Quote from Wing Commander News-Bot

AD reports that GalaxyCon is hosting another virtual autograph event with a Wing Commander star! Back in 2021, they had an arrangement with Freddie Prinze Jr that included the option to buy autographed WC posters. A similar deal is now running for Matthew Lillard. This time the the artwork has been updated: the Blair offer used the newer blue-tinted "DVD reprint" art while this is the original theatrical poster for Maniac. There are several options ranging from an 8x10" photo for $85, 11x17" mini posters for $100 or custom items that you send for $95-115. Send Ins need to be figured out by March 5, but you have until March 16 to order one of their WC photos or posters. This is a very cool opportunity for autograph collectors!

Quote from Wing Commander News-Bot

The Freddie Prinze Jr virtual autograph event held by GalaxyCon earlier this year has successfully concluded, and they are now starting to ship merchandise out to fans. Note that not everyone's items have shipped yet, but we would expect this to happen soon. People who chose to obtain a certificate of authenticity should expect a slight additional delay. I am fortunate to have received mine already and am pleasantly surprised. The Wing Commander poster is a good size (11x14 inches) with solid quality, and Freddie's personalization is crisp. Yes, I'm well aware he's not the one who said, "It's not faith, (it's genetics)." It's just one of the most memorable quotes from the film to me. It was a close competition between that and "I love this baby!!" Maybe I'll get that next time.

In the foreseeable future, GalNet articles will concentrate on in-game activity, such as Interstellar Initiatives, the release of new ships and modules, and significant narrative developments. With this change, we will be stopping the 'off-camera' narratives that we have previously published via GalNet ...

Quote from Elite Dangerous Galnet News-Bot

*Pilots' Federation ALERT*
The GalNet editorial team expresses its sincere regret that further unscheduled messages have been recently published.
A second batch of riddles were unlawfully transmitted across GalNet public feeds on the 24th, 25th and 26th of December. As with the three previous broadcasts, they were designed to invite independent pilots to locate a series of concealed caches.
Our technical teams have identified the method by which the criminal known as the Winking Cat inserted unapproved articles into GalNet's publication network. Security protocols have been heavily reinforced and we are confident that no further intrusions will take place.
GalNet offers formal apologies to all members of the Pilots' Federation for this disruption.

Quote from Elite Dangerous Galnet News-Bot

*Pilots' Federation ALERT*
The editorial team at GalNet would like to apologise for the recent articles originating from an unofficial source.
On the 17th, 18th and 19th of December, our publication network transmitted text messages of unknown origin. These articles were not officially commissioned or approved, and should not have been available via GalNet channels.
GalNet formally apologises to all Commanders for this unprecedented disruption to our regular service.
As yet we have no explanation as to how these illicit transmissions were inserted into our regular feeds. Our technical teams are currently investigating, and we are confident that this situation will not reoccur.

Quote from Wing Commander News-Bot

Game developers are starting to step up and support the humanitarian needs emerging in Ukraine. I just learned about a very cool looking space strategy game called Slipways being developed out of Poland. Their team is currently donating 100% of profits to the Polish Red Cross, which is gearing up to support an influx of refugees. GOG.com, also based in Poland and the primary purveyor of digital Wing Commander, has already donated a quarter million dollars to local aid agencies assisting with the crisis. This is in addition to a other high profile support drives set up by 11 bit studios (This War of Mine) and Bungie. Supporting these efforts may not fully relieve the pervasive feelings of helplessness out there, but small efforts do add up!

Quote from Star Citizen News-Bot

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Quote from Wing Commander News-Bot

Here's an interesting four page preview of Wing Commander II from the November-December 1991 issue of Game Player's PC Strategy Guide (Vol. 4, No. 7), the magazine which eventually became PC Gamer. Much of the information about the game's early story elements and updates from Wing Commander I might seem commonplace today but in late 1991 it would've been mana from heaven!

Quote from Wing Commander News-Bot

Here’s a fun new (to me) type of video! I’m familiar with people making vids about the hauls and treasures that they discover at stores, including retro game retailers. Another emerging scene is where the store owners themselves are growing their YouTube/Twitch/social media presence with videos that showcase impressive or exotic customer trade-ins. Obviously this is a type of commercial advertisement since these go right on to being sold, but it’s pretty cool to see the variety of items that they run across. This particular clip has everything from 8 bit NES games to relatively new Xbox One titles, plus hardware. And the person here absolutely gushes about Wing Commander 3 and 4 for the PlayStation. You can catch that bit just about a minute and twenty seconds in.

Quote from Wing Commander News-Bot

Weird and Retro posted this neat throwback to the June 1995 edition of GamePro Magazine. The feature is titled "Revenge of the PC Games" and highlights all of the the hot titles of the mid '90s and how they compare to the latest crop of gaming consoles such as the Saturn, PlayStation, 3DO and "Ultra 64." Wing Commander 3 is front and center as one of the star examples. While there's no question about where the best graphics and high end experiences were available, the article acknowledges the proportionately high price that PC gamers (or their parents) had to pay. They mention the typical machine was around $2,000, which is equivalent to $3,400 today. In comparison, the PlayStation launched that year at $299 ($500 in 2019 dollars). It's kind of amazing that so many of us were able to play through these games when they were new!

It Ain't Easy Being PC

What do you need to play PC CD games? If you

Quote from Wing Commander News-Bot

The

Games on Film

podcast has recorded an episode that's all about Wing Commander. They spend more than 80 minutes talking about the franchise's background and the environment that existed in 1999. Then the commentators spend quite a bit of time talking through the highs and lows of the film itself. One thing that sets this review/discussion apart from the cliche comments you frequently see is that they thought the space action was on the boring side but were actually intrigued by the Pilgrim angle. Since their focus is all about video games that have crossed over into theaters, they make a good point that FMV-centric series seem to have an inherently difficult time gaining acceptance since it's so easy to break with cinematic styles that their fans are used to. You can check out the full episode

here

.

Harry and Rory journey into the deep reaches of space - and the even deeper reaches of the DVD

Quote from Wing Commander News-Bot

Nerds that Geek has posted a quick flashback on the majesty of Wing Commander 3. The article's not long, but it captures the essence of what made The Heart of the Tiger great. The author credits the game for kickstarting FMV and next-level storytelling in games without compromising on the gameplay. He leaves off by encouraging people to pick up a cheap digital copy and relive the adventure. That's advice we can certainly stand behind! Check the full piece

here

.

Quote from Star Citizen News-Bot

Gamescom 2948 is right around the corner, and we’re looking forward to meeting all the Star Citizen fans making the trip to Cologne. Team members will be on hand at Bar Citizen events in the evenings, with Friday’s meetup including a special town hall Q&A with guests John Crewe, Dan Trufin, Sarah McCulloch, and Brian Chambers. You can get all the Bar Citizen details below.

Plus, our community warriors Ulf, Tyler, and Jared have loads of exclusive goodies to give away, so if you see them, don’t hesitate to say hello!

Meetups in Cologne during Gamescom Week

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We’re taking every opportunity we can to meet with the community throughout the whole Gamescom week. We had so much fun last year that we’re planning a similar schedule!

Join your fellow Star Citizens and members of the CIG development staff at the following locations:

Wednesday, August 22nd

Join us at the Deutzer Brauhaus from 6pm to

Quote from Star Citizen News-Bot

Gamescom 2949 is right around the corner, and we’re looking forward to meeting all the Star Citizen fans making the trip to Cologne. Members of the community team will be on hand at Bar Citizen events in the evenings, with Friday’s meetup including special guests Erin Roberts and Brian Chambers.

Plus, members of the community team will have loads of exclusive goodies to give away, so if you see them, don’t hesitate to say hello!

Meetups in Cologne during Gamescom Week

---

We’re taking every opportunity we can to meet with the community throughout the whole Gamescom week.

Join your fellow Star Citizens and members of the CIG development staff at the following locations:

Wednesday, August 21st

Join us at the Deutzer Brauhaus at 7:30pm CEST for drinks and a chance to chat with the team.

Get Details

Thursday, August 22nd

Meet us and fellow Citizens from around

First official announcement with more detailed informations about the Fleet Carriers coming into Elite Dangerous at December this year ...

Quote from Wing Commander News-Bot

Doubles is best! Or at least so says the April 1996 issue of GamesMaster, a UK-based gaming magazine that ran from 1993 to 2018. It features a cover story promoting not one but two big Wing Commander reviews: the PlayStation port of Wing Commander III and the original PC release of Wing Commander IV. But the biggest story here is surely the stunning 1990s magazine layouts seen throughout which are sort of like a mesmerizing surrealist landscape that you can't stop from staring it:

Quote from Wing Commander News-Bot

Here's a time capsule from May 1997 as featured in GamesMaster. The preview is short and sweet, but the larger context is almost as interesting as the core message. It refers to "everyone getting worked up" about the Star Wars re-releases. I had to think for a moment about what that was: the original trilogy was remastered and put back in theaters in 1997 prior to the prequel debut in 1999. You can also get a good sense of what other games were being released about the same time. Wing Commander really was far ahead of the pack!

Issue 55, May 1997

Mini-previews featuring Wing Commander 4, Fighting Force, and Mission: Impossible.

Quote from Wing Commander News-Bot

Today we've got a double feature of articles from Computer Games Strategy Plus. The first one is a brief blurb in the follow-up to E3 that year. There's not much info on the game, but a few elements really date the article. First, in 1996, we were still a ways from E3 being a giant online spectacle. Given standard lead times, it would just be natural that news from the springtime event would be trickling out in the August issue (which would have appeared on shelves 1-2 months afterwards). Also on the game picking up the "Privateer" title, they note gamers have "always wanted an updated version of that classic." That's a funny take from our perspective nearly thirty years after P1's release.

The second article is the big one. It's got a fantastic cover celebrating the game, plus a huge two-page feature with plenty of exotic art. They talk about the interactive movie's story, open world setting,

Quote from Wing Commander News-Bot

Mr. Freight was scrolling through Facebook and something caught his eye. Peeking out of a box in this advertisement for Country Living Magazine is the Wing Commander VHS. It's the poster child for an article about "garage sale finds worth a ton." They credit the picture as just a stock image from Epics/Getty, but little do they realize the WC Movie is actually creeping up in value! Since the distribution rights reverted to Chris Roberts from Fox a couple years ago, physical copies have been out of print. While the VHS is decidedly still affordable, DVD and Blu-ray editions can be pricey. Fortunately digital copies are starting to be made available again for as low at $8.

Quote from Elite Dangerous Galnet News-Bot

The sole survivor of the notorious Project Seraph experiments has reportedly appeared at the Aegis symposium, startling the live audience.
Vox Galactica journalist Allan Mantle published an on-the-scene report:
"The shouting caught everyone in the conference hall by surprise, interrupting a discussion about the recently leaked 'Thargoid roar' heard at HIP 22460. We all watched in amazement as a small figure in dishevelled clothing slipped past security and fought her way onto the stage, disarming several guards who sought to intervene. Many ran, fearing an attack, but Professor Alba Tesreau stood her ground."
"The bedraggled woman yelled hoarsely that her name was Seo Jin-ae, adding 'You know me!' to Tesreau herself. When the intruder yanked up her sleeve as if to show something, I deployed my drone cameras which clearly captured the symbols 'D-2' ink-branded onto her forearm."
"She then