In an announcement that should make some old school gamers very, very happy, Activision today announced that they’re relaunching Sierra, the game company responsible for ’80s and ’90s computer game franchises like King’s Quest, Space Quest, Quest for Glory, Leisure Suit Larry and many more! The plan is to begin with Geometry Wars 3: Dimensions this holiday season before releasing a brand new King’s Quest in 2015! The official description for the new game (which appears to maintain continuity!) reads as follows:
In development by the beloved and quirky studio The Odd Gentlemen (The Misadventures of PB Winterbottom), “King’s Quest” is a fully reimagined version of the fan-favorite Sierra game fit for both the old and new generation of “King’s Quest” players. Huge fans of the original King’s Quest series, The Odd Gentlemen are crafting a charming new adventure with an awe-inspiring art style, engaging puzzles, and a wondrous interactive narrative brimming with humor. In the new story, King Graham revered as the greatest adventurer to ever live shares his life’s adventures with his curious granddaughter, Gwendolyn. It is through these tales that Gwendolyn discovers the true greatness of her grandfather. “King’s Quest” is expected to make its heralded return in 2015.
King’s Quest marks the first new entry in the franchise since 1998’s King’s Quest: Mask of Eternity.
“We’re very proud of what we created all those years ago with Sierra Online,” says original Sierra founder Ken Williams, “and today’s news about carrying Sierra forward as an indie-specific brand is very encouraging. We look forward to seeing Sierra’s independent spirit live on, and are especially excited to see what The Odd Gentlemen will do with ‘Kings Quest.'”
Sierra began in 1979 with a single 8-bit Apple II microcomputer, and founders Roberta and Ken Williams’ love for storytelling and new technology that drove a revolution in the adventure game genre, and forever changed the industry. Today, a new wave of independent artists and entrepreneurs are using the same inventive attitude and latest tech to create amazing gaming experiences, and that’s where Sierra comes into play. With the popularity of digital platforms like Xbox Live, PlayStation Network and Steam, the new Sierra will cater to the unique needs of each indie studio, ranging from aiding in game development and first party relations, to PR, marketing and digital/retail distribution. Sierra will help foster today’s talent to create amazing video games as it has so many times before.
“Sierra’s goal is to find and work with talented indie developers working on their own amazing projects, or passionate about working on great Sierra IP, and leverage our expertise to aid them in bring these fun and exciting experiences to gamers with the level of visibility and awareness they deserve,” said Bob Loya, Sr. Director of External Development. “In addition to Lucid Games and The Odd Gentlemen, we’re in talks with a large number of other indie devs, and cant wait to share more details with fans in the near future.”
The first title set to launch under Sierra is Geometry Wars 3: Dimensions from the team at Lucid Games. Geometry Wars 3: Dimensions is a new evolution of the fast-paced, frenetic Geometry Wars gameplay fans love, and will introduce full 3D action and both cooperative and competitive multiplayer for the first time in the franchise. In addition to a full single-player campaign with 50 unique challenges and over 10 battle modes five of which are brand new to the series Geometry Wars 3: Dimensions features dynamic and persistent progression, offering players a consistently new experience each time they play.
“Thanks to Sierra, we’re planning to release ‘Geometry Wars 3: Dimensions’ on more platforms than ever before,” said Pete Wallace, Studio Head, Lucid Games. “We’re thrilled to work with the indie team at Sierra to bring the next generation of ‘Geo Wars’ gameplay to our passionate and loyal fans, and look forward to seeing you all online!”
You can check out the teaser trailer for the return of Sierra in the player below!
