As the winter holidays loom in the distance and the snow gently falls to the ground here in Milwaukee, I've got to shovel. Shoveling snow isn't a problem aside from the fact that it's 15 degrees outside at the time of this writing (with a balmy wind making it –10). At least the gaming is still hot. So is the news. Let me regale you with tales of Wing Commanders, religious Nukems, French invasions and, of course, November's PCDATA list. Read on, it's warm in here.
Game Quote of the Week: “I am Charnel, God of Strife, Lord of Slaughter, Master of Death. Where there is pain, I am there. Where there is suffering, I flourish. Where there is joy… yes, well, one could hardly have joy without another's suffering, no?” ~ Charnel from Sacrifice
Not long ago Microsoft rejected a 100% completed game. It was notable because the game in question was only the second title from a hot new development studio called Digital Anvil. A studio helmed by Wing Commander gaming legend Chris Roberts. The title, Conquest Frontier Wars was an RTS space empire builder sort of game and it apparently was not good enough for Microsoft.
The new news here is that maestro and horrible film director Chris Roberts has been removed (or removed himself) as CEO and Microsoft has acquired Digital Anvil outright. Roberts claims he wasn't fired, he says he was simply dissatisfied with running a company and that he wanted to pursue other avenues. Perhaps this is true, but the cancellation of a completed game, the mediocre and underperforming StarLancer and the repeated delays of the anticipated Privateer-like FreeLancer, it sounds like MS couldn't take the studio's money-bleeding ways lightly any longer.
Digital Anvil will continue onward under Microsoft's watchful eye, Conquest and Loose Cannon will revert to the shareholders and will probably be released by some other company. The fate of young Erin Roberts (Chris' brother and designer of both Privateer 2: The Darkening and the aforementioned StarLancer) is questionable at this time. Roberts (Chris) reports that he'll serve as advisor for FreeLancer until it's completed and that he plans on pursuing more game development and film-making projects. Let's hope he's kidding about the film-making projects.