Space Quest brand to relaunch in 2027 with original installment
- 14 Comments
New game unrelated to Sierra’s classics announced by the creator of the Mystery House 3D remake
After helping industry legends Ken and Roberta Williams produce the Colossal Cave graphic reimagining in 2023, indie developer Marcus Mera and his Guillotine Games studio are making full use of expired former Sierra trademarks. First announced was a Mystery House remake in 3D, and now it's a brand-new but unrelated installment in the beloved Space Quest series.
While little has been revealed about the story so far, players won't be walking in the space boots of Roger Wilco this time. Instead it's pilot Mayday McCoy in the lead role, a "reluctant hero who saves the galaxy by barely surviving it." Mayday represents humanity’s "last line of defense against the cosmic elite," and yet all too often he's "the cause of the emergency" himself. It doesn't help that his rickety old spaceship has a tendency to break down and its opinionated computer "absolutely should not be trusted." (Not surprising his name is "Mayday," under the circumstances.) But whenever he's able to get the craft up and running, expect plenty of comic hijinks to ensue as "every plan goes sideways in the funniest way possible," requiring you to "explore strange worlds, crack clever puzzles and talk your way out of trouble you mostly started."
Players can expect plenty of puzzling and other classic-styled point-and-click adventuring along the way, but the protagonist isn't the only thing that's changed since Sierra's last Space Quest adventure in 1995. Based on the AI-assisted early marketing material, the brand relaunch will feature more of a realistic art style in its "handcrafted cinematic storytelling." That doesn't mean more serious, however, as the game promises a "comedic science-fiction tone from start to finish." There's no word yet on any involvement from original series creators Mark Crowe and Scott Murphy, but observant listeners will recognize the voice of Mayday McCoy in the announcement teaser as none other than Josh Mandel, whose significant ties to the franchise date back to his writing and design contributions on Space Quests IV-VI.
That's all we know about the new Space Quest for now, but it can already be wishlisted on Steam, where it will launch as early as sometime next year for Windows PC. In the meantime, you can keep an eye on its progress through the game's official website.
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14 Comments
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I could have been interested, then I saw that they're using generative AI for the visuals, so down the bin it goes...
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Yeah, it's using gen ai so that already sinks it for me, and it's just someone figuring out they can use the Space Quest name as long as they don't use any of the characters. Pass
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Correct. This is entirely legal because the developers behind this project (Guillotine Games / MMMera, Inc.) now own the legal trademark to the "Space Quest" name for video games, while Microsoft/Activision own the copyright to the original Sierra games and characters. Activision Publishing, Inc. officially challenged the trademark registration and lost. It was issued to MMMera, Inc. last year. To avoid copyright infringement and getting sued by Microsoft or Activision, the new game features a completely new protagonist, characters, locations and plot. It functions as a spiritual successor instead of a direct sequel, like SpaceVenture. However, unlike this game, SpaceVenture did not use generative AI and was created by the original Space Quest creators Scott Murphy and Mark Crowe (the "Two Guys from Andromeda"). https://www.gamespress.com/MMMera-Inc-Announces-Federal-SPACE-QUEST-Trademark-Registration-and-Fi
It's been a long wait.
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Man I dunno....
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I'm gonna need a lot more information on this one before I make any judgement. I'm a huge Space Quest fan, but I'm cautiously nervous about where this one will go. If the Two Guys do get involved, I might be willing to give it a closer look. As it currently stands, though, this may be a pass. Especially if AI is involved in the final product.
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Hi! I’m Marcus Mera, the producer behind SPACE QUEST®. I completely understand the hesitation, especially when it comes to a series that means so much to people. I previously worked with Ken and Roberta Williams as a producer on Colossal Cave 3D (2023), and I have tremendous respect for the history of Sierra adventure games. Our new SPACE QUEST® features an original protagonist, Mayday McCoy, his AI companion PAL 3000, and a completely new story built around classic adventure-game humor, exploration, and puzzles. Some of the early promotional artwork was AI-assisted, and we’re continuing to develop and refine the game’s visuals. Our goal is to create a memorable adventure worthy of the genre’s legacy. I hope you’ll keep an open mind as we share more actual gameplay. Thanks for giving us a chance!
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Thanks for coming to the lion's den to give this context. Like others here I am super skeptical of anything made by AI, but I will keep an open mind and an eye on the project. Thanks again.
Nope.
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Boy, they really don't have a lot of respect for us, do they? "Here you go--you chumps'll buy anything if it's got the words Space Quest on it, won't you? Doesn't matter what we put in it!" I sure hope we have the good sense and dignity to prove these vultures wrong.
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Thanks Randolph! I really appreciate you keeping an open mind. I know we’ve got something to prove, and I’m looking forward to showing everyone what we’re building. The gameplay will ultimately speak for itself! Cheers!
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Heck, I'll play this just to listen to Josh Mandel!
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Pass but the inevitable Space Quest Historian evisceration will be worth a watch.
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This looks terrible. The Colossal Cave remake was terrible. Sniping the Space Quest IP without involving the original creators is a scumbag move. IP means nothing without the original creators. I wish fans would understand that. You don't like "SPACE QUEST"; you like games produced by Sierra, made by Mark Crowe and Scott Murphy. This is none of those things. AI is a garbage replacement for people with neither talent nor creativity. This promo art looks soulless and insultingly bad. What we're looking at is almost incomprehensible. Also, "Mayday McCoy" is an embarrassingly dumb name, and the trailer's SINGLE joke is just the first thing you'd think of when coming up with a Space Quest trailer. People usually throw those ideas away instead of making them their front foot. I don't know how they duped Josh Mandel into being a part of this. I'm almost disappointed in AGH for even covering this. Let's all just move on and talk about real games.
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