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[Lime]

A lot of other minors IPs will go on sale later. Be patient, people!

The good thing about these guys is that they have a lawyer participating in the legacy IP auction, so we will get an update on who will end up with Homeworld IP, regardless of the closed nature of such auctions (read Nirolak's post in the Sega buys Relic thread).

I just hope it doesn't end up like System Shock 2

 

[Takao]

gaf let's start a kickstarter to buy deblob and udraw from thq's corpse

just port udraw games to ios

big money

 

[Macca]

This is doomed to fail. If by any stretch of the imagination they manage to pull together a decent amount of money, a publisher will surely see this as a sign of interest and just bid over it.

For example, if they manage to raise 500k, that would obviously mean there's a pretty good amount of interest in the IP, there's noway someone with more money would pass that up.

 

[Aegus]

The entire release of HW1 and 2 on digital platforms is pretty shady tbh. Where does the money go? I'm not putting in some cash so some people, who have nothing to do with the games, can eventually profit off of other people's work.

If they want the IP they can buy it themselves.

 

[DBT85]

Perhaps just a vociferous Twitter campaign at Sega to do the right thing.

I've both all three on disk on my shelf, but I'd much rather have them linked to my Steam account as well.

 

[Burger]

Who in their right mind thinks you could get anything close to the Homeworld IP for a paltry $50,000?

If I had that kind of cash lying around I would buy it myself and put it on steam for $5. And sell keychains and t-shirts obviously.

 

[nickcv]

i added your major findings to the OP, shagg

 

[Lime]

i added your major findings to the OP, shagg

To be fair to their project, it might be a bit misleading to discredit their capability as game developers, as their first and primary goal is to obtain the IP to release it on GOG and Steam. This shouldn't require industry experience.

Meanwhile, the high ambition to develop Homeworld 3 is laughable and shouldn't be given any serious consideration. They won't even manage to reach the suggested tier for that ambition to be fulfilled, as you can see.

 

[Thraktor]

Who in their right mind thinks you could get anything close to the Homeworld IP for a paltry $50,000?

If I had that kind of cash lying around I would buy it myself and put it on steam for $5. And sell keychains and t-shirts obviously.

Someone posted up details of the Acclaim bankruptcy auction, and a huge number of their franchises didn't even get the minimum $5000 bid. In fact, for all we know the only reason Homeworld is up for auction in the second round is that there were no bidders for it in the first round (which is the case for Vigil, for example).

 

[Lime]

Perfect. Sega/Relic will never let an IP like Homeworld be acquired by anyone else. Even THQ went through a yearly long process before they got the rights to Homeworld.

Are you sure? Because SEGA didn't pick up the IP during their acquisition of Relic.

 

[mclem]

Is there any possibilty of CDProjekt looking into this themselves? After all, they know what their audience wants, they have a bit of money squirrelled away...

It'd probably not lead to a Homeworld 3, of course - their skills lie elsewhere - but it should secure the fate of the originals.

 

[nickcv]

To be fair to their project, it might be a bit misleading to discredit their capability as game developers, as their first and primary goal is to obtain the IP to release it on GOG and Steam. This shouldn't require industry experience.

Meanwhile, the high ambition to develop Homeworld 3 is laughable and shouldn't be given any serious consideration. They won't even manage to reach the suggested tier for that ambition to be fulfilled, as you can see.

on the other hand i think people deserve to know who are they giving their money to.

 

[PaulLFC]

Be aware this is a flexible goal, so whatever you contribute, they get, even if they don't hit the total.

 

[Lime]

on the other hand i think people deserve to know who are they giving their money to.

Of course, I'm certainly not saying it shouldn't be disclosed. Just saying that having it without any context or explanation in the beginning in your OP might make people misinterpret or ignore the project's primary intention to release the games on GOG and Steam.

But I guess it's their problem for being so terrible at communication.

 

[GungHo]

Endless Space says hi. Or did you think for a moment this will be on consoles?

Endless Space is not an RTS. The empire/galaxy view is turn based with a paper/rock/scissors card game to determine combat outcome. Sins of a Solar Empire is an RTS, however, albeit a slow one.

 

[Glass Rebel]

Are you sure? Because SEGA didn't pick up the IP during their acquisition of Relic.

They couldn't have picked it up anyway because it was not up for sale at this specific auction.

 

[Lime]

They couldn't have picked it up anyway because it was not up for sale at this specific auction.

That's true, I forgot the explicit statement by Robert Santos.

Be aware this is a flexible goal, so whatever you contribute, they get, even if they don't hit the total.

That being said, they are offering money back guarantee if they don't get the IP. Whether or not they will live up to that promise is another matter.

 

[deim0s]

Leave Homeworld to the big boys.

Spoiler

I do hope Relic will get it from THQ. Annnd don't spoil it with a touch interface. chrissakes!

 

[Parallacs]

I don't see this series as dead. If there is a market, it will eventually come back. No one ever thought Duke Nukem Forever would come out but it did...

After the massive WiiU release news yesterday, I can't help but ponder a Homeworld 2 WiiU.

I think it would be so cool. Put pause on a shoulder button, but make almost everything else touch. Or button, either control scheme would work. The map system would need some work but I could see it happen.

 

[vidcons]

"And what do teamPixel intend to do with Homeworld? Their plans are threefold. First, to release the original games on GOG and Steam to ensure the series will “no longer be confined to scratched CDs and illegal file sharing”."

To be fair, the coolest thing about piracy is the internet's preservation of things that are fucked by copyright laws. Finding an abandonware torrent with 54 seeds is a special connection with 54 dudes who think so highly of that forgotten game that they refuse to remove it from their client.

 

[mingus]

I don't see this series as dead. If there is a market, it will eventually come back. No one ever thought Duke Nukem Forever would come out but it did...

After the massive WiiU release news yesterday, I can't help but ponder a Homeworld 2 WiiU.

I think it would be so cool. Put pause on a shoulder button, but make almost everything else touch. Or button, either control scheme would work. The map system would need some work but I could see it happen.

An all-touch interface would be pretty wonky if you're trying to navigate in three dimensional space. Even using the mouse was a little hard, I have to constantly adjust my camera angle to make sure my ships were staying in a dust cloud.

 

[Lime]

To be fair, the coolest thing about piracy is the internet's preservation of things that are fucked by copyright laws. Finding an abandonware torrent with 54 seeds is a special connection with 54 dudes who think so highly of that forgotten game that they refuse to remove it from their client.

So true. Unfortunately Homeworld isn't abandonware (yet), so it would still be classified as piracy

That being said, the games wouldn't get much exposure or recognition on an esoteric torrent tracker, as they would on e.g. GOG or Steam.

 

[epmode]

So true. Unfortunately Homeworld isn't abandonware (yet), so it would still be classified as piracy

The term abandonware is nonsense. It's all technically piracy even though a game's distribution rights may be in limbo. The morality of downloading such games is another story.

 

[sflufan]

Is there any possibilty of CDProjekt looking into this themselves? After all, they know what their audience wants, they have a bit of money squirrelled away...

None whatsoever.

CDP needs every bit of money it can get for development of Cyberpunk and The Witcher 3. Hell, they're looking for a publisher for TW3.

 

[CpmPanda]

They're confident enough to take this head on, they're passionate enough to devote their time and skills to doing this. What gives most of you the right to judge and act as if you know what's going to happen? You go to the future and come back after seeing what happened?

The fact is, we're all video gamers and though you're all taking this serious and that's a good thing, means you all care too, doesn't mean you get to mess up a dream another individual has. If you don't want to give them any donations, share the damn thing at least. You're not losing anything and you can be damn sure guys like this are in it til the end.

It's amazing how the internet bashes, judges, and down right obliterates anything they don't agree with.

 

[Lime]

They're confident enough to take this head on, they're passionate enough to devote their time and skills to doing this. What gives most of you the right to judge and act as if you know what's going to happen? You go to the future and come back after seeing what happened?

The fact is, we're all video gamers and though you're all taking this serious and that's a good thing, means you all care too, doesn't mean you get to mess up a dream another individual has. If you don't want to give them any donations, share the damn thing at least. You're not losing anything and you can be damn sure guys like this are in it til the end.

It's amazing how the internet bashes, judges, and down right obliterates anything they don't agree with.

I think it is because the people involved in the project lack the experience, know-how, and talent to take care of a cherished IP like Homeworld. Nor do they have the right to build upon other people's hard work, in which they haven't contributed anything.

I don't think any of the criticisms are levelled at the heart of these guys, but unfortunately they should be realistic about this endeavour:

• The competitors in the legal auction will have much more money in their bank than a platry 50k if they want to overbid these guys
• Getting the rights is one thing - gathering the source code, assets, textures, sounds, etc. could prove to be quite an undertaking
• Saying they want to create Homeworld 3 is simply offensive, when they don't have the experience to show for why they should be honored to accomplish that task.
• Additionally, 750k as a goal for developing Homeworld 3 is simply too small and unrealistic.

I admire the heart of these guys, but they need to be realistic about this and reflect on why some fans of Homeworld simply do not wish for these guys to take care of the IP.

 

[Lime]

If the guys really wanted to do this fundraiser as efficiently and acceptable as possible, they should have:

• Contacted a lot of the key members of the Homeworld team. Get them on board, let them be the frontmen. If not, have them officially approve of the project.
• Started by simply aiming for obtaining the Homeworld IP. Their only goal should have been to get these games released digitally. DO NOT make lofty goals or even talk about making Homeworld 3.
• Be clear in their communication, do a more well-produced pitch video, and offer rewards or the like for the backers
• Show that they will and are legally obliged to hold the promise of a money back guarantee. That would instil much more confidence into the project.
• Promise to use the money earned from selling the Homeworld games on GOG and Steam to re-pay the backers.

After that, they could look at translating the games into a touch interface. And if that is sufficiently successful, they could get a lot of people with proven credentials and experience to help support a potential Homeworld 3 game.

That would be my recommendation to these guys if next time they want to be more serious about approaching their goals in a more realistic way.

 

[Lime]

Sorry for the triple posts in a row, but there's a new interview with the Robert Santos guy:

GamesBeat: Our understanding is that teamPixel wanted to buy Homeworld, but you had to wait because THQ will sell it in a separate process. Is that right?

Rob Santos: This is correct. We tried getting the bidder qualification process started a few weeks before the Jan. 22 date for the first auction. We jumped through a few contacts in the associated law and banking firms, and when it became apparent none of our interest was in the larger properties or studios, we were told to sit tight for further information regarding THQ’s legacy assets. This furthered our desire for a SaveHomeworld.com campaign because it became apparent at this point that Relic would not be keeping the Homeworld IP, at least according to the contacts we spoke to. For weeks, we sat waiting and hoping the information was wrong and that Homeworld did stay with Relic, but when word leaked that legacy IPs were still being held with THQ, we launched our campaign hoping to provide an indie-solution to the 10 year wait for more Homeworld.

GamesBeat: You have a goal of $50,000. Will this likely be your maximum bid?

Santos: We’re trying to position ourselves as a messenger through which fans can collectively express their desire for future Homeworld games. I have to state it this way because the SaveHomeworld.com cause can’t be quantified purely through dollar amounts. We’re trying to be very sensitive to the deeper intentions of our contributors. Most fans that donate to us send their best wishes to our indie studio but also state they wish Relic were involved. With this in mind, if we arrive at the auction and find ourselves bidding against a Relic representative, it’s likely we’d withdraw through whatever legal means available during auction proceedings. So far, that’s the feeling I’m getting from our contributors about what they want.

GamesBeat: Is this Indiegogo campaign more about raising awareness for the game than it is about winning the property? Could you be getting a bid in with hope that a larger developer raises it and scoops up the IP?

Santos: In my opinion, there’s definitely a “David vs. Goliath” feeling about the whole campaign. Most rational people will probably think it’s ridiculous to even try, and they are probably right, but we push forward because we really believe fans deserve a chance to fight alongside each other for the future of this franchise. With these in mind, I believe the campaign is half awareness of the 10-year wait fans have endured and half an offering to have an indie studio helm the franchise. In the end, we’re fans just like everyone else, so not a day goes by where we don’t look toward Relic or Blackbird Interactive wondering if they’ll step in. We’re not adamant that the next Homeworld be made by teamPixel. Rather, we’re dedicated to promoting a future for the franchise, and releasing our own space RTS somewhere along the way.

 

[mantidor]

I wonder who their contacts are, it is disheartening to hear Relic is not intending to bid, Sega should really step up.

 

[SappYoda]

Why do they need the homeworld license at all?

Just make a homeworld-like game and call it with another name. Afterwards, market it as a spiritual succesor.

On the other hand I would instantly buy homeword if it appeared on gog.

 

[Haunted]

GAF should buy Homeworld.

For us, not some indie company I've never heard of.

 

[Alexios]

I'd pledge for CDProjekt to buy it and offer the games for free and maybe make a sequel later.

 

[Lime]

Update: Apparently they are trying to use Kickstarter this time around:

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/teampix/homeworld-touch-ios-android-and-homeworld-3-pc-mac

(Our IndieGogo campaign is separate and those rewards do not apply to Kickstarter contributors. See the new rewards!)

First, a huge thank you to nearly 500 contributors so far who have already raised $14,000+ during and after our original IndieGogo campaign last month! To this day, we're still receiving above-average donations from fans of that campaign! http://www.indiegogo.com/save-homeworld

We've been working every single day during and after the IndieGogo campaign to continue raising company, lender, and investor funds. We expect to be a major player in licensing Homeworld for future productions.

Despite coming in below its financial goal, our IndieGogo campaign was still an unexpected success given the rushed circumstances: It generated several thousand tweets, over 25,000 YouTube views (with 100+ likes and ~75 comments), over 260,000 distinct Google Page Results of journalistic and fan commentary/discussion specifically about our campaign, and nearly 500 donations. These combined with countless messages from fans illustrate the multi-cultural impact Homeworld has had and the global backing from our contributors around the world!

All of our IndieGogo contributors will automatically be enrolled in the appropriate rewards tier in this Kickstarter campaign. If multiple rewards are applicable, we'll contact you for your choice when the time comes for fulfillment. The IndieGogo rewards do NOT apply to Kickstarter contributors. If you're donating again to reach a higher reward, we'll put out a survey to aggregate your contribution with your IndieGogo donation.

Our IndieGogo campaign was set to Flexible Funding because that gave us the option of adjusting its End Date based on the THQ auction. Unfortunately, an auction date wasn't announced in time, so we allowed that campaign to expire, but we're back with a more defined path forward.

Risks and challenges Learn about accountability on Kickstarter

We've done everything we can to shield contributors from any financial risk in this campaign (See our money-back guarantee above). While teamPixel is already deep in production of gameplay prototypes, Homeworld and its history pose a unique legal landscape which may complicate license acquisitions and access to some legacy Homeworld materials. Subsequently, the degree to which we can execute some of our goals also depends on THQ's legal ability to assign us the rights to do so given that the franchise has been handled by no fewer than 5 separate companies in its history. For example, while one challenge is licensing the right to make future games, we may have to renegotiate with a separate entity regarding reusing older game assets (i.e., due to music licensing, etc.) Rest assured, that we have been as involved as possible in Homeworld's legal situation and will keep fans apprised of any complications and our solutions should they arise.

 

[Tenrius]

What happened to the franchise, though? Wasn't there an auction scheduled or is it still too early?

 

[Lime]

What happened to the franchise, though? Wasn't there an auction scheduled or is it still too early?

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=516356

 

[Tenrius]

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=516356

April 15, then. Thanks.

 

[scorpscarx]

They just wrote an article on how to get the originals working in widescreen. I've been searching for a while to get these working with most sites having wrong and incorrect information. The bad news is it doesn't seem to be able to go past 1920 1200 for me but I'm guessing it's something to do with the type of card you have.

Still this is the most detailed information anywhere on getting the Homeworld games running in widescreen, so that's awesome for them to write this up.

Also they are nearing the 50k goal, 5k left, 6 days.

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects...s-android-and-homeworld-3-pc-mac/posts/433551