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Forums - PC Discussion - What happened to Homeworld

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Homeworld was a revolution in the RTS genre back in 1999. The game carried the genre forward with its creative interface and solid gameplay.

The game brought home many GOTY awards in its day and was a source for many mod types including Star Wars and Battlestar Galactica mods.

Homeworld offered a complete game package, offering amazing gameplay, a great sci-fi story and award winning music for its time.

https://homeworld.fandom.com/wiki/Homeworld_3

The Homeworld IP was originally owned by Sierra Entertainment, a subsidiary of Vivendi Games, who published Homeworld, Homeworld: Cataclysm and Homeworld 2. Relic Entertainment, who created the franchise, were acquired by THQ in 2004, making further Homeworld games unlikely. In a surprise move, THQ purchased the Homeworld IP rights from Sierra in 2007, but did not develop a new game. In 2013 THQ collapsed and the Homeworld IP was purchased by Gearbox.

In 2008,

"You can not believe how often I hear this question, in any case we would love to develop Homeworld 3!" — Jonathan Dowdeswell, Relic Executive Producer

Later that same year,

"We're really happy the IP has made its way home, and yeah, we're definitely looking at it." — Jonny Ebbert

Former Homeworld Developers

Several of the original developers who contributed significantly to the Homeworld project have collaborated together under a new startup company named Blackbird Interactive. Blackbird Interactive started development on a new IP initially known as Hardware: Shipbreakers, which bore a striking resemblance to Homeworld 1 & 2 in its presentation. According to a 2015 recorded session with Blackbird Interactive founders — mostly concerning Homeworld Remastered — the hope had always been for Hardware: Shipbreakers to be part of the Homeworld canon. The title screen for Hardware: Shipbreakers even used the same font as the Homeworld titles, and the lore of the universe was intentionally kept compatible with Homeworld canon as development progressed. After the acquisition of the Homeworld IP by Gearbox Software in April 2013, Blackbird Interactive was eventually approached by Gearbox Software and invited to make their game part of the official Homeworld canon. This officially happened in September 2013. The game was known as Homeworld: Shipbreakers for a time. Later the official title of the new IP became Homeworld: Deserts of Kharak.

IP HISTORY and METASCORE

(1999) Homeworld (93)

(2000) Homeworld Catacylsm (89)

(2003) Homeworld 2 (83)

(2015) Homeworld Remastered Collection (86)

2016) Homeworld Deserts of Kharak (79)

Homeworld offered an award winning Soundtrack

The game had so much variety and offered some of the best space battles

As one of Homeworld biggest fans, I tease myself with that slight hope that ill see its name again mentioned at E3 on year again.. Its a franchise I don't hear much about anymore due to its age and it seems the IP has died with its last and final effort with its solid release of Homeworld Deserts of Kharak.

I recommend any PC gamer to check it out and the game has a good following and like World of Warcraft, the amount of clones that tried to mimic Homeworld failed to live up to its success.  

Last edited by Azzanation - on 15 August 2019

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Pax East (March 2019)

"Today, during Gearbox Software’s PAX East stage show, Gearbox Publishing Head Steve Gibson had a small tease in store for Homeworld fans.

While Gibson did not provide any specific announcement, he teased that the publisher is “building a future for the franchise” adding that they’re “really excited” to share that with the fans in the future."

https://twinfinite.net/2019/03/homeworld-future-gearbox/

Homeworld 2 was a pretty fantastic game, especially with the complex mod. Haven't played it recently though.



Barkley said:

Pax East (March 2019)

"Today, during Gearbox Software’s PAX East stage show, Gearbox Publishing Head Steve Gibson had a small tease in store for Homeworld fans.

While Gibson did not provide any specific announcement, he teased that the publisher is “building a future for the franchise” adding that they’re “really excited” to share that with the fans in the future."

https://twinfinite.net/2019/03/homeworld-future-gearbox/

Homeworld 2 was a pretty fantastic game, especially with the complex mod. Haven't played it recently though.

Woah thank you, I missed the PAX show and this might bring a tear to my eye if it comes to plan. 

Gearbox did a great job with the Remastered Collection and Deserts of Kharak is a great side story and solid game which deserves to be part of the Homeworld Canon. 

If this is true without any future issues or cancelations, than its great news. Gearbox has had a up and down history recently however they have shown good support with the IP lately with its past releases.

Thanks for the info update. Maybe Homeworld isn't dead after all.

Last edited by Azzanation - on 15 August 2019

Machina said:
Remastered was amazing (my first experience of the franchise); I'm so glad they made it, I would never have played those games otherwise.

Deserts of Kharak was ok, but nothing special, so I'd like to see a new entry return to deep space and be more like the originals.

100% agree. Seeing a proper sequel or prequel to the 3D space RTS game would be an amazing fan service.



THe remaster was a nice love letter to the fans, and it's mod support as well. Good times playing with some Star Wars mods back in the day. DoK was alright, but land battles honestly do not seem like a good fit for the franchise, seeing as how other RTS games like Supreme Comm do a better job of ground combat and scale of units/battles there.

Seeing as how it's more or less run by Gearbox, I cannot trust a new Homeworld to come out, that would actually be available to RTS fans, since their recent dealings with Epic Games. If they announce a new Homeworld and it's locked to EG, then I'm waving goodbye to the IP for good. I've little time to waste with a publisher who doesn't care about me, nor my money, and I've little time to care about a publisher who doesn't want the RTS genre coming back in a big way.



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I can't imagine they're going to remaster Cataclysm (or Emergence as it's now stupidly called). So hopefully Homeworld 3, or something incredibly boring and disappointing.

Last edited by Barkley - on 21 August 2019

Barkley said:

I can't imagine they're going to remaster Cataclysm (or Emergence as it's now stupidly called). So hopefully Homeworld 3, or something incredibly boring and disappointing.

Hopefully 3, and hopefully it'll be good, and not EGS exclusive, because that's not what a dormant genre needs right about now. 



Step right up come on in, feel the buzz in your veins, I'm like an chemical electrical right into your brain and I'm the one who killed the Radio, soon you'll all see

So pay up motherfuckers you belong to "V"