As some of you already noticed the nexuiz.com site has changed. Lee Vermeulen, the creator of Nexuiz has sold the domain name and essentially the Nexuiz brand to Colorado video game developers, Illfonic.
This means there is also a console game in development, which will be commercial, but uses many parts of the original game.
These decisions where made without the knowledge of many developers (basicly everyone, who didnt work on the engine) and many contributers. Apparently Vermeulen, LordHavoc and Morfar (project maintainer) signed NDA, which means the only can tell about things when its too late. its not sure who else signed a NDA. Since the Illfonic site was revealed there was a heated discussion, about it.
BennyDacks wrote a nice article about the situation, where he explains some of the basic problem which will for sure occur, like naming issues Nexuizfiles.com
Recently, a member of Illfonic joined and wanted to start 'a conversation' about thier nexuiz project, which turned out to be more a development info, where they try to convince people to play the console version.
They constantly refuse to answer critique questions and to every question regarding the future of nexuiz, they answered ask Vermeulen or Alientrap about. He has been absent for about 4 years and has nothing to do with the development since version 1.1 and Alientrap is basicly a One-Man Company developing capzied Alientrap.org
The fact that nexuiz is build by the community doesnt matter to them. Even kind question about a small name change of the console version, or an integration of the nexuiz community, where answered in a very arrogant way, but read it yourself : Alientrap.org
The full thread can be found here: Alientrap.org
The last post speaks for itself. They are extremly afraid of bad publicity.
Since there are no real statements, just some unclear informations, we have to wait till the GDC in 5 days. According to Vermeulen there will be an offical statement.
Nexuiz now can be found under: Nexuizgpl.com and Alientrap.org
See you next time (hopefully, with better news)
Crap... but let me see if I got this straight: there will still be a free to play PC version?
yes, there will be one. even if illfonic wants the totally
I'm not going to play the commercial one. Nexuiz is gpl, and more importantly is it's engine. Sure they can replace all the gpl textures and models made by the community, but don't they have to pay Id software to make the Darkplaces engine proprietary?
IMO Nexuiz 2.5.2 is the last version. Nexuiz is dead.
I cant tell you if they have to pay id, because i dont know.
Nexuiz wont die, several Nexuiz supporter (modeller, mapper, coder and admins of popular server) dont like the way things developed and will start to get rid of stuff, which will be connected with the console version. Just to ensure a free version of Nexuiz.
Piratepad.net a petition for an statement of the future of nexuiz. feel free to sign
The commercial one looks awesome. The smear drama is just pointless Free zealotry propoganda toward nowhere.
Best luck to illfonic and AlienTrap!
I agree, good luck guys!