Adam Nuhfer on 17/8/2005 at 18:44
Ok Dave, to let you know I'm serious about System Shock, o/a 1424 hrs. EDST I donated $100.00 US dollars to your site via Pay Pal.
Over the last several years I have been following the SS Story from the IG, TTLG and EA end. I've e mailed the IG Studio in Boston and they were nice enough to e-mail me back with some info. I've even e-mailed Ken Levine and he to took the time to e mail me back with some info. As for EA, nothing.
The SS3 petition is nice and all, but the real world works off of money. What is it going to take to get someone to re do the SS2/SS1 with a new game engine and or a new SS3 game?
Can someone such as yourselves if you have some of the rights to the game, buy the other two out? Instead of a petition, could one donate money to you to aquire it back and do something with it?
Of all the games I've played, I stil like SS2 the best, can you tell! I hate to see such a great game just slowly go away with the great Fan base it has. It was an awesum game, has lots of potential for a follow up. I'm sick of the politics and legal crap forcing it into an undue early grave.
I'm getting older, not younger and nothing seems to look good. What wil it take? Thanks!!!
David on 17/8/2005 at 19:00
First of all let me thank you for the donation, it is very much appreciated! :)
We've been looking into who owns the System Shock license for quite some time, and while we've not been able to find out a great deal, we have an idea that it is split amongst several creditors primarily consisting of a large bank, and EA.
You may be aware that there was a recent attempt by some forum members to remake one of the System Shock games using the Doom 3 engine, however they were shut down by EA almost as soon as they got going.
This project has shifted focus and is now known as Sapphire Scar, if my memory serves.
I would love TTLG to have the rights to the System Shock license, that would be an unbelievable item to get our grubby mits on. However even if we knew exactly who owned the license
and could get them to agree to sell it then I feel we would fall somewhat short of the several million dollars that the current owners would ask for.
As much as I would love to start a fund with the purpose of purchasing the Shock license I'm afraid it is a pipe dream, and I couldn't, in good conscience, take peoples' money without being certain that there was a realistic change of acquiring it.
It's a shame, I know. I would love to see another System Shock game, but I don't think that's going to happen anytime soon. On the bright side we do have (
http://www.sshock2.com/bioshock/) BioShock from Irrational Games to look forward to. This is being billed as a "Spiritual successor" to System Shock 2, so it should be good!
Once again, thanks for the donation! :)
Fingernail on 17/8/2005 at 19:29
Your memory serves correctly:
(
www.sscar.musicexplosion.net)
It would be an honourable thing to acquire the liscence, but fraught with difficulties not only relating to the cost.
How would TTLG manage the legal aspect of the IP? Make it open source, so that anyone could do what they wanted? Or try to regulate content so as not to destroy the original vision of the universe?
But anyway, a discussion into how TTLG could manage a liscence is worthless considering what you've just said - it's a pipe dream.
When I make my millions I'll remember this cause. ;)
Adam Nuhfer on 17/8/2005 at 20:09
Well, it's not what I wanted to hear, but you gave me the straight scoop the best you could. I'm thankfull for that. You've had the best and most worthwhile information with out a runaround. I'm going to make the best of what I have, SS1/SS2, but I still have hope for more. Thanks again for your help.
