`possibility` Is All For Now

[Brundlefly]

This is one big load of BS. Just come out and say "No, we're done with SMAC", Sid. No need to be diplomatic.

Several members of "PC Gamer Podcast"`s (PCGP) audience want to know if game developer Firaxis Games will be re-visiting the Alpha Centauri universe and make a sequel to this, a little space conquest game in the words of one of PCGP`s co-hosts. The person in the hotseat is Firaxis` Director of Creative Development and one of its founders, Sid Meier. Well, it`s certainly a possibility, he begins. [A] great game, a really interesting take on the whole Civilization approach to things... an exciting new world to put it in... it was a really fun combination.

Unfortunately, we have a lot of ideas and a limited amount of time and people to make games, so we`re trying to make the ones that we think will be the most fun for people. Alpha Centauri is certainly a game that we were very proud of, and may be able to re-visit sometime in the future.

The PCGP podcast Meier appeared on and released earlier this week was focused on Firaxis` up-and-coming Civilization IV title. PCGP is the podcasting division of the Brisbane, California-based magazine PC Gamer. AC was released by Firaxis under the Electronic Arts publisher label in 1999 followed by its expansion Alien Crossfire later that year.

[Darsnan]

Re: `possibility` Is All For Now

Unfortunately, we have a lot of ideas and a limited amount of time and people to make games, so we`re trying to make the ones that we think will be the most fun for people.

If the "correlation of forces" in Firaxis' decision matrix favors a great game over generating a larger return on investment, then Firaxis will definately "revisit" Alpha Centauri. If the correlation of forces favors generating more revenue over remaking a great game, then they probably won't.....

What with TTI's current economic status, as well as their say in what projects Firaxis works on, why I will probably opt for the latter.....

Anyways, my $0.02 on the subject....


D

[Senethro]

Ambiguous though it is, that kind of language is probably the most accurate way of describing the position on the game.

To be quite honest, I'm pleased that theres no short term plans for a smac sequel as I would like the SMACmod for Civ4 to not have an official competitor

[Illuminatus]

Originally posted by Senethro
To be quite honest, I'm pleased that theres no short term plans for a smac sequel as I would like the SMACmod for Civ4 to not have an official competitor

According to Apolyton tradition, QFT.

[gbrut]

If CIV 4 is as moddable as is rumored, the only hope for the fans of SMAC is to make a return trip ourselves. Time and again SMAC has rated high among reviewers and in polls, but it has been abandoned for the sure thing. Every version and CIV pretender will stay on the title like leeches until they've wrung it dry of its lifeblood. There is nothing wrong with CIV, but ever since I first picked up SMAC, I saw in it a game not quite like any other. I was just playing it and still feel the same way. Brian Reynolds did everything right and it has always remained on my hard drive. At least it is still there to enjoy.

[Darkstar]

The Civ4 Expansion 1 is guaranteed one of the two projects. What the second one is though? They'd have to buy back the name "Railroad Tycoon" from PopTop games. Could be done, of course.

So, I'd expect the second actual project that makes it through the process will be a Civ4 Expansion 2, rather then Pirates 2 or SMAC 2.

Here's to the Apolyton Civ4 SMAC Mod!

[PJayTycy]

About Railroad Tycoon and Poptop :
=> Phil Steinmeyer started Poptop a few years ago to make Railroad Tycoon 2 and bought the name from Sid
=> They created RT3 2 years ago and it was not such a huge succes.
=> Phil left the company after RT3's release
=> Poptop has no real interest in Railroad Tycoon anymore. They were working on an expansion, but they suddenly decided to release it for free (+/- 300 MB), together with a "final" patch and that's the last word we heard from them about Railroad Tycoon.
=> Poptop is wholly owned by Take2, so Take2 is the effective owner of the "Railroad Tycoon" name
=> Firaxis is currently using Take2 as its publisher...

[Sikander]

You forgot to mention that RR Tycoon 2 & 3 suck. They look a lot better than the original and have some good ideas, but the gameplay doesn't hold a candle to RR Tycoon.