warren spector speaks about system shock 3

Just this past week design director Chase Jones, a frequent collaborator of Spector’s, confirmed his departure from the project on LinkedIn. Meanwhile, the writers, director, lead programmer, design director, and more have all quit the project within the last few months. Since that moment last year, OtherSide Entertainment has been looking for a new publisher. Originally the game was set to be published by Starbreeze Studios, though as we’ve covered in the past, they have had some financial troubles and had relinquished the $12 million deal. That was until yesterday when a developer from the team working on the game spoke with VGC about the entire team being laid off. For the most part, the updates and information had petered out. Just last year we got a teaser at the Unity Keynote at GDC (Game Developer Conference) featuring SHODAN. Soon after Warren Spector would join the team. Then in November of 2015 Night Dive Studios bought the rights, and the following month OtherSide Entertainment was signed on to develop the game.

Since then the baby of Warren Spector of Wing Commander, System Shock, Thief: The Dark Project, and Deus Ex and Ken Levine of Thief: The Dark Project, System Shock 2, and BioShock have been mostly dormant. It has been a while since the last System Shock game, as back in 1999 EA didn’t split up every game to make the most money possible, they published games. One successful game launched a couple of ships called BioShock and the complete overhaul of Prey. Of course, since the release of System Shock in 1994, there has been one sequel with a very big following.

Just last week we spoke about Fallout, Deus Ex is back in hibernation after Mankind Divided, and Two Point Hospital is a cough and a nudge at Theme Hospital. Given I’ve only played two out of the four games I’ve mentioned, while I own three of them, and haven’t touched one of them or their successors, it feels weird to still be talking about them in this past decade. One of them I’ve prattled on about for long enough, Theme Hospital, others would hammer in that Deus Ex, Fallout, or System Shock are the pinnacle.

When you think of 90’s classic PC games, you’re probably thinking of RPGs or possibly management games.

Warren spector speaks about system shock 3