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Welcome to rpgcodex.net, a site dedicated to discussing computer based role-playing games in a free and open fashion. We're less strict than other forums, but please refer to the rules.
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It would be great if they did. But if Otherside makes a success out of Underworld I find it very hard to believe EA would give them SS "for 'free' or for a small 'PR fee'".
Anyway, at the moment it would just be good to see them remain a viable developer for years to come.
Unfortunately, you are most likely correct. If Underworld was a hit EA would want to capitalize (and I use that term in all it's economic meaning!) on that success. Meaning more corporate oversight/meddling from EA suits to further "broaden it's appeal."
Eh, this is all just wistful thinking at this point... they haven't even been funded yet!
It would be great if they did. But if Otherside makes a success out of Underworld I find it very hard to believe EA would give them SS "for 'free' or for a small 'PR fee'". Anyway, at the moment it would just be good to see them remain a viable developer for years to come.
Unfortunately, you are most likely correct. If Underworld was a hit EA would want to capitalize (and I use that term in all it's economic meaning!) on that success. Most likely meaning more corporate oversight/meddling from EA suits to further "broaden it's appeal."
Eh, this is all just wistful thinking at this point... they haven't even been funded yet!
PR is quite important and much more worth than 1 mio - 2 mio peanuts, that in the best case Otherside would and could pay them. If Otherside would put another kickstarter with SS3 and there would be on every kickstarter video and even at the start of the game: 'With support of EA' or 'Thanks to EA' or 'With the help of EA'. This would be worth more than 10 mio for EA, or even more worth than the entire SS frenchise. Think about CDP, nobody remembers their misconducts, due to their releasing or the patches and EE updates for TW2. People forget and forgive very fast.
Infinitron I would suspect that the addition of Terri Brosius would deserve a news article or at least an update to the Underworld article touting the addition of Stephen Russell currently there...?
Yes you are right. It is my mistake because EA was the publisher, so i thought that this also still it's IP. But who owns it now? I have just read that this is currently free.
Yes you are right. It is my mistake because EA was the publisher, i thought that this also still it IP. But who ons it know? I have just read that this is currently free.
FPP is superior for providing detailed interactivity & immersion . I got all these stupid tags and lost the ability to edit as a result of this opinion, yet my perspective still has not changed.
Fuck you, Codex.
As Spector had mentioned, an insurance company got the rights to System Shock after Looking Glass Studios shut down. I tracked down the insurer, Star Insurance Company, a subsidiary of Michigan-based Meadowbrook Insurance Group, Inc., and confirmed that the rights are available for sale. George Borkowski, an outside counsel for Meadowbrook, said the company would consider selling the rights to a game publisher or developer. "The idea would be to enter into some kind of arrangement where the game would be developed and that Meadowbrook would be compensated,” he said. It sounds to me like Meadowbrook wants a game company to share sales revenue, but Borkowski wouldn't talk about financial details. He did say that there have been inquiries about the rights, but elaborated no further.
Even with development rights, EA's prior trademark could be an issue for potential buyers. Michael Cavaretta, an attorney who deals with trademarks and copyrights in the video game industry, believes a publisher wouldn't be able to create another System Shock without EA's blessing.
FPP is superior for providing detailed interactivity & immersion . I got all these stupid tags and lost the ability to edit as a result of this opinion, yet my perspective still has not changed.
Fuck you, Codex.
George Borkowski, a lawyer for Star and Meadowbrook, and a partner at Freeman, Freeman & Smiley LLP, made it seem simpler. In an e-mail, he claimed that Star owns all the rights to System Shock 2, including the trademark, and that EA’s rights reverted back to Looking Glass years ago.
George Borkowski, a lawyer for Star and Meadowbrook, and a partner at Freeman, Freeman & Smiley LLP, made it seem simpler. In an e-mail, he claimed that Star owns all the rights to System Shock 2, including the trademark, and that EA’s rights reverted back to Looking Glass years ago.
Yes that is basically newer, but in both cases the responsible lawyer is George Borowski, and the rights are still in Star Insurance Company's hands. The author is in both cases is Jared Newman and it seems he loves really SS1/2, because he is still tracing everything down. What a SS1/2 freak.
How can this be both an RPG and a simulation? Those 2 genres are mutually exclusive. Games can't be crossgenre both simulation and RPG.
Are they? Why is that do you think?
You should go and play our old games. They were all both. Thief, Shock, Ultima Underworld.
The world is a simulation. You role play in it.
We just are not a fan of scripted events, and railroading storylines. We have, and will again build Disney World, and not Mr. Toad's Wild Ride. How you interact with the world is up to you, not up to the designer. The story unfolds by your action. Sure there are story points that we set up for the player, but its more like , we give you the plot, you give us the story.
-Otherside Staff
We just are not a fan of scripted events, and railroading storylines. We have, and will again build Disney World, and not Mr. Toad's Wild Ride. How you interact with the world is up to you, not up to the designer. The story unfolds by your action. Sure there are story points that we set up for the player, but its more like , we give you the plot, you give us the story.
-Otherside Staff
This really isn't a lot of money. I don't think you can make a good game with this amount.
This game here cost $850,000 to make. 1984 dollars.
That's $2,000,000 today.
I mean, I LOVE Looking Glass. My heart bleeds for them. I wish they would get $10,000,000. But with such a small amount I just can't expect much at all.
This really isn't a lot of money. I don't think you can make a good game with this amount.
This game here cost $850,000 to make. 1984 dollars.
That's $2,000,000 today.
I mean, I LOVE Looking Glass. My heart bleeds for them. I wish they would get $10,000,000. But with such a small amount I just can't expect much at all.
I had the same concerns as soon as I saw the goal amount. They answered this concern directly by explaining they have existing funding and came to KS for the final bit. I posted quotes above:
Here is a pot from Jeff Kesselman of Otherside that pretty much sums up my view on this kickstarter.
Not to sound like a broken record but, in the end, on any Kickstarter, you need to ask the trust question. And a big part of that is, who are these people and what track record do they have? Do they typically over-promise and under-deliver? or under promise and over-deliver? I think Paul's got a pretty good track record of under promising and over-delivering, which is part of why I signed on to do this. Its been a gamble for me, too, but I can't think of one I've been offered with odds I've ever liked better
And on the topic of funding and whether reaching 600k will be enough:
Mentioned earlier today, but to say again, we brought in some investment last year into OtherSide, so we're not starting our budget from scratch. The 600K is the additional funding we need to deliver the core PC game. We would love to reach one or several of the stretch goals beyond this of course.
Also, they can skip much of the engine development phase. Underworld, System Shock, Thief and System Shock 2 (not tomention other LGS projects) were also technological milestones. UW: Ascendant will use Unity and focus on gameplay development.
This might be one KS project where I say screw my policy of abstaining until suitably finished. I am tempted to pledge enough to get access to conceptual pre-alpha builds so I can see for myself whether there is incline gold there irrespective of the superficial.
Initial impressions from KS page: PR verbiage reminds of AAA studios, rewards smack of MMO preorder bonuses, realtime popamole engine. Hopefully my cynicism is unjustied.
Also, they can skip much of the engine development phase. Underworld, System Shock, Thief and System Shock 2 (not tomention other LGS projects) were also technological milestones. UW: Ascendant will use Unity and focus on gameplay development.
Let's hope so because they haven't focused on it too much so far. Getting tired of the nostalgia 'look who we found' updates to this in the stead of actual substantive information.
Initial impressions from KS page: PR verbiage reminds of AAA studios, rewards smack of MMO preorder bonuses, realtime popamole engine. Hopefully my cynicism is unjustied.
Utopia Fallen
Woven into the fabric of the original Ultima Underworld backstory was the story of a fallen utopia. A few years before the Avatar arrives, the knight Sir Cabirus led a band into the Stygian Abyss on a quest to establish a utopian colony. His dream was to bring together the often feuding factions of the Abyss into peaceful coexistence. Through sheer determination Cabirus nearly succeeded. But ultimately his experiment failed, and the Abyss stumbled back into chaos.
I’ve always had a fascination with utopias. How in fiction, as in world history, utopias seem to inevitably fall from their lofty goals, like Icarus flying too close to the sun. The all-too-brief shining moment when Greek democracy blossomed, then swiftly collapsed. In Tolkien’s fiction, the short-lived attempt by Balin to reestablish a dwarven colony in Moria. There are myriad stories of utopias fallen. Yet that seems not to discourage each new generation from trying.
Games besides Ultima Underworld have taken up this thread. A recent example is the BioShock games; although these particular stories are a shade more dystopian.
Either way, there seems to be a universal appeal to stories about those striving to build a grand society. We are fascinated by their hubris. Of their trying to rewrite established rules of how communities function to forge something new. We root for them to succeed, while knowing they are ultimately doomed.
We are revisiting the theme of utopia failed with Underworld Ascendant. We want to explore the theme at a deeper level than in the original game. The player finds themselves in a central role, choosing how they fit into an experiment of a utopia that is being torn ragged. Do they pick up the frayed threads of Cabirus’ dream and try to knit things back together? Do they nudge the Abyss back towards an apparently inevitable state of chaos? Or follow some other path? I think it is story worth telling.
Announcements
We want to remind people that the first in a series of Twitch sessions we are calling OtherSide plays LookingGlass takes place tomorrow, February 18th from 3pm – 6pm EST.
In this first session Paul, Tim and some surprise guests will be playing Thief. Contrary to how Garrett prefers to go about his business, Paul and Tim will be talking up a storm while they play, recounting tales from the game's development. They'll also be giving away some free copies of the game. Don't miss out on the fun!
Things are picking up on the social media front. We've gained over 200 likes since we asked for you to like our Facebook page. And Twitter has been on fire with news of Terri Brosius and Stephen L. Russell lending their voice talents to Underworld Ascendant. For those of you wanting to help fan the social flames, we have created the following banners/headers you can use to help spread the word.
Facebook Banners/Headers
Twitter Banners/Headers
Please share these liberally!
Finally, we want to let everyone know that this will be our last evening update. No, don't be sad! We are simply moving our update release times to the mornings (EST) to better accommodate our European friends. The good news in this is that our next update will be coming out tomorrow (Wednesday) morning, a scant 14 hours from now, and it's going to be a doozy!
