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Eidos Announces Thief 4 102

Posted by Soulskill from the coming-out-of-stealth dept.
An anonymous reader tips news that Eidos Montreal has confirmed recent speculation by announcing the development of a new Thief game. They've set up a website, but the project is still in its early stages, and details are scarce. In an interview with IncGamers, Eidos' Stéphane D'Astous said, "We're keeping our ear very close to the ground. As you may have noticed, we now have a forum up and running for Thief 4, and I said to my guys 'I really want to have a forum at the very early stages,' because I want people to have a medium with which they can express their wishes, their expectations, and what they would like and not like to happen with the next Thief. Obviously we've started work, but it's always very important for the developers to be close to the community. We're listening to these people because they are very hardcore fans, and we want to bring the Thief 4 franchise to a new level, so the challenges are huge!"
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Eidos Announces Thief 4 More

Eidos Announces Thief 4

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  • Thiaf? (Score:3, Insightful)

    by RyanFenton ( 230700 ) on Tuesday May 12, 2009 @03:01AM (#27918923)

    Thi4f? As in "Thiaf"? Doesn't seem like a good first impression.

    Ryan Fenton

    • Re: (Score:3, Insightful)

      by cjfs ( 1253208 )

      Thi4f? As in "Thiaf"? Doesn't seem like a good first impression.

      Shh. They're just figuring out the replacing letters with numbers. Next comes the realization that the numbers are supposed to look something like the letters. That's followed by the realization that nobody does that anymore, except in mockery.

      So we should be back to normal titles once they hit step three around 2020.

    • Reminds me of some boy band several years back called 5ive. I worked at Best Buy back when they released an album and had to look at that every day.

      • Reminds me of some boy band several years back called 5ive. I worked at Best Buy back when they released an album and had to look at that every day.

        5ive is doom metal, which is pretty far from boy band pop.

  • Re-make Thief 2 (Score:5, Insightful)

    by the_raptor ( 652941 ) on Tuesday May 12, 2009 @03:04AM (#27918943)

    All they have to do for huge success if make it nearly exactly like Thief 2. I loved Thief 3 but the lack of huge sprawling levels with many hidden passage ways really hurt the game.

    As to the story I hope they make it a prequel or otherwise not have Garret as the main character. The whole Thief mythos was pretty much played out at the end of Thief 3 and a continuation would just feel tacked on (Thief 1 & 2 heavily explored the Pagans and the Hammerites, Thief 3 basically removed the Keepers).

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by PhilHibbs ( 4537 )

      I don't know if it was Thief 2 or 3, but I got hold of a demo of one of them, and my friends and I spent about 4 hours trying to do the lockpicking stage and none of us could do it, so it became a drinks mat.

      • Re:Re-make Thief 2 (Score:5, Funny)

        by pnuema ( 523776 ) on Tuesday May 12, 2009 @08:24AM (#27920831)
        Then I humbly submit that you and your friends should stay away from the box with the blinking lights. Computers are probably too much for you.

      • Lock picking in Thief is not that hard. You must have been doing something very wrong.

        • Re: (Score:2)

          by PhilHibbs ( 4537 )

          Yes, I guess there's some "trick" to it, but no matter what we did with the mouse, it just seemed to jiggle around meaninglessly. After a whole afternoon taking turns and discussing it, we gave up. We're all gamers, fans of Doom, Quake, Half-Life, various RTSes, and one of the people there was a puzzle fanatic (interlocking loops, tangled strings, block dis-assembly etc.), but it just didn't click with us.

    • Re: (Score:3, Interesting)

      by TitusC3v5 ( 608284 )
      As to the story I hope they make it a prequel or otherwise not have Garret as the main character. The whole Thief mythos was pretty much played out at the end of Thief 3 and a continuation would just feel tacked on (Thief 1 & 2 heavily explored the Pagans and the Hammerites, Thief 3 basically removed the Keepers).

      The end of Thief3 paved the way for a sequel. Garret more or less came full circle, taking an apprentice in almost exactly the same was he himself was when he was a child. It has a lot of p

    • Re: (Score:3, Interesting)

      by Hogwash McFly ( 678207 )

      Exactly. Thief 2 is my favourite of the series, and its gameplay mechanics are far superior to Deadly Shadows, except for maybe one or two improvements like the new lock-picking system which I believe should be kept for T4. The movement and body awareness in DS felt really sluggish, as though Garrett was stumbling through knee-high water. Blackjacking enemies, and the associated 'snap' to position the bodies was also a downside. Obviously the compromises made for the Xbox, e.g. the loading zones, were a

    • The whole Thief mythos was pretty much played out at the end of Thief 3 and a continuation would just feel tacked on (Thief 1 & 2 heavily explored the Pagans and the Hammerites, Thief 3 basically removed the Keepers).

      There's yet another faction that Garrett can end: the Ancients. As silly as time travel might be, I'd like to see them in their prime, with their cities alive. Maybe Garrett's runes retain their own memory and he starts having walking-flashbacks or something. If the AI were good enough, a Thief version of Blue Shift could be interesting: you play Lord Bafford, and you score points for how long you keep the Thief at bay before he steals your latest prized treasure. Set your guard patrols, locks, traps,

    • I was catching up on some of the TTLG forums earlier this year and I caught a thread discussing where Thief was going before Looking Glass went under.

      Apparently, there was talk of making Thief 4 take place present day (under the impression that they had done enough with the steampunk fantasy genre). There was even some concept art done (sorry for no link) of a catburgler/hoodiewearing Garrett.

      At first I scoffed at it, hipping it up for the youngins and console gamers, but then I started warming to the idea

      • Apparently, there was talk of making Thief 4 take place present day (under the impression that they had done enough with the steampunk fantasy genre). There was even some concept art done (sorry for no link) of a catburgler/hoodiewearing Garrett.

        Alternately, he could be replaced with a gentleman thief wearing a trilby [escapistmagazine.com].

    • I wish they'd have Garret again but make him more powerful. Sure, you can still have sneaking as an option - except for boss fights, of course - but there really should be a lot more action. Sometimes there could be reaction test, like when a guard draws a deep breath and a button blinks on the screen for a split-second, and if you push it on time Garret will throw a knife into the guards throat before he can scream.

    • Re: (Score:3, Interesting)

      by Hythlodaeus ( 411441 )

      Thief 3 was the best of the series for me. Why? Because of the free-roaming segments between missions. For the first time, you could actually go where you chose to go when you chose to go there.

      • And do the same thing, again and again, for a couple GP each time... It just annoyed me, although it did show how tedious the "career" of thieving would really be I guess.

  • If they want inspiration (Score:5, Insightful)

    by RsG ( 809189 ) on Tuesday May 12, 2009 @03:08AM (#27918963)

    Look to Thief 2. 3 was something of a letdown; 1 was still a new idea (and therefor somewhat unrefined). 2 was easily the zenith of the series to date.

    What was missing from 3? Large open levels, multiple solutions to each problem, and the varied mission objectives. Thief 3 at least got the sneak, stab and sap aspect of the game right, to its credit, and they included the requisite gadgets and arrows. As long as these things remain for 4, the game will be, at a minimum, adequate; done right it can be something more.

    One of the things all three games got right was story. Atmosphere, character, plot and background are the series strong points, so they need a decent writer on staff (one familiar with the previous games). For the best of the series atmosphere, look to the Shaleridge Cradle section in Thief 3.

    Final detail. Garret, whatever else he is, is one of the game's selling points. There is something to be said for a cynical misanthropic kleptomaniac with a bludgeoning tool and bills to pay. Keep those aspects of his character, and you'll go far; the last thing anyone wants to see is the writers trying to turn him into anything "better" than he is.

    • Re:If they want inspiration (Score:5, Informative)

      by Yuioup ( 452151 ) * on Tuesday May 12, 2009 @03:22AM (#27919031)
      The reason why Thief 3 didn't have large open levels had to do with the memory limitation of the original xbox. It couldn't handle large levels in de Unreal Engine, so the devs had to compromise and make the levels small.

      AFAIK the xbox 360/PS3 (or whatever new machine the new thief is going to run on) can handle large levels so ...

      Y

      • Re:If they want inspiration (Score:5, Insightful)

        by dunkelfalke ( 91624 ) on Tuesday May 12, 2009 @05:07AM (#27919507)

        And that is also one of the main reason why Deus Ex 2 sucked. They basically made the game for the console only and just added the PC executable. The result: tiny levels, dumbed down story, dumbed down weapon system, awful graphics.

        Guess what? It was the same game studio, the same developer team and the same publisher. No wonder the mistakes were the same.

        • Re: (Score:3, Insightful)

          by Plekto ( 1018050 )

          And that is also one of the main reason why Deus Ex 2 sucked. They basically made the game for the console only and just added the PC executable. The result: tiny levels, dumbed down story, dumbed down weapon system, awful graphics.

          They need to either make it for the PC first and a dumbed-down version for the 360 or they need to just ignore the XBox entirely.

          The problem is that they think that adding support for it will be easy, but the problem is that the controller, graphics, and many other aspects of the

      • Just as the x-box was outclassed by the pc's of that era, so the current generation is outclassed by PC's.

        People always look at the specs of a console when it is announced, look at their office dell and think WOW! Then a couple of years later when the console is out, they still have that impression but Intel/Amd and nVidia/Ati have moved on. Go ahead, show me how 512mb TOTAL memory compares to a very low powered PC with 2gig and 512mb graphics memory. It is the reason GTA4 has very nice graphics, but still

        • Re: (Score:2)

          by Rycross ( 836649 )

          It is the reason MMORPG's don't happen on the console.

          Well, they have done MMORPGs on consoles. See FFXI for an example. But you're right in that there are severe limitations to console MMORPGs. FFXI, in particular, didn't have a lot of variety in textures and even enemy models.

    • For the best of the series atmosphere, look to the Shaleridge Cradle section in Thief 3.

      Absolutely. My experience with Thief three was roughly: First couple of levels seemed, minor thinks I didn't quite like but there always are. Next few levels... ah, shouldn't the levels be getting bigger by now? Clock Tower, this is STUPID, the top of the tower has people living in comfortable accomodations and as you go down it gets rougher and rougher - in order for them to get up there (and to get their beds etc. up there) they have to climb up pylons and things then rough service elevators before finall

  • Thi4f (Score:2, Funny)

    by Anonymous Coward

    In other news, Deus Ex 3 is being renamed to D3us Ex.

  • "and we want to bring the Thief 4 franchise to a new level, so the challenges are huge!"

    Stop quacking and start talking!

  • I remain skeptical. I love Thief and I like Thief 2 very much, and Thief 3 was, well, almost as disappointing as Invisible War. Not as much, as it was more refined, but still way below the first two.

    It's a bit like DX. What I heard about DX3 tends to indicate it will be rather different from the original in major areas such as gameplay, in spite of Eidos's claims to the contrary. Of course, we'll just have to wait until the game ships to find out. Now Thief 4? I read about the pre-dev concepts Ion Storm Aus

  • We're listening to these people because they are very hardcore fans

    That's nice. And for the rest of the Slashdot readers who couldn't care less?

  • In music news... (Score:4, Funny)

    by ciderVisor ( 1318765 ) on Tuesday May 12, 2009 @03:33AM (#27919085)

    ...Guns 'n' Roses front man Axl Rose has announced that he's starting a forum to let fans decide what the next album will sound like. The plan was hatched in response to the poor reception of the band's last album "Chinese Democracy". So far, postings have included:

    mtlhdz4evr: "Just make it so it doesn't suck, man !"
    RckRietGrrrrl619: "I wanna luv sng. Hugz xxx LOL"
    ShredKatz: "Buckethed'z the man. He's so fast, dude. More notes this time, yeah ?"
    AlkyBanger: "YEEEAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!WOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!"

  • Thief (Score:5, Insightful)

    by DreamsAreOkToo ( 1414963 ) on Tuesday May 12, 2009 @03:35AM (#27919093)

    Fantastic! I love Thief, it's my favorite video game of all time.

    However... they ended the series. Not only that, but they kind of butchered their whole attempt at Thief 3. If they want a good new game...

    *Item scarcity. 1 & 2 never gave you 30 fire arrows to play with...
    *Uninterrupted whole levels. 1 & 2 never had loading zones within a level.
    *Complete outdoor areas. 1 & 2 were not set up like dungeons. They were *real* buildings.
    *Rooftops.

    I could say more, but I'll spare you. :)

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by lbbros ( 900904 )
      However, neither 2 nor 3 fixed the problems with the guards: that is, that they suddenly became near-invincible once you were discovered. Other ways (such as alarms, reinforcements, etc.) should be better than that, which looks like "cheating".

      • Re:Thief (Score:5, Insightful)

        by sammyF70 ( 1154563 ) on Tuesday May 12, 2009 @06:10AM (#27919811) Homepage Journal

        that was a ~problem~ ??
        I thought the fact that you were a wimp in hand to hand non-stealthy combat was the main point of the game. Otherwise you could just have played Splinter Cell. This might have solved your second problem with the Thief Serie too : there were too many ways to finish the levels.

        Keep the hero a wimp, make the levels as ~open~ as can be with multiple entrances and no forced way of finishing a level or pass an obstacle (see the latest Tomb Raider or Prince of Perversia installments for how NOT to do it), don't include a sidekick, especially if that sidekick is supposed to save you everytime you might have died (hell.. ALLOW for failure. you know, the old "YOU'RE DEAD, GAME OVER" concept that seems to be vanishing out of most games lately), and you'll have a great game on your hands.

        • Keep the hero a wimp, make the levels as ~open~ as can be with multiple entrances and no forced way of finishing a level or pass an obstacle (see the latest Tomb Raider or Prince of Perversia installments for how NOT to do it), don't include a sidekick, especially if that sidekick is supposed to save you everytime you might have died (hell.. ALLOW for failure. you know, the old "YOU'RE DEAD, GAME OVER" concept that seems to be vanishing out of most games lately), and you'll have a great game on your hands.

          In short, you'll have Nethack.

          Actually, I love the first 2 Thief games: as one review put it, Thief was one of the few games where standing still watching and listening for your opponents was exciting. And if it was too easy to go around conking guards on the head, you could always have a nice challenge by leaving all the guards awake and walking around while you went and grabbed all the loot.

      • Re: (Score:1, Insightful)

        by Anonymous Coward

        Sure they are a lot tougher once they are aware of you. They have armor, weapons and expertise. You only have a dagger/club and dark cloth. None of that counts when stabbed in the back. All of that counts when fighting face to face.

        And actually fighting a single enemy really was no problem. They were just to slow to be dangerous. Only in numbers it is hard to have an eye on everyone.

        When I read the first part of your post I thought the problem you are refering to is that these guards are actually too easy t

      • You're doing it wrong (Score:4, Informative)

        by edremy ( 36408 ) on Tuesday May 12, 2009 @08:34AM (#27920981) Journal
        You were discovered? You hurt a guard? I think you miss the entire point of the series. Discovery or using the sword for anything beyond cutting drapes to check for treasure means you are doing it wrong. If you actually kill a guard you do fail the mission- on hard mode you can't ever kill anything, and that's the only way to actually play the series.

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by Yunzil ( 181064 )

        However, neither 2 nor 3 fixed the problems with the guards: that is, that they suddenly became near-invincible once you were discovered.

        Um, there's a reason the game is called "Thief". If you are ever discovered, that's pretty much an indication that you failed.

  • New petition for T1&2 source release,please mo (Score:5, Informative)

    by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday May 12, 2009 @03:43AM (#27919137)

    The Thief fan community has been trying to get the source to Thief 1 & 2 released for several years but with little success - as a consequence of the bankruptcy of the original developer, it has been hard to even find out who might have it let alone be in a position to release it. However, recently there has been a glimmer of hope since one developer seems to have information about it but permission is still needed, which is why a new petition has been started. We want to improve the engine and enable it to run on modern systems so please slashdot the release petition:

    http://www.petitiononline.com/ThiefSrc/ [petitiononline.com]

    Note: This is not the same petition as before but a new one. So even if you have signed the old one, please sign this too.

    • Moooooooooooooo!

      Compression filter? Bah.

    • "We are only requesting the original source code for the graphics engine to these games, not anything more."

      Don't you want the audio engine, utility code, and logic, too?

      • On a more serious note, weren't the games made with the Unreal Engine? If so, I believe you'll be pleading indefinitely, because I doubt they have the right to open source that, as well.

        I could be wrong.

        • Re: (Score:1, Informative)

          by Anonymous Coward

          You are wrong. Thief 1 & 2 use the Dark Engine, as does System Shock 2. T3 uses a UE, which is why it lacks rope arrows and swimmable water and that's why fans have been so disappointed with it.

  • I swear, the first couple games were so good, I figured they'd stay overlooked forever. When the third one came out, I thought that it would be the death knell for the whole franchise. But now... it might be around for a long time! Honestly, these are some of the best games ever created. Huzzah!

  • ... Thief 4 is basically a stolen license :-)

    BTW Thief 3 sucked badly.

    • Thief3 wasn't THAT bad. It still had the creepiest level of any game of all time in it. And personally I actually like the fact that you could roam the city. Too bad many tha many levels were just too linear and that they replaced the rope arrow with the stupid gloves though.
    • Yes, I played 1 & 2 and they were awesome, but the disappointments leading up to 3 were so awful that I skipped that one entirely. Unless they bring back LGS, I won't have any expectations for 4, nor will I have much interest in it.
  • The originality of the first 2 Thief titles will never be possible when the game is dunbed down for the console generation.
    Just look at Bioshock which was supposed to be the spiritual successor of the beloved System Shock series.
    Another victim of the consoles is Deus Ex 2 which I consider a sibling title of Thief 3, same studio, same problems due to console restraints.

  • Yay (Score:1)

    by ran93r ( 671906 )
    As one of the six people who enjoyed Thief 3, I for one welcome our new, numb3r subst1tut10n 0v3rl0rd5.
    • Count me as number 7.

      As a long time Thief fan and advocate I did have some issues with the interface. But I guess everyone has an opinion of what's good.

      And I must say that Shalebridge Cradle was one of those missions that made me realize that I might need to wear some Depends undergarments when I play games that are so immersive. It wasn't as beautiful as The Bonehorde or The Haunted Cathedral but it was still one hell of a good time.

    • Re: (Score:1)

      by MaerD ( 954222 )
      You did it wrong. It's "our n4w numb4r subst1tut10n 0v4rl0rd5", or did you not get the memo?
  • I never played any of the original games, but I've heard good things about them. Hope they'll release them on GOG as a way to drum up interest in the new game.

  • ...those who can't wait should check out The Dark Mod [thedarkmod.com] for Doom 3 - a toolkit for building Thief 1/2 style missions in a reasonably modern game engine. The two alpha missions so far looked extremely good.

    Wonder which will be released first, TDM or Thief 4?

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by LordKaT ( 619540 )

      TDM has been in closed development for so long, I refuse to believe it even exists. The community around it is unhelpful, the project leaders are uncommunicative, the developers refuse to discuss what they're working on, and contributing to the project requires an application process.

      Quite frankly, after all these years (5 or 6 years now?) of teaser screen shots and videos, I think TDM is the mod communities version of DNF.

      • Re: (Score:1)

        by WWWWolf ( 2428 )

        TDM has been in closed development for so long, I refuse to believe it even exists.

        Eh? There's two alpha levels released not terribly long ago. They're actually out there, downloadable and playable, right now - quite unlike DNF =) If the stuff in those alphas is of any indication, the thing is well on its way.

        It's a total conversion mod that makes the game look and behave nothing like the original Doom 3 - of course it takes preposterous amounts of time to complete. Just try unpacking the alpha levels without saying "holy damn that's a lot of textures". =)

  • It still included one of the best levels of any game in the history of ever and awesome.
    The Shalebridge Cradle. This level alone gets me to play Theif 3 every so often.

    • Agreed. Although Thief 3 was not as cool as Thief 1 or 2, The Shalebridge Cradle was possibly one of the best levels I've played in any first-person type game. It was seriously atmospheric and incredibly spooky.

  • They say something about a broader target audience. For Games like Thief, System Shock, Deus Ex, that is a death sentence. Well, not quite, but it assures they will disappoint the fans. Case in Point: Deus Ex was great, Deus Ex 2 was a sick joke. Thief 3 managed to avoid this fate, but narrowly. I remember not finishing it, because I could just not stand some aspects of the game.

  • Focus on the AI (Score:3, Funny)

    by rainmaestro ( 996549 ) on Tuesday May 12, 2009 @09:44AM (#27921995)

    I don't care which engine they use anymore. Thief 1/2 engine or Thief 3, either one would work with some enhancements. Yeah, the Thief 3 engine had some *issues*, but that whole generation of ragdoll games had issues. DX2, VTM:B, Thief3...

    My biggest hope is some improved AI. Sure, I could make some long, insightful post about the shortcomings of the AI in all three games, but CAD summed it up quite nicely:
    http://www.ctrlaltdel-online.com/comic.php?d=20040616 [ctrlaltdel-online.com]

  • OK, when Thief first came out, I played the demo and loved it, but it was so painfully clunky on my old PC that I didn't buy it at the time.

    Thief 2 came out, and I had the same ancient PC.

    By the time Thief 3 was released, I had a shiny new computer, and immediately bought the game. It was just what I was hoping for. Stealthy, sneaky, scary, and (relatively) realistic. I played beginning to end, then went back and replayed some of my favorite bits. Being able to walk through the streets of the city gave it a

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by brkello ( 642429 )
      because of other reasons (becoming a dad, rather suddenly)

      I can't help but wonder how that happened. Well, I mean, not how the first part happened...how it could be sprung upon you.

      • I'll answer that because, well...it's fun!

        The key is adoption. You know that SOMETHING could POSSIBLY happen at any time, but in our case, we got a phone call one day, and 30 hours later we were parents of a newborn.

        So yeah--suddenly.

    • Re: (Score:3, Funny)

      by Lord Ender ( 156273 )

      I didn't get as far into it because of other reasons (becoming a dad, rather suddenly)

      So you've discovered a means to accelerate the gestation process?

  • Loved Thief one and two.

    My favorite aspects of the game have been talked about already: Anti-protagonist, scarcity of items, large full levels, great atmosphere, etc...

    What I'd love to see is A multiplayer version. Co-op, Anti-Co-op (Get the golden statue before the opposition does. -- Wouldn't it be a hoot to fire a noise arrow in the direction you think an opponent is hiding while the guard is searching for you both.), Guard vs Thief (one sided capture the flag.)
  • There IS a God. Thank you once again to Lookinglass Studios (R.I.P.) for creating this in the first place. I, for one, can't friggin wait! My favorite game of all time.

  • The "first-person sneaker" was attractive in its debut. The qualities that made it interesting have been copied, perhaps not all together (medevil mashup, steampunk, pinpoint auditory clues, darkness as a character, actual personalities in NPC voiceovers, etc).

    The gameplay mechanics were a little clumsy, and never really fixed with the 3rd release (3rd person views and short loads were a terrible addition due to the console market).

    My best suggestions:

    - Go back to passing tests for the new charact

  • I wanted to post ideas in the forum they have set up , but the sign-in wouldn't let me join.

    My new idea they should implement: more bandwidth.

  • As said before:

    huge levels are a must, none of the console BS.

    Garrett's style and the humor in 1&2 (esp 2's arguing archers)

    3's grfx, I suppose would be good, and the lockpicking from 3 (toss up between time freeze, slow, or IRT)

    Whatever BS that was in 3 where the person stiffened before being "boffed on the bonce" (whacked on the head),
    sheesh, made a mildly playable game insufferably stupid.

    Two words: Rope Arrows!

    Back to basics and proven games that ppl liked about the first two.

    Or, best summation:
    http [escapistmagazine.com]

  • This game will be the best in his category. Sorry for my level of English. Click and Car Hire [clickandcarhire.com]

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