Star Controller

Playing the first level in the Light campaign.

It’s that time again.  E3 is coming up in less than a week and all of the sources of video game news and media will be there to see what developers and publishers have planned in the future.  Some websites have early access to E3 and are already uploading E3 videos.

I haven’t seen every single E3 video out there.  So far, the only E3 video that reminded me about Star Control is a game called Jumpgate Evolution which is a sequel to their first game, Jumpgate.  It is being developed by NetDevil.  The have plenty of experience with MMOs prior to Jumpgate Evolution.  I looked at some older gameplay footage, which showed a player controlling a ship directly in 3D space and firing lasers at various targets.  The E3 trailers also reminded me of EVE Online.

I e-mailed Alex asking if there were any plans for Toys for Bob to attend E3.  He replied that they “probably won’t be attending E3 or showing anything.  Probably next year’s E3 though.”  Darn!  I was hoping that we could see a glimpse of what the are working on.  We’ll just have to wait a little bit longer.

I started to wonder.  Are there any developers who will be at E3 that have some kind of connection to TFB?  After skimming my Google Reader I realized that React! Games will be attending E3.

We’re getting ready for E3 now…we’ll be going and showing our latest version of the game to press and portals…so hopefully we’ll have many more sites that will distribute our little game.
- React! Games DEVblog

They have finished Archon Classic for the PC a long time ago.  I’ve been meaning to write about it for some time and I’ve just been occupied with other stuff.  I recorded myself playing the first level in the campaign.  I used  a keyboard and mouse to play and it is also compatible with the Xbox 360 controller.  They have recently added their game to Impulse, a digital distribution service made by Stardock.

I still notice the same trend many of us have been talking about for years: old games are coming back in a new shape or form.  2K Games is working on a FPS version of XCOM and it interests me.  I’m curious to see how they will translate the turn-based strategy to a first-person perspective.  They previously worked on both BioShock games and I have faith that they can pull it off.  3D Realms has announced that Duke Nukem Manhattan Project will be coming to Xbox Live Arcade.  A new 2D Sonic the Hedgehog game is also being made.  Monkey Island 2: LeChuck’s Revenge will have a high-definition remake.  With this growing trend, it should be easy to add Star Control to the list of HD remakes.

In summary, there is a very incredible amount of trailers and articles available for an event that is officially starting in a few days.  Even though TFB is not on the list, we may see something that may have a striking similarity to Star Control or anything else related to TFB.  React! Games will be there to show off their new Archon game and I hope they get a fair share of the spotlight.  With Microsoft and Sony showing off their new motion controls, the video game industry is starting to change in many ways.

Links
Jumpgate Evolution – PAX 2008 Gameplay
Archon Classic – Finally on Impulse
List of Exhibitors in E3

Tags: Thoughts, Videos by Anthony Suarez
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I’ve been watching Twitter for anyone tweeting about Star Control and I’m starting to notice that people are starting to see a resemblance between the 2012 Olympic mascots and a beloved race from Star Control II:

Do you see it?  They resemble the Spathi.  Although one could argue that any alien with a giant eye can look like the Spathi.  In fact, the player doesn’t see much of them in the game, other than an eye and purple arms:

From what I’ve read about previous mascots, these mascots seem to be designed with a family friendly image and usually ignored and criticized for their quirky appearance.  Their names are based on the town and village Much Wenlock and Stoke Mandeville.  Each character has their own Facebook and Twitter page.  There is even a background story claiming that they have been formed from the last 2 drops of steel used for building the Olympic stadium in London.  It even goes as far to say that their shiny metal surfaces is a metaphor that they reflect the people.

To be honest, I don’t pay much attention to the Olympics.  I think it’s a very epic international event and it’s amazing to see how far fans will go to support their favorite countries.

It’s interesting that there are people who notice the similarity and are willing to tweet about it.  I’m not exactly sure if this can be used to promote a new Star Control game.  It does show that the Spathi are highly memorable, just like the Prinny (Diagaea), Chocobo (Final Fantasy) and even the Companion Cube (Portal).  I’m still dreaming of the mass-production of a Spathi plushy.

I remember a long time ago, there was an announcement that Pluto is no longer considered a planet.   A thread on the UQM forums called “Pluto is no longer a planet.  Poor Fwiffo” was made.  Fwiffo represented the humorous side of Star Control and was more complicated than just plain “comic relief”.  I remember when I first encountered Fwiffo, I felt a bit of tension while convincing him to join my side.  He didn’t simply switch sides; I had to convince him that he was alone and that I was powerful; I felt unsure that I would be successful and felt a sense of joy when I finally succeeded.  He even gave a clue about the location of the Syreen that some people may have missed.

In conclusion, I do see a similarity between the Spathi and 2012 Olympic mascots.  Maybe this is a sign that we’ll start seeing more things that remind us of Star Control.  If it is, I wonder what could happen next.

Links
London 2012 Mascots
A Tweet about the Mascots and Spathi

Tags: Thoughts by Anthony Suarez
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