Stories like this don't usually have a happy ending. No matter how long gamers have waited and prayed for a new entry to their favorite franchise, the power of a publisher's cease-and-desist letter almost always wins out over the love and devotion of an unpaid, self-sacrificing fan.Theseare just a few sad examples.
Tomorrow's release of The Silver Lining, then, should be a cause for celebration. For once, we won. Tired of waiting for an official King's Quest IX, and displeased with the genre-betraying direction of the previous entry, fans formed their own development studio (Phoenix Online) and started work on their own unofficial sequel. That was way back in 2000.
What happened during the decade in between? And how the hell did Phoenix Online finally get permission to release from the so-called Evil Empire of gaming, Activision? Our sister site,PC Gamer.com, has the entire fascinating, feel-good saga. If you like rooting for the underdog, you should definitely check it out.
Otherwise, all you need to know is that Episode 1 of The Silver Lining - "What is Decreed Must Be" – releases tomorrow, July 10… for FREE. Episodes 2-5 are supposedly 90% done and should follow shortly thereafter. Here's theSilver Lining websitefor downloading and here are some screens to show you what's in store.
Jul 9, 2010
