Interplay Planning Descent 4?

Kyouryuu · Post by **Kyouryuu** » Thu Apr 15, 2004 8:35 pm

According to PlanetDescent, GameSpy is reporting that Interplay is planning to make a revival by producing sequels to many of their previously popular games. Names kicked around have included Descent 4. Says GameSpy:

Finally as part of the SEC filing and a conference call today, Interplay announced that it plans to work on several high profile game sequels and will focus on bringing most of the new titles to next generation consoles. Names thrown around by Interplay included Fallout 3, a new Dark Alliance game, a Kingpin sequel for PC and Xbox, Airborne for the PS2, a Descent sequel, a new Earthworm Jim game, and a new Exhaulted title. Since 66 percent of net income for Q4 2003 was based on console games, it's pretty obvious why Interplay would focus its energies in that space.

Interceptor6 · Post by **Interceptor6** » Thu Apr 15, 2004 8:58 pm

whoa...

that is great news. Its still not confirmed though, so we won't know too much for a while.

But man that is cool.

Liquid Fire · Post by **Liquid Fire** » Thu Apr 15, 2004 9:00 pm

Excuse my cynicism, but I'll beleive it when it's on my hard drive and not before.

Defender · Post by **Defender** » Thu Apr 15, 2004 9:31 pm

I don't find this to be any good news.
Neither Outrage or Volition will be developing it.
I see this as a large problem as it will probably be a commercialized POS barely like anything that has come before.

But, I do hope I was wrong.

Warlock · Post by **Warlock** » Thu Apr 15, 2004 9:59 pm

here we go agen

Duper · Post by **Duper** » Thu Apr 15, 2004 10:43 pm

<-- crosses his fingers and hopes for the best. Meantime plays Babylon 5 "I've Found her".

It's an awesome B5 space sim. The Starfurys Slide!

Nitrofox125 · Post by **Nitrofox125** » Thu Apr 15, 2004 10:51 pm

I think it would have to be a Descent 5 thanks to Sage here

CritterB · Post by **CritterB** » Thu Apr 15, 2004 10:51 pm

They are obvious;ly trying ot go cheap and make some money especially if this http://www.gamespot.com/news/2004/04/15 ... 93683.html is true

bash · Post by **bash** » Thu Apr 15, 2004 11:11 pm

It's total bull. He's just trying to stay afloat so he's throwing whatever he can out as a way to convince his creditors not to break his knees.

Sage · Post by **Sage** » Thu Apr 15, 2004 11:23 pm

Nitrofox125 wrote:I think it would have to be a Descent 5 thanks to Sage here

lol hahahaha it makes me feel happy.

I still haven't made the final expansion pack (Descent 4 Titans of the Universe)... Interplay is trying to one-up me! lol

no seriously, if they are making a new Descent this is great! MORE N00BS FOR US TO EAT!!!

yumy.

Tyranny · Post by **Tyranny** » Thu Apr 15, 2004 11:30 pm

I agree with Bash on this one.

*cues "Things that make you go hmmm - C & C Music Factory" music*

Duper · Post by **Duper** » Thu Apr 15, 2004 11:34 pm

just had a thought .....

A console D3.

From what we know, a new Descent installment would require permission from Parallax. ... and we know THAT's Not going to happen.

However, they DO own enough copyright to publish a D3 console version .... *sigh* .. I didn't want to think this.... :\

Ferno · Post by **Ferno** » Fri Apr 16, 2004 1:13 am

descent on a console.

nope, only a fool would try to make that happen.

thing is, if the rights or some such were transferred to the community, we'd have quite some leverage against interplay.

CDN_Merlin · Post by **CDN_Merlin** » Fri Apr 16, 2004 5:39 am

Rumours on Interplay's forums is it will be for the console.

JMEaT · Post by **JMEaT** » Fri Apr 16, 2004 6:34 am

If they can't pay the rent how are they going to publish a game?

Topher · Post by **Topher** » Fri Apr 16, 2004 7:00 am

Must...have...Freespace 3....

CDN_Merlin · Post by **CDN_Merlin** » Fri Apr 16, 2004 7:10 am

D3 made more $$ than FS2 did so it would be dumb to make FS3.

Warlock · Post by **Warlock** » Fri Apr 16, 2004 8:54 am

Ferno wrote:descent on a console.

its not all that bad i have descent for my PSX and once u get the controls setup right and a nice confee controler its prity nice

Warlock · Post by **Warlock** » Fri Apr 16, 2004 9:15 am

wait

IP cant make Descent4 unless THQ agrees cause IIRC they bought out PLX ,Vol and OR so they hold a big part of the rights

MD-2389 · Post by **MD-2389** » Fri Apr 16, 2004 10:16 am

Personally, I'm not holding my breath.

Kyouryuu · Post by **Kyouryuu** » Fri Apr 16, 2004 10:48 am

Ferno wrote:descent on a console.

nope, only a fool would try to make that happen.

More like only a fool would ignore the console market.

The numbers speak for themselves. PC games have faced declining sales and are a $1 billion industry these days. It may seem like a lot, until you realize that the console industry is going strong with over $10 billion in sales and rising. People largely don't want to invest in $300 top-of-the-line video cards and hardware when they could just buy a console dedicated to playing games. I think in the PC market, we're seeing a lot of lag. There are thousands of gamers left playing Half-Life and Unreal Tournament - graphically primitive to their new equivalents - who have no intention of upgrading to the latest and greatest and who settle for "I don't have a machine that can run it, so I'm sticking with the old version." These people would be far more likely to buy a console - such as an Xbox - to play games like these because they know an Xbox can handle whatever graphics the game throws at it and has multipalyer support.

Aside from that, you know how railroaded the PC market is. First-person shooters and real-time strategy rule the day. There are great odds that a Descent on the PC would be completely overshadowed by the impeding release of a third Half-Life or a third Doom (or some newcomer, like FarCry, that comes from out of nowhere).

Do I hope they make a PC version of "Descent 4"? Of course, simply because multiplayer and an editor are important to me. But, I'll also understand if they don't. And I'd rather have a console Descent 4 than no Descent 4. It's remarkable to me how many people I talk to who have fond memories of Descent, and yet how surprising it is that no company has even tried to fill the gap left behind Descent 3. Every time a clunker like "Rebel Trucker: Cajun Blood Money" comes out, I sneer because this trash - which no one in their right mind would buy - is created and sold, but Descent ain't.

Same is true for FreeSpace.

HaAGen DaZS · Post by **HaAGen DaZS** » Fri Apr 16, 2004 11:01 am

you can bet your ass i would defiantly buy a new PC for D4 should i need it!

but i really dont think it'd work out that well ona console, i suppose the xbox would be a good first target, then should those sales go well they can import to windows and mac!

but then, im not holding my breath!

Ferno · Post by **Ferno** » Fri Apr 16, 2004 11:07 am

reason i say that Sol, is because there was a descent tried on a console (descent maximum). the controls, while intuitive, were slow. so imagine how hard you'd have to work if you set descent on insane while playing with a gamepad. Most people would most likely get frustrated, and give up.

fliptw · Post by **fliptw** » Fri Apr 16, 2004 11:54 am

Ferno wrote:reason i say that Sol, is because there was a descent tried on a console (descent maximum). the controls, while intuitive, were slow. so imagine how hard you'd have to work if you set descent on insane while playing with a gamepad. Most people would most likely get frustrated, and give up.

they could always go steel batillion style and include a sane controler setup

Kyouryuu · Post by **Kyouryuu** » Fri Apr 16, 2004 12:01 pm

Because Descent Maximum itself was kinda' slow and, as I pointed out, was fundamentally more complex than Descent. After all, Descent Maximum chugged at about 5 fps.

Descent 3 plays a lot faster in the respect that the controls have less slack and drift.

Cougar · Post by **Cougar** » Fri Apr 16, 2004 12:18 pm

I hope they do it for the Gamecube if they do go the console only route. Man I love that thing.

Tetrad · Post by **Tetrad** » Fri Apr 16, 2004 12:51 pm

Cougar wrote:I hope they do it for the Gamecube if they do go the console only route. Man I love that thing.

I was thinking that too, but I can't really see any easy way to do the controller setup with only two shoulder buttons. You need to slide forward/reverse, left/right, up/down, as well as look up/down and left/right. That's five axis right there, and with only two analog sticks you'll be missing one. At least with the PS2's 4 shoulder buttons you can set two of those buttons as one of those (probably slide up/down) and still be able to fire primaries and secondaries. Actually the PS2 also has the added advantage of being able to assign actions to pushing down on the analog sticks as well.

Top Wop · Post by **Top Wop** » Fri Apr 16, 2004 2:22 pm

Interplay's golden days came and went. THere is'nt a chance in hell they are going to come back until they start making at least halfway decent games that people actually LIKE to play rather than putting things out that people COULD play but wont. There is a difference and that is the reason for their downfall, their games are total CRAP other than the obvious few (Descent, Freespace, Klingon Academy, ect.)

Therefore unless they do make a Descent and they make it GOOD, they are unfortunately going to have to close. And good riddance, thats one less shi__y game company polluting the market with s__t games. IF however they actually put out halfway decent good games, then there is a chance and in that case, more power to them and Godspeed.

But dont mistake a CEO trying to appease his investors for an actual project announcement.

DCrazy · Post by **DCrazy** » Fri Apr 16, 2004 3:33 pm

Sorry, but I have to share in the cynicism here. There's no incentive for Parallax to sign off on such a deal, because Parallax (not THQ, mind you; Parallax still exists, albeit with only two employees -- presidents of companies that were indeed bought by THQ) still has the rights to create a Descent sequel.

If somehow it was successful, I have a feeling that Interplay would go console-only, as that's what they've been doing (Fallout anyone?). The game would have to be dumbed down to fit console controls.

Krom · Post by **Krom** » Fri Apr 16, 2004 5:47 pm

They should just let the Descent community rest in peace.

Duper · Post by **Duper** » Fri Apr 16, 2004 6:17 pm

Warlock wrote:wait

IP cant make Descent4 unless THQ agrees cause IIRC they bought out PLX ,Vol and OR so they hold a big part of the rights

actually, THQ has no say in it. They bought Outrage and Volition, but not Parallax which is a separate entity.

Interplay has rights to existing versions of Descent, but as I recall, very few to any new version as we all discovered when trying to make "our" own D4.

Both Interplay and Parallax (that is the 2 guys that started Parallax) have to agree to the project and as I stated earlier, THAT is NOT going to happen.

If a console Descent is made, it's most likely a modified D3.

Kyouryuu · Post by **Kyouryuu** » Fri Apr 16, 2004 8:25 pm

I find it amusing that people think Parallax would never give the go ahead on a Descent. Just because they wouldn't give it to a motley crew of Descenters calling themselves a "company," the sudden presumption is that they'll give it to no one?

Couver_ · Post by **Couver_** » Fri Apr 16, 2004 8:44 pm

Well Gang wish me luck in my Lotto games... If I ever hit a big one I am buying the rights. Then starting people on D4 and sponsoring a Nascar team with the Descent logo..

That plus a 100K lan or two should bring the game back a bit

ccb056 · Post by **ccb056** » Fri Apr 16, 2004 9:02 pm

its a little late for April fools jokes guys

Duper · Post by **Duper** » Fri Apr 16, 2004 9:11 pm

Kyo, it was said that the guys that started Parallax, loathed Interplay.

That's why I made that statement. Not only was it a legal/legistical nightmare, but there was a great deal of bad blood between the two companies.

If Parallax gave the "OK" then cool! .... miracles DO happen.

'corse this is 85% presumsion with no first hand knowledge ... so....

Neo · Post by **Neo** » Sat Apr 17, 2004 12:27 am

I'm guessing that Interplay won't use the Descent IV design document from you know who, although I still hope that they would.

At this point, I just hope it will be a normal Descent-ish game like the Descent Trilogy and not the monstrosity that Volition's D4 was (the one that became RF).

Thanks for the update, Kyouryuu!

Kyouryuu · Post by **Kyouryuu** » Sat Apr 17, 2004 5:29 am

But, as far as I know, Descent is also a stalemate when it comes to Parallax wanting to do something with it since Interplay also owns some of the rights. So, really, it seems to me like there's no use for the franchise itself. Parallax might not give in just to protect future interests ("Ascent"

), or they might because they have no plans for Descent.

I really don't know what the situation is regarding the relationship between Parallax and Interplay. Or if Interplay could sue Parallax for making "Ascent" because it owns enough to Descent to hold a stake in it.

All I know is this. Interplay has interest in doing another Descent game. The "Descent IV" people at least demonstrated this much, and Interplay has rekindled the flame again. Where we go from here is largely up to the parties involved and what they decide to do.

bash · Post by **bash** » Sat Apr 17, 2004 6:52 am

Interplay is up to its eyeballs in debt and facing eviction. All the other stuff in the news story is meaningless vaporware.

Sergeant Thorne · Post by **Sergeant Thorne** » Sat Apr 17, 2004 7:14 am

Another Descent could be so good (the whole idea of Descent has so much potential, in my mind, especially with all of the technology advances in games), or it could be a huge embarrassing failure; it depends on why they make it--I'd bet a lot that Descent was not conceptualized from a standpoint of marketing/business. And it's not just a marketing view-point that could make it go wrong--you'd really have to have a vision for making another Descent. I guess it's the same with anything that surpasses. A good D6 (let's hope they don't make the same mistake they made with D3: waiting two whole games to make it that good..

) could be right up there with UT[insert current title], FarCry, Halo, and all other cutting edge games.

Beowulf · Post by **Beowulf** » Sat Apr 17, 2004 8:38 am

It is amazing how many people played D1, 2, and 3 that are still out there. I was talking to a friend of mine and we were talking about games and I mentioned that I played this old game called Descent. He was all like "Descent is awesome...I played the first, second, and third ones, but only single player." I told him he should hop online and I could show him the ropes heh

The market is potentially there. But I'm a cynic...when I have a copy in my hot hands I'll believe it.