HOMEWORLD: SHIPBREAKERS is a prequel to the original 1999 real-time strategy game HOMEWORLD. It is being funded and published by Gearbox, but before you set yourselves on fire and hurl yourselves from the nearest tall building, they're not actually making it. The people making it are Blackbird Interactive, founded in 2007 by a large number of the people who made the original HOMEWORLD game. The original art director, music director and several of the same writers are on board.
Even better, HOMEWORLD: SHIPBREAKERS has already been in development for three years under the title HARDWARE: SHIPBREAKERS, with a large amount of work already done. An early alpha video of the gameplay can be seen here. According to the team, they always had a secret plan to turn HARDWARE into a new HOMEWORLD game if the rights situation permitted, and actually approached THQ (the former rights-holders) in 2010 with this plan. They never heard back from them and it looked like HARDWARE would have to be a new (though very similar, aesthetically) IP. Fortunately (erm, for HOMEWORLD fans anyway), THQ went bust at the start of this year and the IP was snatched up by Gearbox. Gearbox, showing welcome self-awareness, realised they didn't know a thing about making strategy games. They contacted Blackbird, initially to see if they could track down the original HW and HW2 source code (they did) and then began discussions over this project. They signed the final deal live on-stage at the PAX Dev conference a few days ago.
As a prequel to HOMEWORLD, SHIPBREAKERS will likely be set on Kharak, the desert planet the Hiigarans were exiled to thousands of years ago. HARDWARE was set on a desert planet and had different mercenary groups fighting to loot a number of alien wrecks on the planet. As a HOMEWORLD prequel, SHIPBREAKERS will likely change this to have the different kiith (Hiigaran clans) also in conflict over resources, possibly not crashed spacecraft (in HOMEWORLD there was only one, the Khar-Toba) though they may retcon things to keep them in.
Gearbox will be funding SHIPBREAKERS, so it's likely that the game will have a much bigger budget than previously anticipated. Crucially, HARDWARE was going to be a free-to-play, multiplayer-focused game. Whilst not confirmed, it seems to be expected (especially given the 'prequel' line and the fact that the HOMEWORLD games have always been single-player focused) that the game will now incorporate a single-player, narrative campaign.
As well as releasing SHIPBREAKERS, Gearbox will also create and release new versions of HOMEWORLD and HOMEWORLD 2. These new versions will incorporate both the original games, simply updated to work on modern OS (and also on tablets), and HD remakes with modern, updated graphics and control schemes*. It is likely that if all of these are successful, a 'proper', space-set HOMEWORLD 3 may also follow.
No release date has been set for any of these projects yet.
* The source code for HOMEWORLD: CATACLYSM - the excellent stand-alone expansion to HOMEWORLD - has apparently been lost forever, so it can't get the same treatment. However, it may be possible for them to simply re-release the original game with advice on how to get it working on modern systems, GoG-style.
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One of my favorite games.
Some colleagues of mine bid on the rights, and while I would love to have seen them get it, I'm even happier to see some of the original developers working on the game. Pity about the Cataclysm code, but as good as that expansion was, I never got used to the "cubic" presentation of the sensor range.
I miss homeworld 2 something fierce. I should break it out and install it on my XP computer.
I tried to play homeworld once. It was too difficult for me, though I liked the principle idea. Hopefully this one will have a dummy version :)
I think it was as simple as they could possibly make it. In fact, HW1 was pretty minimalist in its UI and complexity (HW2 went a bit overboard). So I think the answer will be no for the remakes.
SHIPBREAKERS will be planet-bound, so it should have a more traditional RTS interface with less emphasis on three-dimensional space.
I never got used to the "cubic" presentation of the sensor range.
This may be thirteen years too late, but you know you could turn that off, right? ;)
mothership!
Gearbox did a live community presentation panel thing today. Some interesting new information:
The original composer from HW1 and 2 has been re-recruited. They've successfully found all of the audio files from both games (music, voice, ambient, sound effects etc) and are upgrading both to modern standards. They're also rejigging the music cues and triggers in the HD versions to be more responsive to changes in stuff going on in the game.
For the HD versions (but not the 'classic' ones, which are simply going to be the originals re-released and made compatible with modern OS) they're also going to change the 'collect resources' bit at the end of each mission. They don't want to make people wait 25 minutes or more whilst they painstakingly harvest everything on the map as in HW1, but they don't want to have an easy 'instantly collect everything' mode as in HW2. They're still looking at how to do this and want feedback on their forums.
SHIPBREAKERS will definitely now be set on Kharak, the planet the Hiigarans are exiled to and was briefly seen at the start of HOMEWORLD. The F2P model is dead and gone, but they have not yet confirmed there will be a full SP campaign. They are also now using unused concept art from HW1 and 2 to help design some of the units in SHIPBREAKERS.
SHIPBREAKERS will definitely be released on Steam, but they are taking feedback on how to approach boxed copies. Limited edition boxed copies with model HOMEWORLD spaceships included were popular with the audience, but may not be practical.
Gearbox lift the lid on HOMEWORLD REMASTERED.
They confirm they are going above and beyond the call of duty. They are upgrading the ship models as well as the textures, putting in upgraded music and changing the gameplay so you don't have to sit around waiting for harvesting any more. They are also redoing all of the cut scenes at a much higher resolution and the games will support resolutions up to 4K (!).
The original, unaltered (but compatible with modern OSes) games will also be included for the purists.
No new news on SHIPBREAKERS, but it's starting to look like a 2015 release.
Oh, and you can vote on whether you want a 12", light-up model of the Mothership included in the Collector's Edition.
Gearbox lift the lid on HOMEWORLD REMASTERED.
I want this so bad.
HOMEWORLD REMASTERED will be released on 25 February.
Looking brilliant so far.
Nice!!!
OMG that trailer...it looks beautiful!
Stunning and awesome to see it return after 15 years. Always considered it to be Relic's best games, even with the Warhammer and Company of Heroes games in their stable.
Woah indeed, Werthead. Makes me wish that I had a (much) newer computer. Sadly, my aging XP machine is all that I have for now.
It's out and pretty good. It's visually stunning and very impressive. Gameplay-wise, moving HW1 into the HW2 engine has resulted in a few minor issues (HW1 is a hell of a lot easier with strike groups) but they've maintained the atmosphere which is the key thing.
My review of HOMEWORLD REMASTERED. That took a bit longer than expected, but they took a while to fix some of the more egregious bugs. Should be fine now.