Chris Roberts dropped out of the public spotlight after developing Freelancer a decade ago. While his work on the Wing Commander series of space games left a great impact on the face of game development, the developer hasn’t had much to do with games since then.
Happily, the developer may be making a strong return to the videogame industry with the launch of a Roberts Space Industries website, featuring a countdown timer that’s set to expire on October 10, 2012. By entering a code (hint: it’s the answer to the life, the universe, and everything), you’ll be able to read a letter Chris Roberts has written. An excerpt:
"With films you tell stories but with games you create worlds. If you've played my games, you’ll know that's what I love to do. I'm here to tell you that I have been working on something for just under a year, something that embraces everything that my past games stood for but takes it to the next level.
"I hope you’ll be as excited by it as I am. My new endeavor is still in its early stages but I invite you to take the journey with me."
After signing up for the newsletter, we’re informed that Roberts will be making his announcement at GDC Online in Austin, Texas, where he’s expected to present his new game, which will be in development for the next couple of years.