3 Game IP's Microsoft Is Doing Nothing with for Seemingly No Reason

[Squilookle]

Er... Crimson Skies, anyone? It could be the dieselpunk Rogue Squadron/Starfox/Ace Combat that we all need in our lives. Started off so promising with the first game and the second one wasn't all that bad either

Eh... I was thinking about that game but... I already played the heck out of that one too, and the multiplayer combat ultimately came down to the same maneuvers and I don't know... It was a blast while it lasted... But it didn't seem to last for me.

Are you talking about the PC or the Xbox one, though? Because one of them was light popcorn fluff that was fun to play through once, maybe twice at most. The other was one of the best crafted arcade flight combat games ever made.

 

[Arnoxthe1]

Er... Crimson Skies, anyone? It could be the dieselpunk Rogue Squadron/Starfox/Ace Combat that we all need in our lives. Started off so promising with the first game and the second one wasn't all that bad either

Eh... I was thinking about that game but... I already played the heck out of that one too, and the multiplayer combat ultimately came down to the same maneuvers and I don't know... It was a blast while it lasted... But it didn't seem to last for me.

Are you talking about the PC or the Xbox one, though? Because one of them was light popcorn fluff that was fun to play through once, maybe twice at most. The other was one of the best crafted arcade flight combat games ever made.

I played the Xbox version. Why... Are they really that different?

 

[Foehunter82]

2. Freelancer

Developed by Digital Anvil and headed for a time by former Wing Commander developer, Chris Roberts before he later split from the studio, Freelancer went through some rocky development. Further doubts on its quality were also cast on it due to its focus on a normal mouse and keyboard for control of your craft instead of a joystick, the norm for space sims back then. When it finally did come out though, it quickly turned into a greatly loved title that is still played online now, offering an amazing experience that is unequaled even today.

A sequel was in the works, but for whatever reason, was mysteriously cancelled and Digital Anvil was then shut down and we never heard about the game again from Microsoft. Chris Roberts has since moved on to develop the highly anticipated and incredibly well-funded and utterly massive Star Citizen, once again proving that the demand for a good space sim is still there. But Microsoft's response has once again, just been silence. Stubbornly insisting on doing nothing with this gem.

I'm sincerely hoping we see them do something with this or perhaps something involving the star lancer element.
Perhaps the quasi resurgence of space sim/shooter games will be enough to convince them to roll it out.

Much like I'd be happy to see EA do the same with the good old grand daddy, WingCommander.

I could be wrong, but I don't think it'll happen. Wasn't the "Lancerverse" kind of Chris Roberts' attempt to reboot Wing Commander with Microsoft? Things didn't work out, Roberts left, and Digital Anvil was shut down, thus killing the Lancerverse Trilogy before it was finished. I just don't really see it happening without Roberts being involved again. At this point, and I realize it probably won't happen either, I'm kind of hoping that Star Citizen winds up being a good enough game (whether it lives up to the hype or not) that it sets the bar for what a space sim should be from now on.

 

[Chester Rabbit]

Somebody is suffering from the Rareware blues I see.

@CrystalShadow pretty much nailed it. The thing about Rareware is that it was a family run business. Very close-knit. Their development studio was literally a barn where everybody worked in. And the games they made were a product of that environment. When they got bought by MS, things became corporate and that close-knit environment gradually disappeared.

Most of the people who made the games like Perfect Dark and Banjo-Kazooie are no longer at Rare so even if proper sequels were made, they likely wouldn't be anywhere near as good as the originals and certainly wouldn't have the same feel. Yooka-Laylee is going to feel more like Banjo 3 than an actual Banjo 3 made by Rare/MS. That's because a lot of the original team is back together and they're intent on bringing back that close-knit environment.

I don't know, if these projects got handed to teams that would treat them with the same amount of love and care as say Double Helix and Iron Galaxy gave to Killer Instinct. Teams made up of people like us who grew up and adore these IP's. Then I think we could see great things.

 

[Vendor-Lazarus]

At this point, and I realize it probably won't happen either, I'm kind of hoping that Star Citizen winds up being a good enough game (whether it lives up to the hype or not) that it sets the bar for what a space sim should be from now on.

I want to agree with you, but with one simple addition. That you are not forced to play in cockpit-mode only.
Freelancer is good, and has had lots of modding potential but the main reason I'm still playing Freelancer and not another game is the chase cam, and I don't mean the Capital Ship view where you can spin around it freely but simply viewing your ship from behind and slightly above.
It shouldn't be that difficult to let players chose their own preferred view.

TLR ..and that's one big reason why I wont be buying either Star Citizen or Elite Dangerous. ,)
I want my Freelancer 2 dang-dag-nabbit!! ^^

 

[Diablo1099_v1legacy]

Somebody is suffering from the Rareware blues I see.

@CrystalShadow pretty much nailed it. The thing about Rareware is that it was a family run business. Very close-knit. Their development studio was literally a barn where everybody worked in. And the games they made were a product of that environment. When they got bought by MS, things became corporate and that close-knit environment gradually disappeared.

Most of the people who made the games like Perfect Dark and Banjo-Kazooie are no longer at Rare so even if proper sequels were made, they likely wouldn't be anywhere near as good as the originals and certainly wouldn't have the same feel. Yooka-Laylee is going to feel more like Banjo 3 than an actual Banjo 3 made by Rare/MS. That's because a lot of the original team is back together and they're intent on bringing back that close-knit environment.

I don't know, if these projects got handed to teams that would treat them with the same amount of love and care as say Double Helix and Iron Galaxy gave to Killer Instinct. Teams made up of people like us who grew up and adore these IP's. Then I think we could see great things.

I'd like to second this, before Double Helix made KI and Strider 2014, all they did were shitty movie tie in games so it really shows what actual passion for a project can do for a dev team.

 

[Squilookle]

Er... Crimson Skies, anyone? It could be the dieselpunk Rogue Squadron/Starfox/Ace Combat that we all need in our lives. Started off so promising with the first game and the second one wasn't all that bad either

Eh... I was thinking about that game but... I already played the heck out of that one too, and the multiplayer combat ultimately came down to the same maneuvers and I don't know... It was a blast while it lasted... But it didn't seem to last for me.

Are you talking about the PC or the Xbox one, though? Because one of them was light popcorn fluff that was fun to play through once, maybe twice at most. The other was one of the best crafted arcade flight combat games ever made.

I played the Xbox version. Why... Are they really that different?

Yes. Extremely so. This guy sums up the depth of the PC game pretty well:


There's also a lot less of the mechanical worm/spider stuff that made the Xbox game seem like the friggin' Wild Wild West movie.

 

[jklinders]

Freelancer and Starlancer were (and still are) excellent games. I would love to see them get some love today. A few promising contenders came out since but nothing touched their magic in my opinion.

 

[Mikeybb]

I could be wrong, but I don't think it'll happen. Wasn't the "Lancerverse" kind of Chris Roberts' attempt to reboot Wing Commander with Microsoft? Things didn't work out, Roberts left, and Digital Anvil was shut down, thus killing the Lancerverse Trilogy before it was finished. I just don't really see it happening without Roberts being involved again. At this point, and I realize it probably won't happen either, I'm kind of hoping that Star Citizen winds up being a good enough game (whether it lives up to the hype or not) that it sets the bar for what a space sim should be from now on.

You're right on all counts, but if we're railing against microsoft leaving properties fallow, we might as well dream our biggest dreams.

I genuinely loved the lanceverse and the wingcommander setting.
(I even enjoyed Prophecy, though let us not mention the movie ever again.)

Freelancer and Starlancer were (and still are) excellent games. I would love to see them get some love today. A few promising contenders came out since but nothing touched their magic in my opinion.

They really were.
I just hope Foehunter is right in his hopes for star citizen and that the magic touch is still with Roberts.