By Kieron Gillen on September 28th, 2010 at 1:30 pm.
Wing Commander is 20, apparently. Mythic’s Paul Barnett has a plan: “My plan is Wing Commander 1, DRM free and security bypassed. For FREE.” he says on his twitter. The noble tech guys actually have a Security-cleaned DOS-Box-running version of the game running. What’s the problem? “Today we get data compare sign off for Wing Commander, Dr Ray will be hearing the pitch, from there only legal can stop us!” he says. And reading between the lines, it seems that EA Legal may be the sticking point. As he says to Jeff Gerstmann of Giant Bomb: “You need to get your faithful to Re-tweet it, to shame EA legal into letting me do it !” I think the public shaming of a Legal department is the sort of thing RPS can get on side with. Shame! Shame! And – er – a firm manly handshake if you work out a way to make it happen, obv.
28/09/2010 at 13:35 Lambchops says:
Hmm . . . . I would get interested but I remember trying the DosBox verstion of Privateer a while back when I was feeling nostalgic and it hadn’t aged well. I’d imagine Wing Commander would be much the same.
28/09/2010 at 13:35 Nick says:
Oh yes, Maniac is a fucking twat alright. Even when played by Biff.
30/09/2010 at 01:21 Rosti says:
*Especially* when played by Biff. Really good when you don’t need an actual wingman or status updates.
Also: What are you, my mother?
28/09/2010 at 13:38 rocketman71 says:
Shame indeed on all the legal departments!.
28/09/2010 at 13:50 terry says:
Legal issues are there to be overcome! Down with apathetic solicitors!
28/09/2010 at 13:51 socks says:
I guess the legal department is who gives the orders heee-ere.
28/09/2010 at 13:51 Him says:
In the vernacular of the day: ‘do want’
28/09/2010 at 13:51 Heliocentric says:
…giving out the orders for fun, you know know that he’s the only one, who gives the orders here, alright? Who gives the orders here, alright!
28/09/2010 at 14:31 ErikM says:
@Heliocentric, you must have been a dance commander!
28/09/2010 at 15:12 RadioactiveMan says:
The lines are drawn, the orders are in, The wing commander’s ready to win. Radio message from HQ: Wing commander, we love you.
And…. an appropriate link! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vasc8ghyu1g
28/09/2010 at 15:12 Heliocentric says:
Had to pack it in. No money in it these days.
28/09/2010 at 13:57 Gwog says:
Mr. Barnett might be slightly high if he thinks EA’s legal department gives a shit about what the sniveling hordes want.
28/09/2010 at 14:00 Brian says:
This is one of my favourite games of all time and was the reason I begged my dad for a 286 and an AdLib sound card (he bought me a 386 and a Sound Blaster!). The world deserves to have this game for free.
28/09/2010 at 14:23 gabanski83 says:
I’d love to play this game again. I did enjoy it a hell of a lot on my old Amiga, many years ago. Excellent game.
EA Legal: Make It So.
28/09/2010 at 21:41 sinister agent says:
I also, however I fear that a PC version would, like most games of that era, be close to ruined by having the excellent amiga score brutally mangled into horrid warbling synthy tripe.
Fear. FEAEEAR.
28/09/2010 at 14:46 CHR says:
Ea legal shouldn’t have a problem with this. By my count they’ve released Wing Commander to magazines and others at least three times.
Is it time to wax nostalgically about Kurosawa 2, aka “Save the Ralari” aka that Fucking Mission?
29/09/2010 at 01:08 stache says:
DAMN that mission. I remember my brother and I played it many times over; I succeeded once mainly by luck (constantly switching targets and firing missiles everywhere to keep all those Kilrathi off the carrier). It felt great escorting that near-dead piece of junk back to the Claw.
28/09/2010 at 15:01 Comment System says:
It would be even better if EA just signed a deal with Gog. That way they could make money of their old games and the public would be able to play them again.
This would include all the Bullfrog, Origin, and Looking Glass games (well maybe not the Thief titles, that was EIDOS). It would be marvelous.
28/09/2010 at 16:20 Hodge says:
Christ, don’t tease me like that.
28/09/2010 at 16:08 EaterOfCheese says:
Love to see the rest of Origin’s games get the same treatment.
28/09/2010 at 17:05 Arathain says:
Interesting thing the original Wing Commander did that games haven’t done much of since: you could fail at stuff. If you screwed up an escort mission you’d get a severe dressing down from your CO. Fail too many and you’d have to fly a whole series of missions with Maniac.
28/09/2010 at 17:12 Matthew says:
Indeed, and if you screwed up the fleet would gradually get pushed out of Vega Sector, with your missions occurring further and further behind the original ‘front line’ of combat.
28/09/2010 at 17:16 Nullkigan says:
Wait, EA already approved rereleasing the game for free except without any special tweaks.
http://www.wcnews.com/news/update/10285
This version will be dosbox’d and remove the bits that require you to check manuals? Awesome.
28/09/2010 at 17:26 Jimbo says:
Notice how easily becomes \/\/? Coincidence? I think not.
28/09/2010 at 18:25 Humble says:
Big points for the Electric Six reference in the title. My god, how I love that band!
28/09/2010 at 22:25 Waltorious says:
YES! Electric Six used mind-rays to slowly take over my brain, such that I now believe they are the greatest band to have ever existed.
28/09/2010 at 21:57 TariqOne says:
Not to be a parade-rainer, but it’s “you must OBEY the Dance Commander ….”
28/09/2010 at 22:24 Phatkarp says:
Dude. I remember losing the campaign once and getting pushed out of Vega sector. It was tragic and awesome.
29/09/2010 at 03:10 Vodkarn says:
“Oh yes, Maniac is a fucking twat alright. Even when played by Biff.”
Chalk up another for the Maniac!
29/09/2010 at 07:26 Buzko says:
Wow, that line (indeed the whole song) suddenly make a lot more sense. Huh. I share the love for Electric Six.
@TariqOne in case of replyfail.
29/09/2010 at 15:07 Charlie says:
A jaysus – here I was sitting in a rosy glow of WC nostalgia and you had to mention Mani-fucking-ac…