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X-Com confirmed for 360/PC, Firaxis working on turn-based sequel?

By Tor Thorsen, GameSpotPosted Oct 27, 2009 4:47 pm PT

3D artist's resume indicates 2K Games was working on installment in sci-fi series as early as January 2007; less substantial speculation has storied strategy studio working on second new entry.

Source: Increasingly notorious information amalgamator Superannuation.

2001's X-Com: Enforcer was the first--but possibly not the last--shooter set in the X-Com universe.

What we heard: In November 2007, rumors surfaced that 2K Boston was developing a reboot of the classic X-Com series. Since then, only a few breadcrumbs of information have leaked out. In March, studio head Ken Levine expressed his admiration for the tactical sci-fi franchise and admitted to recently playing its poorly received last installment, the 2001 shooter spin-off X-Com: Enforcer (pictured top). In August, job listings indicated that 2K Boston is working on an unidentified shooter, raising the possibility of another action title set in the X-Com universe.

Such a scenario appears to have been confirmed this week, when Superannuation dug up the resume of a 3D artist who worked for 2K Australia from January 2007 until April 2008. The resume lists the artist as working on two projects during that time: "Bioshock (Xbox 360, PC Game)" and "X-Com (Xbox 360, PC Game)."

The resume's cut-and-dried confirmation was obscured somewhat by subsequent Twitter messages from Superannuation's proprietor that pointed to a second X-Com in the works. The tweets read: "Apparently, there's a rumor that X-Com is being developed by Firaxis, which I wouldn't find hard to believe. I swear that I read they're working on a sci-fi game somewhere...The rumor is that there's two X-Com games--[an] FPS from Irrational and [a] turn-based one from Firaxis."

The 1993 original X-Com: UFO Defense created a sci-fi tactics dynasty.

As it turns out, rumors of a Firaxis-developed reboot of X-Com go back to 2001. That's when Atari parent Infogrames bought X-Com publisher MicroProse, the birthplace of the wildly popular Civilization series cocreated by Firaxis cofounder Sid Meier. During a 2004 video interview promoting the relaunch of Pirates, Meier told GameSpot that Firaxis had entered into a long-term agreement with Atari to retain the X-com IP. According to the US Patent and Trademark Office, the X-Com license transferred to Take-Two when it bought Firaxis in 2005.

The official story: "No comment." -- A tight-lipped 2K Games rep.

Bogus or not bogus?: Not bogus that 2K Boston is working on a new X-Com game of some sort, with a shooter spin-off being a strong possibility. As far as a second turn-based X-Com game from Firaxis is concerned, it would be the stuff of old-school gamers' dreams. And, as Fallout 3's massive sales proved, a critically acclaimed reboot of a classic franchise can reap massive rewards.

98 Comments

  • Humorguy_basic

    Posted Dec 1, 2009 1:02 pm PT

    All it nds is the Dragon Age engine, so you can zoom in over shoulder zoom up to the old x-Com look and being able to move the camera around. That's all I need! Alternatively, the Total War engine, but just having 20-30 soldiers and aliens with really good fog balancing to you have to find themm like in the original!

  • valent1n

    Posted Nov 6, 2009 2:19 am PT

    they just need to improve the graphics and maybe to add more things like weapons, buildings etc in the original X-COM UFO and that's it a very very very great game. X-COM is the king of TBS games

  • meloas

    Posted Nov 5, 2009 3:15 am PT

    Did anyone ever tried making the same ufo game but with improved graphics and tweaks ?? that should be a good start ...... (i would buy it). And then, maybe, and i repeat maybe, implement new stuff.

  • Visitor_basic

    Posted Nov 3, 2009 8:28 pm PT

    Well, obviously "Dreamland Chronicles" did not come out and was cancelled, or whatever happened to it after all the reporting. Now, I hope you people are not assuming to lead us on like some 'hunk of spacealien meat' and actually know what you are reporting about with a new X-COM game that could be really scary and really fun to play. Afterall, you really do not know if a few million years ago, you are mutant humans from another spacealien's species if you look up Ancient Mama Ardi. Well, I hope they do come out with another updated but different X-COM. The Gallop Brothers did an excellent job making the game better with Apocalyse X-Com game but with only a city to defend, it was limited by ms-dos back then. The original X-Com:UFO Defense in ms-dos was much better than the Windows Collector's Edition version in 1999. 2009 would be a good year to come out with a new version.

  • ZakMcKracken

    Posted Nov 3, 2009 5:04 am PT

    I've been hearing news about this in regards to UFO as well as Jagged Alliance for ages. The only thing they have to show for it is weak idea after weak idea. I've given up.

  • TucoBenedicto

    Posted Nov 1, 2009 7:52 pm PT

    Funny thing is: there have been so many attempts to make a good X-Com sequel and the better one stills the first one. No contest.

  • RavenXavier

    Posted Nov 1, 2009 10:37 am PT

    Firaxis BETTER be doing a Traditional Turn Based X-Com game. Enforcer sucked balls!!! They better not ruin one of the best classic game franchises of All Time!!!

  • Xuix

    Posted Oct 30, 2009 12:13 am PT

    NO NO NO NO NONONONO

  • Plethora22

    Posted Oct 29, 2009 10:46 pm PT

    UFO: Afterlight more or less got it right, definitely worth playing if you've beaten xcom and xcom tftd more times than you'd like to recount like me... unfortunately it took a dedicated design team 3 entire games to get roughly to the same point as the original xcom was at to begin with...

  • arronizmiguel

    Posted Oct 29, 2009 6:14 pm PT

    UFO Defense = Turn-Based... simple math... it's the gameplay what makes a game, if they are not going to keep the roots, then, please give it any other name... And obviously I would be in line the first day it comes out! Cheers!

  • abbajabba4

    Posted Oct 29, 2009 11:05 am PT

    An X-COM FPS could actually be pretty awesome if they made it a good tactical FPS (e.g. SWAT, America's Army, Rainbow Six) instead of a straight-up "Run 'n gun" like X-com Enforcer was.

  • streetgame

    Posted Oct 29, 2009 2:49 am PT

    Absolutely, keep it the same as the original. I mean update it, graphics and stuff. If its going to xbox 360 i'd love to see a coop online feature. Cant wait, hopefully this one makes it and doesnt get twisted in the process.

  • forhekset

    Posted Oct 29, 2009 1:35 am PT

    The original X-com is relatively simple, but it works perfectly. Why is it that every single attempt at recreating its greatness is mired by all this idiocy? How many crap UFO games are there now?

    Just stick to what made the original great and focus on that, shesh.

  • trinity_rdp

    Posted Oct 29, 2009 12:54 am PT

    Man I loved this game!! Cant wait for the sequel to come out. Its about time!!!

  • Rekunta

    Posted Oct 28, 2009 11:36 pm PT

    Hell, I'd be perfectly happy with a remake of the original with new visuals, physics, etc. It will be hard to top the original, that game was near perfect. This is great news, here's hoping it won't suck.

  • b_ux

    Posted Oct 28, 2009 7:13 pm PT

    X-Com: UFO Defense.

    The best turn based game I have ever played, coming from the so much missed company-Microprose.

  • Vikingfbm

    Posted Oct 28, 2009 4:40 pm PT

    I'm hopeful about this.

  • JimBurber

    Posted Oct 28, 2009 3:39 pm PT

    I'd rather see more turn based X-Com action than a shooter... and I love FPS games! But you just couldn't beat the original X-Com format! Even when it was making me want to beat my monitor with my keyboard because of team killing troops that didn't know how to aim! lol

  • SDBusDriver1979

    Posted Oct 28, 2009 2:12 pm PT

    That is one down, now wheres Wing Commander

  • Ultramarinus

    Posted Oct 28, 2009 1:16 pm PT

    The shooter has to incorporate the macro-scale strategic management and be highly tactical with reliance on AI squad members at the very least to be interesting. I'm still very excited about the possibility of a proper sequel or even a remake of the old games though.

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