Author Topic: Interplay IP being sold (including Freespace)  (Read 30957 times)

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Offline mjn.mixael

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Re: Interplay IP being sold (including Freespace)
As I said earlier, if the bundle that Freespace is being sold in also includes Earthworm Jim, then we haven't got a hope in hell of raising the money we'd need.

On its own, I think an estimate of 100k is in the right ballpark for FS2. That's completely beyond the abilities of HLP to raise. We could try raising the money with the idea to make the game freely available but we'd need to know what contract exists with Steam and GOG.

100k seems really high? They just got "the rest of the rights" in 2013 for 7500. I mean I guess they could have had 92.5k worth of previous rights, but it still seems a bit high to me.
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Re: Interplay IP being sold (including Freespace)
That's pretty much what happened, the $7500 was for a minor part of the IP.
The good Christian should beware of mathematicians, and all those who make empty prophecies. The danger already exists that the mathematicians have made a covenant with the devil to darken the spirit and to confine man in the bonds of Hell.

 

Offline Trivial Psychic

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Re: Interplay IP being sold (including Freespace)
How about if whoever bought the rights to the story IP, instead created an RTS based on it.
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Re: Interplay IP being sold (including Freespace)
Actually i am surprised that Freespace is in the same tier as Earthworm Jim at all.

I mean.. i can't remember that Freespace is a so well-known and strong IP. As far as i know, both games were very unsuccessful at the market.

If you ask people about space-simulations, the first answer you get is Freelancer, than Wing Commander or X-Wing/TIE-Fighter and after that maybe you hear something about Freespace, maybe even after the X-games.

It is completely different to Earthworm Jim with its iconic characters or Descent for the ground-breaking introduction of the 6-DOF genre.

But nevertheless, i am able to imagine a Freespace game for Mobile. Anyone played StrikeWing?
It is a good playable mobile space combat game. This would also work within the Freespace universe.
« Last Edit: September 15, 2016, 05:22:26 am by Deepstar »
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My english isn't very well, so sorry for a few mistakes.

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Offline The E

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Re: Interplay IP being sold (including Freespace)
Actually i am surprised that Freespace is in the same tier as Earthworm Jim at all.

I mean.. i can't remember that Freespace is a so well-known and strong IP. As far as i know, both games were very unsuccessful at the market.

Whenever a site writes an article about spacesims, FreeSpace will be mentioned in the article itself or its comments. It is a regular guest in "best spacesims" or "best games" lists, so there's definitely some recognition there.

It also generates revenue through GOG and Steam (According to SteamSpy, both FS1 and FS2 sold about 20000 copies on Steam; this equates to about 140k USD in revenue)
If I'm just aching this can't go on
I came from chasing dreams to feel alone
There must be changes, miss to feel strong
I really need lifе to touch me
--Evergrey, Where August Mourns

 
Re: Interplay IP being sold (including Freespace)
Actually i am surprised that Freespace is in the same tier as Earthworm Jim at all.

I mean.. i can't remember that Freespace is a so well-known and strong IP. As far as i know, both games were very unsuccessful at the market.

Whenever a site writes an article about spacesims, FreeSpace will be mentioned in the article itself or its comments. It is a regular guest in "best spacesims" or "best games" lists, so there's definitely some recognition there.

Yeah i know that, but regardless of the press, within players this game was always very unknown.
Freespace is also mentioned in nearly every "Best games no one has ever played" list :).
Shivan here, Shivan there, Shivan everywhere.

My english isn't very well, so sorry for a few mistakes.

FreeSpace Let's Plays on my Channel:
| The Great War | Silent Threat | Operation Templar | Silent Threat: Reborn | Shivans - Phantoms | Shivans - Echo Gate | Shrouding the Light: Origins | Shrouding the Light | Cardinal Spear | Cardinal Spear: Vega | Awakenings | The Destiny of Peace | Between the Ashes: Mefistofele

 

Offline Klaustrophobia

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Re: Interplay IP being sold (including Freespace)
Freespace got some recognition due to being the successor of sorts to decent.  It was really the only space sim I even knew about.  X-wing/tie fighter series too I guess, never played them though.  Wanted them when I was younger, but didn't have a joystick then.  I started to hear about freelancer from players in FS2, but even when I went looking I couldn't find anything about it.  Still to this day I know next to nothing about it.
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Offline Singh

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Re: Interplay IP being sold (including Freespace)
I have received a reply from Wedbush. The current sale is for the entire portfolio catalogue. Not even individual leagues, but the entire thing.

I have requested more information on the auction process and time scales.

I believe if we run a kickstarter to bring all of Interplay's IPs into the public domain, it will have a very good chance of success. If nobody volunteers, I will plan to run this; however I am not sure how viable it would be given I live in Dubai.
"Blessed be the FREDder that knows his sexps."
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Dreamed of much, accomplished little. :(

 

Offline Goober5000

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Re: Interplay IP being sold (including Freespace)
It's certainly worth a shot.  And by all means, step up and see how far you can take this.  Try contacting other game industry folks with connections as well; you never know who might be able to help you organize, publicize, or lawyer...ize.

Heck, if you get this rolling, you will at the very least deserve a new custom title. :D

 

Offline karajorma

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Re: Interplay IP being sold (including Freespace)
Problem with a kickstarter is going to be, what if we raise the money we ask for but then get outbid by someone else?
Karajorma's Freespace FAQ. It's almost like asking me yourself.

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Offline Droid803

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Re: Interplay IP being sold (including Freespace)
Then it all gets refunded?
You don't have to pay the money on a failed bid...
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Offline Goober5000

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Re: Interplay IP being sold (including Freespace)
He means what if the Kickstarter reaches the threshold and the money is paid out, but some other party bids more than Kickstarter raised.

In that case, I would suggest refunding all backers, less Kickstarter fees.  Backers should understand that they are assuming a certain degree of risk.

 

Offline karajorma

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Re: Interplay IP being sold (including Freespace)
Yeah, that's what I figured we'd have to do. But if there was a way to get the fees waived, it might be worth looking into.
Karajorma's Freespace FAQ. It's almost like asking me yourself.

[ Diaspora ] - [ Seeds Of Rebellion ] - [ Mind Games ]

 

Offline Singh

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Re: Interplay IP being sold (including Freespace)
I've started up a new thread for specific auction information here:

http://www.hard-light.net/forums/index.php?topic=92557.msg1830006;topicseen#msg1830006

The long and short of it is that the bidding ends on the 27th of September. That is very little time to raise a kickstarter for this, but would it be worth a shot?
"Blessed be the FREDder that knows his sexps."
"Cursed be the FREDder that trusts FRED2_Open."
Dreamed of much, accomplished little. :(

 
Re: Interplay IP being sold (including Freespace)
This is a stupid idea unless you have any industry experts with a good idea of what might be bid to run it.
The good Christian should beware of mathematicians, and all those who make empty prophecies. The danger already exists that the mathematicians have made a covenant with the devil to darken the spirit and to confine man in the bonds of Hell.

 

Offline JGZinv

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Re: Interplay IP being sold (including Freespace)
If you don't get it there's no harm in trying.  Singh man my respect. 
True power comes not from strength, but from the soul and imagination.
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Re: Interplay IP being sold (including Freespace)
Well there sort of is harm if we give Kickstarter tens of thousands in fees to make a bid that never had a chance to succeed.
The good Christian should beware of mathematicians, and all those who make empty prophecies. The danger already exists that the mathematicians have made a covenant with the devil to darken the spirit and to confine man in the bonds of Hell.

 

Offline The E

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Re: Interplay IP being sold (including Freespace)
The problem is more that we would have to come up with an amount large enough to win the bid, convince whoever runs the show to accept said bid, then run a successful kickstarter for that amount plus all the fees involved.

There are so many ifs involved in this that it is unlikely that this attempt will succeed, especially against other bidders willing to fork over money right now.
If I'm just aching this can't go on
I came from chasing dreams to feel alone
There must be changes, miss to feel strong
I really need lifе to touch me
--Evergrey, Where August Mourns

 

Offline Singh

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Re: Interplay IP being sold (including Freespace)
(updating the other thread as well)

I have received an official invitation to bid for the IP. Unfortunately due to the time frames involved, an Indiegogo or Kickstarter campaign would be very difficult, since they would payout later than Oct 17th, which is when the company requires for this entire thing to be closed. There is also the very good chance that Interplay can simply outright refuse to sell the entire rights should we make a bid.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B0moObeV64NAQWJwcDZWc20tazQ/view?usp=sharing

I am going to attempt to make a bid anyway. Unfortunately, due to the nature of the sources of where I'm getting funding from, it makes things a bit complicated in regards to what I can do with it over the long term, since I would need to recoup the initial cost. It is very likely under such an arrangement that the goal would be to put these games on steam or Good Old Games in some form at a reasonable price and gradually recoup the initial cost that way.  However that is assuming such a bid be successful, which is likely to not be. We shall see.

If anyone wishes to help, I need a firm commitment towards this. I cannot place a bid, then should it by some grace of Cthulhu become successful, not have the funds available at all. I cannot however ask for help morally without pointing out the fact that any initial costings (especially for legal fees, contract courier costs, etc) would be recouped and putting things into open domain may not work immediately to that. 
"Blessed be the FREDder that knows his sexps."
"Cursed be the FREDder that trusts FRED2_Open."
Dreamed of much, accomplished little. :(

 

Offline jr2

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Re: Interplay IP being sold (including Freespace)
You're going to need to spread the word about this elsewhere if you want help.. Any forums dedicated to any of the IPs being sold might help.  Also any general gaming forums.

Tough to get it all pulled together on such short notice though.  I know Huggybaby was into SEO last time we were talking, and you could see if hip63 has more connections over at OpenPlanes forums etc etc (hip63 put together the Installer DVD, very professional looking, user-friendly deal, and as close as we've gotten to a retail-quality installer for FSO by a long shot - Google hip63 SCP DVD if you haven't seen it already).

Too bad we don't have like 2-3 months to prepare, then I think that even if we failed to win the bid, we'd have a lot of positive attention just from the effort to make it succeed.  Which would be awesome.  :onecandreamright: