Where did System Shock 3 go?

[GiantRaven]

System Shock and System Shock 2. Now those are games that need to be on gog.com. I really want to play them at some point. Ever.

 

[Eclectic Dreck]

I would not want to see a new System Shock game. At least, not a game with SHODAN as a villain or major character. She is, as far as I am concerned, the best villain in video game history. Why would I want to cheapen such a character by having her try and fail again to achieve godhood? Such things make her less a villain and more a joke.

 

[More Fun To Compute]

Originally i could not get into the game preferring DeusEx (by the the same designer).

Then as a favor to a gamer pal I converted some old hardware into a systemshock vessel.
He had always raved about it but could not play it on his modern system. before I gave him the system with game installed on it I had to test it of course.

That got me hooked and I played it through to the end. Pretty neat game and yes, excellent sound.

I would totally buy SS3 if it were made by the same people.

I'm pretty sure Deus Ex's lead designer was Warren Spector.

OT; The closest things to system shock 3 at the moment would have to be Bioshock, which is a spiritual sequel.

Warren Spector was at Looking Glass when System Shock was created but I think that most of the heavy lifting was done by Doug Church.

Also, lead designer of Deus Ex was Harvey Smith who did some work on System Shock as a junior team member.

 

[MaxP779]

I love it when AI's go mad and try to kill everyone or take over, it always makes for an interesting plot. I would give system shock 3 a shock and ive never even played the first two.

 

[Grabbin Keelz]

Oh you didn't hear? They were making it until they decided to rename it Bioshock Infinite.

Honestly though I have no idea, I've never played SS.

 

[MiracleOfSound]

It went under the sea.

 

[Ubermetalhed]

OP I agree with everything you are saying.

Bioshock was such a poor rehash of SS2 and just begged the question why they didn't make a third system shock instead. SHODAN is one of the greatest villains of all time and SS2 had an atmosphere unmatched in any FPS game.

For me SS2 was far superior to half-life in everyway and deserved more attention. Also it's arguable valve's gravity gun is just an upgraded psi-amp.

 

[tehweave]

I think system shock 3 underwent a massive overhaul. They decided instead of doing a cyberpunk universe, they would do a steampunk universe. Instead of space, they would do it underwater. Instead of psi powers they would create some kind of... Tonic... And the leveling up thing wouldn't be cybernetic modules anymore, but this DNA thing called... Adam.

I can't remember if such a game ever existed... If it did, it would still be called 'shock' just with something else in front... Since it's no longer in space, they can't call it 'system' shock they would have to call it something more down to earth... Like... Bio...

 

[TetsuoKaneda]

System Shock and System Shock 2. Now those are games that need to be on gog.com. I really want to play them at some point. Ever.

Well, they're free now, and the workarounds are fairly easy. I got SS1 up and running using only a version of DOSBox 7.0, and SS2 probably only needs a compatibility mode to Win95 or 98. Although SS2 might not be free any more...Abandonia's kind of overcareful about that kind of thing, since EA is a member of the ESA and therefore doesn't really abandon their games much. And if you look around and get them as abandonware, you'd be getting the exact same thing GOG and Steam would give you for free, with the catch being that you'd have to use DOSBox or set up compatibility mode yourself instead of having it done for you.

But back on topic:
I don't want to see a System Shock 3. My reason why is the following prediction. This is a SATIRE borne of my own pessimism and experience with stuff, please don't take it completely seriously. So here's the timeline for a world with System Shock 3, based on previous franchise revivals and planned revivals (e.g. Fallout, X-Com, et. al.):

- System Shock 3 announced, fandom rejoices
- Rumors start to build in two camps: the "It's going to be really different" camp and the "It's going to be the same but with better graphics" camp.
- Rumors build with commentary from the dev team, and the camps intensify their rhetoric on either side. The preliminary wails of "It's gonna suck" and "They're gutting all the stuff that made me love it!" start to be heard.
- The connections between the original dev team and the new dev team are analyzed. The base breaks up further based on this.
- Screenshots come out, further dividing the fanbase. The small and quiet "wait and see" faction grows uneasier and begins migrating to both sides. SHODAN is either seen as just a head (which is disappointing), or given too human an appearance, or something in between. The "they changed it now it sucks" faction points out that the aesthetic has nothing to do with the originals.
- Demos and hands-on trailers come out for the game. The dev team talks about what they did to "retain SHODAN's original characteristics" and "Keep all that great gameplay from the first two games" and then proceed to completely miss the point of all of it.
- The game finally comes out. Everyone buys it despite their misgivings. It's high-quality, but possibly missing...something.
- The gamers split into various factions. Some say "SS3 isn't a great game in the series, but it's a good game." Some say "They changed it and it sucks." Some say "It's not quite what it was, but it's a great addition to the series and a great game." All the reviewers will say "It's a great addition to the series and a great game". The players of SS3 who were wondering what this "3" was at the end of their title will say it's a great game and all the people championing the first two should "STFU" because the newer one is better and the other ones are old and unplayable.
- Eventually, the game will be called "good but not great" and be known as a fun game to play, and those who preferred the first two will keep playing them and bring SS3 out occasionally when they get tired of that. Others will play the game and like it, or play it while they wait for something else to come out.

* The divergence point here: If the original dev team is communicated with or consulted with, or any members of the dev team are part of the current dev team, in which case the game tilts towards being more awesome, but with varying degrees.

So...yeah. I think I'd want to avoid all of that fandom squabbling and the mistyped posts and flamewars and whatnot and just keep the games I like.

 

[Serenegoose]

I'd really rather they never made a system shock 3. I think I'm happier. It's like asking for Citizen Kane 2: Rosebud Harder. System Shock 1 and 2 worked. They were themselves, they had their time, and then it ended. Making another would just cheapen the System Shock name, and, more importantly in my opinion, the character of SHODAN.

 

[TetsuoKaneda]

I'd really rather they never made a system shock 3. I think I'm happier. It's like asking for Citizen Kane 2: Rosebud Harder. System Shock 1 and 2 worked. They were themselves, they had their time, and then it ended. Making another would just cheapen the System Shock name, and, more importantly in my opinion, the character of SHODAN.

I've been waiting DECADES for Citizen Kane 2: Rosebud Harder. No, it won't be anything like the original (which I will still revere), but it will be a ridiculously entertaining movie.

 

[teh_Canape]

well...

the closest thing you've got is Bioshock 2 Minerva's Den DLC

which, mind you, is actually a great DLC, compared to what's usually sold

 

[Erana]

I have trouble taking it seriously sometimes- Never played it, but that AI chick looks like a woman with neon bendie straws coming out of her face...

 

[individual11]

Just to clarify exactly how much of a rehash Bioshock (1, haven't played 2 yet) is of System Shock 2, here is a few similarities:

Bioshock - System Shock 2
Released 2007 - Released 1999
Undersea - Deep Space
Rapture - Von Braun
Splicers - Hybrids
Wrench - Wrench
Pistol - Pistol
Shotgun - Shotgun
Tommygun - Assault Rifle (Still fires .45 rounds, same as pistol)
Grenade Launcher - Grenade Launcher
Chemical thrower - Viral Proliferator
Camera - Research Software, Research
Hypos - Hypos
Adam - Cyber Modules
Vita-Chamber - Quantum Bio-reconstruction Chamber
Dr Suchong - Anatoly Korenchkin
Dr. Tenenbaum - Marie Delacroix
Atlas - Polito
Big Twist - Big Twist
Frank Fontaine - SHODAN
There are character arc differences, sure, but generally the same.

If you haven't played SS2 and want to, don't reveal the spoiler, or play Bioshock.

Personally, I sort of agree with the posts above of the 'Leave it alone' variety; a rerelease with current-gen graphics of both games released as a single title, complete, bug-free, with no forced DLC would be ideal.

I don't believe EA could manage it, though. I'd like to be surprised, I really would.

 

[Kevin Schram]

System Shock 3 was supposedly in development at one point by EA, there was mention that the studio which developed the Godfather game were being tasked with the project, however nothing ever came of it.

That was just a rumour that went around when people first learned EA were making a space horror game. Everyone thought 'Hmm, EA, ain't those the folks that own System Shock' and thus the rumour was born. It was only ever fan speculation however.

Sorry, but you're absolutely incorrect and backwards on this.

The EA Redwood Shores team (now known as Visceral Games) was the team that worked on The Godfather games. It WAS announced they were working on SS3 in 2006. No further public announcements were made, and like a baby, Dead Space popped out in 2007.

So, draw your own conclusions. At some point through development, they dropped the System Shock name from the title.

 

[Colodomoko]

I would like to see it, but I can't count on current developers to do it right. Maybe we could get a team of modders to work on it who know what they are doing.