Derek Smart Wants Freespace 3

We talked briefly last month about Interplay shutting down after a very long and famous run in the video game industry. They've managed to hold off imminent doom by selling the Fallout rights to Bethesda and other things. They have the Freespace rights burning a hole in their pocket, but who would buy such a thing? Not Volition, but rather.. Derek Smart! A lot of people might have bad things to say about him, but he's taken time away from working on Desktop Commander to talk to people directly. We'll let his own words speak for himself. He initially announced his intent to buy the Freespace rights at AVault:

Freespace License. What if... ....Derek Smart, yeah, that would be me, got the license from my friends at Interplay (a publisher I had very good experiences with); would you buy Freespace 3 if I made it? Discuss. Rave. Rant. Argue. But this is something I am seriously considering, given that it looks like Interplay has started off loading properties (starting with Fallout3). I mean, just think. Would you rather see this legacy license fall into the wrong hands?

But hey, its either me or it dies. No two ways about it really. And unless you are a die hard space sim fan, this [Freespace 3 game] shouldn't concern you in the very least I don't think. So far, three people have voted that I shouldn't touch it. Makes no difference to me really as I still get to make the games I want to make, regardless.

I'm not here to win any hearts, blow any minds, organize cookouts, take long walks in the park or pass around the walm milk. All I want to say it if anyone has played ANY of my games, not to mention the recently released Universal Combat, it should be clearly apparent that you're not dealing with some fly-by-night developer of a mod crew thats going to disappear overnight.

Let me assure you of one thing that you can go to sleep with tonite. I have FULL intentions of getting this license. If I DO get it, you and your teenny leetle friends on your Ferrous Oxide project, are effectively, shutdown because I don't piss around when it comes to IP properties. You would do well to ask around. I've sued publishers for less and I have attorneys around the world, literally on speed dial. Now, I will leave you with that thought, as I retired for the evening. You will eventually come to regret this day. Mark my words.

If I get it, I'm going to develop this game. NO amount of crying, magic, spellcasting, running outside naked and yelling or coming to my house with +2 Armor of God and +6 whupass, is going to change that. So, the ones making these crazy posts (the attention must be nice - try dating) might as well go to sleep tonight knowing that as tenacious as my reputation is, if there is ANY chance of obtaining this license, I'm going to get it.

YOU insulting lot have VERY few choices and options. You are either going to be a part of the end result or you remain a part of the problem that will let this legacy and much regarded franchise die with Freespace2. Think about this. It makes NO difference to me. I CONSISTENTLY develop, publish and sell games. So, its not like I don't have a project (considering that I have no less than THREE in development right this minute) to fund and develop.

Mr. Smart's biggest folly is that he participates in the flame war. This is what has made the flame war so popular, so entertaining, so persistent, and so long lasting. It is amazing that a game developer will frequently and consistently insult his customers and his potential customers on-line in a game news group. The flame war has become like a large soap opera. In the flame war there's even been a day, August 22, that has been dubbed Derek Smart Says F-ck You Day. This day is to commemorate Mr. Smart's unique style in public relations.