The Universe is Toast; why foster this hope?

XkyRauh · Post by **XkyRauh** » Sat Feb 02, 2008 4:53

For me, a large part of the interest in TUIT has to do with the resolution of the series... look at the fanbase for any television show which was cancelled partway through a season, or any movie that was left open for an unmade sequel--there's a crucial part of the story that has not been closed out properly.

That said, I've got my own view of how I'd like the series to end--just as many other Keeners do... but the one man who knows for sure, the definitive source of Keen's tale... he's not in a position to make it. So we dream. :)

Zero X. Diamond · Post by **Zero X. Diamond** » Mon May 05, 2008 6:16

Just out of curiosity, how much is the sum of money that iD wants for the rights to Commander Keen? I mean, if we even know. The community is small, sure, but why not make one huge effort to raise money to buy the rights and then subsequently give them back to Tom Hall? Unless they're asking some ungodly amount of money in the hundreds of thousands or something, I'm sure that we could bind together--heck, maybe even enlist the help of other retro gaming communities--and get a substantial sum of money together. Maybe I'm being overly optimistic about it, but I've seen other communities raise huge sums of money before.

Just don't do it through PayPal, since they apparently don't like it when you use their service for fundraising.

Post by **KeenRush** » Mon May 05, 2008 7:47

We don't know. And it also could be not about money, they could just refuse on principle, iD doesn't need any extra money. But, knowing them, it could be some huge sum as well. Collecting money has been suggested before, I was optimistic before, but these days I'm more inclined to think it wouldn't work, people just won't give money or enough of it.

Malvineous · Post by **Malvineous** » Mon May 05, 2008 22:12

You'd also probably find it wouldn't be something simple like a sum of money. You'd most likely need to pay them say $50,000 to prove you're serious, and then they'd probably lease the rights to you at say 10% of the profits you'd make from the sale of the final game - but only if they can see your design ahead of time and agree that it would make enough of a profit.

So you'd pretty much have to have the game made already, and even then there's no guarantee they'd accept it as is.

MortimerInBlack · Post by **MortimerInBlack** » Tue May 06, 2008 2:30

If I were Tom Hall, and was certain that I'd never get to make Keen again, here's what I would do. I would write out the story of TUIT as a short novel and post it on Tom's website. That way, closure could be acheived, and under fair use so iD cant sue! Keenempire back me up!

But man, you know what i've been thinking? You know how the first keen game was revolutionary because it made smooth scrolling possible on the PC? well i think TUIT should be like that too, like some new trick/method in the engine that makes things really cool. I've been thinking on how to make a true3D version of a 2D scrolling air-shooter game like Major Stryker or Raptor, something like starfox64, or something like that. Just an example.

Shadow Master · Post by **Shadow Master** » Thu May 08, 2008 0:10

MortimerInBlack wrote:If I were Tom Hall, and was certain that I'd never get to make Keen again, here's what I would do. I would write out the story of TUIT as a short novel and post it on Tom's website. That way, closure could be acheived, and under fair use so iD cant sue! Keenempire back me up!

Tom Hall stated* that he won't reveal spoilers to TUIT, ever, until it is done.
* where?

Djaser · Post by **Djaser** » Thu May 08, 2008 6:34

You're all assumin that there was a detailed plot for TUIT in Tom's head. I think that's really doubtfull.

MortimerInBlack · Post by **MortimerInBlack** » Thu May 08, 2008 15:56

Tom Hall stated* that he won't reveal spoilers to TUIT, ever, until it is done.

well there must be some major plot points hes come up with if hes said that, but okay maybe not a detailed plot. Still if it were me, I would come up with it and give the keeners the statisfaction of knowing what happens.

Shadow Master · Post by **Shadow Master** » Fri May 09, 2008 0:30

Djaser wrote:You're all assumin that there was a detailed plot for TUIT in Tom's head. I think that's really doubtful.

To be honest, I suspect since long ago that there is no plot prepared beforehand at all.

Silvermoth · Post by **Silvermoth** » Tue May 13, 2008 12:17

I think its unlikely it will ever be made, at least in Tom Hall's lifetime. I recently played a fan made version of Keen 7 though called "The Universe is toast" which was basically a modified version of Keen 4. It was fun. I hope that fan does the same for Keen 5 and 6

Post by **KeenRush** » Tue May 13, 2008 12:51

Very good points, Malvineous.

Also, in case Tom hadn't much detailed plans back then (although I think he did), he most likely has quite a bunch of them now, more than decade and a half later.

And Silvermoth, that was a Keen 4 modification. And pretty good one at that. The way you said it makes it sound like making a mod were somehow less than a fan game or something. (Although I can't know if you meant that or not.) I think it's the opposite. There's no fan game that's as good as that. The work on it was immense. Also, sadly the author, ceilick, has left modding and Keen circles.

Silvermoth · Post by **Silvermoth** » Tue May 13, 2008 12:55

Oh, I'm terribly sorry. I didn't mean any disrespect. I loved the game. I wasn't disrespecting it.

I'm not really up with the video game lingo, sorry again

Commander Spleen · Post by **Commander Spleen** » Tue May 13, 2008 13:04

KeenRush wrote:The work on it was immense. Also, sadly the author, ceilick, has left modding and Keen circles.

At least for now. Hopefully he'll return someday and finish the Keen 6 mod he started.

Post by **KeenRush** » Tue May 13, 2008 13:07

Ah, no problem then!

And yeah, it's not impossible he'd return one day. Really hoping that to happen.

KeenEmpire · Post by **KeenEmpire** » Wed May 14, 2008 2:02

MortimerInBlack wrote:If I were Tom Hall, and was certain that I'd never get to make Keen again, here's what I would do. I would write out the story of TUIT as a short novel and post it on Tom's website. That way, closure could be acheived, and under fair use so iD cant sue! Keenempire back me up!

Sure, but i'm no ghostwriter (or a writer at all, recently).