Any News on the Console Versions

They are still working on getting the game for consoles, I too am very much looking forward to the switch version, fleet battles!

We have ported the core engine over to Linux which is a first step to making it "platform neutral".  We are currently in process of getting it over to XBO and PS4.

Nintendo Switch may have to wait though as it's a bit harder target.

Hi there,

I, too am eager to see a version of Star Control for the PS4 - anything new on the topic yet?

Do you have a date for the game to be released on that platform? Would be great.

Thanks,
Lutz

No news presently.  We are focusing on getting the Earth Rises expansion completed.   As soon as we have news, you can be sure we'll share it!

Any new news on console version(s)?

We're getting the dev kits now.

Brad are there other things you can share about SC? How is the Syndicate progressing? Are there more expansions|conversions (Ur-Quan Masters remake) planned etc. etc. etc.

Hi gang!

Sure thing here's what's happening the Star Control universe as Summer comes to an end.

Re Consoles

So the original plan was that we would team up with a partner for the console version since we have never released a console version.  The lawsuit kind of messed with that and with the game now out a year we'll have to port it ourselves.  We got the game onto Linux last Winter and are working on getting the Dev kits now though the team is tied up on some other large-scale projects so we won't be able to revisit this until next year.

Re Earth Rising

So we got most of the VO done this Summer and Ep3 done in July.  However, it took longer than expected to get all the VO recorded.  It's done now and going through QA.  We *hope* to release Ep3 in the next few weeks.  We are on part 4 now (Earth Rises) which, fingers crossed, will arrive in November.

Ep3 will be the largest of the 4 episodes for Earth Rises.

Re What's next:

So we are in preproduction now for the sequel.  Preproduction means design, story boards, engine work.   Part of our engine update involved making our asset system compatible with Sins of a Solar Empire.

As Founders know, Star Control: Origins was a pretty challenging project.  I took over the project about a year before ship to "get it done".  

The sequel will be story-driven still but it won't have a linear story.  Instead, it'll be a more open-universe style game with a lot of replayability.  So picture some Rimworld type elements in it.

I don't have any ETA on the sequel though.  Our schedule for next year is pretty booked.  We've been hiring up more engineers and artists this Summer for the upcoming projects. 

One thing we do want to do is port the game to consoles before we do serious work on the sequel so that the sequel can come out on multiple platforms at the same time.

Hello,

Any new news on the console version? Do you know yet which consoles/if Switch will be included?

Star Control 2 on PC, along with the original on Sega Genesis provided me with some of my favorite gaming moments and memories, way back in the early 90s (late eighties?).  I’m really eager to relive some of those with Origins (I would have already if my computer could run games).

Thanks

We were working on an Xbox version of the game. Unfortunately, then 2020 happened and we had to work remote which meant no one had access to the dev kits. Right now we are all hands on deck for some big projects but SCO has not been forgotten. We are hiring, again made more difficult thanks to 2020, so that we can dedicated the proper time to everything including the SCO console port.

When we have something new and exciting to announce you can bet we will do so! In the meantime, why not come join us on discord or play one of our other games :)

Do not forget about PS4/PS5 port too!

It's January and we are still all working from remote which means zero progress on porting since the console kits are at work.

But hopefully we'll be back in the office soon(TM). 

I understand that zero progress has been made on porting due to all staff working from remote because the console kits are in the office. However, I have a simple question. Did Stardock actually order and receive the dev kits for PS5 and Xbox Series into the office or are you referring to the PS4 Pro and Xbox One dev kits when speaking about console kits and porting roadmap as well as hiring to expand?

Best of luck as you all re-enter safely back into the office soon following CDC guidelines and local restrictions here in Michigan which will be amended on February 1st allowing limited onsite work capacity among other requirements.

We have received kits for the XBO, Switch and PS4. but nothing for next gen yet.

We are hiring people as fast as we can right now.  If you see a windowless van near a game studio, that's probably one of our "recruiting" vans...

Quoting Frogboy, reply 14

We have received kits for the XBO, Switch and PS4. but nothing for next gen yet.

We are hiring people as fast as we can right now.  If you see a windowless van near a game studio, that's probably one of our "recruiting" vans...

Thank you for your honest response about the actual console kits you have received into the office as well as your extensive recruitment efforts to expand hiring as fast as you can right now.

I understand that you currently have development access only for Xbox One, Switch and PS4 in terms of actual console kits as well as their respective developer web network portals for technical resources and documentation, but nothing for next-gen yet.

With that in mind, I would like to know if you (Stardock) currently at least have access to the actual developer network portal app/site of PS5 and Xbox Series respectively for technical resources and documentation as well as the ability to place purchase orders for next gen hardware console kits (if you have not already done so and are just waiting for the dev kits to arrive into the office)??

Again, I wish the best of success to Stardock as you all re-enter safely back into the office following CDC guidelines and local restrictions here in Michigan which were recently amended on February 1st allowing limited onsite work capacity among other requirements.

We do plan to support next gen hardware.  But we haven't received the next gen kits yet.

Thank you for your response. Planning to support next gen hardware is positive news, and based on your wording I assume that Stardock has not officially had the authorization nor the ability to access/log into the PS5 and Xbox Series Developer Network (web portals) meaning that you (Stardock) do not EVEN have next gen resources (technical documentation, SDKs, TRCs, and updates) yet.

I say this with the utmost professionalism and respect because your response is kind of ambiguous in terms of my specific question from last time regarding whether you (Stardock) currently have access and authorization to log into the actual developer network portal app/site of PS5 and Xbox Series respectively for technical resources, SDKs, TRCs and documentation.

If that’s a “Yes” to having authorization and access to log into both the PS5 and Xbox Series Developer Network portals (website/app) respectively then it means you (Stardock) have the ability to request/place purchase orders for next gen hardware console developer kits in addition to getting up to date technical resources, SDKs, TRCs and documentation.

The reason I’m detailing all of this in precise terms is because a third party recruiter has contacted me unsolicitedly since late January 2021 through now to get me to apply via them for a game developer position focusing on next gen hardware primarily at your company by claiming that Stardock is ready and has been already authorized by Sony and Microsoft specifically for PS5 and Xbox Series respectively in terms of developer login access to technical resources, SDKs, TRCs and documentation.

Again, I wish the best of success to you and everyone at Stardock. To the best of my understanding no one at your company has officially had the authorization by Sony and Microsoft specifically for PS5 and Xbox Series developer login access respectively in terms of technical resources, SDKs, TRCs and documentation.

Let me know if I misunderstood your response and whether my assumption is incorrect as well as once you (Stardock) have the ability to request/place purchase orders for next gen hardware console developer kits in addition to getting up to date technical resources, SDKs, TRCs and documentation.

Right now, our main team is working on a pretty big AAA game that will be primarily a console game but also PC (it's being developed on the PC so it's not a console game being ported to PC).  This means our underlying engine will be ported to everything from the Switch to the PS5 and in-between.

Right now, we have Star Control: Origins working on PC, XBOX One and Linux.  There was a lot of discussion about a Linux version of Ashes of the Singularity which resulted in an investment in porting the engine to Linux.   Now, working on XBOX One isn't the same as being ready to go through certification which is a different ballgame.  But we do now have Star Control: Origins fully ported to XBOX One.  PS4/PS5 however haven't been started.

The plan continues to be to do SCO/SC:ER.  It'll be awhile before we get to a sequel and during that time we expect/hope to see UQM2 (or whatever it's titled) released.  So expect that to happen BEFORE the next installment in the Star Control series.

Hi there. Have there been any developments re PS4/5 port of SCO?

Nothing new to report other than that we are talking to companies to contract to help get the porting done.  I actually should know a bit more this week.