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Commander Keen designer crowdfunds a sequel of sorts, lets us make our own (video)
PC gamers of a certain age will have very fond memories of the Commander Keen series -- usually trying to pogo toward a hard-to-reach gem or frantically escaping a Dopefish. Key creator Tom Hall and his startup Pieces of Fun may be playing our heartstrings like a fiddle, then, by launching a crowdfunding drive for the Keen series' spiritual successor, Secret Spaceship Club. Along with reintroducing the core sci-fi platform hopping we know so well, the game will include its own editor to let players build their own masterpieces. Newcomers just wanting to whip up a quick map should get a simple mode with easy drawing and visual, cause-and-effect scripting; those with some coding chops will have access to an advanced mode that lets them customize the scripting for objects, cutscenes and even the win conditions. We'll have the option to publish maps for the world to see, and the results should be playable on a swath of platforms that include Android tablets, iPads, Macs and PCs running either Ubuntu Linux or Windows. It's an ambitious plan, and Hall's development house would like to raise $400,000 by March 1st to make Secret Spaceship Club a reality by February 2014. There's perks for jumping in early, however, such as becoming an in-game character. Anyone who's still trying to learn whether or not aliens ate their babysitter will want to at least swing by the source link.
Ion Storm, Wolfpack vets lift lid off KingsIsle Entertainment
When the folks at KingsIsle Entertainment first approached us saying that they were working on something mysterious, we couldn't help but be intrigued. After all, this is a company co-founded by Tom Hall of id Software and Ion Storm fame, not to mention such nostalgic favorites as Commander Keen and Rise of the Triad. Of course, then we heard their project was an MMO, which was about the same time we began to feel uneasy and in need of nearby exit. Little is known about the new MMO project, save for the fact that it's been under the knife for three years and is one of two projects currently being banged out by the fledgling studio. Still, there's reason to believe that KingsIsle's MMO could turn out something worth looking out for, and not just another corpse on the massively multiplayer Hamburger Hill. Besides Hall, the company is being helmed by former Midway Games vet David Nichols, while development efforts are being led by former Wolfpack Studios president Todd Coleman, who worked on the semi-popular MMO Shadowbane in a previous life. Even so, with everyone and their brother coming to the table, forks in hand, boasting the 'next great MMO,' it's difficult not to be jaded, so we'll be looking forward to seeing what more comes out of this company in the weeks ahead.
