KickStarter System Shock 1 Remake by Nightdive Studios

[Spectacle]

They were most likely thinking that they could raise money from one group of people for a specific product and then use that money to instead make a different product to sell to another group of people, but that would still technically qualify as what the original group paid for. Clever plan that could have made them a lot of money if they hadn't fucked up the execution.

I don't think you can really call it a plan. A plan is something that is likely to succeed and will do so based upon the skill of those involved. By far the majority of proposals are going to be rejected by the AAA suits (who tend to do so based less on the actual gaming merits and more on whatever is fashionable or making money right now, which games like SS1 aren't). It was a pure gamble, hoping that they could get lucky and rake in 10s of millions as a AAA game rather than produce the game as promised and make only a million or so.

Some plans are more risky than others, that doesn't make them invalid. Even though Nightdive weren't successful with this scheme, the only thing they lost was the backer's money, so for them this situation is just a lost opportunity, not a real problem.

 

[Average Manatee]

Some plans are more risky than others, that doesn't make them invalid. Even though Nightdive weren't successful with this scheme, the only thing they lost was the backer's money, so for them this situation is just a lost opportunity, not a real problem.

They did have a moderately successful business buying old games and providing some simple fixes to resell on Steam/GOG. That's probably down the drain now.

 

[Infinitron]

Some plans are more risky than others, that doesn't make them invalid. Even though Nightdive weren't successful with this scheme, the only thing they lost was the backer's money, so for them this situation is just a lost opportunity, not a real problem.

They did have a moderately successful business buying old games and providing some simple fixes to resell on Steam/GOG. That's probably down the drain now.

Why down the drain? On the contrary, I expect them to do more of that now. They need the money.

 

[Average Manatee]

Why down the drain? On the contrary, I expect them to do more of that now. They need the money.

You think their ruined reputation isn't going to kill this?

Aside from the LGS game updates (which added some new stuff, probably because they were LGS fans), most of their fixes are basically no more than GOG would do. Why would publishers not simply give GOG the games? These aren't exactly moneymakers to begin with for the publisher, they are probably only doing it for good will.

 

[JarlFrank]

After a fiasco like this, companies will be wary of working with them, especially with larger projects.

They've shown that they can completely drive a project to the ground despite it initially working well.

 

[Infinitron]

A lot of the license holders for all these forgotten games are pretty clueless, they wouldn't know or understand about the System Shock fiasco. There might also be games that they already have the rights to to that they haven't starting selling yet. I'd say Nightdive's bigger problem is that nobody misses most of those games so that won't earn much by selling them.

See here for what Nightdive is up to right now: http://www.rpgcodex.net/forums/inde...-interactive-old-game-rereleases.94674/page-9

 

[LESS T_T]

More concept art from concept artist: https://www.artstation.com/codyw

Elevator:

Cryostorage

Med Reception

There are more at the artist's page.

 

[Melan]

Captures the - how do you call it? - yeah, DNA. The DNA of the series.

 

[skacky]

The concept art pieces are beautiful, but System Shock they aren't (at least not 1).

 

[Latelistener]

I think they misunderstood the purpose of Citadel Station entirely.
It was a place made exclusively for work (research), and only the executive level had a decent amount of comfort.
Instead they made it look like it is a tourist attraction. I even saw child toys on some early screenshots.

 

[Roguey]

It was a place made exclusively for work (research), and only the executive level had a decent amount of comfort.
Instead they made it look like it is a tourist attraction. I even saw child toys on some early screenshots.

A reboot means they can change it into something else.

And the guy responsible for this narrative design: Chris Avellone.

 

[Fairfax]

And the guy responsible for this narrative design: Chris Avellone.

No, he wanted the very opposite. He said he wanted to do a 95% remaster and the other 5% would be backer content and audio log fixes. Also, it's highly unlikely he had anything to do with the concept art's direction.

 

[Roguey]

No, he wanted the very opposite. He said he wanted to do a 95% remaster and the other 5% would be backer content and audio log fixes. Also, it's highly unlikely he had anything to do with the concept art's direction.

This sounds like a guy who's ill-suited to be the creative lead on a System Shock reboot. He wants the opposite of what the project lead wants.

 

[Fairfax]

No, he wanted the very opposite. He said he wanted to do a 95% remaster and the other 5% would be backer content and audio log fixes. Also, it's highly unlikely he had anything to do with the concept art's direction.

This sounds like a guy who's ill-suited to be the creative lead on a System Shock reboot. He wants the opposite of what the project lead wants.

The initial pitch (including the art direction) was meant to be extremely faithful, it was even called "System Shock Remastered" before the Kickstarter. My impression is that the project lead struggled with the game's identity all along, and went overboard with new things after the engine switch.

I think indie developers are ill-suited to develop remakes/faithful reboots/enhanced editions in general. A proper, 1:1 recreation (or close to that) is mainly a technical project with little room for creativity. Creative types working independently are likely to find that dull at some point, so they end up going too far with what they see as improvements (just look at the BG/IWD EEs). It's the kind of work that's meant for studios like Bluepoint, which is used to doing ports and remasters, working under strict supervision.

 

[Roguey]

I think indie developers are ill-suited to develop remakes/faithful reboots/enhanced editions in general. A proper, 1:1 recreation (or close to that) is mainly a technical project with little room for creativity. Creative types working independently are likely to find that dull at some point, so they end up going too far with what they see as improvements (just look at the BG/IWD EEs). It's the kind of work that's meant for studios like Bluepoint, which is used to doing ports and remasters, working under strict supervision.

Isn't this what Nightdive is? Up until this System Shock reboot failure, they were just people who bought abandonware and polished it up for resale.

 

[Fairfax]

I think indie developers are ill-suited to develop remakes/faithful reboots/enhanced editions in general. A proper, 1:1 recreation (or close to that) is mainly a technical project with little room for creativity. Creative types working independently are likely to find that dull at some point, so they end up going too far with what they see as improvements (just look at the BG/IWD EEs). It's the kind of work that's meant for studios like Bluepoint, which is used to doing ports and remasters, working under strict supervision.

Isn't this what Nightdive is? Up until this System Shock reboot failure, they were just people who bought abandonware and polished it up for resale.

Yes, but then they decided to do a reboot for a change, and look at how it turned out.

 

[Infinitron]

Apparently a recent statement from Stephen Kick on Nightdive's Discord:

Also, we're financially sound and development is going better than ever.

We will be doing a Kickstarter update at the end of the month, we're preparing for GDC and will have news to share.

The original Polygon article was a result of an ex contractor, who has been off the project for over a year going to the press with rumors that aren't true.

We had to make some substantial changes to the team to begin with and the timing of the contactor going to the press was really unfortunate.

Thanks for your continued patience and understanding, I think when you all see what we're working on you'll be not only relieved but thrilled at the direction we're going.

We've been doing this for over 5 years now and this is our flagship title. It's going to be the greatest example of what we're capable of and we're going to do it right.

We're doing this for our backers, you guys and gals deserve the game you backed.

 

[Cross]

I don't know what to believe anymore.

 

[Darth Roxor]

Also, we're financially sound and development is going better than ever.

 

[Infinitron]

Wait wait - the implication here is that the reason they did the Kickstarter update announcing the project fail/reboot is that Polygon were going to come out with a story. Otherwise nobody would have known.

How about that, gaming journalism making a real impact.

 

[Unkillable Cat]

You do not put Polygon and "gaming journalism" in the same sentence with any seriousness behind it.

 

[Morgoth]

You do not put "gaming" and "journalism" in the same sentence with any seriousness behind it.

 

[agris]

Wasn't that SS1 source code going to be released about a month ago?

 

[Biscotti]

I don't think they specified anything outside of "soon", but that was just an attempt at damage control anyway, so who knows.

 

[Irata]

The backers should put a little money together and file a civil case for fraud in a state court that is plaintiff friendly. Any backer would have standing. Doesn't even need to be a class action or anything complicated like that. Subpoena the records. I imagine the correspondence with the publishers, at least, will show what their intent with the game was. The production notes, finances, etc. if this was a scam (or turned into one) will reveal it. I doubt they're clever enough to hide it like some mob accountant.

I get not suing Little Jimmy over his 30,000 screw up, but this is over a million. Maybe there could even be some criminal charges. At the very least it could serve as the prelude to the big show when Wing Commander goes Tango Uniform.