Well, Stargate fans, it's been a long time with no news about the sci-fi franchise.
But we finally have something to talk about.
Stargate is returning to the world of video games, more than a decade after
the previous effort went offline.
"Stargate: Timekeepers" is a real-time strategy game, officially licensed by MGM
and now in development by U.K.-based publisher Slitherine.
The game is set in the world of Stargate SG-1, and will be released
on PC distribution platforms such as Steam.
Let's talk a little bit about this game and what we can expect, as well as a little bit
of Stargate's history in the PC and console gaming space.
First, here's what the publisher themselves say.
Slitherine Marketing Director Marco Minoli said this:
“We strive to capture players’ imagination by creating our own worlds or by forging experiences
based on existing, influential franchises.
We look forward to bringing Stargate: Timekeepers to life and creating
a long-lasting legacy of Stargate strategy games.”
"Timekeepers" is the first licensed PC game for the Stargate franchise since 2011,
when the online third-person shooter "Stargate: Resistance" went offline.
Since then, Stargate has had two games come and go in the mobile space.
Arkalis Interactive published "Stargate Command" in 2012,
and "Stargate SG-1: Unleashed" in 2013.
You can also find Stargate elements in the mobile game "ASTROKINGS"
for a 4-week integration in May of 2021.
So what’s the new game all about?
"Stargate: Timekeepers" will give players a chance to engage in combat with the Goa’uld
System Lords, rescue allies from danger, and travel through both space and time — exploring
different points in the Stargate timeline.
Rather than yet another attempt at an SG-1 sim, "Timekeepers" follows original characters
on missions elsewhere in the Stargate universe, and also across multiple time periods.
The story takes as its point of departure the seventh season finale of Stargate SG-1,
“Lost City.”
Players will join Commander Eva McCain and her team starting with the battle against
Anubis over the ice of Antarctica, where they fought to support SG-1
during this critical battle to save Earth.
From this event at the end of Season 7, "Timekeepers" will shift away from the SG-1 storyline
to create a wholly original story.
In the aftermath of the battle, Commander McCain and her squad face an epic adventure
that spans multiple original locations.
Now, what do we know about who is making "Stargate: Timekeepers"?
The game is being developed by Creative Forge Games, and will be published by Slitherine.
Slitherine is known for strategy games, both real-time strategy and turn-based games.
The company was founded in 2000, and also publishes in the sphere of tabletop gaming.
In 2010 the company acquired U.S. publisher Matrix Games.
Between the two labels they’ve published hundreds of titles, including military wargames
like "WarPlan Pacific" and "Panzer Corps," as well as sci-fi and fantasy strategy games
like "Shadow Empire," "Starship Troopers: Terran Command," and numerous games
set in the universe of Warhammer 40,000.
Taking on development duties for "Stargate: Timekeepers" is Creative Forge Games,
an independent studio founded in 2011 and based in Warsaw, Poland.
CFG’s previous games include "Phantom Doctrine," "Hard West," and the sci-fi title "Ancient Space."
The Stargate license is part of Slitherine’s turn to a broader audience for its strategy games.
Also in the area of licensed games, in 2017 they published "Battlestar Galactica Deadlock."
That was developed by Black Lab Games, and earned a favorable 77 Metacritic score.
So we’re hoping that, when it finally releases, "Stargate: Timekeepers" looks as sleek
and polished as this.
It's about time for a really good Stargate strategy game for the PC.
Honestly, historically speaking the Stargate franchise doesn’t have the best track record
in the video game market.
Long-time fans will remember "Stargate SG-1: The Alliance," which was in development
by Australia-based Perception in 2004 and 2005.
This was to be released on PC and gaming consoles in the PlayStation 2 and Xbox era.
After a conflict with their publisher, JoWood, the game was cancelled.
But it lives on in the Season 8 episode “Avatar,” which used footage from "The Alliance" when
Teal’c was trapped inside a virtual reality simulation.
After this, in 2006 "Stargate Worlds" went into production at Cheyenne Mountain Entertainment
in Phoenix, Arizona.
This was to be a massively multiplayer online roleplaying game,
fully supported by the show’s producers with an in-canon story.
Development fell apart in 2009 when the company ran out of money and laid off its staff.
MGM pulled the Stargate license, and Cheyenne Mountain took its former CEO to court
over accusations of financial mismanagement.
The assets and game engine from "Stargate Worlds" were repurposed for "Stargate: Resistance,"
which did make it to market in 2010.
Some of Cheyenne Mountain’s leadership spun off a new company, Fresh Start Studios,
which published "Resistance" under the label Dark Comet Games.
But the game lasted less than a year.
Shareholders sued the new company for theft of Cheyenne Mountain’s assets,
and MGM opted not to renew the game’s license.
"Stargate: Resistance" was taken offline after 11 months.
Needless to say, we have high hopes for "Stargate: Timekeepers," which could create
a brand new era of interactive content for the franchise.
Slitherine has a long track record and tons of experience producing strategy games.
And the Stargate universe lends itself exceptionally well to this style of game play.
Imagine space combat with Prometheus and an F-302 flight group
surrounded by Ha’tak motherships and death gliders.
Or a ground-based battle where the team has to make it past a squadron of Jaffa
to make it to the Stargate.
We’ll be sure to cover it right here as the devs reveal more about the game.
Keep your browser locked on GateWorld.net for full coverage of "Stargate: Timekeepers"
leading up to the game’s release.
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Let us know if you are excited for this game, and what you hope to see from it.
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