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There has been much speculation about the next game from Firaxis, especially now that we know they have licensed the highly acclaimed NetImmerse engine. Since that information discovered the titles like SMAC 2, Pirates! 2, and Colonization 2 have all come up. The problem with those titles is that they typically aren’t what the NetImmerse engine is used for. That engine has been used in games like Freedom Force and Morrowind, games with RPG elements.
Now, there has only been one game that Firaxis has been rumored to be producing that would fit that description. It is something that I brought up a while back. About five months ago, there were reports that Firaxis acquired the X-COM license. Even though I brought it to the attention of the ACS community, I believed these reports to be false. Firaxis even denied it. I have since lost all my “spies” from my days at SidGames so I little chance of confirming it. I basically just forgot about it until the news of the engine was released.
I decided to do a little investigating. Soon after I began, to my dismay, I got hard confirmation that Firaxis did not gain the license. Still, I decided to investigate further. I found the truth about the whole situation. It was an evil government, I mean Firaxis, cover-up.
Not all my contacts in the gaming industry have left me. A guy I know who is close to Mike (from Mythos - X-COM UFO/TFTD Developer) gave further confirmation that Firaxis does not have the X-COM license. He did this in a way no one else did. Apparently Firaxis did try to buy the license. Mythos is currently working on another X-COM title though, so this did not work out. So, you are probably thinking we are back to square one - far from it.
Sid likes to make demos of various ideas before they go to full development of a game. In theory, he would have already had written some code for this X-COM game before they decided to buy the license. Sid has been known for scrapping ideas if he doesn’t like them, so this further supports that Firaxis had some X-COM game in the works. I believe that Firaxis did not decide to just scrap this idea though. Firaxis probably would not have enough time between the announcement that they tried to buy the rights and the announcement that they would use a 3D engine to make a whole new title.
The idea for the X-COM game was that it would be like a cross between X-COM and Settlers II. This would make it significantly different from the previous X-COM games (though still keeping in the spirit). That way it wouldn’t be too hard just to call it something else. The NetImmerse engine would also be perfect for this type of game. I tell you friends, this is more important than you realize.
Fans of various forgotten genres, such as the Space Combat Simulation, have always hoped Sid would come along and revive their genre. There is one genre that is in desperate need of help. I’m talking about the turn based RPG. Many X-COM fans were ecstatic when they heard the news that Firaxis might have acquired the X-COM license because they would finally have another X-COM game that isn’t some horrible spin-off. These people trust in Sid because they remember him being popular from the advertisements in their X-COM boxes. This was also largely because people have been awaited a great selling turn based RPG to come along. First I want to mention there is no word that this will be turn based. I am only going on the fact that Firaxis likes strategy and turn based systems and it is hard to have their level of strategy in a real time game. First, people at Interplay have stated that they will not make a Fallout 3 right now because the higher-ups think it will sell bad. If they see a best selling turn based RPG, they said they’d change their minds. Jagged Alliance III, though back in production, faces financing problems and support for it might dwindle for the same reasons there is no Fallout 3. Games like Lionheart are being made solely real time because marketers don’t think turn based systems will sell. This game from Firaxis can very well be what fans of this genre are waiting for. Sid will be hailed as a savior of a dying genre.
Now, there has only been one game that Firaxis has been rumored to be producing that would fit that description. It is something that I brought up a while back. About five months ago, there were reports that Firaxis acquired the X-COM license. Even though I brought it to the attention of the ACS community, I believed these reports to be false. Firaxis even denied it. I have since lost all my “spies” from my days at SidGames so I little chance of confirming it. I basically just forgot about it until the news of the engine was released.
I decided to do a little investigating. Soon after I began, to my dismay, I got hard confirmation that Firaxis did not gain the license. Still, I decided to investigate further. I found the truth about the whole situation. It was an evil government, I mean Firaxis, cover-up.
Not all my contacts in the gaming industry have left me. A guy I know who is close to Mike (from Mythos - X-COM UFO/TFTD Developer) gave further confirmation that Firaxis does not have the X-COM license. He did this in a way no one else did. Apparently Firaxis did try to buy the license. Mythos is currently working on another X-COM title though, so this did not work out. So, you are probably thinking we are back to square one - far from it.
Sid likes to make demos of various ideas before they go to full development of a game. In theory, he would have already had written some code for this X-COM game before they decided to buy the license. Sid has been known for scrapping ideas if he doesn’t like them, so this further supports that Firaxis had some X-COM game in the works. I believe that Firaxis did not decide to just scrap this idea though. Firaxis probably would not have enough time between the announcement that they tried to buy the rights and the announcement that they would use a 3D engine to make a whole new title.
The idea for the X-COM game was that it would be like a cross between X-COM and Settlers II. This would make it significantly different from the previous X-COM games (though still keeping in the spirit). That way it wouldn’t be too hard just to call it something else. The NetImmerse engine would also be perfect for this type of game. I tell you friends, this is more important than you realize.
Fans of various forgotten genres, such as the Space Combat Simulation, have always hoped Sid would come along and revive their genre. There is one genre that is in desperate need of help. I’m talking about the turn based RPG. Many X-COM fans were ecstatic when they heard the news that Firaxis might have acquired the X-COM license because they would finally have another X-COM game that isn’t some horrible spin-off. These people trust in Sid because they remember him being popular from the advertisements in their X-COM boxes. This was also largely because people have been awaited a great selling turn based RPG to come along. First I want to mention there is no word that this will be turn based. I am only going on the fact that Firaxis likes strategy and turn based systems and it is hard to have their level of strategy in a real time game. First, people at Interplay have stated that they will not make a Fallout 3 right now because the higher-ups think it will sell bad. If they see a best selling turn based RPG, they said they’d change their minds. Jagged Alliance III, though back in production, faces financing problems and support for it might dwindle for the same reasons there is no Fallout 3. Games like Lionheart are being made solely real time because marketers don’t think turn based systems will sell. This game from Firaxis can very well be what fans of this genre are waiting for. Sid will be hailed as a savior of a dying genre.
But wrong topic.
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