[DysprosiumJudas]

So we all know that a Freespace 3 isn't anywhere in the near future, but I certainly would like to have my hands on a copy of FS3 at some point before I die. As such, I took some time out and intimated that desire to Interplay and got the following response.

"We haven't announced anything regarding Freespace 3. We're fans of the game, and would like to make one someday, but there are other games we have to work on first. The more we hear from people about Freespace, the more likely a Freespace 3 will happen." - Chris Taylor

As I'm sure many of you would be interested in a third Freespace, how about taking a minute out of your day and giving Interplay a quick request for Freespace 3? If the company gets a decent influx of requests for the game, I'm sure we can bump up the priority of FS3 from a "make someday" to a "project that needs to be pursued as soon as a team is free".

The link is here: http://interplay.com/support/customer_service.php

Just click on that, put in your name and email, and write a quick message saying that you would enjoy a Freespace 3, and you will have done your part in making the GTVA live once more.

[QuantumDelta]

The uhh, problem is most of us want Volition to make FS3.

[DysprosiumJudas]

That's kind of silly, don't you think? Especially considering that FS2 was made 11 years ago -- how many of the same employees do you think still work at Volition 11 years from the release of FS2, and, more poignantly, in the undetermined expanse of years it would take for Volition to get the Freespace rights? How many new employees have joined since then? I'd be surprised if you could get more than several names on the credits of both FS2 and FS3!

Let's be realistic here, mate. It's either Interplay, or it's nothing, so what's wrong with Interplay? Blind loyalty to a brand-name that has long since morphed into an entirely different entity than the one behind FS2 will get the series absolutely nowhere. Is sabotage your aim, sir?

[Scotty]

If it's Interplay or nothing, I'd rather take nothing.  Interplay is trying to build a reputation of making ****ty games lately.

Volition or bust.

[General Battuta]

If it's not :V:, it's not FS3.

The people who worked on FreeSpace are still at Volition and have said again and again that they'd love to do an FS3. Apparently it comes up every year at their company meetings.

[Dragon]

It would be great if they released their storyline and supported a fan project to bring that script to FS2Open.
If there was anyone here who personally knows somebody from , they should talk about it.
I'm sure that a lot of people would volunteer for the project if it ever was created.

[QuantumDelta]

Been explained enough for you yet?

'sides, it ain't the storyline that made FS so damn great.

[TopAce]

'sides, it ain't the storyline that made FS so damn great.

Depends. The more I look into the story of FS2 the more I get the feeling that it contributed a great deal to making it a great game, especially for critics who have a keen eye to it, and can draw a lot of comparisons. Of course gameplay was great too, and there's moddability, which made sure that we'll be here 11 yrs after its release.

[The E]

That's kind of silly, don't you think? Especially considering that FS2 was made 11 years ago -- how many of the same employees do you think still work at Volition 11 years from the release of FS2, and, more poignantly, in the undetermined expanse of years it would take for Volition to get the Freespace rights? How many new employees have joined since then? I'd be surprised if you could get more than several names on the credits of both FS2 and FS3!

Let's be realistic here, mate. It's either Interplay, or it's nothing, so what's wrong with Interplay? Blind loyalty to a brand-name that has long since morphed into an entirely different entity than the one behind FS2 will get the series absolutely nowhere. Is sabotage your aim, sir?

Please do the research. As General Battuta said, most of the people who worked on FS2 are still with Volition.

All you're going to achieve is to spam some email inbox at Interplay's marketing department. There won't be another big space sim in the FS2 vein until someone proves that games like that are commercially viable. And as this genre has been all but dead for years now, I think the only thing that would prove that is some indie game that becomes a runaway success. Get that done first, then maybe someone will do something with the FS IP.

[Snail]

Interplay has just been making really **** games lately. Volition is the company that has been making top-notch games like RF:G and Saints Row 2 recently. Interplay has been teetering on the edge of bankruptcy for the past decade, and I have no clue why anyone would want to hand over such a promising game series to those guys.

Volition has repeatedly shown that FreeSpace still has a place in their heart. All Interplay would do is milk it and then decapitate the whole thing.

[MatthTheGeek]

I think snail has summed up the problem perfecly.

[Rodo]

Well... I don't know.... I think I would buy FS3 even if it came from Interplay, of course I would love it to be from , but.. well.

[Galemp]

Best thing you could do for FreeSpace would be to buy it from GoG. Every sale is worth ten letters, for as much notice the investors are going to give it. Hell, I bought FS1 for the third time just so I could have it available to download from GoG's servers.

And for the record, I agree with Snail. When is ready to pick up the IP again, they'll get it from Interplay. They know where we (the community) stand.

[Snail]

Reminding Interplay of FreeSpace is actually very, very low down on my list of things to do. Think of it, Interplay has in the past shown absolutely zero interest in the game series except for the dollars it brings in. Let's not forget that they didn't support FreeSpace 2 with even a single minute of advertising, going as far as getting the system specs on their website wrong. And don't forget that they actually mistook an Inferno R1 screenshot for FreeSpace 2 vanilla. These guys don't have half a clue what they're doing.

The best thing that can possibly come out of reminding Interplay that FreeSpace exists is them handing it over to one of their godawful in-house developers who can only **** it up.

[BlueFlames]

As I'm sure many of you would be interested in a third Freespace, how about taking a minute out of your day and giving Interplay a quick request for Freespace 3? If the company gets a decent influx of requests for the game, I'm sure we can bump up the priority of FS3 from a "make someday" to a "project that needs to be pursued as soon as a team is free".

*Sigh*

Yet once more....  It doesn't matter how much Interplay or Volition want to make FreeSpace 3.  The FreeSpace IP is split between the two companies.  Volition has the exclusive development rights, and Interplay has the exclusive publishing rights.  Since Volition is wholly owned by THQ, they're not going to be able to go forward with development, since THQ will not want to fund development of a game that its direct competition will have to publish.  Even if there was mutual willingness to overcome that hurdle, Interplay is in no position to publish games catering to such a small niche market as "space shooter fans."

Of course, it's also worth noting that all Interplay's been able to put out since 2004 are a repackage of previously-developed games (Fallout series), a console port (Wii version of Descent 1), and a lot of hot air about sequels for which they intend to develop (MDK, Earthworm Jim, Descent, etc., etc., etc.).  The only full development they have underway is the Fallout MMOG, and a pending lawsuit threatens to shut that down.

But if you want to send your e-mail to Interplay, go right ahead.  While you're at it, send one to Electronic Arts to ask them to stop making the same four games with new titles over and over again each year.  Maybe fire one off to Activision to ask them to stop engaging in Stalinesque purges of their development houses too.  Community outcry's been so effective in those cases that clearly Interplay would bow to the will of incoming e-mails as well.

[Bonehead]

Personally, I would like FS3, even if from Interplay.  However, I have a better alternative to the one suggested by OP.  Let us (the 'community') buy the license from Interplay for ourselves.  It shouldn't cost too much - only about a couple hundred thousand $.  So if there's 1,000 community members, everyone gives 3,000$ or whateveer and there you go.  Then we will give the license to Volition, Inc.  completely free of charge on the condition that they make FS3 in the foreseeable  future.  And problem solved!  The only, tiny little problem might be accumulating the necessary cash.  But that's a detail.

[Titan]

The only, tiny little problem might be accumulating the necessary cash.  But that's a detail.

Only a wee little one. 

[Snail]

Personally, I would like FS3, even if from Interplay.  However, I have a better alternative to the one suggested by OP.  Let us (the 'community') buy the license from Interplay for ourselves.  It shouldn't cost too much - only about a couple hundred thousand $.  So if there's 1,000 community members, everyone gives 3,000$ or whateveer and there you go.

...

I wouldn't trust Goober with that amount of money.

(J/K GOOBER I'LL PAY UP JUST DON HURTS!)

[Galemp]

Let us (the 'community') buy the license from Interplay for ourselves.  It shouldn't cost too much

Do you really think, after ten years, that you are the first person to suggest this?

I recommend all interested parties read Karajorma's FAQ page on FS3 and that this thread be consigned to the dustbin.

[Droid803]

Right and where am I going to magically find $3000?