KickStarter Free Stars: Children of Infinity - upcoming Star Control 2 sequel from original creator Fred Ford

[LESS T_T]

At least they get honey

 

[MRY]

One takes the sweet with the bitter.

 

[Taka-Haradin puolipeikko]

 

[LESS T_T]

Duty calls!: https://www.gamesindustry.biz/artic...s-as-it-moves-to-support-call-of-duty-warzone

Toys For Bob reportedly suffers layoffs as it moves to support Call of Duty Warzone
But former worker from Crash Bandicoot 4 studio says it's "not a total shuttering"

Activision-owned studio Toys For Bob has reportedly dismissed an unknown number of staff.

The layoffs appear to have occurred as the developer has shifted to support development for Call of Duty Warzone, having announced its involvement on the game via Twitter yesterday.

Nicholas Kole -- a character designer who was contracted to work with Toys For Bob on Crash Bandicoot 4 until January this year -- shared the news, and called it "the end of an era."

Responding to another Twitter user, Kole added that "everyone I interfaced with and worked along was let go" but added that "it's not a totally [sic] shuttering."

It's not known how many other employees have been affected, although Blake Maloof -- who worked at the studio as a game designer for more than decade -- indicated that they have also been made redundant.

It's also unclear whether Toys For Bob's role on Call of Duty is only for Season 3 of Warzone, or if it's permanent.

GamesIndustry.biz has reached out to Activision for more comment and clarification.

Most, if not all, of Activision's studios now work on Call of Duty, following this shift for Toys For Bob and the decision to merge Tony Hawk's developer Vicarious Visions into Blizzard.

Earlier this week, it was announced Activision Blizzard exec Johanna Faries has taken over as the general manager for the Call of Duty franchise.

Toys For Bob was originally founded in 1989, with 1990's sci-fi classic Star Control as its debut release. It also created and evolved the Skylanders franchise.

In more recent years, the team developed the Spyro Reignited Trilogy, the Switch version of the Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy, and last year's Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time.

Or maybe Paul and Fred will finally answer to the call of the precursors.

 

[Trans-Financial-Man]

I still find it funny that after all was said and done they're not actually doing the project. As I knew was going to happen. They had nearly 30 years to make Star Control 3 but Good. But only kicked up a fuss after someone else made a game. Very sad as I found Star Control Origins to be incredibly bland. But at least SOMETHING was done. Instead of just endless remakes of games my oldest son liked when he was little.

 

[<3sRichardSimmons]

Yeah it really comes off as them being too lazy to make even an ashcan copy so they just lied and invented a theoretical one.

 

[Trans-Financial-Man]

Yeah it really comes off as them being too lazy to make even an ashcan copy so they just lied and invented a theoretical one.

See I'm old enough to remember the discussions on early BBS boards and forums. Whenever anyone asked the duo if a new SC game could be made it was always said there were "legal issues" which is strange considering as part of this messy legal battle Paul and Fred were both certain they had full rights to make a game. So what was stopping them over a 30 year period that changed so suddenly just as someone else starts making a Star Control game? I see some possibilities here.

1. Paul and Fred were honest about "legal issues" preventing them from making their SC game. But that also meant they were aware that they could never make it at any time regardless of how the Star Control rights changed hands and the following lawsuit was always frivolous. No matter the rights changes of the SC property. By Paul and Fred's admission the rights they agreed to over 30 years ago were sacrosanct.
2. They could always make an SC game. But just didn't want to until after someone else started making a Star Control game with their rightfully acquired copyright. Paul and Fred could always make a game set in the Ur-Quan universe but just not call it Star Control. They chose not to.

 

[LESS T_T]

Or maybe Paul and Fred will finally answer to the call of the precursors.

Maybe... https://www.dogarandkazon.com/blog/...ociates-management-enterprises-inc-fame-xy2bh

Official Announcement from Frungy Associates Management Enterprises, Inc. (F.A.M.E.)

For Immediate Release Contact: ZOQ 1-900-PKUNK-RA

Alpha Tucanae I (June 11, 2185 ) - The following statement was released today by PIK, through his personal attorney and business manager ZOQ, Chairman of Frungy Associates Management Enterprises, Inc. ("FAME") located in (Pahoy-hoy City, Alpha Tucanae I) ), in response to questions about his/her/its future career plans:

“I'm back.“

 

[Taka-Haradin puolipeikko]

They're ditched idea of making new SC and are going to make computer game adaptation of finest game this side of Chameleonis-cluster instead?

 

[Elestan]

See I'm old enough to remember the discussions on early BBS boards and forums. Whenever anyone asked the duo if a new SC game could be made it was always said there were "legal issues" which is strange considering as part of this messy legal battle Paul and Fred were both certain they had full rights to make a game. So what was stopping them over a 30 year period that changed so suddenly just as someone else starts making a Star Control game? I see some possibilities here.

1. Paul and Fred were honest about "legal issues" preventing them from making their SC game. But that also meant they were aware that they could never make it at any time regardless of how the Star Control rights changed hands and the following lawsuit was always frivolous. No matter the rights changes of the SC property. By Paul and Fred's admission the rights they agreed to over 30 years ago were sacrosanct.
2. They could always make an SC game. But just didn't want to until after someone else started making a Star Control game with their rightfully acquired copyright. Paul and Fred could always make a game set in the Ur-Quan universe but just not call it Star Control. They chose not to.

Or, you could actually, you know, *read* the documents that came out during the suit, to find out what the legal issues were, instead of spouting half-baked conjecture:

3. In the BBS days, their exclusive copyright license to Accolade was still active (see ¶2), and since it was tied to their royalty payments, they had no way to know when that license would expire. That finally happened in 2001, when Infogrames (Accolade's successor) failed to make the required payment (see ¶37).

There was probably a window, between 2001 and 2005, when they could have legally made a sequel as long as they changed the name to avoid Accolade/Infogrames/Atari's trademark on "Star Control". But at that time, Activision was paying Toys for Bob to do other things, so instead, they open-sourced the game.

In 2005, Activision acquired T4B. After that point, Paul and Fred were Activision employees, and could not work on outside projects without its permission (see Paul's Sep 16, 2013 email to Brad Wardell). In 2017, after they successfully spearheaded the Skylanders franchise, Activision finally agreed to let them go on leave to do an independent project, whereupon they announced that they were going to do a sequel...and were promptly sued by Stardock, dropping the whole thing into legal limbo again.

...until now, it seems.

 

[Radiane]

Sad... But thankfully there already exists a Star Control 3, and it´s probably not as bad as people like to claim. Also SC Origins. And last but not least, there´s always the possibility that Beamdog can make an enhanced SC EE, why not, after all?

Edit: Ok, the Beamdog part wasn´t really meant seriously, but I mean the core game is so good anyway, it´s still a nice game today

 

[Taka-Haradin puolipeikko]

But thankfully there already exists a Star Control 3, and it´s probably not as bad as people like to claim.

It's worse.

 

[MRY]

A man meets an old crone as he walks down the road. “Well, dearie, what will your third wish be?”

“Third wish??”

“Yes, dearie. You’ve already spent the first two.”

“Oh. Well, then, I wish there were a sequel to Star Control II!”

“Funny, that was your first wish.”

 

[Zarniwoop]

Sad... But thankfully there already exists a Star Control 3, and it´s probably not as bad as people like to claim.

Probably?

That sounds like the talk of someone who hasn't played it.

The "sequel" to one of the greatest games ever created, is a buggy mess that fucks up the canon and presents a galaxy full of Jar Jar Binks's played by Sesame Street reject muppets, probably isn't that bad?

Opinions this wrong deserve to be gulag'd.

And Origins?? LOL. A cheap cash-in from a Windows skinning outfit with about as much respect for the source material as the new new Star Wars trilogy.

 

[Radiane]

Yeah... you´re right I haven´t played that game yet, but I intend to one day. Because of all the negative things that people say about that game, I kind of still have hope or wish that it´s at least kind of playable, that´s why I used "probably". Ur-Quan Masters is among my favorite games not without a reason
But you sure should chill out a bit dude

 

[Taka-Haradin puolipeikko]

Yeah... you´re right I haven´t played that game yet, but I intend to one day. Because of all the negative things that people say about that game, I kind of still have hope or wish that it´s at least kind of playable, that´s why I used "probably". Ur-Quan Masters is among my favorite games not without a reason
But you sure should chill out a bit dude

Perhaps some things have to be experienced first hand.

 

[Zombra]

Yeah... you´re right I haven´t played that game yet, but I intend to one day. Because of all the negative things that people say about that game, I kind of still have hope or wish that it´s at least kind of playable, that´s why I used "probably". Ur-Quan Masters is among my favorite games not without a reason
But you sure should chill out a bit dude

Star Control 3 is a perfectly good game in the style of SC2; the main difference is that it wasn't written by Reiche and Ford in the flower of their youthful creativity, in fact not written by them at all. If they called it Joe's Space Adventure instead of Star Control 3, no one would be so very angry about it. Personally I found all the new aliens interesting, and the central concept of the antagonistic Crux coalition was very well done. Not having to spend 60 hours staring at the hyperspace screen was a welcome QOL change. Managing colonies was a weak new filler activity but not time consuming so it's fine. Keep your expectations in check, don't look for SC2 part 2, don't expect to feel exactly the same as you did when you played SC2, and you can get a lot out of it. I played is again a few years back and it's worth your time if you keep an open mind.

Perhaps some things have to be experienced first hand.

Sure, the puppets look goofy, but so what?

 

[Taka-Haradin puolipeikko]

Sure, the puppets look goofy, but so what?

I tried to find videos about "innovative" star map, engaging colony management and story that requires computer assistant to tell player where to go next, but those weren't available.
Besides while goofy puppets could be forgiven; forgiving dialogues and musics requires someone who is much more advanced in path of enlightenment than yours truly is.

 

[Zarniwoop]

Yeah... you´re right I haven´t played that game yet, but I intend to one day. Because of all the negative things that people say about that game, I kind of still have hope or wish that it´s at least kind of playable, that´s why I used "probably". Ur-Quan Masters is among my favorite games not without a reason
But you sure should chill out a bit dude

Star Control 3 is a perfectly good game in the style of SC2; the main difference is that it wasn't written by Reiche and Ford in the flower of their youthful creativity, in fact not written by them at all. If they called it Joe's Space Adventure instead of Star Control 3, no one would be so very angry about it. Personally I found all the new aliens interesting, and the central concept of the antagonistic Crux coalition was very well done. Not having to spend 60 hours staring at the hyperspace screen was a welcome QOL change. Managing colonies was a weak new filler activity but not time consuming so it's fine. Keep your expectations in check, don't look for SC2 part 2, don't expect to feel exactly the same as you did when you played SC2, and you can get a lot out of it. I played is again a few years back and it's worth your time if you keep an open mind.

Perhaps some things have to be experienced first hand.

Sure, the puppets look goofy, but so what?

The puppets look goofy, they disregarded a lot of the story established in the first 2 games (the worst sin of all IMO), and they made pretty much all the alien races complete pants-on-head retards. Even the super mastermind Ploxis. Star Wars got so much shit for one retarded character and this game has a whole galaxy (or quadrant) full of them.

As the saying goes: You never go full retard.

 

[Zarniwoop]

Hurrr hegemoronic kruxxx dismemberify you now durr meesa smart

 

[Zarniwoop]

Yeah... you´re right I haven´t played that game yet, but I intend to one day. Because of all the negative things that people say about that game, I kind of still have hope or wish that it´s at least kind of playable, that´s why I used "probably". Ur-Quan Masters is among my favorite games not without a reason
But you sure should chill out a bit dude

It is kind of playable.

But that's the point. You don't follow up absolutely amazing with "kind of playable if you disregard the previous entry".

 

[<3sRichardSimmons]

Origins writing is definitely better than 3’s for the most part, but the game itself is just utterly fucking bland. It’s almost impressive how Stardock managed to make a game that, on paper, is pretty similar to SC2, but in actuality is vastly inferior in just about every way.

 

[Zarniwoop]

Origins writing is definitely better than 3’s for the most part, but the game itself is just utterly fucking bland. It’s almost impressive how Stardock managed to make a game that, on paper, is pretty similar to SC2, but in actuality is vastly inferior in just about every way.

Agreed on all points.

Just like they managed to make the GalCiv games look great on paper but incredibly boring to play. All civilizations in the galaxy tremble in fear of my Big Laser III and Battleship Construction Optimisation XVII

 

[Cael]

Origins writing is definitely better than 3’s for the most part, but the game itself is just utterly fucking bland. It’s almost impressive how Stardock managed to make a game that, on paper, is pretty similar to SC2, but in actuality is vastly inferior in just about every way.

Agreed on all points.

Just like they managed to make the GalCiv games look great on paper but incredibly boring to play. All civilizations in the galaxy tremble in fear of my Big Laser III and Battleship Construction Optimisation XVII

GalCiv was OK until 2. Then the fucking cunt made it into a 3-year-old's badly written fanfic of itself with slapstick things like "beating innovation out of slaves" nonsense. The stardick must have been fapping to 3 Stooges reruns that night when he wrote that shit.

As for Origins, beating SC3 in terms of writing is hardly a compliment. It was an extremely low bar to beat.

 

[Unkillable Cat]

In Star Control 2 you made the decisions and lived (or died) by them. Unless it was something blatantly stupid like surrending to the Ur-Quan or activating the Bomb, the game would keep going regardless of your actions.

In Star Control 3 you have ICOM, which claims you are the Captain of the Kessari-mission, while simultaneously handing you a list of pre-approved actions. Talk smack to an uppity alien race and you're removed from your post. The End.

(I honestly can't recall whether you ever had freedom of choice in Star Control: Origins.)