System Shock 2 Retrospect...and Possible Followup?

Starsmore writes: "Gamespot has a retrospective on the 1999 cult classic System Shock 2, which normally isn't that big of a deal on it's own, although it's a nice read for those interested in some of the stories behind the production of System Shock 2. The biggest draw is that tucked at the end of the article (and shown below for those that don't want to RTFA), is this: 'But why even look back at System Shock 2 at this point? Because Irrational has been, and it plans to make a related announcement this Friday (tomorrow). The studio has decided that it wishes to further what it started in System Shock 2--to work on games that promote "emergent" gameplay--open-ended exploration that offers many choices and combinations of options to players. You'll see what we mean tomorrow. Be sure to come back then.' " Could this possibly mean a sequel to the System Shock franchise? Update: 10/09 22:30 EDT by C : As many of you suspected, Irrational is in the process of developing BioShock , a "spiritual successor" to the System Shock games. Here's hoping they can distill much of what made games like System Shock and Thief so successful, yet succeed at their aim of building a game with truly emergent gameplay.

Obvious answer

[Per Wigren]

Could this possibly mean a sequel to the System Shock franchise?

Wait until tomorrow and you will find out.

Reading the article for hidden meaning?

[Dancin_Santa]

Is that like reading Slashdot for the trolls?

The Many

[MourningBlade]

The Many sings to us. Where is the love in your cold world of machines?

Quit your job. Join the many. Embrace the world of flesh.

...Ok, that was either an ad for porn or a sign that my job is in danger. Fucked either way.

Demo with no guns... not *that* hard.

[SuperKendall]

Because of this incident (Coumbine), Irrational was asked to bring a demonstration version of System Shock 2 to E3 that had no guns in it.

Well actually that doesn't sound very hard to me, given how much time I spent with a crowbar in that game and about two bullets left... :-)

I did love it though, and hope they are working out a sequel!

Real announcement...

[Mike Rubits]

"We've got nothing. Suckered you along there for a while, didn't we!"

I'm waiting for a company to try and do something like that.

Re:Excellent

[BlueJay465]

There is one thing that must stay consistent. Terry Brosius' phenomenal charactarization of SHODAN. To this day, that granulized, broken and haunted voice still gives me chills and makes HAL 9000 look like a Teddy Ruxpin.

I have chomping at the bit for a SS3 for many moons now.

cooperative play

[greyhoundpoe]

I still remember the cooperative multiplayer, crawling through that damned ship while on a phone line with a friend of mine. That was hands down the best cooperative-horror game experience I've ever had. Both players could specialize--I hacked, he fought--and the entire experience was so *immersive*. We still talk about one moment when, hacking a crate, he had the bright idea to come up behind me, groan "I'm... sorry...." into the mic, and club me from behind. I knocked half the stuff off my desk trying to turn around so quickly. Screw Doom 3. I miss System Shock 2.

Re:Does EA own the License to System Shock still?

[Provocateur]

one ex LG-er tried to track down who owned what and got nowhere

Now *that's* really _open_ ended.

Re:Hope there is a sequel

[thhamm]

Ahh. The only way to play it. (well, not the one sitting part.). 3 in the morning, all dark, headphones, alone in the whole house, all windows open, door in my back open. Then i fell through a broken glassplate right in the middle of a bunch of eggs plopping open. (Leave our babies alone ...).

Then i HAD to stop. Looked in every room in the house to make sure nothings there. :) My heart ...

Re:Hope there is a sequel

[AsbestosRush]

I actually did this as well. I was in the middle of the first level of the game when you are trying to go down the elevator. Headphones, alone in the house, 1130 or something like that, all the lights off... I was walking down a hallway and xerxes started talking. Even though I'd head it before, this startled me enough to turn around. When I turned back around, a zombie was beating the piss out of me, doing those creepy groans. I shut the game off and turned on every light in the house. :)