Why We Will Never Get A System Shock 3

[Jaesun]

<p> </p>
<p>G4TV offers some insight on why we'll never get a System Shock 3 <a href="http://www.g4tv.com/thefeed/blog/post/713030/the-lost-history-of-system-shock/">in an article on their site</a>. Here's a sample:</p>
<p> </p>
<blockquote>
<p>So why can&rsquo;t you buy the System Shock games through download services like Steam or Good Old Games, where it&rsquo;s one of the most requested titles? And why hasn't anyone rebooted the series or created another sequel?</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The answer is where things get messy.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>EA's System Shock Story</p>
<p> </p>
<p>In 2006, a trio of rumors hinted that Electronic Arts was making System Shock 3. First came a trademark application with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Then came a couple of unconfirmed reports in Shacknews and PC Gamer U.K., with the latter publication reporting that EA&rsquo;s Redwood Shores studio was handling development.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>But even if EA wanted to publish another System Shock, the company didn't have the rights to do so. Back when the original game was made, producer Warren Spector negotiated a deal in which EA got the trademark to the series, while the developers at Looking Glass Studios kept the rights. To create another System Shock game, you need both. "My thinking was it would force us to be married so it never would be that either party should be able to say we own that, we&rsquo;re making the next game, screw you," Spector told the San Jose Mercury News last November.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>In hindsight, the deal only jeopardized System Shock&rsquo;s future. Looking Glass Studios closed in 2000, a year after System Shock 2's release, and the copyright to the series went into the hands of an insurance company. That left EA with only the System Shock name, but no actual development rights.</p>
</blockquote>
<p> </p>
<p>Insurance Company? You can <a href="http://www.g4tv.com/thefeed/blog/post/713030/the-lost-history-of-system-shock/">read the entire article here</a>.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Spotted at: <a href="http://www.rpgwatch.com/forums/newthread.php?do=comments&f=10&ref=10&cid=17681">RPGWatch</a></p>

 

[Oriebam]

Here I was thinking that Bioshock wasn't SS3 because the developers knew the game wasn't similar to SS2* but thought still in someway improved on some concepts

like almost all the time I don't think that for sure, I'm just going with what seems to be the hivemind consensus, since the fucking games won't run

 

[Excidium]

Thank God.

 

[Darth Roxor]

Why We Will Never Get A System Shock 3

Because there's still some justice left in the world.

Also,

When System Shock 2 launched in 1999, it expanded on the RPG-shooter concept with a choice of three character types, but more importantly, the series transformed from cyberpunk adventure to high-tech survival horror. The first game's pulsing soundtrack gave way to the ambient groans of an abandoned starship. Audio logs reconstructed the tale of a crew overrun by hideous monsters. And of course, there was SHODAN, the rogue AI that turns up on countless "greatest video game villain" top 10 lists. At every turn, she mocks the protagonist for his insignificance, but only after deceiving him into carrying out her own nefarious objectives. At a time when shooters relied on simple goals -- kill the enemy, get out alive -- System Shock treated plot as yet another mold to be cracked.

Excuse me, article, but are you fucking dumb? All of this except character classes was already present in SS1.

You had to strategize, choosing an appropriate arsenal of weapons and upgrading your character with attachable hardware and biological augmentations.

Did SS1 have any bio augmentations (other than the ones at the very start, obviously)? 'Cause I honestly don't remember, and I think that was introduced in the sequel.

 

[Jaesun]

Thank God.

Exactly. FOR ONCE, a great cRPG cannot be franchise ass raped and turned into yet another shit fucking AcRPG.



There is a God.

 

[Jezal_k23]

It's so much better if they don't ever make it. Leave System Shock in peace.

 

[Pope Amole]

It made me fucking angry when the author said that modern shit like Mass Effect, Dead Space or F3 resemble and even are borrowing from the System Shock series, because if they were borrowing, they wouldn't be the shit that they are (gameplay-wise, at least). I'm fucking tired of this new-fashioned notion that modern games are everything that the old ones were, but better, because we all know that this is a big fat lie for the ignorant idiots who want to be sure that they are playing the best of two worlds. Like those fucktards, playing Duke Nukem Forever and shouting "oh, how oldschool it is, we're so awesome to play oldschool games!" Because there are some morons like this, yeah, that eat any shit that industry shoves down their throats, yet want to think that they have broad and :monocle: tastes.

 

[Zarniwoop]

Good news. They can't piss all over the System Shock name by releasing a consoletarded, "accessible" sequel. Calling Bioshock a "spiritual successor" was already a travesty.

Good lord can you just imagine what a piece of shit it would be, SHODAN would be some hawt half naked chick (romanceable of course ) level-scaling cyborg assassins that you shoot at from behind boxes, all the audio and other logs would be replaced with edgy cutscenes, and none of that inventory, weapons upgrading stuff. And motion blur. Lots of motion blur.

 

[bhlaab]

I don't see how not having the development rights precludes the game from going up on GoG. Unless making a windows 7 compatible installer counts as development.

 

[Oriebam]

It made me fucking angry when the author said that modern shit like Mass Effect, Dead Space or F3 resemble and even are borrowing from the System Shock series, because if they were borrowing, they wouldn't be the shit that they are (gameplay-wise, at least). I'm fucking tired of this new-fashioned notion that modern games are everything that the old ones were, but better, because we all know that this is a big fat lie for the ignorant idiots who want to be sure that they are playing the best of two worlds. Like those fucktards, playing Duke Nukem Forever and shouting "oh, how oldschool it is, we're so awesome to play oldschool games!" Because there are some morons like this, yeah, that eat any shit that industry shoves down their throats, yet want to think that they have broad and :monocle: tastes.

You seem not to know what borrowing is

 

[Azrael the cat]

Why We Will Never Get A System Shock 3

Because there's still some justice left in the world.

Also,

When System Shock 2 launched in 1999, it expanded on the RPG-shooter concept with a choice of three character types, but more importantly, the series transformed from cyberpunk adventure to high-tech survival horror. The first game's pulsing soundtrack gave way to the ambient groans of an abandoned starship. Audio logs reconstructed the tale of a crew overrun by hideous monsters. And of course, there was SHODAN, the rogue AI that turns up on countless "greatest video game villain" top 10 lists. At every turn, she mocks the protagonist for his insignificance, but only after deceiving him into carrying out her own nefarious objectives. At a time when shooters relied on simple goals -- kill the enemy, get out alive -- System Shock treated plot as yet another mold to be cracked.

Excuse me, article, but are you fucking dumb? All of this except character classes was already present in SS1.

You had to strategize, choosing an appropriate arsenal of weapons and upgrading your character with attachable hardware and biological augmentations.

Did SS1 have any bio augmentations (other than the ones at the very start, obviously)? 'Cause I honestly don't remember, and I think that was introduced in the sequel.

SS2 was the one that introduced the skills/stats/classes system. SS1's mechanics were largely the same as Bioshock's - i.e. an innovative FPS, but hardly a FPS-RPG. The rpg mechanics were largely SS2.

 

[Roguey]

One dream scenario: 2K Games buys the rights from Meadowbrook, and sets BioShock 4 in deep space, with SHODAN as the surprise antagonist. It would be System Shock minus the trademark, and it would be wonderful.

No it wouldn't, shut up. I hope Meadowbrook never sells, some concepts should be left to retire gracefully.

 

[DraQ]

Well, I can't help but notice that good portion of RPG mechanics in SS2 was pure and utter fail. I'm speaking of weapon skills and "lol u cant point shotgun pistol at enemy and squeeze teh trigur coz u have no skill" nonsense since other stats were decently implemented, but the game was damn shooter so failed implementation of shooting skills was pretty crippling. Psi was a nice addition, so was research.

Still, in terms of augmentations, SS1 might have lacked cyber modules and those little puny implants, but it had all kinds of awesome hardware you plugged into your neural interface.

It also had weapon settings and really varied explosives.

Where SS2 really succeeded and surpassed it's predecessor was the atmosphere. This game just grabbed you by the balls and refused to let go. Stuff like weapon degradation and chronic lack of ammo also helped here.

 

[Black_Willow]

Thank God.

Exactly. FOR ONCE, a great cRPG cannot be franchise ass raped and turned into yet another shit fucking AcRPG.



There is a God.

 

[Phelot]

Funny. I never saw SS2 as an RPG...

 

[Zarniwoop]

Funny. I never saw SS2 as an RPG...

I was also quite surprised when I saw it all-of-a-sudden being called that about 2 years ago. It's always been a shooter.

Although if it was released today, it would probably be just a"way too hardcore RPG" and the reviews would score it badly because of the very limited selection of moustaches, the lack of quest compass indicating where all the eggs are, no DLC hats or maps, and the complete absence of any gay romance options.

 

[Jasede]

Same people that claim Deus Ex is an RPG and go about page-long debates as to why or try the "If Deus Ex isn't an RPG, then what about Oblivion" - or worse, try to say Oblivion, shitty as it is, is not one.

It all boils down to the eternal question that has always been the cause of war, misery and pain. That one question that we always try to answer every second thread, with as many answers as there are grains of sand on the beach:

"What can change the nature of a man?"

Err, I mean...

"What is an RPG?"

 

[Awor Szurkrarz]

Funny. I never saw SS2 as an RPG...

 

[spekkio]

"What is an RPG?"

On 'Dex?

That's quite easy actually.

A game that features:

• the possibility to create your own character build, with attributes and skills influencing the gameplay (stupid / intelligent (dialogue); ranged / melee (combat); fighter / diplomat (quests), etc.),
• TB ISO combat (no exceptions! Bloodlines is a FPS because it's FP, r00fles),
• dialogue options,
• real C&C (different choice = different outcome),
• a shitload of bugs (mandatory).

So, there are only 3 REAL RPGs in existence:

• Fallout
• Fallout 2
• Arcanum

Other games (Ultima, Wizardry, Goldbox series, M&M series, Infinity Engine games, Bloodlines, anything made in Japan) are not RPGs.

 

[Ulminati]

Thank God.

Exactly. FOR ONCE, a great cRPG cannot be franchise ass raped and turned into yet another shit fucking AcRPG.

You got the letters in the wrong order. The acronym you're looking for is: Computerized Roleplaying Action Popamole Game. AKA CRAP-G

 

[ArcturusXIV]

Funny. I never saw SS2 as an RPG...

I was also quite surprised when I saw it all-of-a-sudden being called that about 2 years ago. It's always been a shooter.

Although if it was released today, it would probably be just a"way too hardcore RPG" and the reviews would score it badly because of the very limited selection of moustaches, the lack of quest compass indicating where all the eggs are, no DLC hats or maps, and the complete absence of any gay romance options.

Would that be gay Servbot romance, or gay alien zombie "Many!" romance options?

I always wanted to marry a zombie.

 

[Excidium]

Thank God.

Exactly. FOR ONCE, a great cRPG cannot be franchise ass raped and turned into yet another shit fucking AcRPG.

You got the letters in the wrong order. The acronym you're looking for is: Computerized Roleplaying Action Popamole Game. AKA CRAP-G

Indeed.

 

[Kz3r0]

Thank God.

Exactly. FOR ONCE, a great cRPG cannot be franchise ass raped and turned into yet another shit fucking AcRPG.

You got the letters in the wrong order. The acronym you're looking for is: Consolized Roleplaying Action Popamole Game. AKA CRAP-G

 

[Zarniwoop]

You no spam Codex. You be are fuck off now please. And making the much efforts for to am learningness the english. You are the level 1 chinese spambot scum.