"We're not doing a real successor to Tribes," project director Tim Aste explained to Shacknews in a comprehensive interview. "If we succeed in having the same sort of spirit of innovation and focus on fun gameplay [as Tribes and other games], then that's an accomplishment we'll all feel proud of."

Founded by members of original Tribes developer Dynamix, GarageGames is developing Fallen Empires for its upcoming InstantAction platform, a web-based game portal aimed at both casual and hardcore gamers.

Along with GarageGames CEO Josh Williams, Aste elaborated on a number of previously-unknown specifics, including details regarding multi-directional jet-packing, user-generated content, an intitial lack of vehicles, the forthcoming public beta test, and the eventual free demo.

"All of our games will have a free to play component so you can try before you buy," explained Aste. "The first hit is free because we're street like that.

"We are constantly interacting, lurking, and reading what people think in many communities, and the Tribes community is no different," he noted. "However, we are game designers first, and want to create a compelling fun experience."

For more details and some Alpha-level videos, check out Shacknews' conversation with Williams and Aste.