Game News Warren Spector reveals new details about System Shock 3, Sheldon Pacotti and Doug Church onboard

[Caconym]

I mean maybe he forget how simple people talk, but who gives a fuck about Shodan motives?

He does, as well he sould. I'm guessing they're writing the preliminary story stuff, design documents right now, so he's speaking from that headspace. Figuring out the big boss and arguably most important – and definitely the most fan-favorite – character of your trilogy-ending game must be of paramount priority for Spector et al.

As for theme/subgenre other than cyberpunk, I'd go with transhumanist sci-fi, especially what with SHODAN inhabiting a human body and stuff.

 

[Unkillable Cat]

Sounds like there's potential for SHODAN to do a double take on humanity now that she's forced to live in a human body.

Could be cool.

Could be disastrous.

Could even be hilarious.

Time will tell.

 

[Kev Inkline]

Was Cyberpunk really that much more popular back then? New Blade Runner movie is coming and CDP are making that big cyberpunk game, new Deus Ex to certain extent too. I don't really see what exactly would be more relevant without going into generic sci-fi territory and that would be pure decline.

In general, as a literary movement it was very short lived, it was pretty much over its arch when Billy Idol published his (bad) album '93. I have a feeling that Matrix and GiTS kind of rejuvenated some of the interest.

---
I have a group of friends with whom we still play pnp CP2020 a few times a year, been good 25 years. Nowadays our setting for our games is pretty low-tech, and the plot is usually downright farcical, not unlike the movie No pain No Gain.

 

[Mech]

They are gonna fuck it up. I wish they wouldn't, but they will.

 

[evdk]

"In System Shock 3 I want to explore Shodan's motivations," said Spector. "In the first two games her plan was to destroy humanity because, with the removal of her ethical constraints by the hacker in the first game, she's going insane. But we never explained why she wants to destroy humanity. So we're going to be exploring the idea of a super intelligence and what would motivate a super intelligent AI."

At the end of the second game, Shodan downloads herself into a human woman called Rebecca Sutton, leaving a cliffhanger. This will be the starting point ofSystem Shock 3.

"We are going to be picking up all of the loose threads of System Shock 2. Rebecca Sutton is going to appear in this game, for sure," he said.

SHODAN as playable character confirmed.

Spoiler

 

[Fenix]

Figuring out the big boss and arguably most important – and definitely the most fan-favorite – character of your trilogy-ending game must be of paramount priority for Spector et al.

That's what bothers me - looks like they start work from the wrong end.

 

[Crescent Hawk]

Personally I think Cyberpunk or near future sci fi is still around and we are living it already sure. It just changed a bit because the information part is just now starting, so modern cyberpunk seems focused on transhumanism, the lack of noir influences are sad however.

 

[Metro]

SHODAN revealed to be Mickey Mouse.

 

[Zep Zepo]

Game will be shit.

Proof

Spoiler

Hey Warren! Thanks for doing this AMA!

If a publisher gave you unlimited budget and full freedom, what game would you make with that?

• permalink
• WarrenSpector[S] 36 points 1 year ago
  
  A deeply simulated, musical comedy.
  
  • permalink
  • parent
  WarrenSpector[S] 24 points 1 year ago
  
  I'm serious as a heart attack about this...
  

Zep--

 

[Shaewaroz]

So Doug Church is basically this project's Chris Avellone.

Frankly I was expecting this to happen during Underworld: Ascendant Kickstarter. Better late that never I guess.

Nonetheless, this is a golden opportunity to contact him again and get that interview he once promised.

We gotta milk this cow dry now that we have a chance.

Also, can't wait for the IGN interview of Doug Church.

 

[commie]

Can't wait to finally romance Shodan after answering correctly through the dialogue wheel to "Teach me about love, hu-man."

Might ditch cyberpunk? What the hell... what would it be replaced with? Standard Mass Effect style sci-fi?

Transgenderhumanism. It's what all the cool kids are gabbing about.

Don't know why they can't keep going with Cyberpunk. After all, Blade Runner is effectively alternate history by now, so why not keep going with that style? It's not like Cyberpunk as a dystopian fear of technology/corporations/nuclear war outlived the 80's anyway.

I fear this game will have more retcons and convoluted rationalising than is healthy.

 

[Dedicated_Dark]

Everytime I hear Cyberpunk I think of the awesome stuff they showed off for the original Prey 2.

 

[Luka-boy]

"Teach me about love, hu-man."

 

[Cynicus]

L-l-l-look at you, hacker. A pathetic creature of meat and bone, panting and sweating as you run through my corridors.

 

[Kron]

Pfft, Spector is clueless, cyberpunk isn't dead, it's coming back with the whole 80's nostalgia synthwave.

Plus, well done noir cyberpunk is ageless, why not go for that faggots??

 

[Kev Inkline]

Pfft, Spector is clueless, cyberpunk isn't dead, it's coming back with the whole 80's nostalgia synthwave.

Plus, well done noir cyberpunk is ageless, why not go for that faggots??

I like to listen to Droid Bishop like any decent man, but that neoretro stuff you posted is still pretty small niche, say, compared to general popularity of steampunk as a cultural movement. Steampunk which for some unfortunate reason became much more popular.

I challenge you to name three major works of literature published in 2001 or later with heavy CP themes. (If not for any other reason, at least I learn something).

 

[Kron]

True. To be honest, I am only familiar with cyberpunk elements lately in (bad) videogames, music and a few (also mostly bad) comic books. I have absolutely no clue about the genre in literature.

My point though was, even if it is niche, why not exploit the growing niche, and build upon it? Specially if it is full of creative and young people; I'd rather have that than going for a stale, generic style, just because it's "mainstream".
Even more so, using an original vibe can be very successful if a product manages to differentiate itself from the sea of boring lookalikes, and stand out.

 

[Roguey]

Pfft, Spector is clueless, cyberpunk isn't dead, it's coming back with the whole 80's nostalgia synthwave.

When people say cyberpunk is dated I think they mean stuff like "Japan as the biggest economic power around" and "video payphones."

 

[tuluse]

Pretty dumb by Spector. People don't know what they want, they just ask for more of what they last thing they enjoyed was. If someone made an awesome cyberpunk game, people would buy it.

Look how much hype Watchdogs got.

 

[Azazel]

Fuck Warren Spector, dude is a hack coasting on the success of his coworkers.

 

[Alienman]

Pfft, Spector is clueless, cyberpunk isn't dead, it's coming back with the whole 80's nostalgia synthwave.

When people say cyberpunk is dated I think they mean stuff like "Japan as the biggest economic power around" and "video payphones."

That 80 and 90's cyberpunk is the best though!

 

[Kron]

I'll just leave these here. Enjoy.

Spoiler

 

[Azrael the cat]

My impression is that he intends to make a Deus Ex game using the SS IP. Certainly in the way he describes the story structure (characters from different eras that span 3 generations, exploring their past and future, exploring an AIs motives and what makes it tick - very epic, far more of a Deus Ex scope and focus than the System Shock 'all takes place over one really shitty day' scope).

Also focusing on at least 6 different NPCs from 3 generations of humans, plus presumably other new characters, indicates that there will be direct character dialogue and interaction, instead of just collecting audio logs (given how that's been copied to the point where it has gone from an original mechanic designed to create an atmosphere of being alone in a place that was bustling just a few days earlier, to being the default fps story mechanic, I can understand that).

And I'm fine with that. Preferred the Deus Ex style anyway, and (plummet in difficulty aside) it felt like the natural evolution of that design philosophy.

 

[Azrael the cat]

Pfft, Spector is clueless, cyberpunk isn't dead, it's coming back with the whole 80's nostalgia synthwave.

Plus, well done noir cyberpunk is ageless, why not go for that faggots??

I like to listen to Droid Bishop like any decent man, but that neoretro stuff you posted is still pretty small niche, say, compared to general popularity of steampunk as a cultural movement. Steampunk which for some unfortunate reason became much more popular.

I challenge you to name three major works of literature published in 2001 or later with heavy CP themes. (If not for any other reason, at least I learn something).

Or a hit film, for that matter. In SS days you had a fair number of high profile 'soft' cyberpunk hit movies - the Matrix in particular, but even stuff like the Lawnmower Man and Strange Days were highly influential despite being mediocre in aspects and a long way from the Neuromancer feel. Every action film had some absurd 'can do whatever feat the plot needs via superhacking' character, and they even made a really shit film comprised entirely of those characters (Hackers) - not cyberpunk but the influence is there and utterly mainstream.

The visual and aural trappings of the genre were everywhere - SS2's techno could have come from any number of major techno albums that year, industrial formed a whole musical genre around it and NIN and White Zombie (more human than human) ruled the airwaves. Trenchcoat wearing half-punks/half-goths were associated with the the cool character designs from the Matrix, rather than with whiney teens on a mass shooting spree.

You don't have anything like that now, not even close. You can't make this kind of game on a low budget - it's an AAA genre.

I still think it's a mistake mind you, but the mistake is not realising that niche markets can support AAA games if the game is good enough to then kick on via positive word of mouth, and so long as it's a large niche that actually buys games.

 

[JDR13]

If someone made an awesome cyberpunk game, people would buy it.

Yeah, I think those people who made The Witcher should make one...