If you’ve got an active PS+ account, you’ll be able to download a little arcade racer for free this month. It’s called Table Top Racing, and its the brainchild of Nick Burcombe, who worked on the first two Wipeout games back in the 1990’s.
Unsurprisingly, he too would like another Wipeout game — but if it’s going to happen, he’ll need to go through Kickstarter.
In an interview with MCV UK, Burcombe’s said that — like anyone else who worked at Studio Liverpool or Psygnosis during the Wipeout heydays — fans have repeatedly lobbied him to make a new Wipeout, a void he’d be happy to fill.
But there’s caveats to this. For one, Burcombe wouldn’t make another Wipeout unless he could call it that — which means he’d have to get licensing approval from Sony first. “It’s kind of out of the question without Sony’s blessing,” he remarked.
Secondly, the project wouldn’t work without crowdfunding. “I’d have to make that PR story work on a Kickstarter level. You’d have to find out if there’s an audience for it first. I’d be looking at a proper undertaking on this and make it so that players can create their own tracks and really reinvent the whole thing.”
It’s not the first time someone’s proposed making a new Wipeout, especially since Studio Liverpool closed their doors. Hell, there are even a few projects out there right now. Formula Fusion has been kicking around in Early Access for months, and while it’s due for release later this year it’s still got a fair way to go before it’s feature complete.
Slipstream GX (SSGX) was another fan project positioning itself as a spiritual successor, but progress slowed to a crawl last year when the programmers opted to rewrite the game’s code. The developers added in late December that the game would be a “low priority in their lives”, especially after the main coder secured a full-time role thanks to his work on SSGX.
The other option: Ballistic NG, an open-source game that falls somewhere between Wipeout 2097 and Wip3out SE. It’s currently waiting to be greenlit on Steam, but you can download a beta version that has several tracks, ships and some rudimentary multiplayer.
Wipeout left a mark for a number of reasons: its exceptional choice of electronic music, blistering speed and exemplary visuals. Wipeout HD was one of the few games on the PS3 that actually ran at a full 1080p resolution, using adaptive resolutions and innovative techniques that have become fairly commonplace amongst the current generation.
The indie games currently in production: they’re decent, honest efforts. But they’re not the real deal. They’re missing pieces of the puzzle, crucial elements that made Wipeout so special.
Studio Liverpool and Psygnosis really was an incredible collection of developers. And without bringing back the full team, it’s going to be nigh-on impossible to recreate the magic of the originals.
Like legions of fans, I really want another Wipeout game. But I don’t want one that’s half-arsed, or one produced by a studio that doesn’t have the budget or manpower to do the series justice.
If there’s going to be another Wipeout, it should probably be funded by Sony. But that doesn’t seem likely, given the lack of movement on the IP in the last few years. And if a publisher won’t invest into a proper sequel, then I don’t want another Wipeout at all.
Don’t tarnish the memory of Wipeout on Kickstarter. Please, don’t.
Comments
17 responses to “Someone Wants To Make Another Wipeout, But We’ve Got Enough Already”
Am I missing something?
Why can’t they just do a spiritual successor called Outwipe or whatever.
Because by using the same name he will trick people into think I no its a proper sequel.
Gee, man, I dunno.
I say, what heresy is this?!
Hard to believe Table Top Racing is from someone who worked on Wipeout. I tried it out & the game was absolute rubbish, easy & boring to play – might appeal to some 5 year old kids. Just make something like Fast Neo Racing, it doesn’t need to be a true Wipeout sequel to be a Wipeout game
I must admit I am pretty disappointed with it too. It looked so promising but it plays so slowly! Maybe it gets better with the faster cars but I’m not sure I want to put the time in to find out.
It sort of gets better with faster cars, but it’s a real slog to get to that point – a slog which isn’t worth it.
The mobile version the game is based on is actually quite good and the issues on the console version aren’t as evident on it.
None out them are out yet though?
Just play wipeout 3 or HD fury again. We don’t need some knockoff. The concept sadly became old hat . Because bro games like assassins creed, GTA and COD became en vogue.
Bring back a Sony produced wipeout game with The Designers Republic. Please ?
Fair enough. As good as Twisted Metal was, I don’t that would work in this current environment either.
Just tried that Ballistic NG. It wins over any of the pretenders, hands down – official or not.
It looks like WipEout, plays like WipEout, sounds like WipEout and feels EXACTLY like a mix between WipEout and 2097. Course design is incredible so far – no track would be out of place in any of the official games. I cannot overstate how great the course design is, and Time-Trialing is an absolute joy.
A bit more pizzazz in the visual department (signage, landmarks, menu presentation etc…), and this is a WipEout game.
I’m utterly beside myself – it’s exactly what I wanted already. I can only imagine how great it’s going to become.
No such thing as too many Wipeout-like games.
What a dumb article… For a start there is no “full team” for wipeout, people came and went from game to game. And formula fusion has as close to the “full team” as you can get… Studio Liverpool/wipeout luminaries, plus Cold Storage (soundtrack to original wipeout… Only three of the tracks where licenced) and the designers republic ….
Also… Wipeout and AG racing make be out of fashion, but that doesn’t mean those of us still into the genre don’t want new games….
I think one of the other major factors in the success of Wipeout as the work done by the Designer’s Republic. Their design elements were the heart and soul of the franchise and that’s just been missing since Wipeout Fusion. I’d love another Wipeout by the original team but more than anything I’d love Ian Anderson to come back for it as well. Kind of like FF without Nobuo Uematsu… it’s just not complete,
The series was pretty rubbish after 3, and arguably its high point was 2097. The combination of speed and flow was never as good as those two, with excess speed being what the series became.
I backed Formula Fusion at some ridiculous level because I thought they could bring that magic back, and the first few builds felt good. But once again, the flight model has gone for speed over flow.
I’ve been meaning to give Formula Fusion a go, but judging by the videos, it looks a lot like WipEout HD than anything. I love, love, LOVE the vehicle designs in the first 3 games. Fusion was a major misfire, though I really, really dig Pure, and to a lesser extent, Pulse. Those games were great, but they lost a bit of the WipEout feel with the focus leaning toward the speed. Still, great.
I never got a PS3, or a Vita, so I kinda missed out on HD. I’ve wanted to get a PS3 just for HD, but I thought the older-style vehicles looked terrible.
That’s why that Ballistic NG has got me so pumped… it’s got the WipEout flow of the first 3 games. It still needs a shot of style in the graphics department, but it’s exactly what I wanted from a WipEout game since the third installment.
bng dev here: thanks for the kind words, and if you want my opinion you absolutely should give woHD a shot if you have the means. It’s worth getting the ps3 for it.
In my opinion, woHD’s GORGEOUS visuals are proof that SCE SL was able to hold their own just fine without TDR in tow, and given how arrogant and boring TDR has been lately, that suits me just fine