Homeworld 1&2 HD re-release

[mikeck]

Not sure if you guys saw this, but Gearbox bought the rights to Homeworld 1&2 and is going to release high def versions for windows 7 and 8. No release date yet but as they are not changing the game itself at all, can't be too far off.

http://www.spacesector.com/blog/2013/07/gearbox-to-re-release-homeworld-1-2-and-hd-remakes/

Gearbox Software acquired the Homeworld franchise on April of this year during THQ's bankruptcy auction process. At the time Gearbox stated its intention to "preserve and assemble the purest form of the original acclaimed and beloved games, Homeworld and Homeworld2, with the intent of making them accessible on today's leading digital platforms", which indicated a clear intention by the game developer to re-release the original Homeworld games at some point in the future.

Well, Gearbox has confirmed this intention in PAX Australia by announcing that they will indeed be releasing the original sci-fi real-time strategy games Homeworld and Homeworld 2, the unaltered versions developed by Relic, to be available digitally for Windows PC, reports Polygon.

In addition to the original two titles re-release, Gearbox also announced that they will be releasing high-definition remakes for both Homeworld and Homeworld 2. No details regarding pricing or release dates for either the original unaltered versions or the HD remakes were announced.

[Martok]

Woot!

Gearbox will release high-definition remakes of Relic Entertainment's real-time strategy series for Windows PC, the original Homeworld and Homeworld 2, the company announced at its PAX Australia panel today. The company will also release the original two titles to digital distribution platforms for Windows PC.

Gearbox bought the Homeworld IP for $1.35 million in April, following the approved sale of publisher THQ's games and studios for $72 million in January. At the time, Gearbox issued a statement saying that Brian Martel, Gearbox Software's chief creative officer, only had great love and respect for the Homeworld franchise and "personally spearheaded the acquisition." The company said that preserving the Homeworld games is Martel's highest priority and intends on making "them accessible on today's leading digital platforms."

Developer Paul Zakrzewski launched a Kickstarter campaign to develop a real-time strategy/space combat simulator inspired by the Homeworld series called Void Destroyer. The campaign was successfully funded in June and is currently on Steam Greenlight.

The Relic Entertainment-developed Homeworld was initially released for Windows PC in 1999. The sequel, Homeworld 2, launched for Windows PC in 2003.

[GDS_Starfury]

graphic remakes have already been done for both games.  you can even play the HW1 campaign in HW2.  whatever they do it better be fantastic.

[mikeck]

http://grogheads.com/forums/index.php?topic=6923.0

Beat you to it.

[mikeck]

Can one of you mod types merge this into martoks? Or delete it I suppose

[Jarhead0331]

Can one of you mod types merge this into martoks? Or delete it I suppose

Your wish is my command.

[GDS_Starfury]

I want a toasted bagel with cream cheese.

[Jarhead0331]

I want a toasted bagel with cream cheese.

I said his wish is my command...not yours.  Nice try though.

[mikeck]

I keep Jarhead on retainer for a small annual fee

[GDS_Starfury]

Its going to be interesting to see how and what they update.  In a perfect world they would release 1 and 2 for free to generate interest and then come out with hw3.  Besides a bagel that's what I would want.

[Gusington]

This is automatically more gooder than say the AoEII HD project since the original content is so much more engaging. I say that as someone who used to love AoEII and just was not grabbed by the reintroduced HD version.

[Rayfer]

I never played either game but I seem to remember reading a PC Gamer article many years ago bemoaning the fact that although these games were critically acclaimed by the reviewers and beloved by some gamers, they both were huge disappointments in the overall sales numbers.  Reason cited in the article was that they were extremely difficult, with many gamers unable to get 25% through the games without giving up in frustration.  Word spread and sales suffered. Again, I never played them so I don't really know, this is just what I read.  I would be interested to hear from those here who did play the originals about the difficulty of these games.

[Jarhead0331]

^That's just not how I remember it.  Instant classic from the moment I first loaded it and watched the intro.  Was it difficult? Definitely.  Did this prevent me from feeling HW was one of the greatest games ever released up until that time? Nope.

[Windigo]

Still up there as one of the all time greats.... like Total Annihilation

[GDS_Starfury]

I do not recall it being a flop at all when it came out.  the article you remember my have been talking about homeworld: cataclysm which did get an odd reception as it wasnt made by Relic.