile, which might be an epic space game as well, if she is right of course.

Or does that statement allow multiple interpretations?
 
Yes, I think that's right -- it all has to do with how the original posting evolved. The posting initially said that "that epic space game is a Wing Commander title" (or somesuch) with a link to an earlier post claiming that EA was developing an "epic space game"... then it was changed to say that the epic space game referred to the month before was *not* Wing Commander, but that a Wing Commander game was being developed.
 
If it is true i really hope they bring back alot of the people who created I -V. Also if its going to be a true Wing Commander epic they will need the input of the master mind of WC Christopher roberts. There has been many roumors over the years of new WC games which never heppened but it would be great if this one was true (only time will tell). My only consern about a new WC is they might try to modenize the game (animated charictors, 3rd person combate ect).
 
If it is true i really hope they bring back alot of the people who created I -V. Also if its going to be a true Wing Commander epic they will need the input of the master mind of WC Christopher roberts. There has been many roumors over the years of new WC games which never heppened but it would be great if this one was true (only time will tell). My only consern about a new WC is they might try to modenize the game (animated charictors, 3rd person combate ect).

I imagin a new full installment would use a first person perspective (in the cockpit) but I fail to see how animated is modern. If anything, that would be going back to it's roots. WC 1,2, and the animated series are all animates after all.
 
Wing Commander has always tried to improve on itself and push the limits of technology. I think I would be disappointed if they didn’t try to modernize it at least a little bit.
 
Project RedLime?

From Shacknews:
Shacknews said:
Starbreeze Studios, the developer of The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay and The Darkness, is working with Electronic Arts to reinvigorate one of the publisher's "most acclaimed classic franchises". The project, which carries the codename Project RedLime, is in development for PC, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.
There must be a bunch of them, but apart from Wing Commander, none of EA's other "most acclaimed classic franchises" that need to be reinvigorated spring to mind; it could be an earlier console original perhaps? However, at the moment, I'm more skeptical of any Wing Commander relationship here for a couple of reasons:

1. Starbreeze is based in Sweden (Uppsala), home to a number of successful development studios (DICE, GRIN, Avalanche, etc) -- this makes bringing in Origin/WC veterans more tricky, yet doesn't preclude outside consultancy. Unless EA plan to make a fuss of a future WC being developed with a "clean sheet" / outside dev team (even though that could very well be the case as it's been a decade since the last big EA WC game), I would think that EA would look to leverage any WC vets within their dev stable for promotion (e.g. "hey, we've got people from WC4 working on the next WC!") if they happened to work in the chosen developer for the rumored WC title, e.g. Bioware.

2. The publishing arrangement (EA Partners) is designed for independent developers, although I think EA owns Crytek. If EA does bring back WC, they would surely develop it internally under one of their own first party labels rather than the kind of contracted out arrangement that EA Partners seems to suggest?

3. Starbreeze has a platform/fps pedigree (e.g. the excellent Riddick), so a space sim would be a bit of departure. However, if the next WC is going to be a fps...

Anyway, I'm keen to hear what others think about this and whether it could be WC related. I suspect it's not WC, but some other EA franchise. Slightly OT, but the PC gaming market is still incredibly strong in Sweden, with 47% (pdf - Swedish) of the gaming market (all platforms).

BTW, Is "RedLime" some sort of oblique WC reference?

Edit: Apologies, I've only just now seen the post and thread that Loaf started here about this -- I've been away for a couple of days and when I got back today and checked in at the CIC, the latest update I could see was Feb 20 -- should have cleared my browser's cache. :p Feel free to move this post.
 
1. Starbreeze is based in Sweden (Uppsala), home to a number of successful development studios (DICE, GRIN, Avalanche, etc) -- this makes bringing in Origin/WC veterans more tricky, yet doesn't preclude outside consultancy. Unless EA plan to make a fuss of a future WC being developed with a "clean sheet" / outside dev team (even though that could very well be the case as it's been a decade since the last big EA WC game), I would think that EA would look to leverage any WC vets within their dev stable for promotion (e.g. "hey, we've got people from WC4 working on the next WC!") if they happened to work in the chosen developer for the rumored WC title, e.g. Bioware.

I can confirm that this is not an issue - Bioware Austin is not doing a Wing Commander title (... yet.)

My hope is that this project will be run like Arena - development done by a remote studio with leadership at EA LA or (hopefully) EA Burnaby.

2. The publishing arrangement (EA Partners) is designed for independent developers, although I think EA owns Crytek. If EA does bring back WC, they would surely develop it internally under one of their own first party labels rather than the kind of contracted out arrangement that EA Partners seems to suggest?

I think this is a mute point, since obviously they've farmed out *some* classic series -- this same criticism applies whether it's Wing Commander, System Shock, Crusader, etc.

3. Starbreeze has a platform/fps pedigree (e.g. the excellent Riddick), so a space sim would be a bit of departure. However, if the next WC is going to be a fps...

I don't think this is as true as everyone thinks -- the basic technology is very similar, and I've been involved with at least two Wing Commander projects that involved licensing a shooter engine to produce the actual game.
 
BTW, Is "RedLime" some sort of oblique WC reference?

Probably not. The point of the code name at first is to describe something you don't want to give away. They're generally not secret marketing devices.
 
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