A full HD remake of Cinemaware's classic WWI Amiga game featuring never-before-seen content!
Read More
949
backers
$51,740
pledged of $350,000 goal
0
seconds to go
Replay with sound
A full HD remake of Cinemaware's classic WWI Amiga game featuring never-before-seen content!
About this project
(IMPORTANT NOTE: If this is your first visit to our project, please check the UPDATES link above for the latest info on this project!)
Colonel Farrah advises: “Beware the Hun in the Sun” (Wings’ Legacy)
“Relive the action, glory and seat of the pants daring of a WWI Allied fighter pilot! You'll strafe Hun armies, bomb enemy aerodromes and match wits against deadly Aces in heart-stopping dogfights, the loser going down in flames...without a parachute! More than just a simulator, Wings features genuine arcade action and an emotion packed role-playing experience. Wings is the easy to play air combat simulation you've been waiting for... no complicated keyboard commands. Just fly and shoot!”
It was with these words that Cinemaware’s Wings entered the annals of the videogame industry and the hearts of gamers across the globe 22 years ago. Wings was more than just an action flight sim…it truly was a personal combat experience, reflecting all the drama, emotional involvement and brutality that WWI pilots went through in their (usually short) war experience. The emotional impact that Wings’ game playing experience had on gamers has never been quite replicated in the history of the industry.
“Waldo Barnstormer reporting for duty, Sir” (Critical Reception)
In 1996, Computer Gaming World ranked Wings for the Amiga as the 65th best game of all time for its "masterful combination of arcade action, flight simulation, and cinematic story.”
Here is what other critics had to say at the time:
- CU Amiga magazine (10/1990) said: “Wings is a brilliant game. It’s both atmospheric and easy to get into.” 94%
- Computer& Video Games magazine (10/1990) said: “Wow! This is fun! In fact, it’s probably the most enjoyable Cinemaware game yet…” 94%
- Australia’s Commodore & Amiga Review (11/1990) said: “Wings is a brilliant game. It’s got atmosphere, it’s got action and it’s got loads of style.” 93%
- The One UK magazine said: “…for a more authentic experience of life in World War One you’d be hard pushed to top this.” 91%
- Lemonamiga.com’s Fiery Phoenix (fan) review: “Wings. A classic.”…“ To round up I would have to say this is one of the top 5 Amiga games ever made.”
The critical reception was overwhelmingly positive:
- Your Amiga (Nov 1990) – 93%
- Generation 4 (Oct 1990) – 93%
- The One UK (Oct 1990) – 91%
- AUI (Jan 1991) – 90%
- Joystick 9 (Oct 1990) – 90%
- Datormagazin (Oct 1990) – 90%
Down with Kaiser Bill! Launch the offensive! (About the Project)
Cinemaware is planning to bring this unique, emotion-charged, action-packed gaming experience back to life – in full, glorious HD graphics & sound!
For that to happen, we are looking for the support of all our fans and gamers in general who want to relive this classic game once more on modern platforms!
If we achieve the minimum funding goal, we will recreate the original game in all its glory – but this time, with full HD graphics & sound, enhanced animations, a revised UI and enhancements to the control interface in order to support current input methods such as touchscreen control. Our target platforms are iOS & Android devices (tablets and mobile devices) and Windows PC. Potential future platforms are Macintosh and videogame consoles. The game will be DRM-free and no additional content will be up for sale – you get the whole game in its entire, original glory!
However, and this is where it gets most interesting – help us achieve higher funding levels and we will add NEW missions, NEW diary entries and story elements, NEW landscapes, MORE & BETTER animations, ADDITIONAL music tracks, and maybe even MORE COMBAT SEQUENCE MINI-GAMES - making it a truly rich, ultimate DIRECTOR’S CUT! But don’t worry – we won’t screw around with the classic gameplay – it will still be the Wings you know and love! (We will be posting our stretch goals in a future update as well as on the Wings: Director's Cut hotsite).
Raylight Games of Naples, Italy (the experienced developer behind Wings for Game Boy Advance, as well as Amiga classics Speedball 2 and Wing Commander: Prophecy for GBA!) will have the honor of taking on this project under the production leadership and coordination of Cinemaware. They will take on development responsibilities (we anticipate approximately 6 months post Kickstarter funding) to deliver the same impactful experience fans have come to fondly remember.
In addition, Ken Melville, one of the original writers of and composer for the classic game, will also be involved in the production and will help us design & write new content for the project if we are able to achieve our minimum goal! Exciting indeed!
Like most Kickstarter campaigns, we’ll be posting regular updates about the progress of the project as it moves along, posting new video updates, graphic and sound developments, concept art and developer interviews. But we’re going the extra mile to make our fans and backers feel they are an important part of the process of creating a great game.
We’re going to make available a private, backers’ only forum where you will be able to contribute ideas and provide feedback, review upcoming artwork and sound, and discuss the evolution of this great project directly with the game’s developers! A Beta test version will also be made available on a first-come, first-serve basis. Once the game is finished, backers will receive the completed version in the available format of their choice (at the US$15 level and above).
Please help us prove that there is still a great demand out there for the unique games that Cinemaware has been so famous for producing, and that inspired so many of us working in the industry today. We have put all our available resources towards creating this Kickstarter campaign and associated materials, with the goal of bringing this classic gaming brand back to life – but now we need your direct help and support to make Wings: Director’s Cut a reality!
Colonel Farrah says: “Support the 56th - Buy Wings Pledges!” (Rewards)
We have aimed to create a variety of pledge levels and rewards in order to fit all sorts of budgets!
You can pledge as little as one dollar on Kickstarter, but pledges that include some kind of reward start at US$15 (that includes the game and a set of desktop wallpapers), and can go as high as US$10,000 (which includes an acrobatic ride in a real double-decker, WWI-style airplane!). In-between we are offering awesome T-shirts, caps, posters, a calendar, in-game credits and…some of the most exciting collector’s items we could think of: a real-life replica of the Wings 56th Aerosquadron Journal (as seen within the actual game), an authentic aviator bomber jacket and a poster featuring the classic Wings box cover with YOUR own face featured in it! How cool is that???!
All pledges from US$15 and up include one (or more) copies of the game, on the platform of your choice. Check out the reward chart for a full list of pledge levels and rewards being offered.
Heroes Live Forever! (The rebirth of Cinemaware)
Wings: Director’s Cut marks the first title in development from Cinemaware since 2003’s Robin Hood: Defender of the Crown. We know very well that thousands of our fans have been clamoring for a new product, and that frustration was mounting. However, financial constraints have become a reality of the videogame business – with the major publishing labels having a stranglehold on the market.
The industry had become very competitive, financial backing very limited, and publishers’ support for unique gaming experiences such as those that Cinemaware intended to produce disappeared.
Now, with the advent of Kickstarter and the opportunity that our fans have to directly support us, we can look forward once more to bringing you great, story-driven, character-rich gaming experiences! And proclaim our motto to the skies: Heroes Live Forever!
We have also proudly and enthusiastically joined the Kicking it Forward movement started by Brian Fargo during the Wasteland 2 project! Please visit: http://kickingitforward.org
In doing so, we pledge that a share of all future profits we are able to generate with this title (and any other Kickstarter projects we launch) will be distributed back to other Kickstarter projects - creating a virtuous cycle of sharing and helping others which we believe is the true spirit of this great funding platform!
“Curse you, Red Baron!” (Summary)
A quiet revolution is slowly developing in the games business.
Several years back, the ability to fund projects directly from your fans and customers was unheard of. Fortunately, the internet and social media have changed all that. Linking fans to game developers like Cinemaware directly through a platform like Kickstarter brings tremendously positive creative liberty and financial independence to an industry that has, historically, faced the danger of creative stagnation. Long-established publishers and investors do not cater to a lot of niche interests and classic gaming brands; ever-dwindling retail outlets squeeze out the variety of products even further. Thus the game-playing public is increasingly stuck with the same-old big brands and the same-old game franchises suffering terminal sequelitis.
But fight back for more imaginative games! Please enlist in the Cinemaware Army! Buy Wings: Director’s Cut pledges. Enlist your friends. Tell them about this project. Twitter them! Post them a Facebook note! Watch our YouTube videos! Tell them that Cinemaware is back and marching on to Victory!
FAQ
-
By supporting us, you are supporting Kickstarter. And in doing so, you are supporting a much more diverse, creative and innovative industry, and all the people who work in it who desire nothing more than to bring great games to you, the gamer. Cinemaware is made of such a group of people. By successfully helping us fund the development of Wings: Director’s Cut, we will be able to bring you more exciting new titles in the near future! Support us. Support Kickstarter.
-
Many of our fans have been asking for a Wings re-release in HD which they could simply play on contemporary platforms. This project is both an answer to that wish, but also takes into account the amount of time it would take us to deliver a completely re-invented, remake of this classic game. We firmly believe that this being our first Kickstarter project supported directly by our fans, that they are better served at this time by us developing a project which we believe can be delivered in a much shorter time span, with a clearly defined goal in mind. This is how the Director’s Cut edition was born.
-
Developing an HD version of Wings on modern platforms is an exciting opportunity, but it is also an opportunity to add content to the original game that might have been cut or left out during the original’s release. Wings: Director’s Cut will not only accurately reflect all the great aspects of the original, but will also include (funding goals permitting) a significant amount of new content that was not previously available. New missions, new diary entries, new graphical and animation elements and a few surprises are just some of the things we are planning to include for everyone’s enjoyment!
However, the main original game will be kept intact and carefully reworked to be a genuine recreation of the experience. Every art asset will be updated manually by an artist into HD, sound effects and music will be remastered using current tools and modern instrumentation, the UI will be improved where it is necessary and overall animations will be smoother and more fluid.
-
“With great power comes great responsibility.” We feel that updating Wings in a Director’s Cut edition was the most responsible thing to do, as well as attending to fans’ requests. Considering the funding and especially time limitations we set, we believe that a sequel to Wings is better served in the future when our fans have gotten reacquainted with the franchise and we have successfully delivered this project to you and earned your trust. After all, it is YOU who will determine if a sequel is in the cards in the (near) future! Putting a brand new, high-quality game worthy of the Cinemaware name in your hands as soon as possible is our first priority.
-
We are a group of videogame industry veterans but most of all, passionate gamers, just like you. Between the many individuals contributing to this project, the Kickstarter campaign effort and Raylight as the main developer responsible for the production, we all have one thing in common: a great admiration and respect for the Cinemaware legacy.
-
Raylight is one of the most respected and proficient developers in Europe. Based in Naples, Italy, they have a great reputation for developing cutting edge technology and have released several games on a variety of platforms. Most of all, all of Raylight’s founders and team members are passionate Cinemaware aficionados, which was proven in their original 2002 GBA release of Wings.
-
Achieving the minimum funding goal would be a dream in itself and will allow us to deliver you the main premise for this project: a full HD, fully remastered version of the original game on current platforms. Surpassing this goal and achieving higher levels of funding, with your help, will allow us to do so much more – both in terms of additional visual content (more art & animations) and expanding the original experience (more missions and story depth), but doing things like multiple language localizations, additional platform ports, even helping us achieve a larger distribution reach worldwide in digital and physical formats. Please refer to the funding chart to have an idea of what we are planning to do with additional funds we receive.
-
Right now, we’re going to focus on PC, tablets and mobile iOS/Android versions. If we reach beyond our funding goals, we’ll use those extra resources to enhance and build out the main version and as demand and support warrants it, we will definitely consider traditional console systems.
-
We plan to deliver Wings: Director’s Cut by February 2013 (or sooner).
-
The game will be made available DRM-free on PC & Mac through a direct download from us, or a service like Steam (in the works). The iOS and Android versions will be downloadable directly from their respective appstores, with a coupon code provided by us to you. You will pick which version you want. Of course, any physical items (including the game box) will be shipped to you directly. As the project progresses, we will certainly keep you up-to-date on all delivery schedules.
-
Physical rewards will be finalized (designs approved and put into production) between the end of the funding campaign and the game’s delivery date. They will be sent out as they are finished, with the more specialized, physical rewards taking of course longer to complete. Digital rewards in general will be available sooner within that timeframe. Please stay tuned to our updates as we intend to inform you of our ongoing progress in the production of these very unique and special items. Our main goal is to produce high-quality, unique reward items that enhance your experience in the Wings universe – not just trinkets you will forget about after some time.
-
Sure you can – you need an internationally approved credit card in order to be properly processed by Amazon Payment Systems (which is the payment method used at Kickstarter.com). If not, there are other ways you can pledge (like using your PayPal account), but those will only be available once the minimum funding goal is achieved. Therefore, it is VERY important that all fans push for us to cross the minimum goal as quickly as possible!
-
Please fix your pledge to include the additional international shipping costs (check each pledge and reward for more info, but in most cases it is an extra US$15-$20). If the campaign is over, you can always send us additional funds via PayPal. Check our site at http://www.cinemaware.com/ for more info.
-
Yes you can! Although we would hope you would only change your pledge upwards, all you have to do is access your account and retype the pledge amount you are willing to commit to. Your commitment is only locked when the campaign ends. So push your fellow Cinemaware fans to support us until the very end!
-
You can see an illustrated award chart at the end of the project page, or by visiting www.cinemawarewings.com. For any other questions, please write!
-
Yes – if we surpass our minimum funding goal, we are planning for German, French, Italian and Spanish translations first. Then, we will look at other languages based on fans’ demand and our funding situation. This localization process might even apply to physical game items we produce, like the short graphic novella and game box.
-
Choosing which Cinemaware title to bring back as a Director’s Cut was not an easy choice, as the passion for our titles is very intense among our fans (and ourselves!). We ended up choosing Wings because in recent months there has been a specific demand for this project. Wings was also Cinemaware’s swang song title in 1990, and we deemed it fit to bring it back at this time due to its enduring impact on so many gamers’ memories. But do not fret – if we are successful with this campaign, you will see more of our titles coming back in Director’s Cut format (as well as new IPs)! This is why it is so important we reach out to as many Cinemaware fans as possible, and we can only do it with YOUR help. So please show us your support! Twitter/Facebook/SMS/email your friends and remind them to visit this campaign!
-
Wrong game. Wrong war. He shows up in Rocket Ranger… ;)
-
Not many games (or movies) touch the subject of WWI, but Wings did so magnificently. The Great War (or “The War to end all Wars”) was a dramatic culmination of decades of political and social unrest in Europe that set the stage for the world that was to come. We recommend these great movies and books if you are interested in learning more:
Films: The Red Baron; Flyboys; The Blue Max; Von Richthofen and Brown; All Quiet on the Western Front; War Horse and yes…the original 1930 Wings movie by Columbia Pictures!
Books: The First World War (by John Keegan); The First World War: A Very Short Introduction (by Michael Howard); All Quiet on the Western Front (by Erich Maria Remarque); Fighting the Flying Circus (by Eddie Rickenbacker)
Documentary: The First World War – The Complete Series
-
Drop us an email at http://mailto:pr@cinemaware.com and we will be happy to talk to you!
-
We are considering ALL platforms for the release of Wings: Director's Cut. The choice of Windows, iOS and Android as starting platforms is mostly just driven by commercial viability as well as overall demand. But if we are able to reach our minimum funding goal we will CERTAINLY start porting the game to all other viable platforms - and that INCLUDES Linux and Macs!!
-
Yes, we are also excited by the upcoming launch of the Ouya and the possibilities it brings! So much in fact we became official supporters of the Ouya campaign on Kickstarter, and are in line to receive a development kit! So yes, Ouya support is in the plans for Wings: Director's Cut!
-
http://kickingitforward.org/ is a great movement started by Brian Fargo (Wasteland 2). For more info, please visit: http://kickingitforward.org/
We have joined this effort because we believe that as beneficiaries of the trust of so many people who are willing to help our own project get funded, the least we could do in return would be to give back to the Kickstart community also looking to get their own projects off the ground. We pledge that a share of all future profits we are able to generate with this title (and any other Kickstarter projects we launch) will be distributed back to other Kickstarter projects! A great, virtuous cycle of sharing and helping others starts!
Rewards
Funding period
- (32 days)