Wing Commander Privateer Gemini, the open source freeware fan-created version of the classic Origin Privateer game, has reached a new version with 1.02a just hitting the streets:

Some contemporary efforts tried bringing back the Privateer joy of years past, but all have been limited by the blocky 320x200 pixel art in the game. The competing Privateer Gemini Gold has just released a new Open Source Privateer to all platforms with the inflight and ground art redone at 800x600 as well as with all the familiar controls that were baked into the base scenes and immersed the player in the scenes.

Just like the original, you start poor, with an old scout class ship in a sparsely populated system in the Gemini Sector. As usual, you must try to get money through various mission assignments from which you can purchase better ships and upgrades. It's your choice how to explore Gemini and align with the various factions, earn your money as a merchant, bounty hunter, traitor or pirate. Meet Sandoval in a bar on New Detroit and talk to him to trigger the original campaign and the newer Righteous Fire expansion.

Grab it now for Windows right here. Mac and Linux mirrors coming soon. The official site has more information and screenshots.

*sigh* Wing Commander fan projects. Sorry, but as a huge WC fan, I have to say that every single WC fan project to ever been released has been tripe.

The people who try this stuff are neither good writers nor programmers in general. More often than not the UIs and controls just look and feel horrible.

Screenshots look sweet... nice and old school.

Wing Commander is just begging to be a console or mmo

Wii-ng Commander would rock.

If only Electronic Arts would opensource the Vision engine, we wouldn't have to put up with crappy fan projects.
Unfortunately, despite being almost 10 years old, the Vision engine could still hold its own if they were to use it for new commercial releases - and EA have never released code for anything. Ever :(


The screenshots might look alright, but then they go and put nonmatching and out of position text in almost random places :/

Well despite the large game companies begining to embrace OpenSource software, It is still a big thing for a company to release its IP for others to use freely.

Lots of old games look pretty average compared to today's games, but they're still s***loads of fun to play. Privateer was an awesome concept; if they're recaptured even a part of what a fun game it was to play I suspect it's probably still worth a gander. It's free, what have you got to lose?!