The Universe is Toast; why foster this hope?

[GoldenRishi]

This community was started in what, 1998, right? 5-6 years after the sixth game calling for the sequel to Commander Keen, called Universe is Toast. The game never happened, but was delayed until in 1996, all of the original four members that composed Commander Keen left ID, the rights holder for CK. At this moment in 1996, we should have been honest with ourselves that Commander Keen was dead; though we held the hope that ID might, just maybe, sell the rights to Tom Hall or one of the other four, and they'd get together again and make some Keen.

2000 rolled around: the tenth anniversary of Commander Keen. No word on those rights. Then the years now have just trickled by.


We're getting close to the 20th anniversary of Commander Keen now. Tom Hall still says he'd love to work on Keen, but the only hope is that this "new project" that he's working on with some other guys. Maybe they'd hit it big, and Tom Hall would make enough money to bribe ID to give up the rights. But that's been over a year, and still no word on that project.



I think it finally safe to say, The Universe is Toast is never going to be made.

[Genius314]

I think it finally safe to say, The Universe is Toast is never going to be made.

BAN

[KeenRush]

Well, I still believe TUIT will be made one day, it just takes its time... Sure, everyone looks at me if I were one of those guys preaching about the end of the world in some corner of the street, but by no means I see it being impossible. Even DNF will be released eventually, right? If such thing can happen, then everything can.

Can't wait that 20th anniversary, seriously cool!

And to note, my staying here isn't because of TUIT, sure I wait for it, but I'd be here even if they had outright declared that "Keen Is Dead!".

[ckguy]

Sure, everyone looks at me if I were one of those guys preaching about the end of the world in some corner of the street, but by no means I see it being impossible.

LOL, good nalogy KR.

Also:

BAN

This was taken slightly out of context, but I approve this usage.

[Djaser]

crap

[szevvy]

I totally agree, unless it was made for XBLA or somesuch it won't ever get made.

[KeenEmpire]

the only hope is that this "new project" that he's working on with some other guys.

It'd be a sudden announcement, like Starcraft 2 I suppose

[Galaxieretter]

This is what I have to say on the subject.

What are all the game series that id software owns or have made?

Commander Keen
Wolfenstein
Doom
Quake

Commander Keen - 8 'games' made
Invasion: 3 games

Keen Dreams

Goodbye Galaxy: 2 or 3 games if you include aliens

Keen GBC

Wolfenstein - 2 games made
Wolf3D
Return to Castle Wolfenstein - New

Doom - three games made
Doom
Doom II
Doom III -New

Quake - four games made (two of them only count though, the other two were just odd...)

Quake
Quake II (Or Quake one)
Quake III
Quake IV (Or Quake 2)

As you can see id doesn't have that much in the way of game series and every so often they will make a new game for a series. They made a new Wolfenstein, they made a new quake, they made a new Doom.

In fact they made a new Keen with the gameboy color one in 2001, that's 11 years after the first game. (Yeah it wasn't all that fun but it's still a game.) And it HAS been 6-7 years since the LAST Commander Keen game has been made.

It's been 6 years since the last Wolfenstein game.

I think id WILL make another Commander Keen game. I don't see why they wouldn't. I don't see why they would put Keen on steam if they didn't know the game was popular and would generate sales.

Besides, if id doesn't make the next Commander Keen game I'm sure one of us will.

[Sciz CT]

There's a new Wolfenstein game coming out this year, actually. And right now they're working on Rage, a new IP.

If there's any hope for a new Keen game (and personally I'm not holding my breath), it'll probably be a mobile or DS game handled by id's portable development division.

[KeenRush]

A new Wolf? I didn't know that. Well, personally I'm hoping the new Keen game won't be made by iD, at least not without Tom Hall. The game would lose a lot, or everything, without Hall (see Keen GBC). I can't really see it being done by iD without Hall, unless it's a Keen FPS or something.

But yeah, there's a possibility when/if it's made that it will be for some new handheld console... I guess I'll just have to buy such console, then... But I somehow think Hall'd want it to be a PC game.

[Lava89]

Well, personally I'm hoping the new Keen game won't be made by iD

But without iD Keen wouldn't get advanced dynamic lighting!

[StupidBunny]

Doom 3 had the most advanced darkness rendering in gaming history.

I would love to see another Keen game as much as any of us, but I'm not sure id would be the ones to make it. Since Wolf3D they've been moving away from the kiddy style of Commander Keen and into the world of FPS games. I mean, obviously one never knows...there's no saying they won't make it, or give the rights to somebody else or something.

[Djaser]

The game would lose a lot, or everything, without Hall (see Keen GBC).

I'm repeating myself again but the GBC was a very unfortunate platform. Don't forget that iD didn't make the game themselves. I bet that if they did and would make it their next mayor project that the game would at least be decent.

[Roobar]

If they release a Commander Keen on XBLA, I definitely will buy xbox360! I mean why not? There are so many remakes going on there! Like, for example, Prince of Persia Classic. It will be great to make something similar with Keen. Also, they can make a CK game for the DS, as some studio was working on Orcs & Elves for id. So for me, the universe isn't toast.

[KeenRush]

Hm, yes, good point Djaser... But would decent be enough when it's about Keen? I don't think iD could pull it off the way Tom intended. And probably they aren't even interested.

Garg, I never even thought what StupidBunny mentioned, that they could sell or give the rights to someone else! Horrible idea... McDonalds presenting... Commander McKeen -- collect all the games, random game in every Happy Meal, collect them all.

But yeah, as said, something remake or perhaps even the classics converted to a console in their original form could be possible one day soon...