Origin FX: Difference between revisions

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|engine =  
|engine =  
|platform = [[Windows 3]]
|platform = [[Windows 3]]
|releasedate = [[release date:=August 27, 1993]]
|releasedate = [[release date:=December 16, 1992]]
|language = [[English]]
|language = [[English]]
|retailprice= [[49.95 USD]] (1993) 5.99 USD (2013)
|retailprice= [[39.95 USD]]
}}
}}


[[Origin FX]] is a 1993 screensaver package developed by [[Origin Systems]] and published by [[Electronic Arts]].  
[[Origin FX]] is a 1993 screensaver package developed by [[Origin Systems]] and published by [[Electronic Arts]]. Origin FX comes with 26 different 'movies', the term it uses for screensavers. Several of the movies include elements from the Wing Commander Universe including an air show which has jets and spaceships zoom around your desktop and an asteroid field that soars through familiar Wing Commander space debris. The movies are all customizeable. Origin FX also includes an slideshow option which plays bitmap files; two renderings from Privateer are included with the stock bitmaps.
 
Origin FX was released nine months before Wing Commander Privateer and offered one of the first looks at the game's ships. The T.C.S. Paradigm movie includes unique Wing Commander lore. The package is named after the Origin FX gameflow system used in games like Ultima VI and Wing Commander. Origin FX was designed to be modular with future Origin games adding additional movies that would utilize to their resources. Strike Commander was the only Origin title released with such an option.  


==Description==
==Description==
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|-
!
!
|[[Glen Johnson]]
|[[Glen Johnson (game developer)|Glen Johnson]]
|Documentation
|Documentation
|-
|-
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|-
|-
!QA Manager
!QA Manager
|[[Jeff Shelton]]  
|[[Jeff Shelton (game developer)|Jeff Shelton]]  
|Documentation
|Documentation
|-
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==Advertising==
==Advertising==
===Box===
<gallery>
Origin FX - Box - Cover - Web.png
Origin FX - Box - Back - Web.png
Origin FX - Box - Left - Web.png
Origin FX - Box - Right - Web.png
Origin FX - Box - Top - Web.png
Origin FX - Kamekh.png
</gallery>


===Marketing Flyer===
===Marketing Flyer===


<gallery>
<gallery>
Image:WCA_Ad_Slick_Front.png
Origin Product Flyer - Origin FX - Front.png  
Image:WCA_Ad_Slick_Back.png
Origin Product Flyer - Origin FX - Back.png
</gallery>
</gallery>


Line 286: Line 299:


<gallery>
<gallery>
origin-catalog2_0001.jpg
Image:OriginNewReleases1994-Page4.jpg
Image:OriginNewReleases1994-Page4.jpg
</gallery>
</gallery>
Line 292: Line 306:


<gallery>
<gallery>
Image:Compute Issue 149 1993 Feb 0148.jpg
Image:Compute_Issue_149_1993_Feb_0148.jpg|February 1993
Image:Compute_Issue_151_1993_Apr_0086.jpg|April 1993
Image:Computer_Gaming_World_Issue_108_0163.jpg|July 1993
</gallery>
</gallery>


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===Original Release===
===Original Release===


[[Electronic Arts]] originally published ''Wing Commander Academy'' in North America, the United Kingdom, France and Germany in 1993.
[[Electronic Arts]] originally published ''Origin FX'' in North America in 1992. Origin FX was the last Wing Commander game available on 5.25" HD diskettes.


===International Releases===
===Promotional Release===


''Wing Commander'' was not localized by Electronic Arts but was released in France and Germany with translated documentation. Electronic Arts sold an additional 500 copies through InterTAN (Radio Shack) in Canada; while these were assigned a unique EAN they have not been proven to have been physically different from the standard North American release. In Asia, a version without localization was published Taiwan by Soft World. DROSoft released a localized version in Spain.
Electronic Arts offered stores the option to purchase a promotional display for the game which came with a free copy. The promotional copies featured a sticker indiating their origin.


===Other===
===Other===


In March 1994, Origin Systems announced internally that they had partnered with CD Select to release a trial version of ''Wing Commander Academy'' which would be included on a CD containing a collection of applications and games. CD Select's system would allow those who enjoy the game to call an 800-number to pay and unlock the full program. It is not clear if this release ever made it to market.
In March 1994, Origin Systems announced internally that they had partnered with CD Select to release a trial version of ''Origin FX'' which would be included on a CD containing a collection of applications and games. CD Select's system would allow those who enjoy the game to call an 800-number to pay and unlock the full program. It is not clear if this release ever made it to market.


===Release Index===
===Release Index===
Line 322: Line 338:
! Language
! Language
|-
|-
!MS-DOS
!Windows 3
|1993
|1992
|6908
|6628
|0 17814 81611 6
|
|United States
|United States
|Electronic Arts
|Electronic Arts
|3.5" HD diskette (3)
|5.25" HD diskette (3)
|English
|English
|-
|-
!MS-DOS
!Windows 3
|1993
|1992
|
|6629
|
|0 17814 79511 4
|United Kingdom
|United States
|Electronic Arts
|Electronic Arts
|3.5" HD diskette (3)
|3.5" HD diskette (3)
|English
|English
|-
|-
!MS-DOS
!Windows 3
|1993
|
|
|Germany
|Electronic Arts
|3.5" HD diskette (3)
|English, German docs
|-
!MS-DOS
|1993
|1993
|
|6832
|
|0 17814 79511 4
|France
|Electronic Arts
|3.5" HD diskette (3)
|English, French docs
|-
!MS-DOS
|1993
|5240
|
|Canada (InterTAN)
|Electronic Arts
|3.5" HD diskette (3)
|English
|-
!MS-DOS
|
|
|
|Spain
|DROSoft
|3.5" HD diskette (3)
|Spanish
|-
!MS-DOS
|
|
|
|Taiwan
|Soft World
|5.25" HD diskette (4)
|English, Chinese docs
|-
!CD-ROM Classic
|1995
|5449
|
|United States
|United States
|Electronic Arts
|Electronic Arts
|CD-ROM (3)
|English
|-
!CD-ROM Classic (Jewel)
|1995
|5713
|
|United States
|GOG
|CD-ROM (3)
|English
|-
!Hit Squad
|1994
|
|
|United Kingdom
|Ocean
|3.5" HD diskette (3)
|3.5" HD diskette (3)
|English
|English
|-
|-
!Mile High Pack
|1995
|
|
|United States
|Velocity
|CD-ROM (8)
|English
|-
!Digital
|1993
|
|
|Worldwide
|GOG
|Download
|English
|}
|}


==Screenshots==
==Images==


===Pre-Release Screenshots===
===Sprites===
 
These three images were provided to press in 1993 and were made available through Origin's BBS. Several differences are visible between these captures and the release build of the game. In ACTION, the Wraith displays a [[Morningstar|Morningstar’s]] VDU, "[[leech]]" is misspelled as "leach" and the target being communicated with is identified as "Enemy 2" instead of a ship type. ENTRY has a darker cursor than the finished game and red menu text instead of blue. It also lacks the buttons to the quick start buttons located to left and right of the simulator. SELECT shows an entirely different set of wingmen (Rusty, Dingo, Gauntlet and Harridan in place of [[Hobbes]], [[Angel]], [[Maniac]] and [[Lightspeed]], respectively) and seems to use the identifier "Zealous" instead of "Excellent". The VDU face shown for Dingo does not match any that appear in the final game.


<gallery>
<gallery>
Image:ACTION.gif
Origin FX - Title.png
Image:ENTRY.gif
Origin FX - Background 1.png
Image:SELECT.GIF
Origin FX - Background 2.png
Origin FX - Credits.png
</gallery>
</gallery>


===GOG Release Screenshots===
==Development==
 
===Point of Origin===
 
July 31, 1992 - [https://download.wcnews.com/files/documents/Point_of_Origin_Vol_2_No_22.pdf]
 
* '''New SKU Review''': "Current plans now call for the top-secret ORIGIN FX Screen Saver to ship by mid-October, rather than the originally-scheduled Aug.-Sept. period, due to additional design modifications suggested by internal test-site staffers. The Bulldogs have big hopes for this one."
* '''In, Up & Out''': "Jeff Everett has been promoted from TDA to Programmer (with a capital 'P'). Jeff will be working on Phoenix Force and the screen saver. Congrats, Jeff."
 
October 23, 1992 - [https://download.wcnews.com/files/documents/Point_of_Origin_Vol_2_No_26.pdf]
 
* '''Road Shows''': "Last week, salesman-at-heart Fred Schmidt joined the troupe for the Software, Etc. show in Denver. They cranked out 29 training sessions in just one and one-half days, teach-ing more than 250 store managers about our products. Karl said they were all drooling, especially over ORIGIN FX."


These twelve images were captured by GOG from the release build for their ''Wing Commander Academy'' sale page.
* '''Press Here''': "Jennie will be taking over from England with several 'euro-journo's,' as she calls them. THey are from PC Format and PC Review in the U.K., Gen 4 in France, and Power Play in Germany. They'll be checking out Strike, Privateer, Serpent Isle and ORIGIN FX.


<gallery>
November 6, 1992 - [https://download.wcnews.com/files/documents/Point_of_Origin_Vol_2_No_27.pdf]
Image:WCA_GOG_Promo_01.jpg
 
Image:WCA_GOG_Promo_02.jpg
* '''In Print''': "First of all, thanks to all the teams who put demonstrations together for the 'euro-journos' and Stephen Poole, editor of PC Enter-tainment. The immediate response (and the long-term possibilities) are overwhelming. 'They had the most wonderful time,' according to Jennie Evans, our European Brand Manager. 'Didier Latil (from France's GEnera-tion 4) said it was the best trip he'd ever been on. Volka (from Germany's Power Play) agreed. All of the others looked 'shattered' (which is good in euro-talk). Remember, these are guys who go on press tours all the time. Jennie says that they were all par-ticularly impressed with Privateer and ORIGIN FX Screen Saver."
Image:WCA_GOG_Promo_03.jpg
 
Image:WCA_GOG_Promo_04.jpg
* '''Misc...''' - "Info on Strike, UW2, Serpent and ORIGIN FX will be going out to 100,000 EA PC users and 75,000 ORIGIN PC users (culled from our respective registration card databases)."
Image:WCA_GOG_Promo_05.jpg
 
Image:WCA_GOG_Promo_06.jpg
November 20, 1992 - [https://download.wcnews.com/files/documents/Point_of_Origin_Vol_2_No_28.pdf]
Image:WCA_GOG_Promo_07.jpg
 
Image:WCA_GOG_Promo_08.jpg
* '''Fear and Loathing at COMDEX''' - "ORIGIN FX seems to be an up-and coming winner. Buyers and journalists who've seen it say that they think it will be a good seller. That means a lot when you consider the fact that other screen savers (such as Star Trek) are being debuted at this show as well."
Image:WCA_GOG_Promo_09.jpg
 
Image:WCA_GOG_Promo_10.jpg
December 4, 1992 - [https://download.wcnews.com/files/documents/Point_of_Origin_Vol_2_No_29.pdf]
Image:WCA_GOG_Promo_11.jpg
Image:WCA_GOG_Promo_12.jpg
</gallery>


===Community Screenshots===
* '''Return to Sin City''' - "If all goes well (and after all, why shouldn't it?), then we'll be taking almost-complete versions of Strike and Serpent as well as the finished products of ORIGIN FX and Underworld 2."


<gallery>
December 19, 1992 - [https://download.wcnews.com/files/documents/Point_of_Origin_Vol_2_No_30.pdf]
File:WCAca-Logo.png
File:WCAca-menu.png
File:WCAca-build.png
File:WCAca-wingman.png
Image:academyscreenshot04.gif
Image:academyscreenshot07.gif
Image:academyscreenshot08.gif
Image:academyscreenshot09.gif
Image:academyscreenshot10.gif
</gallery>


==Development==
* '''3, 2, 1..., 1..., 1...''' - "Even though FX shipped earlier this week, it likely won't make it to most stores until the mistletoe has come down and you're ready to return that Salad Shooter."


===Point of Origin===
* '''Misc.''' - "Both UW2 and FX are slated as part of a post-Christmas blitz. 'I want to send a free copy of FX to every single retail store in the country--every Egghead, every Computerland, every Electronics Boutique--I don't care if we have to send out two or three thousand units,' Fred said, 'The channel just doesn't realize yet how good this product is. But I know when they see it, they're going to want it, and so will their customers!' Wayne Baker and I (Galen) will also be working with the FX development team to see if there's some kind of 'teasuer' module or self-running demo that we can upload to the online services to give customers a first-hand sampling of this tasty morsel."


March 26, 1993 - [https://download.wcnews.com/files/documents/Point_of_Origin_Vol_3_No_35.pdf Vol. III, No. 35]
January 29, 1993 - [https://download.wcnews.com/files/documents/Point_of_Origin_Vol_3_No_31.pdf]
* '''Joint Resolution''': "Watch this space in the next issue for a look behind the scenes of Wing Commander Academy."


April 9, 1993 - [https://download.wcnews.com/files/documents/Point_of_Origin_Vol_3_No_36.pdf Vol. III, No. 36]
* '''Return to Vegas''' - "On the other side of the kiosk, ORIGIN FX really opened some eyes, among them those of EA President Larry Probst (check out 'Misc.' in this issue). FX is one of those products that's expected to have a slow and steady build. This was the first time many buyers and distributors got a chance to see it, and they seemed particularly taken with both the ingenuity of some of the modules as well as the original music. Screen Saver Scott Russo did a bang-up job of putting FX through its paces."
* '''Wing Commander Academy''': "Face it: there's a little egomaniac in every pilot who's flown a [[Ferret]]. The 'brag factor' is what makes Wing Commander Academy (the current working name) look like it could be a big seller. Basically, WCA is a do-it-yourself mission builder in the Wing Commander universe. Programmed-turned-Producer Thomas Blom explains it this way: "There's no real story line, except what you design for yourself. Each mission can have an objective; maybe you have to retrieve a data pod or ejected pilot, or maybe you just want to do some dogfighting. In any case, you have total control over the design. "WCA should really appeal to people who care about how good a pilot they are. After you design a mission, it will have a score based on its degree of difficulty. The files will be small enough so that you can dump the scenario onto a disk or post it online someplace like CompuServe. That way, you can challenge your friends or other players to try and beat you at your own mission. Players who whizzed through Wing Commander can actually create impossible missions, while other players may just want to use it as a way to play around with different kinds of spacecraft or study the way the [[Kilrathi]] fly." WCA has another couple of big selling points. First of all, it's not as hardware-intensive, so there will be a lot of happy 386 owners out there. Second, it will be at a reduced price point (currently $49.95 as opposed to $79.95). WCA is planned as a fall project. Right now, it has a lean and mean team. Jeff Everett and Brent Thale are working on the programming and Whitney Ayres on the art. Thomas' goal is to have it in the box by the end of June (perfect for CES)."
* '''Hype and Schmooze Roundup''' - "Larry Shannon reviewed ORIGIN FX for the New York Times, calling it 'the hog of screen savers (in terms of size),' but well worth it."


April 23, 1993 - [https://download.wcnews.com/files/documents/Point_of_Origin_Vol_3_No_37.pdf Vol. III, No. 37]
February 12, 1993 - [https://download.wcnews.com/files/documents/Point_of_Origin_Vol_3_No_32.pdf]


* '''In Print''': "People are already drooling at the concept and promise of [[Privateer]]. In the middle of it all we're going to throw some unexpected gems like Shadowcaster, Interactive Movie #1 and Wing Commander Academy at them out of the blue."
* '''Off to Market''' - "ORIGIN FX and Ultima Underworld II will be featured in a related products catalog to be included in the next 300,000 MediaVision products to ship. The new catalog will be packaged with their ProAudio Spectrum 16 sound cards, CD-ROM Upgrade kits and video cards. ... He adds that the ORIGIN FX 'teaser' version is working wonders online. About 3 out of 5 people who downloaded it say they went out and bought the full version, even though some reported already having After Dark. ...'Creating worlds is hard work. Playing in them is just plain fun. New from ORIGIN.' That's the theme of a new point-of-purchase display and promotion that's being offered to the retail channel. The countertop display includes 4-ORIGIN FX, 2-Underworld II and 2-Wing Commander promotional editions. Purchasers of the display recieve a free promotional copy of ORIGIN FX."


May 21, 1993 - [https://download.wcnews.com/files/documents/Point_of_Origin_Vol_3_No_39.pdf Vol. III, No. 39]
February 26, 1993 - [https://download.wcnews.com/files/documents/Point_of_Origin_Vol_3_No_33.pdf]
* '''Pulse Check''': "Things have been going well - we've got new blood on the phones in C/S, and some of the C/S flying aces have been testing Wing Academy in QA and are helping to rid the world of pesky bugs every day."


June 18, 1993 - [https://download.wcnews.com/files/documents/Point_of_Origin_Vol_3_No_40.pdf Vol. III, No. 40]
* '''End-Quote''' - "ORIGIN FX gets a nice mention in France's Generation 4, which writes: 'ORIGIN FX is simply fabulous and easy to use. With all the options, even the new user can obtain impressive results.' Not quite how we'd say it, but okay."
* '''CES: The Gap Closes''': "Not to say we didn't have an impressive lineup: Pacific Strike, Shadowcaster, Privateer and Wing Commander Academy... Look for Wing Commander Academy to be compared to X-Wing's Rebel Assault, while Aces Over Europe will square off against Pacific Strike... But the surprise hit and what could be our biggest seller this year was Wing Commander Academy. To a person, everyone who saw it wanted a copy of it right then and there. And talk about positioning - WCA was pitched as a non-traditional ORIGIN game: 'Less than 5 megs on your hard drive and runs great on a 386.'"


July 2, 1993 - [https://download.wcnews.com/files/documents/Point_of_Origin_Vol_3_No_41.pdf Vol. III, No. 41]
March 12, 1993 - [https://download.wcnews.com/files/documents/Point_of_Origin_Vol_3_No_34.pdf]
* '''Pulse Check''': "The QA side of the world has been busy, with 5, count 'em 5 games in test right now... We've gotcher [https://wiki.ultimacodex.com/wiki/SNES-port_of_Ultima_VII U7 SNES], yer [https://wiki.ultimacodex.com/wiki/Ultima:_Runes_of_Virtue Runes of Virtue SNES], yer Wing Commander Academy, yer [https://wiki.ultimacodex.com/wiki/Ultima_Underworld:_The_Stygian_Abyss UW1] and [https://wiki.ultimacodex.com/wiki/Ultima_Underworld_II:_Labyrinth_of_Worlds 2] CD and the ever present and wondermuss [https://wiki.ultimacodex.com/wiki/Ultima_VII_Part_Two:_The_Silver_Seed Silver Seed] add-on to [https://wiki.ultimacodex.com/wiki/Ultima_VII_Part_Two:_Serpent_Isle Serpent Isle]."


July 16, 1993 - [https://download.wcnews.com/files/documents/Point_of_Origin_Vol_3_No_42.pdf Vol. III, No. 42]
* '''The Week in Reviews''' - "ORIGIN FX gets a nice mention in the March issue of Computer Game Review: 'ORIGIN's already established reputation for high-quality games has allowed them to produce a high-quality screen saver.'"
* '''Kudos and Columns''': "And, finally, positive comments on future games from Joystick: "Wing Academy: 'It is possible to play any side, therefore you can be a Kilrathi and waste the Confederation. This option by itself should bring a hell of a lot of joy to those who, on a regular basis, regret to only play the good guys, when, deep down, they feel bad &amp; nasty.'"


July 30, 1993 - [https://download.wcnews.com/files/documents/Point_of_Origin_Vol_3_No_43.pdf Vol. III, No. 43]
March 26, 1993 - [https://download.wcnews.com/files/documents/Point_of_Origin_Vol_3_No_35.pdf]
* '''Pulse Check''': "The Silver Seed and Wing Commander Academy have signed off. They are both expected to ship in August. Guess we'll be oilin' up the phones."


August 13, 1993 - [https://download.wcnews.com/files/documents/Point_of_Origin_Vol_3_No_44.pdf Vol. III, No. 44]
* '''Press On''' - "While only a few million people were looking, ORIGIN FX was featured on CNN's Future Bytes. Fortunately, one of the people was Alan Gardner, who slapped in a tape and even sacrificed part of his previously recorded 'Beauty on the Beach' contest from MTV. Now that's dedication! Future Bytes did a wrap-up of popular screen savers and showed FX modules three times, including Dicko's famous 'third-eye' man. The show said screen savers have become entertaining high-tech time-wasters worthy of a look (plus, they mentioned ORIGIN FX by name)."  
* '''Where Are They Now?''': "First and foremost, kudos go out to Tandy Tamer Karl Kabler... What's next? He's already working on the Tandy buyer for Wing Academy and Silver Seed.... Whatever happened to Silver Seed and Wing Academy? Well, Academy is ready, but we're waiting on EAUK to get its stuff together in order for a simultaneous worldwide release..."


September 10 1993 - [https://download.wcnews.com/files/documents/Point_of_Origin_Vol_3_No_46.pdf Vol. III, No. 45]
April 8, 1993 - [https://download.wcnews.com/files/documents/Point_of_Origin_Vol_3_No_36.pdf]
* '''Road Kills''': "Karl blew out to the West Coast and met with all of the accounts there, showing them Academy, Privateer, the Speech Pack and all the promotional opportunities coming up. 'We've had some good results with those accounts,' Karl said. Snorin' Lee Moore linked up with him so the two of them could blanket the Midwest accounts like Josha, Navarro and American. They wrapped up the week with an Egghead show in Chicago, where 255 store managers from around the country got a good look at Privateer and Wing Academy. In fact, many of them ran to the phones to find that Academy had already hit the shelves back home and was moving well. Lee reported that most of the managers still regard ORIGIN as the leading edge of the industry, but with reservations. 'There's a little bit of distaste for our hardware requirements,' Lee said, 'Generally, they like the games but they say, 'My God, you guys take up a lot of disk space. My God, you guys are hard to configure for.' Next on Lee's itinerary is the San Diego Computer Fair. He's taking his own technical support in the form of Ben 'Styg' Potter. More than 50,000 consumers will get a chance to fly Academy, Strike and Privateer."
* '''Another Bump in the Org Chart''': "Meanwhile, two Wing Commander spin-offs, Privateer and Wing Commander Academy, are hitting the shelves while work on Wing Commander III is well underway."
* '''Reviews in Revue''': "Wing Academy gets a full-fledged two-page preview in this month's Strategy Plus. Will Johnson says he'd like to have a little more control over mission design and the ability to fly more Kilrathi ships, but all in all, he really likes it. 'If you want to get your blood pumping, this'll do it,' he writes. 'Drag out the good joystick because the cheap one won't last very long with this game.'"


October 13 1993 - [https://download.wcnews.com/files/documents/Point_of_Origin_Vol_3_No_48.pdf Vol. III, No. 48]
* '''Review Revue'' - " the Chicago Tribune, Dennis Lynch named ORIGIN FX 'Best Screen Saver of the Year.' He wrote: 'FX gets the nod for its totally groovy psychedelic displays and stunning music.' We're not quite sure what he was smoking when he wrote that, but we hope he has plenty more."
* '''Start the Presses''': "Egghead puts out a regular newsletter called Cue to about a gazillion of its customers every month. In a wrap-up of flight sims, Cue says Wing Academy is 'as thrilling for flight jocks as fantasy game fans.' One of the most bizarre, back-handed complimentary reviews we've ever run across is in the current issue of PC Games. In his look at Wing Academy, Cameron Crotty laments the loss of 'waiting to see what your next mission is, no more battles against impossible odds, no more clicking endlessly through useless and occasionally ham fisted plot scenes. Heaven, right? Maybe, maybe not.' Crotty says Academy is a lot of fun, but he misses Hobbes and Angel and the rest of the Wing universe. He says games like Wing and Strike 'blend adventure and action into an unbeatable combo.'"


October 22 1993 - [https://download.wcnews.com/files/documents/Point_of_Origin_Vol_3_No_49.pdf Vol. III, No. 49]
May 21, 1993 - [https://download.wcnews.com/files/documents/Point_of_Origin_Vol_3_No_39.pdf]
* '''Pulse Check''': "Taking a look at the period from 10/11 to 10/15, Privateer tops the list with 748 calls logged. The top categories for that game are: IRQ conflicts (26%), hints (24%), boot disk creation (17%) and joystick problems (12%)... PS Reps handled an assortment of other calls: U7 (126), Wing 2 (70), Underworld 2 (65), Wing 1 (60), Silver Seed (57), Underworld 1 (52) and Wing Academy (42)... Team lead testers are: Brian Wachhaus/Super Wing 3DO, Rik Packham/Pacific Strike, Don Derouen/Ultima 8 and Jerrold Harrington/Strike CD."
* '''Big Bump in Profits''': "Top selling new releases during the quarter were 'Jungle Strike(TM),' 'NHL Hockey '94,' and 'Bill Walsh College Football(TM)' for the Genesis system and 'Privateer(R)' for the IBM PC. Other Electronic Arts products appearing on retailer Top 20 lists during the quarter included 'General Chaos(TM),' 'Mutant League(TM) Football,' 'Bulls vs Blazers and the NBA(R) Playoffs,' 'PGA TOUR (R) II,' and bundles of 'Bill Walsh College Football and 'General Chaos' with the 4 Way Play adapter for the Genesis system; 'Syndicate,' 'Space Hulk(TM),' 'Ultrabots(TM),' and 'Wing Commander(R) Academy' for the IBM PC, and 'Wing Commander Deluxe' for the IBM PC CD."
* '''Press Roundup''': "The November Computer gaming World is out and includes Strike strategy tips from Tom Basham. Later on, Paul Schuytema takes on Wing Academy. Let's put it this way, the review starts out with: 'First, the bottom line on ORIGIN's Wing commander Academy: if you enjoy space combat simulations, you must have this game. Period.' It just gets better in the two-page spread peppered with screen shots. His 'quibbles': no scoring for individual missions, no flight recorder and he wants more control in mission design... Hot off the presses, the November COMPUTE has a review of Wing Academy. Dave Gerding calls it a 'great, all-action playground where you can keep you battle skills honed.'"


November 8 1993 - [https://download.wcnews.com/files/documents/Point_of_Origin_Vol_3_No_50.pdf Vol. III, No. 50]
* '''Global Press Roundup''' - "In the May issue [of PC Games], ORIGIN FX gets a nice write-up. 'If you think that good animation is not possible under Windows,' the editors write, 'you will be speechless after watching these little movies'."
* '''In Print''': "It's always great to start this article with a bang, so check out the Wing Academy review in PC Entertainment. 'ORIGIN seems to have taken every rational suggestion from the series' legion of fans and wrapped them into one gorgeous package,' Bill Trotter writes. And he ends with: 'Thank you ORIGIN; you have answered many prayers.' You can't top that."... The Tilt gang is a little more lukewarm to Wing Academy, giving it only 71%. 'Great quality, but the lack of scenario makes it quickly boring.' We've noticed that most European reviewers really miss the flicks and storyline."
* '''Pulse Check''': "Finally, Wing Academy had 16 calls, with 31% of them dealing with IRQ conflicts and 19% of them having to do with boot disks."


December 1993 - [https://download.wcnews.com/files/documents/Point_of_Origin_Vol_3_No_51.pdf Vol. III, No. 51]
September 10, 1993 - [https://download.wcnews.com/files/documents/Point_of_Origin_Vol_3_No_46.pdf]
* '''Print and Prizes''': "Japan's Pop Com has an ORIGIN product guide in which reviewer Toren Smith begins: 'ORIGIN, in my opinion, has never produced a dud game.' He tells all Wing Commander fans that they must have Wing Academy... Back home again, Privateer gets a good review (89%) in December's Computer Game Review. Editor Steve Honeywell takes to the high board to go off the deep end. 'Privateer is awesome,' he proclaims. 'It's one of those rare games you could see yourself playing years into the future and for twelve hours at a time. Truly cool!' In the same issue, though, Wing Academy gets a lukewarm review (80%). The writers basically say it's old technology and really best suited for already-hooked Wing fans. Academy fares a little better in the premiere issue of Electronic Entertainment (formerly PC Games). 'The Wing Commander juggernaut rolls on,' Bernie Yee writes, but he laments the lack of storyline and new technology. Usually, Bernie is a good reviewer, but this time, he just doesn't get it. The former editor of the former PC Games, Greg Keizer, includes Academy on his Christmas buying list in the December issue of Penthouse, cementing his reputation as a quality reviewer and solidifying our need to renew our subscription."


January 1994 - [https://download.wcnews.com/files/documents/Point_of_Origin_Vol_4_No_52.pdf Vol. IV, No. 52]
* '''Reviews in Revue''' - "If your jaw is off the ground, get this--the October issue of COMPUTE also has a glowing review fo Strike... A few pages later, ORIGIN FX (remember that product?) gets a nice write-up, too. 'If you want variety in your screen saver presentation,' Charles Idol writes, 'ORIGIN FX does an excellent job.'"
* '''In Print''': "COMPUTE magazine starts off the new year with nothing but good things to say about ORIGIN products. Several titles were recognized in the magazine's special section, 'COMPUTE's Getting Started.' Wing Commander games were listed among the article's top 10 arcade games. 'Dynamic space combat wrapped around acinematic storyline,' the author writes. 'Ferocious action scenes, featuring in-your-face 3-D dogfights.' Concerning Wing Commander Academy, the same author writes, 'Nothing but pure adrenaline-pumping action.'"


February 1994 - [https://download.wcnews.com/files/documents/Point_of_Origin_Vol_4_No_53.pdf Vol. IV, No. 53]
March 1994 - [https://download.wcnews.com/files/documents/Point_of_Origin_Vol_4_No_54.pdf]
* '''Press Here''': "The editors of PC Entertainment got together and selected their top games of 1993 and Ultima Underworld II was among four ORIGIN games that made the honor role. ...William R. Trotter put Wing commander Academy among the best of 1993. 'One intense battle after another,' he said. 'Every afternoon I take a 'Wing Commander break' instead of a coffee break--it's cleansing, cathartic, and better for your heart...' Do you think he liked it? ... In Japan, they like what they see of Wing Commander Academy. In Popcom, a Japanese gaming magazine, Toren Smith writes, 'Wing Commander Academy is like a dream come true for hardcore WC addicts.'"


March 1994 - [https://download.wcnews.com/files/documents/Point_of_Origin_Vol_4_No_54.pdf Vol. IV, No. 54]
* '''EOM Whitney Ayres''' - "Whitney has had a more than a decent two year history at ORIGIN as a lead artist on Wing Commander Academy (the only artist actually) and as an artist for both Privateer and ORIGIN FX."
* '''EOM Whitney Ayres''': "Whitney has had a more than a decent two year history at ORIGIN as a lead artist on Wing Commander Academy (the only artist actually) and as an artist for both Privateer and ORIGIN FX."
* '''Off to Market''': "Wing Academy and ORIGIN FX will be our first forays into electronic distribution. That's where somebody gets a slew of titles on a single CD, tries a program for a limited time, and then calls an 800-number for the code to "unlock" the program and d rop it to the hard drive. The company we're uisng is CD Select. It's sending 200,000 CDs to customers who have purchased through electronic distribution before. Both FX and Academy will also be on a separate disc, primarily filled with business applications, that will go out to corporate customers (they need entertainment, too)."


February 1995 - [https://download.wcnews.com/files/documents/Point_of_Origin_Vol_5_No_02.pdf Vol. V, No. 2]
* '''Off to Market''' - "Wing Academy and ORIGIN FX will be our first forays into electronic distribution. That's where somebody gets a slew of titles on a single CD, tries a program for a limited time, and then calls an 800-number for the code to 'unlock' the program and d rop it to the hard drive. The company we're uisng is CD Select. It's sending 200,000 CDs to customers who have purchased through electronic distribution before. Both FX and Academy will also be on a separate disc, primarily filled with business applications, that will go out to corporate customers (they need entertainment, too)."
* '''The EOM goes to...''': "Brent has been with ORIGIN since 1991, and has worked on Wing Commander II, Wing Commander Academy, and Super Wing Commander 3DO among other projects."


===Team Shirt===
==Disks==


The Wing Commander Academy team shirt features a school seal drawn by Origin System artist [[Paul Steed]]. The seal features planets, spacecraft, a book and an armored Kilrathi head. The text reads "established 1993" in reference to the release year of the game and gives the Latin slogan "fac ut gaudeam" which translates literally as "do it so I may be happy." The source of the slogan is the 1991 language book ''Latin for Even More Occasions'' by Henry Beard which gives "Age. Fac ut gaudeam." as a translation of Clint Eastwood's ''Sudden Impact'' catch phrase "Go ahead, make my day."
===3.5" Version===


<gallery>
* [https://download.wcnews.com/files/ofx/disk1.img Disk 1]
Image:WCA_Team_Shirt_1.JPG
* [https://download.wcnews.com/files/ofx/disk2.img Disk 2]
Image:WCA_Team_Shirt_2.JPG
* [https://download.wcnews.com/files/ofx/disk3.img Disk 3]
Image:WCA_Team_Shirt_3.jpg
</gallery>


==Patches / Addons==
==Patches / Addons==


===Demo / Addon===
===Demos / Addon===


==Miscellaneous Files==
Origin effectively released two demos for Origin FX. The first is a version of the package which includes only the Daily Quote, Guardian and Main Street movies. It also includes the slideshow feature but only two of the original bitmaps, the Wing Commander Privateer and Serpent Isle key art pieces (presented as 'Coming Soon').


{{#ask: [[Category:Wing_Commander:_Academy]] [[Category:Miscellaneous Files]]
A second demo was included on Disk 8 of Strike Commander when it released later in 1993. The Strike Commander demo contains both a version of the package that has only a Strike Commander movie viewer and the option to add the Strike Commander viewer to the full release.
| ?download=
 
| format=ul
===Patches===
| template=DownloadList
| link=none
}}


==Press==
Origin released a pair of patches for Origin FX which fix issues with the volume being too quiet and adding support for Pro Audio Spectrum sound card users.


===Previews===
===Other Documentation===


====PC Games (Germany)====
Demo/addon installation instructions included with Strike Commander. European English/French/German version.


<gallery>
<gallery>
Image:PC.Games.N012.1993.09-fl0n_0000.jpg
Origin FX Demo Installation (M4)_0000.jpg
Image:PC.Games.N012.1993.09-fl0n_0086.jpg
Origin FX Demo Installation (M4)_0001.jpg
</gallery>
</gallery>


====PCMania (Spain)====
===Running Today===
 
Origin FX will not run in any version of Windows after 3.11. To use Origin FX today, first install a copy of Windows 3 in an emulator like DOSBox. Many groups have released preconfigured versions of DOSBox with Windows pre-configured.
 
==Files==


<gallery>
* [https://download.wcnews.com/files/ofx/ORIGINFX%20DEMO.ZIP Origin FX Demo]
Image:Pcmania_0000.jpg
* [https://download.wcnews.com/files/ofx/ofxss.zip Strike Commander Movie Demo/Addon]
Image:Pcmania_0001.jpg
* [https://download.wcnews.com/files/ofx/originfx.zip Volume & Pro Audio Spectrum Patches]
Image:Pcmania_0021.jpg
 
Image:Pcmania_0022.jpg
==Press==
Image:Pcmania_0023.jpg
</gallery>


===Reviews===
===Reviews===
Line 596: Line 504:
! Score
! Score
|-
|-
!Aktueller Software Markt
!Compute
|December 1993
|October 1993
|37
|149
|8/12
|
|-
|-
!Compute!
!COMputer
|November 1993
|May 1994
|128-130
|32
|None
|
|-
|-
!Computer Gaming World
!Computer Game Review <br>and CD-ROM Entertainment
|November 1993
|March 1993
|162-163
|41
|None
|
|-
|-
!Electronic Entertainment
!Generation4
|January 1994
|February 1993
|108
|24
|6/10
|
|-
|-
!Electronic Games
!Joystick
|December 1993
|April 1993
|128
|131
|94%
|
|-
|-
!MicroMania
!Micromania
|November 1993
|May 1993
|54
|37
|90%
|
|-
|-
!PC Format
!New York Times
|October 1993
|January 12, 1993
|64
|Section C, Page 8
|76%
|
|-
|-
!PC Games
!PC Games
|October 1993
|May 1993
|42-43
|65
|76%
|
|-
|-
!PC Joker
!PC Mania
|October 1993
|May 1993
|64
|79
|70%
|
|-
|-
!PC Player
!PC Player
|October 1993
|April 1993
|40-42
|25-26
|68%
|
|-
!PC Review
|October 1993
|72-73
|5/10
|-
!PC Zone
|October 1993
|52
|60%
|-
!Power Play
|October 1993
|44
|76%
|-
!Privat Computer
|October 1993
|39
|66%
|-
!Tilt
|October 1993
|114-116
|71%
|-
|-
|}
|}


====Aktueller Software Markt (Germany)====
====Compute====


<gallery>
<gallery>
Image:ASM DE 1993-12.jpg
Compute_Issue_157_1993_Oct_0149.jpg
</gallery>
</gallery>


====Compute!====
====COMputer====


<gallery>
<gallery>
Image:Compute_Issue_158_1993_Nov_0177.jpg
COMputer_Privat_1994_Nr_06_26_Maj_-_29_Juni_0032.jpg  
Image:Compute_Issue_158_1993_Nov_0179.jpg
</gallery>
</gallery>


====Computer Gaming World (USA)====
====Computer Game Review and CD-ROM Entertainment====


<gallery>
<gallery>
Image:CGW112-WCAReviewIndex.png
ComputerGameReviewandCD-ROMEntertainment-March1993_0040.jpg
Image:CGW112-WCAReview1.png
Image:CGW112-WCAReview2.png
</gallery>
</gallery>


====Electronic Entertainment (USA)====
====Generation4====


<gallery>
<gallery>
Image:Electronic_Entertainment_01_Jan_1994_0111.jpg
generation4 - N052 - fevrier 1993 - page024 et page025.jpg
</gallery>
</gallery>


====Electronic Games (USA)====
====Joystick====


<gallery>
<gallery>
Image:Electronic_Games_1993-12_0127.jpg
Joystick 037_0131.jpg
</gallery>
</gallery>


====MicroMania (Spain)====
====Micromania====


<gallery>
<gallery>
Image:Micromania_SE_66_0053.jpg
Micromania_ep2_058_0012.jpg
Micromania_ep2_058_0037.jpg
</gallery>
</gallery>


====PC Format (UK)====
===New York Times===


<gallery>
<blockquote>
Image:PC Format WCA Review.jpg
'''PERIPHERALS; The Waltz Of the Screen Savers'''
</gallery>


====PC Games (Germany)====
By L. R. Shannon<br>
Jan. 12, 1993


<gallery>
MACINTOSH owners used to have all the fun. But Windows has brought a sense of play to sober-sided I.B.M. compatibles, and software developers have been quick to seize on the fact.
Image:PCGames_10_1993_0041.jpg
Image:PCGames_10_1993_0042.jpg
</gallery>


====PC Joker (Germany)====
According to several accounts, screen savers are the fastest-growing programs in the entertainment category. Screen savers did not start off as entertaining. They merely, and dully, blanked the screen of a monitor if the computer had not been used for a specified number of minutes, to prevent an unchanging image from being burned in as a permanent artifact. (Whether a computer should ever be turned off or, indeed, whether there is any real danger of burn-in, are controversies that this writer stands firmly on both sides of.)


<gallery>
Three new programs push the screen-saving envelope.  
Image:PC Joker Oct 93 Cover.jpg
Image:PC Joker Oct 93 WCA Review.jpg
</gallery>


====PC Player (Germany)====
'''Fanciful Fractals'''


<gallery>
Fractals are the beautiful and haunting images generated from the Mandelbrot Set, a bit of mathematical arcana that of course is unnecessary to explain here. A Touch of Chaos, from Bourbaki of Boise, Idaho, produces a slide-show-like series of these images that serve as screen savers. The company says that the program is "guaranteed to reduce productivity," and it is right; you are reluctant to press a key or move the mouse, which makes the patterns disappear, and get back to work.
Image:PC-Player-1993-10 0000.jpg
Image:PC-Player-1993-10 0003.jpg
Image:PC-Player-1993-10 0004.jpg
Image:PC-Player-1993-10 0039.jpg
Image:PC-Player-1993-10 0040.jpg
Image:PC-Player-1993-10 0041.jpg
</gallery>


====PC Review (UK)====
A Touch of Chaos requires a computer running Windows 3.1, with a VGA or SVGA display. It is $39 when ordered directly from Bourbaki; telephone (800) 289-1347.


<gallery>
'''Theater of the Ridiculous'''
Image:WCAcademyReviewPCRPage1.jpg
Image:WCAcademyReviewPCRPage2.jpg
</gallery>


====PC Zone (UK)====
If A Touch of Chaos is sublime, Energizer Bunny is ridiculous. The tireless bunny in those Eveready Battery Company commercials struts across the screens of computers running Windows 3.0 or later. It may march, beating a drum, across a blank screen or in several other settings: a Western landscape, underwater, or parachuting through the clouds. You can pick your favorite bunny, or let the program select one at random. There are also five choices of "wallpaper," or screen background, and an option for having the bunny make guest appearances while the popular After Dark or Intermission screen savers are running. There is also a password feature to protect sensitive data.


<gallery>
The software requires Windows in standard or enhanced mode and a color monitor. With Windows 3.1 you will get sound of a sort through the regular PC speaker and better sound through a sound board. A sound board will offer clips from several Energizer commercials; one can hardly wait.
Image:PC Zone 7 October 1993 0053.jpg
</gallery>


====Power Play (Germany)====
Energizer Bunny, a product of PC Dynamics of Westlake Village, Calif., should be widely available at retail software outlets. It is $24.95.


<gallery>
'''The Big Picture'''
Image:PowerPlay 10 1993 0000.jpg
Image:PowerPlay 10 1993 0043.jpg
</gallery>


====Privat Computer (Denmark)====
If you think Windows grabs too much hard-disk space, not to mention modern word processors, spreadsheets and desktop publishers, meet the hog of screen savers: Origin FX Screen Saver for Windows 3.0 or later. If the whole thing is installed, it takes 4.5 megabytes of space. That would have been nearly half the storage room available on the original I.B.M. XT and its imitators.


<gallery>
It is worth it, though, if you can afford it: there are 25 movie-like sequences in the program and a half-dozen bit-mapped (static) images. The movies range from the familiar, like fireworks and psychedelic light shows, to the wildly improbable, like a main street that gradually builds up into a block of brownstones and office buildings, populated with tenants, autos and billboards. If Origin's Wing Commander II is on the hard disk, the screen saver will call up sequences from the game. And the slide-show module can use other bit-mapped images on the disk, not just those supplied, allowing the construction of individualized shows. There are many other ways to customize the program.
Image:Privat Computer WCA Review.jpg
</gallery>


====Tilt (France)====
A so-called multimedia screen saver, that is, one with sounds as well as sights, is on one of the two disks included with the book "Instant Multimedia for Windows 3.1," by Kris Jamsa (John Wiley & Sons; $29.95). The book is a gentle introduction to the topic of multimedia, in which audio, video and text are combined in computer displays. You can do a certain amount of experimenting using only the regular PC speaker and the programs on the disks; when you are ready to graduate to a sound board, CD-ROM drive, or MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) device, Mr. Jamsa provides the background information needed to make intelligent choices.


<gallery>
Mr. Jamsa sees a not-too-distant future in which faxes jump, spreadsheets growl and word processors sing. Well, maybe.
Image:Tilt118 0113.jpg
Image:Tilt118 0114.jpg
Image:Tilt118 0115.jpg
</gallery>


===Other===
''A version of this article appears in print on Jan. 12, 1993, Section C, Page 8 of the National edition with the headline: PERIPHERALS; The Waltz Of the Screen Savers.''
</blockquote>


'''Compute!''' - December 1994
====PC Games====


<gallery>
<gallery>
Image:Compute_Issue_160_1994_Jan_0051.jpg
PC.Games.N008.1993.05-fl0n_0065.jpg
</gallery>
</gallery>


'''PC Player''' - October 1993
====PCMania====


<gallery>
<gallery>
Image:PC-Player-1993-10 0057.jpg
pcmania_0079.jpg
</gallery>
</gallery>


'''Softworld''' - October 1993
====PC Player====


<gallery>
<gallery>
Image:softworld_55_oct93_chinese_p1.jpg
PC-Player-1993-04_0004.jpg  
Image:softworld_55_oct93_chinese_p2.jpg
PC-Player-1993-04_0025.jpg  
Image:softworld_55_oct93_chinese_p39.jpg
PC-Player-1993-04_0026.jpg  
Image:softworld_55_oct93_chinese_p44.jpg
Image:softworld_55_oct93_chinese_p45.jpg
</gallery>
</gallery>


===Not Yet Located===
===Not Yet Located===


* Strategy Plus - September 1993 - Preview
* Episode of CNN's "Future Bytes" covering screen savers - March 1993
* Cue (Egghead) - October? 1993 - Review
* Chicago Tribune - April 1993 - Dennis Lynch
* PC Games (becomes Electronic Entertainment) - October 1993 - Review
* PC Entertainment - October 1993? - Review
* PC Entertainment - January 1994? - Best of 1993
* Computer Game Review - December 1993 - Review
* Penthouse - December 1993 - Christmas Buying Guide


==Lore==
==Music==


===References===
Origin FX's Wing Commander II mode plays a pair of XMI files containing the Fanfare - The Main Theme from Wing Commander I and Main Theme - Cloak and Dagger from Wing Commander II. Additionally, disk 3 includes a Roland XMI file of Jazz's Escape which is not installed alongside the game. It can be copied directly from the disk and renamed to replace an existing piece of music in the package. The disk also includes a similarly uninstalled piece of Ultima VII music.


''Wing Commander Academy'' is given an oblique reference in Chapter Three of Fleet Action which mentions that Jason Bondarevsky had briefly spent time at the Academy running the new simulator before rejoining the Tarawa: "''Jason walked around the bridge one last time. It had been his bridge for really only a very short time. After the raid on [[Kilrah]] the ship had been laid up for a year. It would in fact have been far cheaper to simply scrap her and build a new one from scratch, but public opinion was dead set against it. During that year he'd been stuck Earthside, assigned to the fleet war college for advanced training, finishing up with a brief stint at the Academy to run their latest holo combat simulator training program. But the ship had sailed at last, only to serve in one final brief action before the armistice. Yet, it was his ship, it was in fact, since Kilrah, the only thing he really loved.''"
* [https://download.wcnews.com/files/ofx/Origin%20FX%20Music.zip XMI Files] (unprocessed)


==Music==
==Ships==


==Manuals and Game Documentation==
===Bounty Hunter===


{{#ask: [[Category:Wing_Commander: Academy Manuals and Game Documentation]]
* [[Orion]]
| ?download=
| format=ul
| template=DownloadList
| link=none
}}


==Ships==
===Church of Man===  
 
===Terran Confederation===


* F-44G Rapier II (debris)
* [[Talon]]
* A-17D Broadsword (debris)
* F-54C Epee (debris)
* P-64C Ferret (debris)
* Talon (militia)
* Stiletto
* Paradigm


===Empire of Kilrah===
===Empire of Kilrah===


* Jalkehi (debris)
* [[Drakhri]] (debris)
* Drakhri (debris)
* [[Gothri]]
* Grikath (debris)
* [[Grikath]] (debris)
* Gothri
* [[Hha'ifra]]
* Kamekh
* [[Jalkehi]] (debris)
* Hha'ifra
* [[Kamekh ]]


===Church of Man===  
===Militia===


* Talon (retro)
* [[Talon]]


===Steltek===
===Steltek===


* Steltek Scout
* [[Steltek Drone|Drone]]
* Steltek Drone
* [[Steltek Scout|Scout]]


===Civilian===
===Terran Confederation===


* Orion
* [[A-17D Broadsword]] (debris)
* [[F-44G Rapier II]] (debris)
* [[F-54C Epee]] (debris)
* [[F-71 Stiletto]]
* [[P-64C]] Ferret
* [[Paradigm]]


==Weapons==
==Weapons==
Line 868: Line 708:
* [[Chaff pod]]
* [[Chaff pod]]
* [[Mine]]
* [[Mine]]
[[Category:Wing Commander Encyclopedia]]

Latest revision as of 05:55, 4 July 2023

This article is about the sceensaver. For other uses, see Origin FX (disambiguation).

Origin FX
Origin FX - Box - Cover - Web.png
Platform Windows 3
Release Date December 16, 1992
Language English
Retail Price 39.95 USD


Origin FX is a 1993 screensaver package developed by Origin Systems and published by Electronic Arts. Origin FX comes with 26 different 'movies', the term it uses for screensavers. Several of the movies include elements from the Wing Commander Universe including an air show which has jets and spaceships zoom around your desktop and an asteroid field that soars through familiar Wing Commander space debris. The movies are all customizeable. Origin FX also includes an slideshow option which plays bitmap files; two renderings from Privateer are included with the stock bitmaps.

Origin FX was released nine months before Wing Commander Privateer and offered one of the first looks at the game's ships. The T.C.S. Paradigm movie includes unique Wing Commander lore. The package is named after the Origin FX gameflow system used in games like Ultima VI and Wing Commander. Origin FX was designed to be modular with future Origin games adding additional movies that would utilize to their resources. Strike Commander was the only Origin title released with such an option.

Description

Box back cover

ORIGIN FX™ SCREEN SAVER is more than just a Windows utility that protects your mointor from burn-in. At the same time, it delivers enough entertainment to keep you enthralled fo hours. These modules reflect the creativity and technical ingenuity that have taken the WING COMMANDER and ULTIMA series to the top of the charts. ORIGIN FX is as versatile and exciting as it is useful; a modular screen saver with the graphics, sound and imagination that have made ORIGIN a favorite of computer gamers throughout the world.

ORIGIN FX incorporates images and characters familiar to fans of ORIGIN game worlds, as well as novel imagery created especially for this unique package. Unlike screen savers which use limited colors against a black background, ORIGIN FX brings the hottest color graphics in the entertainment industry to your Windows environment.

Features

  • More than 20 unique modules, with a selection of both algorithmic and graphics-based screen savers.
  • Award-winning ORIGIN music and sound effects.
  • Engage and hot key combinations to activate the screen saver at any time.
  • Customizing options -- you set speed, color, sound and other options.
  • Slide Show module allows you to cycle through bitmapped images from any directory, in any order, and for as long as you wish.
  • As a special feature for owners of WING COMMANDER II, ORIGIN FX offers a module that plays the cinemat-ic sequences when Wing II is installed on your hard drive.
  • Players of the Ultima and Wing Commander games will recognize their favorite characters and space ships as they interact with your desktop.
  • Those new to ORIGIN's world will be introduced to the high quality graphics that made these games industry favorites.

Modules

System Requirements

Original Release (1993)

MS-DOS: 386SX, 386, Intel486 or 100% compatible PC system
REQUIRED: 2 megs RAM, hard drive, 256-color VGA graphics, Windows™ v.3.0 or higher, 4.5 megs hard drive space
RECOMMENDED: DOS 6.0 and DoubleSpace
GRAPHICS: 386/20MHz+ processor, sound board, Windows 256-color mode SVGA graphics
MUSIC/SOUND EFFECTS (optional): Ad Lib®, Sound Blaster®, Roland® LAPC-I/MT-32, or 100% compatible sound board
$9.95 exchange form enclosed for other disk formats

Box Contents

Credits

Role Name Source
Production
Producer R. Scott Russo Game, Documentation
Executive Producer Dallas Snell Game, Documentation
Project Administrator Suzanne Taylor Documentation
Kirk Winterrowd Documentation
Development
Programmer Jeff Everett Game, Documentation
Richard Dean Johnson Game, Documentation
Brent A. Thale Game, Documentation
Edwin Herrell Documentation
Lead Artist Whitney Ayres Documentation
Artist Nigel Pickhardt Game, Documentation
Bill Narum Game, Documentation
Denis Loubet Documentation
Chris Douglas Documentation
Richard Mather Documentation
Terry Manderfield Documentation
Bob Cook Documentation
Micael Priest Documentation
Jeff Dee Documentation
Jake Rodgers Documentation
Danny Garrett Documentation
Bruce Lemmons Documentation
Craig Halverson Documentation
Glen Johnson Documentation
Audio Marc Schaefgen Documentation
John Tipton Documentation
Kirk Winterrowd Documentation
Quality Assurance
Quality Assurance Leader Don Derouen III Documentation
QA Manager Jeff Shelton Documentation
QA Supervisor Scott Shelton Documentation
Quality Assurance Russel Byrd Documentation
Ben Potter Documentation
Starr Long Documentation
Charles Angel Documentation
Marshall Andrews Documentation
Michael Chenault Documentation
Dee Starns Documentation
Packaging
Documentation Anthony Nichols Documentation
Packaging Craig Miller Documentation
Editing David Ladyman Documentation
Graphic Design Al Carnley Documentation
Special Thanks
Jeff Wilson Documentation

Advertising

Box

  • Origin FX - Box - Cover - Web.png
  • Origin FX - Box - Back - Web.png
  • Origin FX - Box - Left - Web.png
  • Origin FX - Box - Right - Web.png
  • Origin FX - Box - Top - Web.png
  • Origin FX - Kamekh.png

Marketing Flyer

  • Origin Product Flyer - Origin FX - Front.png
  • Origin Product Flyer - Origin FX - Back.png

Origin Catalogs

  • Origin-catalog2 0001.jpg
  • OriginNewReleases1994-Page4.jpg

Print Advertising

  • February 1993

    February 1993

  • April 1993

    April 1993

  • July 1993

    July 1993

Versions

Original Release

Electronic Arts originally published Origin FX in North America in 1992. Origin FX was the last Wing Commander game available on 5.25" HD diskettes.

Promotional Release

Electronic Arts offered stores the option to purchase a promotional display for the game which came with a free copy. The promotional copies featured a sticker indiating their origin.

Other

In March 1994, Origin Systems announced internally that they had partnered with CD Select to release a trial version of Origin FX which would be included on a CD containing a collection of applications and games. CD Select's system would allow those who enjoy the game to call an 800-number to pay and unlock the full program. It is not clear if this release ever made it to market.

Release Index

Platform Year EAN UPC Region Publisher Media Language
Windows 3 1992 6628 United States Electronic Arts 5.25" HD diskette (3) English
Windows 3 1992 6629 0 17814 79511 4 United States Electronic Arts 3.5" HD diskette (3) English
Windows 3 1993 6832 0 17814 79511 4 United States Electronic Arts 3.5" HD diskette (3) English

Images

Sprites

  • Origin FX - Title.png
  • Origin FX - Background 1.png
  • Origin FX - Background 2.png
  • Origin FX - Credits.png

Development

Point of Origin

July 31, 1992 - [1]

  • New SKU Review: "Current plans now call for the top-secret ORIGIN FX Screen Saver to ship by mid-October, rather than the originally-scheduled Aug.-Sept. period, due to additional design modifications suggested by internal test-site staffers. The Bulldogs have big hopes for this one."
  • In, Up & Out: "Jeff Everett has been promoted from TDA to Programmer (with a capital 'P'). Jeff will be working on Phoenix Force and the screen saver. Congrats, Jeff."

October 23, 1992 - [2]

  • Road Shows: "Last week, salesman-at-heart Fred Schmidt joined the troupe for the Software, Etc. show in Denver. They cranked out 29 training sessions in just one and one-half days, teach-ing more than 250 store managers about our products. Karl said they were all drooling, especially over ORIGIN FX."
  • Press Here: "Jennie will be taking over from England with several 'euro-journo's,' as she calls them. THey are from PC Format and PC Review in the U.K., Gen 4 in France, and Power Play in Germany. They'll be checking out Strike, Privateer, Serpent Isle and ORIGIN FX.

November 6, 1992 - [3]

  • In Print: "First of all, thanks to all the teams who put demonstrations together for the 'euro-journos' and Stephen Poole, editor of PC Enter-tainment. The immediate response (and the long-term possibilities) are overwhelming. 'They had the most wonderful time,' according to Jennie Evans, our European Brand Manager. 'Didier Latil (from France's GEnera-tion 4) said it was the best trip he'd ever been on. Volka (from Germany's Power Play) agreed. All of the others looked 'shattered' (which is good in euro-talk). Remember, these are guys who go on press tours all the time. Jennie says that they were all par-ticularly impressed with Privateer and ORIGIN FX Screen Saver."
  • Misc... - "Info on Strike, UW2, Serpent and ORIGIN FX will be going out to 100,000 EA PC users and 75,000 ORIGIN PC users (culled from our respective registration card databases)."

November 20, 1992 - [4]

  • Fear and Loathing at COMDEX - "ORIGIN FX seems to be an up-and coming winner. Buyers and journalists who've seen it say that they think it will be a good seller. That means a lot when you consider the fact that other screen savers (such as Star Trek) are being debuted at this show as well."

December 4, 1992 - [5]

  • Return to Sin City - "If all goes well (and after all, why shouldn't it?), then we'll be taking almost-complete versions of Strike and Serpent as well as the finished products of ORIGIN FX and Underworld 2."

December 19, 1992 - [6]

  • 3, 2, 1..., 1..., 1... - "Even though FX shipped earlier this week, it likely won't make it to most stores until the mistletoe has come down and you're ready to return that Salad Shooter."
  • Misc. - "Both UW2 and FX are slated as part of a post-Christmas blitz. 'I want to send a free copy of FX to every single retail store in the country--every Egghead, every Computerland, every Electronics Boutique--I don't care if we have to send out two or three thousand units,' Fred said, 'The channel just doesn't realize yet how good this product is. But I know when they see it, they're going to want it, and so will their customers!' Wayne Baker and I (Galen) will also be working with the FX development team to see if there's some kind of 'teasuer' module or self-running demo that we can upload to the online services to give customers a first-hand sampling of this tasty morsel."

January 29, 1993 - [7]

  • Return to Vegas - "On the other side of the kiosk, ORIGIN FX really opened some eyes, among them those of EA President Larry Probst (check out 'Misc.' in this issue). FX is one of those products that's expected to have a slow and steady build. This was the first time many buyers and distributors got a chance to see it, and they seemed particularly taken with both the ingenuity of some of the modules as well as the original music. Screen Saver Scott Russo did a bang-up job of putting FX through its paces."
  • Hype and Schmooze Roundup - "Larry Shannon reviewed ORIGIN FX for the New York Times, calling it 'the hog of screen savers (in terms of size),' but well worth it."

February 12, 1993 - [8]

  • Off to Market - "ORIGIN FX and Ultima Underworld II will be featured in a related products catalog to be included in the next 300,000 MediaVision products to ship. The new catalog will be packaged with their ProAudio Spectrum 16 sound cards, CD-ROM Upgrade kits and video cards. ... He adds that the ORIGIN FX 'teaser' version is working wonders online. About 3 out of 5 people who downloaded it say they went out and bought the full version, even though some reported already having After Dark. ...'Creating worlds is hard work. Playing in them is just plain fun. New from ORIGIN.' That's the theme of a new point-of-purchase display and promotion that's being offered to the retail channel. The countertop display includes 4-ORIGIN FX, 2-Underworld II and 2-Wing Commander promotional editions. Purchasers of the display recieve a free promotional copy of ORIGIN FX."

February 26, 1993 - [9]

  • End-Quote - "ORIGIN FX gets a nice mention in France's Generation 4, which writes: 'ORIGIN FX is simply fabulous and easy to use. With all the options, even the new user can obtain impressive results.' Not quite how we'd say it, but okay."

March 12, 1993 - [10]

  • The Week in Reviews - "ORIGIN FX gets a nice mention in the March issue of Computer Game Review: 'ORIGIN's already established reputation for high-quality games has allowed them to produce a high-quality screen saver.'"

March 26, 1993 - [11]

  • Press On - "While only a few million people were looking, ORIGIN FX was featured on CNN's Future Bytes. Fortunately, one of the people was Alan Gardner, who slapped in a tape and even sacrificed part of his previously recorded 'Beauty on the Beach' contest from MTV. Now that's dedication! Future Bytes did a wrap-up of popular screen savers and showed FX modules three times, including Dicko's famous 'third-eye' man. The show said screen savers have become entertaining high-tech time-wasters worthy of a look (plus, they mentioned ORIGIN FX by name)."

April 8, 1993 - [12]

  • 'Review Revue - " the Chicago Tribune, Dennis Lynch named ORIGIN FX 'Best Screen Saver of the Year.' He wrote: 'FX gets the nod for its totally groovy psychedelic displays and stunning music.' We're not quite sure what he was smoking when he wrote that, but we hope he has plenty more."

May 21, 1993 - [13]

  • Global Press Roundup - "In the May issue [of PC Games], ORIGIN FX gets a nice write-up. 'If you think that good animation is not possible under Windows,' the editors write, 'you will be speechless after watching these little movies'."

September 10, 1993 - [14]

  • Reviews in Revue - "If your jaw is off the ground, get this--the October issue of COMPUTE also has a glowing review fo Strike... A few pages later, ORIGIN FX (remember that product?) gets a nice write-up, too. 'If you want variety in your screen saver presentation,' Charles Idol writes, 'ORIGIN FX does an excellent job.'"

March 1994 - [15]

  • EOM Whitney Ayres - "Whitney has had a more than a decent two year history at ORIGIN as a lead artist on Wing Commander Academy (the only artist actually) and as an artist for both Privateer and ORIGIN FX."
  • Off to Market - "Wing Academy and ORIGIN FX will be our first forays into electronic distribution. That's where somebody gets a slew of titles on a single CD, tries a program for a limited time, and then calls an 800-number for the code to 'unlock' the program and d rop it to the hard drive. The company we're uisng is CD Select. It's sending 200,000 CDs to customers who have purchased through electronic distribution before. Both FX and Academy will also be on a separate disc, primarily filled with business applications, that will go out to corporate customers (they need entertainment, too)."

Disks

3.5" Version

Patches / Addons

Demos / Addon

Origin effectively released two demos for Origin FX. The first is a version of the package which includes only the Daily Quote, Guardian and Main Street movies. It also includes the slideshow feature but only two of the original bitmaps, the Wing Commander Privateer and Serpent Isle key art pieces (presented as 'Coming Soon').

A second demo was included on Disk 8 of Strike Commander when it released later in 1993. The Strike Commander demo contains both a version of the package that has only a Strike Commander movie viewer and the option to add the Strike Commander viewer to the full release.

Patches

Origin released a pair of patches for Origin FX which fix issues with the volume being too quiet and adding support for Pro Audio Spectrum sound card users.

Other Documentation

Demo/addon installation instructions included with Strike Commander. European English/French/German version.

  • Origin FX Demo Installation (M4) 0000.jpg
  • Origin FX Demo Installation (M4) 0001.jpg

Running Today

Origin FX will not run in any version of Windows after 3.11. To use Origin FX today, first install a copy of Windows 3 in an emulator like DOSBox. Many groups have released preconfigured versions of DOSBox with Windows pre-configured.

Files

Press

Reviews

Index

Publication Issue Pages Score
Compute October 1993 149
COMputer May 1994 32
Computer Game Review
and CD-ROM Entertainment 		March 1993 41
Generation4 February 1993 24
Joystick April 1993 131
Micromania May 1993 37
New York Times January 12, 1993 Section C, Page 8
PC Games May 1993 65
PC Mania May 1993 79
PC Player April 1993 25-26

Compute

  • Compute Issue 157 1993 Oct 0149.jpg

COMputer

  • COMputer Privat 1994 Nr 06 26 Maj - 29 Juni 0032.jpg

Computer Game Review and CD-ROM Entertainment

  • ComputerGameReviewandCD-ROMEntertainment-March1993 0040.jpg

Generation4

  • Generation4 - N052 - fevrier 1993 - page024 et page025.jpg

Joystick

  • Joystick 037 0131.jpg

Micromania

  • Micromania ep2 058 0012.jpg
  • Micromania ep2 058 0037.jpg

New York Times

PERIPHERALS; The Waltz Of the Screen Savers

By L. R. Shannon
Jan. 12, 1993

MACINTOSH owners used to have all the fun. But Windows has brought a sense of play to sober-sided I.B.M. compatibles, and software developers have been quick to seize on the fact.

According to several accounts, screen savers are the fastest-growing programs in the entertainment category. Screen savers did not start off as entertaining. They merely, and dully, blanked the screen of a monitor if the computer had not been used for a specified number of minutes, to prevent an unchanging image from being burned in as a permanent artifact. (Whether a computer should ever be turned off or, indeed, whether there is any real danger of burn-in, are controversies that this writer stands firmly on both sides of.)

Three new programs push the screen-saving envelope.

Fanciful Fractals

Fractals are the beautiful and haunting images generated from the Mandelbrot Set, a bit of mathematical arcana that of course is unnecessary to explain here. A Touch of Chaos, from Bourbaki of Boise, Idaho, produces a slide-show-like series of these images that serve as screen savers. The company says that the program is "guaranteed to reduce productivity," and it is right; you are reluctant to press a key or move the mouse, which makes the patterns disappear, and get back to work.

A Touch of Chaos requires a computer running Windows 3.1, with a VGA or SVGA display. It is $39 when ordered directly from Bourbaki; telephone (800) 289-1347.

Theater of the Ridiculous

If A Touch of Chaos is sublime, Energizer Bunny is ridiculous. The tireless bunny in those Eveready Battery Company commercials struts across the screens of computers running Windows 3.0 or later. It may march, beating a drum, across a blank screen or in several other settings: a Western landscape, underwater, or parachuting through the clouds. You can pick your favorite bunny, or let the program select one at random. There are also five choices of "wallpaper," or screen background, and an option for having the bunny make guest appearances while the popular After Dark or Intermission screen savers are running. There is also a password feature to protect sensitive data.

The software requires Windows in standard or enhanced mode and a color monitor. With Windows 3.1 you will get sound of a sort through the regular PC speaker and better sound through a sound board. A sound board will offer clips from several Energizer commercials; one can hardly wait.

Energizer Bunny, a product of PC Dynamics of Westlake Village, Calif., should be widely available at retail software outlets. It is $24.95.

The Big Picture

If you think Windows grabs too much hard-disk space, not to mention modern word processors, spreadsheets and desktop publishers, meet the hog of screen savers: Origin FX Screen Saver for Windows 3.0 or later. If the whole thing is installed, it takes 4.5 megabytes of space. That would have been nearly half the storage room available on the original I.B.M. XT and its imitators.

It is worth it, though, if you can afford it: there are 25 movie-like sequences in the program and a half-dozen bit-mapped (static) images. The movies range from the familiar, like fireworks and psychedelic light shows, to the wildly improbable, like a main street that gradually builds up into a block of brownstones and office buildings, populated with tenants, autos and billboards. If Origin's Wing Commander II is on the hard disk, the screen saver will call up sequences from the game. And the slide-show module can use other bit-mapped images on the disk, not just those supplied, allowing the construction of individualized shows. There are many other ways to customize the program.

A so-called multimedia screen saver, that is, one with sounds as well as sights, is on one of the two disks included with the book "Instant Multimedia for Windows 3.1," by Kris Jamsa (John Wiley & Sons; $29.95). The book is a gentle introduction to the topic of multimedia, in which audio, video and text are combined in computer displays. You can do a certain amount of experimenting using only the regular PC speaker and the programs on the disks; when you are ready to graduate to a sound board, CD-ROM drive, or MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) device, Mr. Jamsa provides the background information needed to make intelligent choices.

Mr. Jamsa sees a not-too-distant future in which faxes jump, spreadsheets growl and word processors sing. Well, maybe.

A version of this article appears in print on Jan. 12, 1993, Section C, Page 8 of the National edition with the headline: PERIPHERALS; The Waltz Of the Screen Savers.

PC Games

  • PC.Games.N008.1993.05-fl0n 0065.jpg

PCMania

  • Pcmania 0079.jpg

PC Player

  • PC-Player-1993-04 0004.jpg
  • PC-Player-1993-04 0025.jpg
  • PC-Player-1993-04 0026.jpg

Not Yet Located

  • Episode of CNN's "Future Bytes" covering screen savers - March 1993
  • Chicago Tribune - April 1993 - Dennis Lynch

Music

Origin FX's Wing Commander II mode plays a pair of XMI files containing the Fanfare - The Main Theme from Wing Commander I and Main Theme - Cloak and Dagger from Wing Commander II. Additionally, disk 3 includes a Roland XMI file of Jazz's Escape which is not installed alongside the game. It can be copied directly from the disk and renamed to replace an existing piece of music in the package. The disk also includes a similarly uninstalled piece of Ultima VII music.

Ships

Bounty Hunter

Church of Man

Empire of Kilrah

Militia

Steltek

Terran Confederation

Weapons

Defensive Weapons

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