A staff member of Mesa-based Cheyenne Mountain Entertainment, which is developing the online roleplaying game Stargate Worlds, recently posted some answers to fan questions on the game’s official message boards, giving hope that the project is indeed still kicking. The employee, identified as “Khestral,” gives a picture of the game’s story elements, characters and gameplay.
In April of this year, the company was reported to be facing significant financial difficulties — as so many have during the recession — but insisted development was progressing along with beta testing and that deals were in the works to keep it that way. The company told the fan e-zine GateWorld that its publicity efforts were in a “dark period.” Indeed, the last press release on the game’s Web site is dated May 4, 2009, and it concerns TV and movie star Frankie Muniz’ participation in the game’s formula racing team. The latest screen shots were released May 26.
Since then, recent repeated requests for information or interviews from Cheyenne Mountain and its publishing spinoff FireSky have been unsuccessful. FireSky’s Web site touts Stargate Worlds along with unspecified other games as key features of a business model called “SNAP” — Social Networks At Play. Its management team includes Joe Ybarra, a founding member of Electronic Arts.
Even the co-creator of the TV series Stargate SG-1, Brad Wright, was enlisted as a creative consultant on the game, but communications broke down between him and the developer.
The stars quite literally aligned for Stargate Worlds. But only time will tell if it will be enough.