Microprose is Back

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Torc
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Microprose is Back

Post by Torc »

It seems Microprose is back from the dead. I am wondering if this realistically increases the chances at an official sequel.

Thoughts?

https://hothardware.com/news/microprose ... 40-is-back

https://www.microprose.com/news/microprose-is-back
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Re: Microprose is Back

Post by thunderchero »

they are only interested in flight simulation games
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slickrcbd
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Re: Microprose is Back

Post by slickrcbd »

I'm almost certain I've seen this before a few years ago, or maybe it was another company. Somebody claimed a long-dead '80s game company was coming back, but everything turned out to be vaporware.
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Re: Microprose is Back

Post by thunderchero »

no it is real, they have a facebook page, Wild Bill Stealey‎ is back part of the team. I am even a member of the facebook page and they were posting news yesterday. but everything they are doing is flight simulation.

plus you think CBS would give them rights again? not
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FIXbotfPLEASE
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Re: Microprose is Back

Post by FIXbotfPLEASE »

Torc wrote: Thu May 07, 2020 2:15 pm It seems Microprose is back from the dead. I am wondering if this realistically increases the chances at an official sequel.

Thoughts?

https://hothardware.com/news/microprose ... 40-is-back

https://www.microprose.com/news/microprose-is-back
We dont need a sequel, only to iron out the problems in the original game.
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Re: Microprose is Back

Post by Flocke »

Just out of curiosity I searched the web some little regarding the cbs licensing.
Like with music and other ip protected stuff cbs licenses only last a few years at most and then vanish.
Specially for steam games this shows to become more and more of a problem since the game publishers must renew the ip licenses they use to keep it available.

So even if Microprose could get hold on the source code and botf ip - and they likely have neither of it - they'd rather refrain to renew the cbs license with the little success BotF had when it came out, not to talk of all the effort needed to patch the countless game issues or even think about upgrading the code base to todays technology - it would basically mean to re-program the whole game...

Anyhow, I wonder how cbs determines licensing cost and what other claims they have given the very few and unworthy Star Trek games there are.
See https://intl.startrek.com/licensees in toys & games category there currently are listed:
Cryptic Studios for Star Trek Online, released 2010
Disruptor Beam for Star Trek Timelines, some awful smartphone game from what I see
GameSamba for Star Trek: Alien Domain, uhh some strategy browser game, seriously? oh dear
Interplay Entertainment for their old classic game collection they brought back on steam it seems, including Starfleet Academy and Starfleet Command
SPYR Games for Pocket Starships: STAR TREK Borg Invasion, some expansion pack on their pocket game mmo I never heard of
Ubisoft for Star Trek: Bridge Crew, a vr attempt released 2016

This list of dated and subpar games sounds rather ridiculous to me. It looks obvious that they don't care on game development at all and the very few titles there are likely hope for the massive star trek audience at all cost.
By some read on the net the possible audience correlation with Bridge Crew let them also take off the Star Trek Stage 9 fan project.
By my guess,if newer Star Trek series and films ever become great again, there still likely only will be at most mediocre game titles aiming for the massive Star Trek audience. It's a money driving business and real fan audience is secondary at most.

edit: here some interesting article on Stage9: http://axamonitor.com/doku.php?id=stage_9
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Re: Microprose is Back

Post by Spocks-cuddly-tribble »

Flocke wrote: Sat May 09, 2020 2:44 pmSo even if Microprose could get hold on the source code and botf ip - and they likely have neither of it - they'd rather refrain to renew the cbs license with the little success BotF had when it came out, not to talk of all the effort needed to patch the countless game issues or even think about upgrading the code base to todays technology - it would basically mean to re-program the whole game...
Sadly, elaborating this matter appears to be pointless. The addressed people might understand each word you are saying, but they do not comprehend. It's like a child pointing to the PC's on/off button (in this case the call of the AI process subroutine), unable to comprehend that pointing out this common knowledge won't in any way help to achieve what it wants...
I don't know how many bugs is too many but that point is reached somewhere before however many in BotF is.
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Re: Microprose is Back

Post by Flocke »

don't be so mean SCT :D
like I said I mostly searched the web on that matter out of personal curiosity
just like I posted on your very valid objections on Aralons BOTF guide only to refresh and point out my own rememberings

Beside that I still have full understanding when people have hope Microprose could do anything to help fix BOTF. Afterall they still have the BOTF cover shown along with other old days games on their main site. And yes the very same news on Micropose's return we already had last year and back in 2012 viewtopic.php?f=3&t=2466&start=15#p50388

In the end if you get lucky and make the right contacts, someone might be willing to help. But there is very little to expect given the attempts that have been made in the past. And given what you find on other fan projects throughout the web, publishers rather let software die they can't make any money of.
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