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Wing Commander flies to Xbox Live Arcade

By Brendan Sinclair, GameSpotPosted Feb 22, 2007 10:49 am PT

Electronic Arts dusts off Origin's space combat series for online multiplayer melees this summer.

Remember the Wing Commander movie? No? Good.

Electronic Arts waited for more than a year after the Xbox 360's launch to announce its first title for Microsoft's downloadable Xbox Live Arcade service, Boom Boom Rocket. The publisher appears to be doing more than just testing the waters, because today, barely a month later, EA announced its second Live Arcade game, Wing Commander Arena.

An all-new game developed by Gaia Industries (which is also working on Street Trace: NYC for Live Arcade), Wing Commander Arena drops up to 16 players in an arcade-style dogfight through space. The game includes a single-player mode and three multiplayer options (team, free for all, and duel), which EA promises will make it suitable for 10-minute sessions as well as 10-hour marathons. Players will be able to customize their ships and compete on leaderboards for flat-out frag counts, dueling stats, and high scores.

The Wing Commander franchise was one of developer Origin Systems' hit series along with Ultima when EA acquired it in the early '90s, but it has gone largely untouched for the better part of a decade. Wing Commander Arena will attempt to breathe new life into the franchise when it's released this summer.

97 Comments

  • gameman888

    Posted Mar 1, 2007 3:34 pm PT

    I thought the heydays of combat flight simulation are long gone. I haven't seen a decent one for years. Does Xbox 360 even support a flight stick? It amuses me to imagine a bunch of pilot wannabes play make believe dog fights using thumb sticks. Ah, I remember the good ol' days of Jane's Flight Simulators; those were real men's flight sims. Speaking as a hardcore WC fan since its beginning, I don't recommend anyone getting this game. WC from 1 to Prophecy were at their best in single player story mode. Without the backdrop, there is practically no game.

  • Chief_Kuuni

    Posted Feb 24, 2007 7:42 am PT

    not bad at all

  • theKSMM

    Posted Feb 24, 2007 6:38 am PT

    This is good news. I'd love to see a lot more original arcade and PC titles on XBOX Live! Arcade. I think it's more suited to those types of games than the Wii's Virtual Console (good for older console titles) or the PS3's PlayStation Network (good for older Sony titles).

  • chakan2

    Posted Feb 23, 2007 12:37 pm PT

    I wish they'd re-release the original games on one of the Virtual Consoles floating around.

  • Poshkidney

    Posted Feb 23, 2007 12:24 pm PT

    next elite will be on there

  • DangerousWhelp

    Posted Feb 23, 2007 8:11 am PT

    To Dav_id83:

    There never was a side scrolling Wing Commander game. They were all first-person 3D, including the SNES and Sega-CD (or Mega CD in Europe) ports. Also, the Wing Commander movie sucked major a**.

  • Dav_id83

    Posted Feb 23, 2007 4:19 am PT

    Another poor game I remember the side scrolling Wind Commander games for SNES and Mega Drive they where the best. And what they on about the Wing Commander movie was great I enjoyed it shame they never did another 1.

  • RaiKageRyu

    Posted Feb 23, 2007 1:06 am PT

    I remember playing Wing Commander for the SNES.

  • sacatash

    Posted Feb 22, 2007 9:07 pm PT

    Wing commander was good on the PC and should stay on the PC. Heck the series was the first batch of games that pushed the PC requirements to the max. A 286 PC wont cut it...you need a 386 SX with a soundblaster 16 to enjoy it. Add a joystick and 16 Megs of ram and your ready to blast some Kilrathi furball! NOw that's gaming....in the early 90's!!!

  • Pete5506

    Posted Feb 22, 2007 7:32 pm PT

    sounds cool

  • The__MCP

    Posted Feb 22, 2007 6:40 pm PT

    What is wrong with EA? Ultima and Wing Commander were two classic gaming franchises. Only EA could ruin them likey they did and fail to make any worthwhile sequels in the last 10 years. Why the heck would you dropkick Ultima Online 2 and then Ultima X?

  • BloodMist

    Posted Feb 22, 2007 4:35 pm PT

    For anybody that knows what Wing Commander is, i'm sad to say this game is Wing Commander in name only.Stupid EA.

  • Gmacrusher

    Posted Feb 22, 2007 4:26 pm PT

    This was something would of thought that it was going to be choose sable for the live arcade...cool!

  • Blazer88

    Posted Feb 22, 2007 3:58 pm PT

    The old Wing Commander games were pretty cool but EA did to Origin great IP's what they do to all the one sthey bought up, buy thek when thier hot then when the concpet is in need of updating they just let it fall off the map instead. Same reason why you haven't seen another Ultima game, or even remakes of the old ones. Huge potential there but EA is lazy.

  • chibi-acer

    Posted Feb 22, 2007 3:54 pm PT

    Wow, that was unexpected. I won't buy it, but it's cool that it's out.

  • slipshoddoa

    Posted Feb 22, 2007 3:40 pm PT

    I would definitely get a 3D space combat sim. If LucasArts puts out Tie Fighter vs X-Wing first, they get my cash. Otherwise, EA gets it. Get going, guys. The clock is ticking.

  • datniccah187

    Posted Feb 22, 2007 3:39 pm PT

    Hmm i might have to check it out. Not really my type of thing, but this could be a sleeper. Kind of interested.

  • LTomlinson21

    Posted Feb 22, 2007 2:56 pm PT

    This sounds great!

  • blackdamage

    Posted Feb 22, 2007 2:51 pm PT

    Wing Commander on XBLA?

    I'm sold. I haven't played a space combat simulation since those multiplayer missions with my brother in X-Wing vs Tie Fighter.

  • Illumination77

    Posted Feb 22, 2007 2:46 pm PT

    Hello in yeah!! I was a HUGE wing commander fan back in the day and this makes me want to rush out and get a 360 NOW NOW NOW. Lol I've been waiting for aprice cut that isn't comin grr...this makes it better tho

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