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  • 23

    Aug

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    Aug

  • 22

    Aug

    Music_Guru tipped us off about some really exciting progress on the Xbox emulation front. I've known for years that people have been tinkering with this, but I had no idea that folks were this far along. illusion0001 over at Github has posted screenshots of Wing Commander Arena running on the Xenia emulator. The game apparently loads and allows you to go through the various game selection menus and even choose fighters, which is pretty impressive. Things crash when an actual game mode is launched, but this is still much farther into things than I would have expected. As the game still is not forward compatible with the Xbox One/Series X, this gives me some hope that something will persist in some form after Xbox 360 Live functionality is eventually discontinued. Until that point though, you can still buy the game for $9.99 and fire it up on you old vintage Xbox!

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    The menus work properly and the
  • 22

    Aug

    We're still riding high off the CIC's 24th Birthday earlier this month, and Klavs has something special to keep that train going. He commissioned Malcolm McDowell on Cameo to film a clip commemorating our latest milestone. It's really tremendous to hear him talk about his memories on the role. "I must say, I did love Tolwyn. A really wonderful character in many ways. Strong. Very, really cool. ... I'm thrilled that you liked my interpretation of him, because I really went for it, enjoyed it." Klavs put in a little extra to give him additional context that resulted in a longer four minute video. It's also really nice to hear him speak about David Warner and how he was glad that his friend got to reprise the role in the WC film. I love this so much - thank you Malcolm McDowell and Klavs!

    The 32-year mark that Mr. McDowell references at the start of the clip is the age of the WC franchise in

  • 21

    Aug

    It’s been nearly a week since the demo for WC4 Remastered was released, and the game has been a big hit so far! Hundreds of fans have fired it up and the feedback is very positive. Players have been posting their recorded sessions online and word has spread to other news sites such as DSO and PC Gamer. If you haven’t yet tried it out, the WC4 Fan Remake team has posted helpful instructions on how to get things running. There’s even a tutorial on loading to a Steam Deck! Grab the main installer for yourself right here (900 Meg exe).

  • 20

    Aug

    Symphonic Remakes has masterfully remixed the music of Wing Commanders 1, 2 and 3, and their next project is to take on Privateer! Their first track is an energetic yet mysterious take on the game's introduction. It's a beautiful rendition, but it almost sounds weird to listen to without hearing the pirate say, "Who are you that flies so good? Are you insane!?" I would describe the Oxford background music as cutesy and pastoral while the New Constaninople tune is serious and profound. It's all good stuff! Listen below:

  • 19

    Aug

  • 19

    Aug

  • 19

    Aug

    NakaKen has an incredible creation to share! He's been building the TCS Tiger's Claw in Space Engineers, the game that gives you the building blocks to put together your own intricate spaceships! The new video below is a fly through that shows off all of the amazing little aspects of the design. From afar, the ship almost gives off some WC Arena Battlecruiser vibes. This is super cool as is, but it gets even more amazing when you go inside. There's a fully fleshed out flight deck stocked with Hornets on elevators. They can launch through the main bay or out the side ports. Digging in a little further, there's a bar with a TrainSim, a red light briefing room and more! What fabulous attention to detail. You can download the blueprint/mod for the ship at the Steam Workshop here.

    There are also multiple videos that show off the construction process necessary to get this far:

  • 18

    Aug

    Today we've got a new video of the awesome 2017 Mountbatten Festival of Music concert where the Bands of HM Royal Marines performed the Wing Commander Overture. A few clips have been posted over the years, but this is a nice capture posted by their official YouTube account relatively recently. It's been five years since this first hit the news, but it's no less thrilling today!

    The dramatic, high impact piece Wing Commander, which proved to be the perfect opening fanfare for the Mountbatten Festival of Music at the iconic Royal Albert Hall London.

    In 2018 the group performed the piece again at the Beating Retreat parade.

    The TV theme Wing Commander composed by Kevin Kiner & David Arnold, arranged by WO1 Ivan Hutchinson RM and performed at Beating Retreat at Horse Guards Parade.
  • 17

    Aug

  • 17

    Aug

    We've gotten some questions lately about the classic Wing Commander 3 Warbirds poster, which is just gorgeous, so we wanted to take a moment to put it front and center for everyone to enjoy. The regular game came with a black and white version, but Premiere Edition owners were treated to this beautiful foldout in full color. You can also grab it in a concise PDF here (9 megs). You can find all kinds of other WC documentation here!

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  • 16

    Aug

  • 15

    Aug

    Prime Minister Edmund Mahon and Sirius Corporation CEO Li Yong-Rui have issued a joint statement regarding territorial defence against the Thargoids.
    "The recent tragedy in HIP 22460 has underscored the crucial importance of the strategic defence pact. As the likelihood of increased Thargoid aggression rises, Allied systems can be assured that we are making rapid changes to withstand this potential threat."
    "Admiral Nikolas Glass will now coordinate all anti-xeno military operations. His first priority is to update the existing infrastructure of the Alliance Defence Force, allowing member system fleets to form according to mission parameters. This will bring greater flexibility and allow the ADF to direct forces to anywhere Thargoid incursions occur."
    "Allied worlds are calling out for greater defences, and the absence of a dedicated Alliance Navy has never been felt so keenly. But the

  • 15

    Aug

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    Aug

  • 15

    Aug

    Thanks!

    And that's a wrap! It may not have been one of our longest birthday news slates, but hopefully you agree there's been some fantastic stuff here to enjoy. I've talked about it here a number of times already, but many of the key pillars of our tough and tight-knit community are medically high risk - and they're still dealing with a hell of a lot due to the ongoing pandemic, taking care of our families, and the state of things in the world. People successfully forced their way through a lot to get here today, and they'll do it again tomorrow, next week, next month and next year to keep supporting each other.

    cic_cake-2019-2t.jpgWith this week's milestone behind us, that also means we're entering our 25th year. A quarter century is pretty crazy to think about. We're extremely fortunate that we got to do 2019's birthday party live and in person with LOAF, Ali, ace, Blonde, Dundradal, Joe and myself all together and on

  • 15

    Aug

    It's our birthday, and that means it's time for our birthday poll! Sound off and let us know how long you've been visiting the CIC! Last year, we saw that 1 in 6 have been followers since our WC adventures that predated the CIC. Of course, we love our new visitors just as much!

    The old poll asked about the different types of major story themes we see throughout the series. It seems like most people like to save the universe in large epics like WC3/4. We can certainly understand why!

  • 15

    Aug

    This year almost marks 25 years for Wing Commander Prophecy, so we wanted to add a little something in here to recognize that upcoming milestone. This is the "Hint Book" included with the Deluxe Edition of Prophecy. Fans that weren't around in the late '80s and early '90s might not be familiar with how the first strategy guides were literal booklets full hints on how to get through games. This is a small streamlined guide intended as a mini companion to the full scale Prima Official Guide. There was a specific focus on the game's simulator missions as well as general tips. You can download it in one PDF here (13 megs).

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