***New Update***
During its PAX panel today, Gearbox announced Homeworld: Shipbreakers, a new game being developed in cooperation with Blackbird Interactive.
Blackbird was previously developing the game as a spiritual successor to Homeworld with the title Hardware: Shipbreakers, but Gearbox confirmed today that it will now be released as part of the franchise instead, and Gearbox will provide financial support to make sure the game can be completed and achieve Blackbird's vision.
Shipbreakers joins the previously-announced HD remakes of Homeworld and Homeworld 2 that are currently in development, as well as the "classic" versions Gearbox will be releasing.
Gearbox acquired the rights to Homeworld from THQ in April. The HD remakes are expected to arrive in the first half of 2014.
The debut trailer for Hardware: Shipbreakers, the sci-fi strategy game made by some of the people behind the Homeworld series, shows what can be achieved with just concept art, music and magnificently gruff narration. There’s nary a hint of ‘gameplay’ in this video – which tells the story of a shipbreaker’s desire to return home from a mysterious ‘graveyard planet’ – but it’s comfortably the best trailer I’ve seen all year, evoking the similarly beautiful cutscenes from the Homeworld games. Have a gander below.
We don’t know much about Hardware: Shipbreakers, other than that it’s a “persistent multiplayer” “social strategy game” from Blackbird Interactive, a company made up of former Relic staff, including Homeworld’s art director Rob Cunningham and lead artist Aaron Kambeitz. The description on theFacebook beta signup page reveals a little more: “HARDWARE (HW) is a next-generation online social game based on the concept of salvaging resources on a distant, barren planet named LM-27.” Next-generation eh? So presumably it’s going to be on PS4 or the mythical next Xbox as well.
Hardware: Shipbreakers is due out sometime this year, and after watching the following video, you’ll wish that “sometime” meant “sometime next week”. (Thanks to Kotaku.)
Huh ...
Odd concept that this is a "Social" game.
I signed up just because of the team's history and that I am pretty sure they can bring a good product out.
The visuals/music are flawless as expected, but the trailer says nothing about actual gameplay...so we will have to wait and see. It can easily happen, that despite superb presentation this just wont be a game for me, unlike Homeworld.
MMORTS with social aspects... damn
Right now it looks nice but not for me so feed us more info.
It's Homeworld On The Ground!!!!!
I wonder if its going to be a bit like M.A.X. (Mechanized Assault & Exploration).
It's strange how just a tiny sound can bring you back 15 years in time. I'm talking about the sound that played when you go from tactical to strategic map - "OOommm". That surely must be straight up ripped from Homeworld.
I know what you mean, I had the same thing with the Age of Wonders III announcement video.
The chime at 1:28 brought me right back to the Valley of Wonders.
Gearbox (the ones who won the auction for the Homeworld IP) have signed a deal with these devs. This game is now officially renamed "Homeworld: Shipbreakers".
http://www.polygon.com/2013/9/1/4684456/gearbox-homeworld-ip-hardware-shipbreakers
Wow! That link at Polygon.com has a lot of haters chiming in. I think the prospects are great. But why didn't they kickstart to raise some much needed cash? I just hope they bring this to fruition. I really want to play this.
backs out of the room slowly...
They're bloody lunatics. The devs, the IP, the funding. What looks like a somewhat fresh game idea. What is there to complain about?
Meh, if this is the planet where they found the core and Blackbird was hoping to get their IP all along, then they've basically changed nothing but some script. If they're actually tacking on the Homeworld just to make use of it and the setting bears no relation to the existing IP, it's pretty shallow.
They're still lunatics for getting so excited, but it would be supremely gay if we got another Homeworld game that was completely unrelated and wasn't even in space.
So basically this is gonna be a "homeworldified" version of "Ground Control". Not that it is a bad thing if it is a prequel set on the planet Kharak during the various Kith wars just before the discovery of the Khar Salem. It wouldnt be too difficult to include that lore into the game. It would be better if there was some orbital, or in the Kharak Solar System space combat. Since the Kith clans are not FTL capable just yet.
Since Rob Cunningham is chairing this project i do have some high expectations, but then again i had high expectations for Homeworld 2, and was very dissapointed in its story, and SP campaign. However the game play was pretty solid, and Skirmish was pretty good.
Short if they make a good SP game, and don't screw up the lore, and story then this should fit in just fine despite it being "ground based".
I guess in the long run, we will see how it works out. There is now, no reason to fail in this endeavor. You have the original Dev team and the new owners with deep pockets to bring this game to a slew of new fans...
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