The uncertain future of Subspace

just give it a little time. Every game starts off like that until the greed sets in and the moons align with Planet Ebay. - Roki

I'm in the room without a light

A room without a view

I'm here for one more treacherous night

Another night with you

The uncertain future of Subspace
Nfocipher, best known for administering one of the major server banks many moons ago, has contacted me with what I can only describe as a call to action.

Some time ago, it became common but well guarded knowledge among Subspace high-roller types that a company named BDE, or Brilliant Digital Entertainment for short, had apparently acquired limited rights from VIE UK to develop and market an updated Subspace. Nfocipher (rhymes with "philosopher" though he denies it) was one of at least three parties who contacted BDE with proposals, and since May he has been involved, in a peripheral capacity, with what by all indications is a half-assed effort on the part of BDE. To this end, he's suggested that's what's needed is a nice kick in the ass from the community. So here you have it, from the pen of Nfocipher.

Go ahead and tell them you got the info from me then, I just don't want to sit on this anymore. It's been too long, my patience is thin and I'm *this* close to just starting a GPL version of subspace from scratch (which I might do anyways cause I still think the code should be open source)....
    ...give the community hard core facts, they deserve that much:

• #1 - BDE Owns subspace 
• #2 - BDE intends to rewrite and re-release subspace.

• #3 - BDE plans to establish a new main server and biller bank. 

• #4 - Got questions? BDE's feedback page is here: http://www.bde3d.com/html/writeus/ 

The goal is simple: cause a big enough disturbance in the force to make bde act on what they've been preaching for months. Let's get this show rolling.

Meanwhile, it appears that at least one other effort is getting underway to rebuild Subspace from the ground up. The keyword here is at least. Oh dear, did I leave anyone out?


The uncertain future of Infantry - omitted
I have temporarily removed a story previously posted here about Harmless Games possibly having run of money, because in retrospect I regret the tone I took in writing it. In keeping with this page's policy against omissions, it will appear in the archive in its original form after its execution is less likely to cause undue grief to people who probably have enough grief in their lives as it is. I will also be happy to produce the original article for anyone who feels their credibility is compromised because they've linked or otherwise referred to a story which is no longer here. The story was indeed here and I take responsibility for it. If you are reading the archive it appears below.


The uncertain future of Infantry
My sources tell me that Harmless Games is either out of money or damned near, and that further development of Infantry is threatened if not all but doomed. Further sources closer to HG have inadvertently confirmed the story by responding along the lines of "How did you know?" or "I'm not saying anything."

So maybe the party's over, but maybe this is the kick in the ass that these hobbyists need to allow that poor, smothered, gutless little game to become what it should have become a long time ago.

And then again maybe when the servers get unplugged that's the last we'll ever see of Infantry. That is, after all, what would have happened to Subspace where it not for VIE's release of the server software against the development team's wishes.

I'll post more on the HG situation as soon as I can get information from someone with the cajones to attach his name to it. ;)


The uncertain future of einexile
I've been away yet again because, almost immediately after posting my half mad praise of Allegiance I became unable to play it. Special thanks to the worthless son of a bitch who invented the firewall: someday I will own your severed head, and your mother's. So I've spent the past week reading up on the folks who are going to ruin your business model and grind your sacred cows into sirloin. Well, not you, but maybe some of you. (Hope not.) Ian Clarke is my new hero.

I wonder if it's still legal for me to link that article...

And speaking of legality (wasn't I already?), according to the NME, the US Senate will once again demonstrate that the legislative branch of our government is as utterly beneath contempt as are our executive and judicial branches. That's right kids, Lars Ulrich is going to speak before the Senate. I wonder if a 2/3 majority vote will be required to make him shut the hell up. Meanwhile, as if the situation weren't bad enough, Winamp is ruined and apparently I've been wrong all along, because AOL really does suck.

I can't wait for this all to turn really, really ugly.

Sound off in the Minefield Forum, because you're a messageboard whore and you know it and you love it.


Ugh
Would you believe my ISP has specifically blocked the default port used by Gnutella? What the hell is that nonsense about? Anyone else seen activity like that?