Will the X-Com genre ever expand?

It's been two years since Firaxis released Enemy Unknown to the acclaim of critics and financial success. Usually when a game does well the clones break out like a case of the flu but the big guns like Activision or EA haven't sought to make their own clone and 2K hasn't seemingly greenlit any followups beyond the Enemy Within DLC, suggesting that this was a successful one-off.

Naturally this disinterest by big publishers is usually to the benefit of indies, but there doesn't seem to be much interest probably due to the complexity and scale of work involved. Altar games is dead and gone, Xenonauts is released, UFO: Extraterrestrials 2 seems stuck in development hell. Portable clones are more prevalent, but they're riffs on the original X-Com. 20 years on and any new games in the genre remain "like X-Com but..."

Will this particular blend of strategy and tactical combat ever expand and develop? Is it doomed to orbit the event horizon of a fading memory forever?

It just shows that creating game like X-COM is pretty hard. And to compete with original X-COM is almost impossible. You're much better with JA clone. Also I found trend that most turn based tactical games use X-COM word for advertisement, having no relation to X-COM other than begin turn based tactical game.

I can't remember what it's called now, but there's an indie game recently released which looks like a pretty extensive XCom 2012 clone.

Also, it's been unofficially confirmed that Firaxis are working on a sequel to XCom. Don't remember the source exactly but it was in an interview with the lead devs on Beyond Earth.

It's worth noting that turn-based is Firaxis's area of expertise whereas I can't think of any other major studios that make turn-based games, let alone as their specialty. So you might find that it's too much of a shift for other major studios who don't already have in-house expertise (and if they can keep making money out of the stuff they already make, why take the risk?)

Publishers buy that kind of expertise in. Activision might have run the Guitar Hero genre into the ground, but they didn't rely on Harmonix to keep pushing out product.

Publishers only do, what is popular. Turn Based tactical games are not massively popular like some other genres like RPGs, Action-Adventures, FPS. Even Jake Solomon admitted, that re-imagening X-COM was extremely challenging for him, but he was in that position to ask Sid for help. I could bet, that even Julian Gollop would have trouble to re-invent X-COM. He barely made it with Chaos Reborn.

Does anyone know how is UFO: Alien Invasion ? It's open source project - very old, but haven't kept interest it in quite a while.

I liked UFO:AI a lot for some time. It's realtime 3d which might not be something for XCOM purists, but worked IMO well.

There's quite a big variety of maps, though sometimes when they proceed to another version some older maps don't work anymore, but they get fixed over time (mostly). I like esp. that you get a nice distribution of big/long and small/fast missions over the course of the whole game. Personally I wished there would be more diff. types of aliens.

Another prob IMO is difficulty, there's a gap IMO between the vet players/creators who want more difficult missions, sometimes without considering that this could "close the door" for people new to the game. I think in one of the versions (don't recall exactly which) they somehow lost the balance between those two poles, and there was suddenly a significant spike in difficulty. Not sure how it is now, did not play it for a long time.

At some point being in the alien LOS meant sure death, so players were throwing around smoke grenades so much that it became a bit silly (for example hiding in smoke, stepping out to kill alien, then step back is rather an exploit IMO, but was simply your best option in many cases, so it became a regular tactic).

However, another nice feature is that you can not only build up bases, but also "installations" for example pure radar stations and missile batteries across the globe. Also, aliens attacking the player's bases is a common occurance from a certain pt. on.

Overall though I think it's a great game, esp. for free, but has its downsides, so depends on personal prefs if you can live with those or not.

Publishers buy that kind of expertise in. Activision might have run the Guitar Hero genre into the ground, but they didn't rely on Harmonix to keep pushing out product.

I'd managed to overlook that you were writing about publishers rather than studios. This said, I'd still argue its a risk compared with continually churning out FPS/RPGs/whatever else is popular these days. If XCom was commercially successful, then it's worth noting, firstly, that it was made by one of - if not *the* - most successful turn-based studio of all time and, secondly, that it was based on one of the most enduring and renowned game franchises of all time, too.

So if I were a game publisher, I'd have serious doubts about being able to make a game that would prove as successful as XCom was commercially.

(I guess a related question is: where are all the Civ clones? There's been a few, and I guess more if you count similar sci-fi equivalents like Galactic Civilizations. But for one of gaming's most successful franchises there's a notable absence of big Civ clones too.)

Endless Legend seems like a successful Civ clone and there is the Fallen Enchantress.

(I guess a related question is: where are all the Civ clones? There's been a few, and I guess more if you count similar sci-fi equivalents like Galactic Civilizations. But for one of gaming's most successful franchises there's a notable absence of big Civ clones too.)

Yeah, though many strategy games have elements similar to civ I'd say. In the strat/map part of the TW series for example. Or even older games like Spartan which seems like Civ in ancient Hellas minus the settle/improve terrain part.

*Oh as addition to UFO AI - I wrote realtime 3d - I mean the gfx engine, gameplay-wise it's turn based of course.

I think you'll continue to see games inspired by XCOM 2012, including an official sequel. I don't think you'll see many actual XCOM games, but I think there'll be plenty of strategic level / tactical level turn-based squad games...which is pretty much what the genre is.

You might only get a major one every year or two, but then that's true for most non-FPS genres.

I can't remember what it's called now, but there's an indie game recently released which looks like a pretty extensive XCom 2012 clone.

Also, it's been unofficially confirmed that Firaxis are working on a sequel to XCom. Don't remember the source exactly but it was in an interview with the lead devs on Beyond Earth.

It's worth noting that turn-based is Firaxis's area of expertise whereas I can't think of any other major studios that make turn-based games, let alone as their specialty. So you might find that it's too much of a shift for other major studios who don't already have in-house expertise (and if they can keep making money out of the stuff they already make, why take the risk?)

Ankama games is more focused on MMOs, but they are quite good at making simple and enjoyable turn based games. I could really see them making an X-Com-ish game... maybe the aliens invading around the 11th century, and adding a bit of magic to aid the human side?

[...]

(I guess a related question is: where are all the Civ clones? There's been a few, and I guess more if you count similar sci-fi equivalents like Galactic Civilizations. But for one of gaming's most successful franchises there's a notable absence of big Civ clones too.)

The Age of Wonders series popped to mind instantly, they had a new game released not long ago, there's also an Alpha Centauri clone that is close to being finished, and that one was literally "Civ in an alien planet".

But well, the first ones are fantasy, and the second one is Sci-Fi. Civ has quite a monopoly if you take both the gameplay style and the historical setting into account.

I don't know, it's a very small "genre". I don't think there's a huge demand for more games like this one.

There was a Falling Skies game released recently that was (from what I heard and saw in the trailer) an XCOM 2012 clone. Not saying that's bad but it was $40. I'd really like to see some more of that game. I'd maybe get it.

But I will agree that it would be nice to see some more of this type of game in the near future.

The Age of Wonders series popped to mind instantly, they had a new game released not long ago, there's also an Alpha Centauri clone that is close to being finished, and that one was literally "Civ in an alien planet".

But well, the first ones are fantasy, and the second one is Sci-Fi. Civ has quite a monopoly if you take both the gameplay style and the historical setting into account.

Civ 5, Warlock 2: Eador, Age of Wonders 3, Pandora, Elemental: Fallen Enchantress, Endless Legend all spring to mind in the last couple of years. It's far from a monopoly - I think there's several I can't remember too.

Civ 5, Warlock 2: Eador, Age of Wonders 3, Pandora, Elemental: Fallen Enchantress, Endless Legend all spring to mind in the last couple of years. It's far from a monopoly - I think there's several I can't remember too.

That's why I said if you take into account the realistic setting too, almost all the other ones in the genere are fantasy or sci-fi. Civ has a pretty firm hold on purely possible alt history settings.

So you did - that'll teach me to skim-read!

As you say, I think that's probably just because most studios would be very reluctant to go toe-to-toe with Civ using similar mechanics and the same setting...I can't help but think some of those fantasy / sci-fi settings would probably have been realistic if Civ wasn't so monolithic.

While waiting you may always check the progress of the "Terror From the Deep" adaption of OpenXcom. This looks promising

I played UFO from the beginning day at amiga 500..

I always returned to play it.. but after you play something for 20 years.. there was not much left.. i played every mod about it..

So after so many game tries like UFO.. i liked best the UFO After____ series.. until Xeonauts finished..

Now i will give my next 20 years to play it and to make mods for it.. its so nice to able to add something you dreamed of for years..

There is no return for me to old UFO's after this.. I am so thankfull to Chriss and his team.. i wish he works for this game for entire life.. but he already gave long years for this game..

And with CE the game will be nearly fully moderable with ease..

I don't know if this genre has been expanded, but with the XCom reboots, it's been simplified. Xenonauts doesn't really reinvent the genre, but it does it as well as I've seen it done. Personally, I don't want different. But then again, I am very new and haven't been playing Xcom for years like some of you guys. I imagine that a lot of you are probably tired of it. I am only 50 or so hours into the whole genre (not counting the time I spent with the Firaxis game), and having finally wrapped my head around the dynamics of real Xcom, I am giddy with excitement at what I've discovered. I feel dumb to not have got around to this sooner seeing as I've been a PC gamer for years.

I played UFO from the beginning day at amiga 500..

I always returned to play it.. but after you play something for 20 years.. there was not much left.. i played every mod about it..

So after so many game tries like UFO.. i liked best the UFO After____ series.. until Xeonauts finished..

Now i will give my next 20 years to play it and to make mods for it.. its so nice to able to add something you dreamed of for years..

There is no return for me to old UFO's after this.. I am so thankfull to Chriss and his team.. i wish he works for this game for entire life.. but he already gave long years for this game..

And with CE the game will be nearly fully moderable with ease..

Yes, this game is amazing. I see you mentioned UFO ... you almost certainly mean UFO Defense (UFO: Enemy Unknown)? There is another UFO game called UFO Extraterrestrials. I bought the gold edition on Steam and couldn't get the sound to work for whatever reason.

Yep I mean ufo defence.. if u are new u can try open Xcom too.. if u don't bother graphic.. I never bother it..

For those that are interested I have a number of games/mods that could be suggested, Ill put these into point form for less clutter and a link to find them

OpenXcom - http://openxcom.org/ (A mod for the original Xcom worth a look a breathes new fire to a well established game as you guys would know)

Long War for Xcom EW - http://www.nexusmods.com/xcom/mods/88/? (Brilliant mod for a great game, A mod not suited for a faint at heart, It brutal and unforgiving, you're not going to have a free ride with this mod. Its even been praised by the Xcom developers.

UFO extraterrestrials gold GrayFiend's UniMod - http://ufogr.com/ (A mod that makes this very very average game into something spectacular. Bring new life into an otherwise dead game. For those that have horror nightmares from the original, Play this mod and you'll be pleasantly surprised.