Looking Glass Studios Classics Dreamcast Beta Builds Discovered

        

                                 System Shock 2 and Thief II: The Metal Age

Looking Glass Studios is known for having done two series that inspired their respective genres of FPS/RPG hybrid and the first-person sneaker: System Shock and Thief.

Up until now, those series have both been PC exclusives. This is no different with the sequels in those series, System Shock 2 and Thief II: The Metal Age – both great games, both of which I regard as even better than their predecessors. System Shock 2 is sometimes mentioned as one of the greatest PC games of all time, usually miles behind Deus Ex – a game it inspired.

But I read something interesting the other day. It was the Sega Dreamcast’s 11th anniversary this past week, and to coincide with this event, a collector happened upon what he claims are beta builds for Dreamcast versions of not only System Shock 2, but Thief II as well. He found them in a discarded development kit which apparently once belonged to Eidos. To date, I’d only really ever been aware of a Dreamcast port of SS2 which was eventually cancelled.

This person over at Dreamcast-Talk decided to share the files by uploading them to the PSO archive online. These beta versions of the game aren’t playable, but with enough work, it’s thought that at some time in the future, though doubtfully, you could be playing these classics on your old Dreamcast. Why you’d want to is another matter. But then I hear that it was quite the popular little console years ago, albeit short-lived seeing as the Playstation 2 and Xbox eclipsed it when they were released soon after.

In addition to the Dreamcast turning 11, System Shock 2 turned 11 last month, and Thief II had its tenth birthday earlier on this year. I also read that this week, the first PlayStation celebrated 15 years since it was brought to the US. So good news and reason to celebrate all round.

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Source:

Download Unreleased Thief 2, System Shock 2 Dreamcast Beta Builds [GameSetWatch]

Looking Glass Studios Classics Dreamcast Beta Builds Discovered

System Shock 2’s Ending Wasn’t the REAL one

You remember the classic, System Shock 2, right? Irrational Games’ Ken Levine says that the ending that happened, wasn’t supposed to end that way.

As far as I can recall, the player defeats SHODAN, and then it skips to a cutscene where the player is given the choice of teaming with SHODAN to rule the universe, or take her (or it)out, which is what he does, because you don’t really have a choice in the matter.

Then the player is back aboard one of the ships, and sends a message to the pod that was ejected from the Von Braun earlier on, which contained Tommy Suarez and Rebecca Siddons, who managed to escape. They were about to return to the ship when Rebecca all of a sudden looks and sounds like SHODAN (probably a lot to do with the hair and the voice), and so one assumes that SHODAN ends up back on the ship with or without Tommy.

If you thought it was strange that Rebecca turned into SHODAN, then you might remember that she was bitten by one of those creatures - I think it might have been the arachnids. So I suppose left unchecked it may have possibly changed her in the end, seeing as those creatures were basically SHODAN’s “children”.

System Shock 2's Ending

Ken Levine says that’s not the ending he had in mind, as he had written a script for a different one. He says that time constraints, differing ideas, and lack of communication resulted in the ending we know to the great title. This wasn’t the only thing that was changed or taken out of the game, as other features and even story ideas have been revealed by Irrational that didn’t make it in to the final release.

The ending also suggested that there might be a sequel, which to this day hasn’t happened, although I’m praying to the gaming gods above that the game that Irrational is going to unveil sometime just might be System Shock 3, even though most think it’s an X-Com game, which he says you shouldn’t believe. The chances are slim, but wouldn’t it just be the greatest piece of news this year if it did happen?

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Source: Irrational.com - Kotaku

System Shock 2’s Ending Wasn’t the REAL one

2K Boston Acts Irrationally: Changes Their Name Back, Starts up Website, Talks to People

I had to put that in the title. It’s been some news going around lately, that the studio formerly known as 2K Boston, formerly known as Irrational Games, has changed their name to Irrational Games…if that makes sense.

You see, Irrational Games was mainly known back in the late nineties for co-developing the epic System Shock 2 along with the now defunct Looking Glass Studios, as well as some other titles like SWAT 4 in the mid-noughties (hate that word), and then another big hit – BioShock. This was the studio’s swansong under that name, because after that, they became 2K Boston.

Now, years later, 2K Boston has changed their name back to Irrational Games. They’ve launched their new website which all ready has a podcast up called “Irrational Behavior” and talks about game ideas that didn’t quite sell, like Division 9 (no, not District 9, although there is talk of that game, but that’s a whole other title, and not by Irrational), kind of like a tactical shooter title like SWAT 4 mixed with a zombie shooter, I suppose like Left 4 Dead 2.

Chris Kline, the Technical Director at Irrational Games, also posted in the ttlg forums (which has forums dedicated to the Thief series, System Shock 1& 2, Deus Ex, and BioShock) lately, writing the following:

“On the site we'll have regular podcast episodes and articles that reveal games and ideas that "didn't make it", and generally give the community more insight into our studio and the development process.

So if this sounds interesting to you, please stop by and check out the forums, podcast, and articles.”

Ken Levine also posted something up on the official site:

“The Irrational Games website is about secrets.

Secrets. We’ve all got ‘em. When we ship a box to GameStop or Best Buy, it’s only part of the story. There are so many secret elements that go into our games. There are the levels that got cut. There are the monsters that died in childbirth. There are the million interactions a development team has in the long, frustrating, terrifying and often thrilling process of making a video game.

Some of you first heard about us when we released BioShock. Some of you have known us since our first game back in 1999, System Shock 2. Many members of the Irrational team have been with us since either the beginning or damned close to it. Some of them have come on board more recently. They all have a part to play in the development of this website. You’ll hear their voices – quite literally in the case of our “Irrational Behavior” podcast .You’ll get to see some ideas that never made it in our “From the Vault” section that launches next week.   You’ll get to hang out with the team in our forums-and there you’ll get to tell us what you think as well. And we’ll be listening.

And yes, we will tell you about the game we’re working on right now. Just not today.”

I like the website design so far, and it looks as though this studio is opening up more and going the more social route. And let’s face it, nowadays it’s probably a good idea.

So, I wonder if BioShock 2, which should be released next month, will have Irrational Games in the opening logos as well as the credits, or if it’ll still be 2K Boston? The money’s on Irrational, probably.

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http://irrationalgames.com/

New Irrational Games Website

2K Boston going back to Irrational Games brand

Irrational Games officially returns; relaunches web site

Irrational reveals canceled zombie game Division 9

2K Boston Acts Irrationally: Changes Their Name Back, Starts up Website, Talks to People

Apocalypse Then: System Shock 2

Developers: Irrational Games, Looking Glass Studios
Publishers: Electronic Arts
Designers: Ken Levine
Composer: Eric Brosius
Engine: Enhanced Dark Engine (Thief)
Platforms: Microsoft Windows, Dreamcast (cancelled)
Release date: August 11, 1999
Genres: First-person shooter, Action RPG, Action-adventure, Survival horror

On this day in gaming, in 1999, System Shock 2 was released. Today marks the tenth anniversary of this classic game.

If I ever made a list of my favourite games of all time, System Shock 2 would be somewhere near the top, probably even ahead of BioShock.

System Shock 2 is a hybrid between an FPS and an RPG, and is the sequel to System Shock, released in 1994. Commercially it wasn’t a huge success, but has generated a cult following over the years. Critics regard it as one of the greatest games ever made. It has influenced other games such as Deus Ex and Doom 3, and has spawned a series of spiritual successors in BioShock and BioShock 2.

Rumours have been going around for a few years as regards a third title in the series, after the trademark on the name was renewed.

The game places the player at first on earth where he undertakes basic training before joining one of three branches of the UNN, a military organisation- the marines, the navy, or the OSA. After this, the player is launched into space where, for three years, he undergoes advanced training, one year at each post. This eventually ends up in him being transferred to the Rickenbacker, a ship which is escorting the UNN Von Braun, an FTL (faster than light) starship which is undertaking its maiden voyage into the unknown reaches of space. Aboard the Von Braun after receiving illegal cyber upgrades, the player awakes in the cryo recovery area of the Med/Sci deck, and quickly discovers that things have gone awry aboard both ships.

You can pick up System Shock 2 here if you want to play a classic. Otherwise you can also try System Shock, the prequel.



Resources:

Apocalypse Then: System Shock
Classic Games Resurrected: System Shock 2

Apocalypse Then: System Shock 2

BioShock Getting Stocked

Not only is there BioShock 2 in development, scheduled for a Q4 2009 release, but in addition to the BioShock film (to be directed by Gore Verbinski, and currently on hold), but now there's talk of a BioShock novel as well. And of course it's got Ken Levine's name slapped on it, which doesn't necessarily mean he'll write it, but that he'll contribute to it.

I still wish they'd bring the System Shock series back.

I tried my hand at writing a BioShock short story quite a while back, called Rebirth, but I haven't worked on it in a while. Here's a sample:

“Listen dude, it’s like this, now listen closely.” He said, while dragging on a cigarette, “You’ve got the reds, you’ve got the blues and you’ve got the tonics. They all work together. You shoot the reds, that’s the first step, then you shoot a tonic, then every once in a while you need to shoot a blue.”

“Have you tried any of this stuff?” I asked, feeling nervous on the inside.

“Number one rule dude; don’t try your own supply.” He said, after which he took another drag and squinted his eyes, then exhaling, the smoke billowing up and lassoing around the ceiling fan. “Now, all of this isn’t free, and I don’t take responsibility for what might happen to you. Apparently, I hear some of these dudes become so wired…” he said, and then changing his mind in mid-sentence, waved it off and turned his head, almost guiltily. “Look, I’ll start you off; $300 for a red, a plasmid, and three blues. Just try it out, dude. Come back and see me when you need a fix, cool?” he said, holding out his hand, greasy, no doubt from running it through his long frizzy hair.

“Okay.” I agreed, meeting his hand over the table, grasping it firmly, feeling it squirm in the aforementioned grease. A man over in the corner went in to the back room with the dealer, known only as Teddy.

I sat there, feeling as if I had just sold my soul to the devil. Except Teddy wasn’t the devil- he just unwittingly introduced people to him.

Sources:

http://www.shacknews.com/onearticle.x/58801

BioShock Getting Stocked

Apocalypse Then: System Shock

On this day, in 1994, System Shock was released. Even though it was largely unnoticed due to interest in Doom and later Doom II: Hell on Earth, for it’s time it was quite innovative, with an RPG-like inventory and an intriguing storyline.

A sequel, System Shock 2, was released in 1999, and happens to be one of my favourite games of all time. There is talk of a System Shock 3, but so far there has been no news about it for some time, with some just dismissing it as another vapourware title.

Apocalypse Then: System Shock

Games I want: System Shock 3

It’s been nearly ten years, and I’m surprised that they haven’t done a true sequel to System Shock 2. Yes, we had BioShock in 2007, and BioShock 2: Sea of Dreams is due to be out sometime, with BioShock 3 planned as well, but that is obviously a spin-off series, which consists of spiritual successors.

We all know that the System Shock series takes place in space aboard starships and space stations in the future, and BioShock takes place under the sea in the 1960s- big difference apart from the similar sounding names.

The end of System Shock 2 ended with Rebecca, one of the survivors of the Von Braun, on an escape pod with her partner, Tommy, heading back to the Von Braun. Rebecca was seen to look like a version of SHODAN, so obviously there must exist some form of an evil plot. Perhaps like Doom II: Hell on Earth, SHODAN, with her anti-humanist views, will crash the ships onto Earth and spread her cybernetic empire there.
 
Critics worry that if it is ever released, they will be debase any future prospects of the series, perhaps because they are under new developers’ leashes.

Some people who worked on the original games, from both Looking Glass Studios and Irrational Games, have concerns that EA won’t really bother putting the required and desired effort into the game that it needs.

Games I want: System Shock 3