chances of future wing commander game(s)

[Nickeninja]

Hi folks!

Maybe this has been discussed several times in the past, but let's do it again anyway ... in the light of mods as wing commander standoff being finished and wing commander saga coming out I guess either this or the next year, do you think we will se another wing commander game any time soon?

Do you think kick ass fan projects as wc saga and standoff affect the chances of EA picking up the franchise again?

regards!
Niclas

 

[Highball]

I would not call the franchise "dead in space," as Scotty from Star Trek once said, but the likelihood of another game coming out is rather slim. The story has pretty much been completed, and besides, the genre is simply not as popular now as it was 15 years ago. The popular genre now seems to be first person shooters, but there are several RPGs doing very well (Mass Effect 2, Fallout 3), which is what gives me a glimmer of hope for another WC at some point.

 

[Nickeninja]

You are right that the story of the kilrathi war has been completed. However IMO a new interesting story fighting the bugs alongside with the kilrathi could work, I always liked the cats, they would have to be a major part of the story. Maybe they could try to make the bugs a bit more interesting too.

I think as long as there is a good story a new wing commander game could be compelling to a lot of gamers and it could be released multi platform. And the multiplayer would of course have to be a big part of the game. Being able to play co-op online would kick ass.

Again, a great and intruiging story is the key.

 

[AD]

Given the time, since Secret Ops I think you can guarantee that any new game with involve the Kilrathi in some respect. Like Arena, it could potentially be a Kilrathi/Terran conflict of sorts but most likely they'll find some reason to go back to the Kilrathi War. Either it will be early in the timeline or a reboot of sorts... But I would say that the chances are as high as ever. I don't think the fan projects have much influence on that but they do give some indication of fan interest in the series, as does posting here at the CZ.

 

[Mace]

WC4 on the PS/3, if downloaded often enough, might also spark there is still money in the license. EA replay featured classics, including 2 wing commander games. A new game would have to live up to it's reputation; It should have cutting-edge graphics, and epic storyline and I do not think anyone would settle for less then FMV cutscenes, so that would be a big budget and a big risk to fund.

 

[ChrisReid]

EA's commitment to fmv cutscenes for the C&C series means it's definitely possible for WC, but "nobody would settle for less" is an exaggeration. There's a core of a few thousand people who might be outraged at the change, but the game's real success depends on more than a million other gamers who would be perfectly happy with cgi cutscenes like they see in every other game today.

We definitely wouldn't see branching plot choices in an fmv game today. If that's something you'd like, then your preference should be for a cgi story like mass effect.

We also don't necessarily need another "save earth from a huge Kilrathi fleet" story. WC1 had a great story that made you feel like you were a little part in the middle of a huge galaxy spanning multi decade war. You saw the war from your perspective on your carrier and its success campaigning across the Vega Sector. You could make a game with an amazing story that was all about a destroyer and its half squadron of fighters routing the Kilrathi from the Lesnick System.

 

[Tigerhawk]

WC4 on the PS/3, if downloaded often enough, might also spark there is still money in the license. EA replay featured classics, including 2 wing commander games. A new game would have to live up to it's reputation; It should have cutting-edge graphics, and epic storyline and I do not think anyone would settle for less then FMV cutscenes, so that would be a big budget and a big risk to fund.

I've been out of it for a while...the WC4 you mention downloading on the PS3, is that the branching-watered-down PS1 version (i.e., having to defect to the Border Worlds, no choice but to do the Speradon missions, etc) or the fully-branching, PC-type version?

 

[frostytheplebe]

I've been out of it for a while...the WC4 you mention downloading on the PS3, is that the branching-watered-down PS1 version (i.e., having to defect to the Border Worlds, no choice but to do the Speradon missions, etc) or the fully-branching, PC-type version?

Its the PS1 version. Wait... are you saying in the PC version you don't have to defect? What happens if you dont?

 

[AD]

Its the PS1 version. Wait... are you saying in the PC version you don't have to defect? What happens if you dont?

You don't have to defect the first time... You get to fly a few missions,

Spoiler

even one with seether. Then you are forced to either defect or fight an unwinnable mission where the Lex is destroyed. If you wait till then to defect Vagabond is already dead when you get to the Intrepid.

 

[Nickeninja]

EA's commitment to fmv cutscenes for the C&C series means it's definitely possible for WC, but "nobody would settle for less" is an exaggeration. There's a core of a few thousand people who might be outraged at the change, but the game's real success depends on more than a million other gamers who would be perfectly happy with cgi cutscenes like they see in every other game today.

I for one would be fine with CGI cutscenes, as long as it was well made.

 

[frostytheplebe]

You don't have to defect the first time... You get to fly a few missions,

Spoiler

even one with seether. Then you are forced to either defect or fight an unwinnable mission where the Lex is destroyed. If you wait till then to defect Vagabond is already dead when you get to the Intrepid.

Well... yeah thats how it is on the PSX version too. You don't have to defect, you can stay on the Lex, but the second time you're offered a chance and you refused, the Lexington gets blasted.

 

[AKUMA1]

I reckon if there is enough "demand" for it, then the series may just come back, and why not? It's an expansive universe, you could have some rogue element within the Kilrathi race wanting to kick start a new war....or something along those lines, I always thought having the game based along the lines of Mass Effect in terms of non-flying sections and using the game Ace-Combat from Namco, as a template for the flying sections, and you've got y'self a quite decent combination there to go forward, I hope they do make another Wing Commander game! At the moment I am checking out the walkthrough of Special Operations 1 for Wing commander 2!

 

[JasonRocZ]

I agree with Chris I think it would definitely be much more interesting to have a smaller type of conflict and not some all out war.... I mean let's think about it....

Think of a game like Doom 3. It felt like it was an all out war...but you were only 1 marine on one base.... As long as there is a cool story line then you don't necessarily need some huge all out war type of engagements... (Although one here or there is pretty cool and brings some light to situations)....

What about Privateer.... There was no all out engagements... Granted you were only 1 pilot and you may face a squadron of Dralthi but....You weren't exactly downing Dreadnoughts. But there still was a war going on...

I guess my point is... You can have a pretty cool game when it's more focused on the main character and perhaps a few others, And there can still be a war going on.

 

[Mace]

Wing2 was already putting you in the seat of being the one person who could decide the outcome of the war, since both thrakhath and the emperor have a discussion about you.

A game I like is pacific strike, while you can influence the war, you are never "the main man"

 

[Szegedin]

Remastered versions of Wing 3 and/or 4 would be awesome, using the existing footage and voice assets for cinemas and mission events yet implanting an entirely new flight and graphics engine for gameplay...

mmm 3d cockpits in both WC3 and 4.....yes.

this would be (relatively) cheap and would help suss out how big the market is for space sims.....

 

[ChrisReid]

Remastered versions of Wing 3 and/or 4 would be awesome, using the existing footage and voice assets for cinemas and mission events yet implanting an entirely new flight and graphics engine for gameplay...

mmm 3d cockpits in both WC3 and 4.....yes.

this would be (relatively) cheap and would help suss out how big the market is for space sims.....

If they were to invest in a new development team and engine, they might as well make a new game. A rerelease of the originals for modern systems would also give them valuable info on how popular the series is. Did you pick up Prophecy for the GBA or WC1/4 for the PSP?

 

[Jason_Ryock]

If they were to invest in a new development team and engine, they might as well make a new game. A rerelease of the originals for modern systems would also give them valuable info on how popular the series is. Did you pick up Prophecy for the GBA or WC1/4 for the PSP?

I'm assuming you mean a new Wing Commander game when you say 'make a new game' ...right?

 

[Szegedin]

If they were to invest in a new development team and engine, they might as well make a new game. A rerelease of the originals for modern systems would also give them valuable info on how popular the series is. Did you pick up Prophecy for the GBA or WC1/4 for the PSP?

Hmm I don't have a GBA or a PSP, so no.... - a new re-release does seem like it could be a good way to lay the technological foundation for a new game...

 

[Flashpoint]

Remastered versions of Wing 3 and/or 4 would be awesome, using the existing footage and voice assets for cinemas and mission events yet implanting an entirely new flight and graphics engine for gameplay...

mmm 3d cockpits in both WC3 and 4.....yes.

this would be (relatively) cheap and would help suss out how big the market is for space sims.....

I hope they leave all the previous work alone. I don't wish to curse EA with the same tongue reserved for George Lucas.

If they make a new game, it should be a new game, even if it is a technical reboot.
TBH I think they should just add to the universe.
Go back to the Vega war maybe but onboard a diferent carrier, like the Kipling or something. It would be an easy way to expand the universe whilst not trampling upon established 'history'

 

[Farlander]

I hope they leave all the previous work alone. I don't wish to curse EA with the same tongue reserved for George Lucas.

If they make a new game, it should be a new game, even if it is a technical reboot.
TBH I think they should just add to the universe.
Go back to the Vega war maybe but onboard a diferent carrier, like the Kipling or something. It would be an easy way to expand the universe whilst not trampling upon established 'history'

If you don't want it Lucas-ified then prequels are not the way to go. I already know what happens with the Kilrathi war, and I don't want to play any more games set then. I want to see what happens next. Frankly, I would have liked to see them continue the story with the bugs and make a proper trilogy, although the opportunity for that is basically passed now.

The best thing they could do is go forward with a new war. If they absolutely must have the Kilrathi again, then it should be a second war that happens for some reason. This way they can avoid alienating new potential players, because they won't have to know a bunch of prior backstory and they can satisfy big fans of the series by moving forward. Personally, I'd like to see an entirely new enemy, though, with the Kilrathi being your allies, much like the Vasudans in Freespace 2 or the Klingons in the later Star Trek shows.