The Ur-Quan Masters Discussion Forum

The Ur-Quan Masters Re-Release => General UQM Discussion => Topic started by: slylandro on April 06, 2012, 10:49:25 am



Title: Star Control III Kickstarter
Post by: slylandro on April 06, 2012, 10:49:25 am
To summarize from the last thread:

Wasteland 2 (http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/inxile/wasteland-2/posts/) and Double Fine Adventure (http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/66710809/double-fine-adventure?ref=live/) Kickstarter projects have been met with a tremendous amount of support (millions of dollars).
Paul Reiche III and Fred Ford (creators of Star Control 1/2) own the IP rights to the series.
An interview with them circa 2011 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mJwUO--Hwmk#t=860s) reveals that they are still quite interested in making another game.
Toys for Bob is owned by Activision and is currently working on the Skylanders series.

I strongly hope that something like a Kickstarter project can come about to realize a new Star Control game. However, I don't know if Toys for Bob, Mr. Reiche, and Mr. Ford are even interested in the idea, or whether it is feasible with regards to their schedule and legal agreements with Activision. I understand that there is a petition (and I signed it several years ago!) but I confess I am ignorant of how things stand now.

I can't see a way to directly contact TfB, Mr. Reiche, or Mr. Ford, but Paul Reiche does have a Twitter:
https://twitter.com/paulreiche3
It seems somewhat inactive, but if he is asked, hopefully he will give us a reply.


Title: Re: Star Control III Kickstarter
Post by: Donnicton on April 07, 2012, 12:56:41 am
In addition:

A new Shadowrun has already met funding goals
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1613260297/shadowrun-returns

A remake of the original Leisure Suit Larry is going at a decent pace as well (unfortunately since it's a remake and not a new game, it's not going as fast as it could be)
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/leisuresuitlarry/make-leisure-suit-larry-come-again

And Big Finish is even going to be attempting a new Tex Murphy game over kickstarter on May 15:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GodOPoyNIYg


Honestly, even pretending the success of Skylanders doesn't exist, there's no further reason that Toys for Bob can't do it short of refusing for the sake of refusing.  The kickstarter will give them a perfect vehicle by which to gauge consumer interest.


Title: Re: Star Control III Kickstarter
Post by: Captain Trivates on April 07, 2012, 08:03:05 pm
Both of you need to look into Project 6014 - we can use all the help we can get and there's already a demo out. There's a thread about it in this forum.


Title: Re: Star Control III Kickstarter
Post by: slylandro on April 08, 2012, 08:01:57 am
Project 6014 looks very interesting; I'm intrigued by the new art and the addition of new (voiced) alien races.

I found an interview c. 2011 with Fred Ford and Paul Reiche, III about a new "Star Control Returns" game.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mJwUO--Hwmk#t=860s

Good news is that they are still interested in making a new one. :)


Title: Re: Star Control III Kickstarter
Post by: Anthony on April 20, 2012, 03:23:37 am
Cool, they're remaking Leisure Suit Larry 1.  Nice to see that Al Lowe is finally getting back into game design.

Paul can be emailed at paul at toys for bob dot com.  I asked him about Kickstarter and here's what he had to say about it:

Quote
Hi Anthony,

Fred and I have definitely talked about the Kickstarter phenomenon and, while it's super awesome to be riding the Skylanders Express Train to Mega-Hit-town, it's also driving us bonkers to know how successful a Star Control kickstarter project would be, but know that we can't pursue it simultaneously.  I am literally holding my hands up in the air, clenching and unclenching my fingers in frustration...  and somehow, also typing -- it's a miraculous gesture!


Title: Re: Star Control III Kickstarter
Post by: Arne on April 24, 2012, 03:48:51 pm
The guys behind Space Quest might be up to something too, but perhaps not using KS. They've been sorta vague.

https://twitter.com/#!/andromedaguys (https://twitter.com/#!/andromedaguys)


Title: Re: Star Control III Kickstarter
Post by: Vindicator on April 25, 2012, 03:45:07 am
This is it. It's now or never. I've got $100 lined up if they can start a Kickstarter.

I am willing to fund a project that won't even start for another 6 months or a year, if time is the issue. Does Kickstarter allow for long-term projects?

Every gaming site from Rock Paper Shotgun to TIGS will go nuts, as will sites like 9GAG.

(Still loving Project 6014, by the way)

EDIT: Then again, if it's a legal issue, I can see their problem. Creative solutions are something I'm willing to support.


Title: Re: Star Control III Kickstarter
Post by: slylandro on April 25, 2012, 06:51:10 pm
Quote
we can't pursue it simultaneously

Thanks for contacting them. Skylanders 2 is supposed to release Fall 2012.

The best thing we can hope for (it's certainly tenuous) is that once they're finished with it, they'll consider developing SC.

The announcement would be just in time for SC2's 20th anniversary!  ;D

SC2 is older than I am, and I'm a poor student. But I'd certainly donate $100+.


Title: Re: Star Control III Kickstarter
Post by: Zathri on February 10, 2013, 05:25:59 pm
Kickstarter might work, but they may need to break away from Toysforbob. The Longest Journey just kickstarted. http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/redthread/dreamfall-chapters-the-longest-journey


Title: Re: Star Control III Kickstarter
Post by: Steve-O on February 10, 2013, 05:53:49 pm
Kickstarter might work, but they may need to break away from Toysforbob. The Longest Journey just kickstarted. http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/redthread/dreamfall-chapters-the-longest-journey

Well, that's exciting news.  Longest Journey is another of my all-time favourite games.
Anyone here who's never heard of it, I strongly recommend looking it up.  Great story, fantastic music, etc, etc.

As far as Star Control goes, I'd love to see a new official game made, just like everyone else here.  I'm guessing Paul and Fred aren't going to break off from TfB just to make it happen, though.  Making a new SC game is great and all, but I'm guessing they don't want to jump off the Skylanders bandwagon either.  Can't say I blame them for that. =P


Title: Re: Star Control III Kickstarter
Post by: danzibr on February 20, 2013, 11:45:24 pm
Man I've seen some ridiculous kickstarters.  As in like, ridiculous amounts of money.

I would certainly put in some dollahs.


Title: Re: Star Control III Kickstarter
Post by: onpon4 on April 06, 2013, 06:38:49 pm
Personally, because of my views on software and freedom, I would only support a Star Control III crowdfunding project on the promise that the game be made free software, where "free" refers to freedom, not price (or "open source", since that's usually the same thing in practice). Frankly, that would be a perfectly good business model, anyway; just make the funding goal something large enough to give the developers a proper wage and there's no reason the result shouldn't be given back to the community that paid for it.


Title: Re: Star Control III Kickstarter
Post by: CelticMinstrel on April 11, 2013, 10:51:18 pm
Kickstarter might work, but they may need to break away from Toysforbob. The Longest Journey just kickstarted. http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/redthread/dreamfall-chapters-the-longest-journey
Don't you mean break away from... was it Activision? I forget...


Title: Re: Star Control III Kickstarter
Post by: Steve-O on April 14, 2013, 03:56:16 pm
Don't you mean break away from... was it Activision? I forget...

If they wanted to use the actual name "Star Control" for such a project, they would need to get the rights for it back from Accolade.  That's the one thing that isn't open source, and Accolade seems to be holding onto it with an iron death grip for nothing better than spite, from what I can tell.

However, TFB as it's own company is more than just Fred and Paul these days so they'd probably need to break off from their own company as well if they wanted to do something like this.  TFB is currently knee deep in Skylanders, to my understanding.