Original 'System Shock' Code Open Sourced, More Updates Promised (kickstarter.com)

"The folks at Nightdive Studios this week released the source code for a Mac version of Looking Glass Studios' 1994 classic System Shock," reports Gamasutra. Friday the game's new owners unveiled on GitHub "the original, unaltered source code that was discovered by OtherSide Entertainment and graciously shared with us a few months ago... We have been hard at work updating this code and plan to release a new version of System Shock: Enhanced Edition as well as the code in the near future." We've gone back to the original vision we shared with you at the start of our Kickstarter campaign -- this time with more reliable performance and higher fidelity visuals thanks to the Unreal Engine... We have been able to re-use the majority of work we've done over the past year and we're making significant progress in a very short amount of time. With that said we'll be inviting our highest tier backers to privately test the game beginning in September at which point we estimate that the game will be fully playable, from start to finish. The majority of the art won't be finished, but we'll be ready to start high-level testing.
Going forward there's even a Twitch component. "In an effort to remain transparent throughout development we're going to begin streaming on a regular basis and inviting the backers to join us." And the audio department has also revealed some of the music from the medical deck.

After their Kickstarter was funded, Nightdive had explored making a "bigger, better game" after receiving a verbal commitment from a game publisher, but then "were left high and dry after making crucial, consequential changes in staff and scope... We still have the funds necessary to complete the game, but the timeline will inevitably move back with our shift in direction..."

"This will be closer to a 1:1 remake with updates to the weapon/character designs but without altering the core gameplay of the original."

Comments

Likely Destroyed the Franchise Forever

[Kunedog]

Shamus Young did an excellent writeup of how this Kickstarter project has probably destroyed any future hope of a reboot/remake:
https://shamusyoung.com/twenty...

TL;DR - In the pitching/fundraising stage the demo appeared to demonstrate a clear, plausibly attainable vision of what a System Shock remake should be.

Then, well into development, the vision inexplicably changed from a faithful remake to a soulless clone of every other AAA shooter, with time wasted on cutting edge graphics (engine change from Unity to Unreal) and features (like a gun to freeze and shatter enemies, something that wasn't even in System Shock). They were also producing lots of high-quality concept art (again, well into development).

From the available evidence, Young suspects they were trying to attract a "savior" publisher to fund the project, instead of delivering on the Kickstarter goal of an earnest remake. But as he points out, there isn't enough of a fanbase for System Shock to be a AAA game:

If you spend fifty million dollars making System Shock then you’ll never get a return on your investment. This game is only viable as a low / mid budget title, and Nightdive has made it clear they’re not interested in making that sort of game, even if they somehow got another infusion of cash.

So the only hope was the modest budget title which these guys promised they were going to do, and then they essentially betrayed the backers.

Re:Bigger and better

[Excelcia]

While we're discussing teachable moments, let's touch on "making crucial, consequential changes in staff and scope" based on "a verbal commitment".

It's the other way around. They were trying to do more and more based on the strength of the verbal commitments they had, and when they realized that their development staff were going hog wild with that extra stuff, that's when they made the "crucial" and "consequential changes in staff and scope" in order to rein it in and bring it back on track.

From a February blog entry:

...As the budget grew, we began a long series of conversations with potential publishing partners. The more that we worked on the game, the more that we wanted to do, and the further we got from the original concepts that made System Shock so great. ... As the CEO and founder of Nightdive Studios ... I let things get out of control. I can tell you that I did it for all the right reasons, that I was totally committed to making a great game, but it has become clear to me that we took the wrong path, that we turned our backs on the very people who made this possible, our Kickstarter backers.

I have put the team on a hiatus while we reassess our path so that we can return to our vision. We are taking a break, but NOT ending the project. Please accept my personal assurance that we will be back and stronger than ever. System Shock is going to be completed and all of our promises fulfilled.

Stephen Kick

Re:Bigger and better

[Rockoon]

uhhhh... if its already done, they dont need more "investors" .. they need marketing.