App developer requests crowdfunding for Homeworld franchise
Relic was purchased by Sega during THQ's auctions, but Homeworld seems to have been left out of the arrangement. App developer teamPixel has started a crowd-funding campaign to purchase the rights to Homeworld and continue development.
Relic Entertainment was among the studios picked up in yesterday's THQ auction announcements, having been acquired by Sega. The Homeworld franchise pioneered by Relic, on the other hand, apparently wasn't part of the deal. As a result, mobile studio teamPixel has started a crowd-funding campaign to purchase the IP.
The Save Homeworld project (via Polygon) is aiming for $50,000 with less than two weeks remaining. If it can successfully raise the funds for the property, it hopes to release the original game on digital download services, retrofit the original for touch-based devices, and release Homeworld 3.
"Given the separation of Relic and Homeworld at THQ and Relic's production timetable leaked during bankruptcy proceedings, I currently believe the bankruptcy did not interrupt the production of any unannounced Homeworld games, and it is possible Sega may have no interest in the series either given Relic's recent work," reads a note from lead developer Robert Santos. "If that continues to be the case, we will pursue every avenue toward bringing this franchise back to life."
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replySteve Watts posted a new article, App developer requests crowdfunding for Homeworld franchise.
Relic was purchased by Sega during THQ's auctions, but Homeworld seems to have been left out of the arrangement. App developer teamPixel has started a crowd-funding campaign to purchase the rights to Homeworld and continue development.-
Huh. Kinda interesting? Sounds like they have a touch-control Homeworld-inspired space RTS that they've been working at, and they'd like to refit it with the actual Homeworld IP (and do some stuff with the original games too).
On the one hand, this is not the "well-known all-star developer" that is the traditional dream matchup for reviving the Homeworld franchise. On the other hand, just a digital distribution of the original games would be a good thing, and it could be exciting to also have a well-executed port of those to a touch interface (mockup of that in the pitch video).
At least the campaign description says that they will refund donations if the sale doesn't happen.
I dunno. I'm tempted to make this the first indiegogo project that I donate a bit to, but it feels like a hail mary to hope that anything will come of it.-
Has anyone else made noises about chasing the Homeworld IP?
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there's a similar one called strike fleet omega. it is pretty fun till you get to the point where you feel that you NEED to pay for credits. Do we really want a f2p with microtransactions homeworld mobile game? i'd rather have nothing or let a "big evil corporation" pick it up so something halfway decent and not for mobile platforms comes out.
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I got three stars in every level in that game without paying, except the final mission which I can't pass at all. I figure maybe I could buy some crap because I enjoyed this otherwise free game so much, but lol no that shit is so expensive, the amount it would take to get something useful I could buy something decent off steam even without it being on sale. Fuck microtransactions.
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the phrase "touch-control Homeworld-inspired space RTS" does not inspire confidence, but maybe that's just me.
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I don't get this. Why put my money towards some studio that has nothing to do with Homeworld buying the rights, when it doesn't include any guarantees that they'll make a game in the first place, or that if they do, they'll be anywhere near playable. For all I know, there could be a dozen better studios out there considering purchasing the rights if they are for sale for a price that low. This whole thing reads to me like "Guys, give us money, because Homeworld".
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I would much rather support an effort that would fund buying the Homeworld franchise and converting it to an open source gaming ecosystem. Creative Commons for the writing and art, OGL for tabletop gaming, and so on. That everyone can be free to create a multitude of works in a universe we all know and love.
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