Hmm.
I don't think Homeworld was ever really
that huge as a franchise. There's a good reason why #3 kept getting delayed - it was a title that was probably likely to be mildly successful, but nowhere near enough, so development money went to higher priority projects that promised better returns.
However, if there was a time when a Homeworld sequel could conceivably get funded, it's now. This is exactly the kind of project that goes to Kickstarter, since it's one of those half-forgotten franchises that are unlikely to be too exciting for the mass market, but very interesting for the fans of the series. Conquest didn't do well on Kickstarter, but then again - Conquest was never anywhere near as successful as Homeworld.
They mention in the announcement that the first thing they want to do is to make available the "purest" (whatever that means) versions of the original games in digital format. Makes sense, as it gives them a chance to generate some hype before getting into the fundraising.
Of course, I could be wrong about this being a candidate for Kickstarter. The next generation of consoles is coming, and space games always had strong visuals (and relatively low costs), so this is a game that could conceivably be sold to a publisher as a good potential next-gen title.