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Warren Spector previews 'System Shock 3'
Tonight at the Game Developers Conference, Warren Spector showed off a "pre-alpha" glimpse of System Shock 3 that's being developed using the Unity engine. Naturally, the SHODAN AI is back and up to no good, but there's very little else to go on in terms of detail. Spector spoke during the Unity press conference and discussed how its technology helped the team create a world full of "robots, mutants and the dead" that impresses feelings of fear, horror and dread upon the player. It's carefully using "intense, focused light" to help achieve the right look, press play and see if they've got it right so far.
Recommended Reading: Video games and the issue of slavery
How Historical Games Integrate or Ignore Slavery Amanda Kerri, Rock Paper Shotgun Video games certainly don't claim to always offer a depiction of the "real world," but for those titles rooted in historical events, how the narrative addresses certain events is key. One of the issues those historical games have to wrestle with is how to address slavery. This piece from Rock Paper Shotgun takes a look at how games have integrated events or ignored them completely.
Warren Spector is in charge of 'System Shock 3'
Word broke late last year that the legendary System Shock franchise would get a modern sequel, but no details about what the game will look like were forthcoming. We still don't know much about the game itself, but we do know it's in good hands: System Shock co-creator Warren Spector is rejoining Otherside Entertainment in a full-time capacity to lead development of System Shock 3. He's been a "creative advisor" to the studio for years, but he'll now be a full-time studio director working on both Underworld Ascendant as well as the System Shock sequel.
Cyberpunk PC classic 'System Shock' is getting a proper remake
While System Shock might have only just received a facelift when it launched on GOG.com earlier this year, an entire remake of the legendary PC game is now in the works — and perhaps even System Shock 3. And if you've never heard of System Shock? You should have: both the creators of BioShock and Deus Ex were involved in the game, which is a 1994 classic in its own right. Night Dive, the same company that was tasked with this year's digital renovation, will handle the remake. It's picked up full rights to the franchise.
A closer look at BioShock's Little Sisters
Despite the many menacing characters found in BioShock, not the least of which is the Big Daddy, the creepiest character revealed so far is undoubtedly the Little Sister. These little "girls" run around the underwater world of Rapture collecting something called Adam from the dead (note the large syringe in the image at right. The player can decide to save these "children" or to harvest them, as the Adam they carry is useful to the player. In the latest BioShock podcast, Ken Levine, creative director of Irrational Games, discusses the moral conflict that the developers have created in the Little Sister character.The whole podcast is just shy of 20 minutes, and is exclusively about the Little Sister. Given the appearance and demeanor of the Little Sister character, the moral choice presented by her is likely to become a touchy subject, and the podcast attempts to clear the air about it. Levine discusses the challenges of creating such a character (originally designed as an insect) and forcing the player to make a moral choice about it. Among the juicier bits of info revealed in the podcast is the fact that players cannot physically harm the Little Sister. Little Sisters can be "harvested," but cannot be harmed by weapons or powers that the player possesses. It is made clear that harvesting will result in the death of a Little Sister, though Levine doesn't discuss specific details. The podcast is definitely worth a listen. If you've got the time to spare, we suggest you check it out.
EA does give a sh-t about System Shock 3, says PC Gamer UK
On one shore, PC Gamer magazine interviewed Irrational Games' Ken Levine who said, "One of the reasons I wasn't interested [in System Shock 3] is EA just didn't give a sh-t about that game." O RLY? Well, as part of their newfound desire to not make us hate them so much, Electronic Arts is returning to the critically (if not financially) successful franchise without Irrational (who're busy working on System Shock's spiritual successor Bioshock for their new corporate overlords at Take 2).At least that is according to PC Gamer's UK variant, who suggest in their September issue that the title will be developed by the team responsible for The Godfather. It's not a really bold guess (EA renewed their trademark earlier this year), but the addition of a developer lends some credence to the claim. Our thoughts: Uh, YAY! System Shock is a classic series that never got the attention it deserves. Let's hope The Godfather team can manage to get this one completed before the next console generation. We're going to get TWO new additions (as it were) to System Shock 2? Very yes. [Thanks for the image, Jakkar]
