System Shock 2 GOG and Steam Release

[Infinitron]

Yeah that's why I'm wondering where the money is ultimately going. From what I understand the game has been in licensing hell.

My guess is that profits will somehow be split between these Night Dive guys and Meadowbrook Insurance Group which owns all of LGS's assets. EA probably gave their approval for the deal with no compensation, for PR purposes, just like they did with Wasteland.

 

[Metro]

Good ol' Meadowbrook Insurance Group.

 

[spekkio]

SS1 is more-or-less freeware at this point

So, when something can be leeched off the webz, it means it's freeware?
Infinitron pls

No, but when fansites that refuse to distribute the equally unavailable (until now) SS2 are freely distributing SS1, one wonders whether there is some tacit agreement here.

SS1 is so fucking old that nobody cares anymore. Newfags cannot into no mouselook (unitl Malba Tahan's mod).
I hope GoG licences SS1 as well and forces abandonwarefags to remove it from their sites.

 

[Metro]

So it can help fund new classics like Witcher 3, amirite?

 

[Konjad]

What if...
Cyberpunk 2077 is going to be System Shock 3?

 

[Metro]

According to Levine Bioshock = SS3 so then Bioshock 2 is SS4 and Bioshock Infinite is SS5!

 

[Jaesun]

Then thank gawd he never got the rights to System Shock then.

 

[Oesophagus]

So that the rights to SS2 have been more or less sorted out, I wonder if we'll see SS3 anytime in the future

 

[Captain Shrek]

So that the rights to SS2 have been more or less sorted out, I wonder if we'll see SS3 anytime in the future

I hope not. Are you not satisfied with the gangrape that was Bioshock?

 

[Oesophagus]

So that the rights to SS2 have been more or less sorted out, I wonder if we'll see SS3 anytime in the future

I hope not. Are you not satisfied with the gangrape that was Bioshock?

Yeah, I mean obviously I wouldn't want Levine anywhere near SS3. But that doesn't mean that someone else couldn't pull off a proper sequel

 

[Crooked Bee]

Apart from Levine, the only person who could, in theory, give it a try is Doug Church. But he's at Valve now, so fat chance.

Unless you want someone totally unrelated to SS1 or 2 to do it.

 

[Captain Shrek]

I would rather a new IP. Please let the Corpse rest in peace. It has suffered enough abuse as it is from earlier Frankensteination.

 

[Infinitron]

But he's at Valve now, so fat chance.

What's the matter, can't you imagine SHODAN with a stylish hat?

 

[tuluse]

All joke aside, Valve could probably make a really good System Shock. They're good at level design, art direction, fps mechanics, not raping lore, and Ravenholm had a nice creepy atmosphere.

Of course this would mean Valve would have to make a SP only game, which they said they're done doing.

 

[Oesophagus]

Well, Eidos Montreal did a decent* job of a DX sequel, and I don't think there was anyone from Ion Storm there. And the name 'System Shock' alone could bring enough nostalgia jewgolds on kickstarter...

edit:

All joke aside, Valve could probably make a really good System Shock. They're good at level design, art direction, fps mechanics, not raping lore, and Ravenholm had a nice creepy atmosphere.

Also Valve would need to implement RPG mechanics, and I don't think they ever did that

*I know this is the codex, so I'll repeat that word: decent , not great, not fantastic, - decent

 

[Infinitron]

Of course this would mean Valve would have to make a SP only game, which they said they're done doing.

No problem, SS2 had multiplayer.

 

[tuluse]

I'm sort of surprised we haven't seen many Looking Glass Studios esque games on kickstarter. The only one I've seen is Consortium which failed hard.

 

[evdk]

I'm sort of surprised we haven't seen many Looking Glass Studios esque games on kickstarter. The only one I've seen is Consortium which failed hard.

Well, those games were usually pushing the limits of the current PCs when they came out originally, so it's a bit beyond the scope of a KS campaign, maybe.

 

[Jaesun]

Well, Eidos Montreal did a shitty job of a DX sequel

Fixed that for ya.

 

[Konjad]

Well, Eidos Montreal did a shitty job of a DX sequel

Fixed that for ya.

edgy

 

[Oesophagus]

Well, Eidos Montreal did a shitty job of a DX sequel

Fixed that for ya.

 

[tuluse]

They did an ok job with the prequel though

 

[spekkio]

For me, DX:HR was 1st "great" game since Bloodlines. That makes 7 (?) years of shit.

 

[Oesophagus]

I meant prequel

sue me

 

[Captain Shrek]

They did an SHIT job with the REMAKE though

Augmented.

 

[Bilgefar]

Apart from Levine, the only person who could, in theory, give it a try is Doug Church.

Warren Spector

 

[mindx2]

RPS: Although Bioshock is in some ways a spiritual successor to System Shock and its sequel, they are very different. Shock 2 is much more RPG-like, with a full inventory and skill progression paths. Do you think the weight of demand is partly because there hasn’t been anything quite like it since?
Kick: SS2 had an innovative design that formed the foundation for many modern games while seamlessly blending the best of both the FPS and RPG genre. No other developer has been able to replicate that sweet spot, and I think that’s really special.

Kick: Bioshock was definitely more approachable for console gamers, and I think if they had made the game as challenging as System Shock it would have alienated that market. It’s difficult to keep everyone happy these days when the success of a game is determined by units sold or a Metacritic score. Ultimately, I hope that introducing SS2 to new gamers will inspire them to expect more from their gaming experiences.

RPS: Along with the Thief games, Shock 2 perfectly fits my definition of a ‘good old game’. It comes from a time when first-person games seemed to be exploring new environments and methods of interacting with the world, something that appears to be on the rise again, with such as Dishonored and Human Revolution going some way toward reviving the tradition. But how important a part of PC gaming history do you reckon Shock 2 is?
Kick: Like I mentioned before I think SS2 laid the foundation for future games that blend genres. What I really loved with SS2 that Deus Ex and Dishonored exercised was the decision not to include a full multiplayer component. Personally, if I play a game I want it to be one or the other. The expectation of including a multiplayer component to a single player centric game is completely unrealistic and sometimes I feel it’s just an excuse to add another feature on the back of the box. It may seem obvious, but you’re essentially asking your studio to develop two games simultaneously which often comes with sacrificing the quality of both the single player and the multiplayer. Overall you end up with a mediocre experience. All three of these games remedy the lack of multiplayer with an experience you can enjoy multiple times, each time in a completely new way. SS2 has three distinct classes with dramatically different play styles that are challenging and fun to master all their own.

Whoever this Stephen Kick guy is he certainly makes me go...! Definitely want to hear what his company is up to in the future as he certainly says the right things.