‘System Shock 3’ Confirmed, Survey Hints At Virtual Reality

System Shock 3 was officially revealed Monday by OtherSide Entertainment following a week of teasing with a countdown clock on the developer’s website. An accompanying survey gives fans a chance to win a SHODAN print but also works to gauge interest in platforms for System Shock 3, including virtual reality.

OtherSide’s System Shock 3 teaser website was updated Monday with the game’s title and the “next generation look” of SHODAN, the malevolent artificial intelligence that is returning to antagonize players, created by artist Robb Waters. An audio file is also included that features voice actress Terri Brosius reprising her role as the AI character and taunting visitors by stating, “Did you think I’d forgotten you, insect?”

No details about the game have been provided yet, but a mailing list subscription at the bottom of the System Shock 3 page leads to a survey which provides some clues in addition to entering survey takers into a contest to win a SHODAN print from Robb Waters. The survey asks players for their preferred gaming machine – Windows PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Mac, or Other. It also asks survey takers to rate their interest in virtual reality gaming from one to ten.

VR gaming is expected to make a huge push in 2016 with multiple VR headsets being released. The PlayStation VR, formerly Project Morpheus, and Facebook’s Oculus Rift are both expected to be released in the first quarter of next year. Meanwhile, the HTC Vive virtual reality set developed to work with Valve’s Steam is currently scheduled for an April 2016 release.

System Shock and its sequel were originally developed at Looking Glass Technologies under publisher Origin Systems in the 1990s. The developer was known for its innovative work in gameplay and engaging stories and is where some legendary game creators made their name. Doug Church and Warren Spector were tied to the original release while System Shock 2 was co-developed with Irrational Games and Ken Levine. Both games managed to cross elements of role-playing games, sci-fi, cyberpunk, and horror into a pair of incredibly influential titles.

Key members of both original System Shock titles will return for the third, according to a press release from OtherSide.

“This includes Paul Neurath, who oversaw the original series’ development; Nate Wells, a senior artist on System Shock 2; and Waters, the lead concept artist of both original games,” the release states.

The ownership rights for System Shock is a somewhat convoluted one. Night Dive Studio released an enhanced edition of System Shock to GOG earlier this year. That was after the sequel was released to GOG and Steam in 2013.

So how did OtherSide end up with System Shock 3? This blurb from the press release explains it.

“The path to bring the System Shock franchise forward was long and winding. Several years back, OtherSide secured the exclusive IP rights to all future versions of the franchise. Only recently, through partnership with Night Dive Studios, who owns the System Shock trademark, did OtherSide get the rights to use the System Shock name for the sequel.”

System Shock isn’t the only Looking Glass series that OtherSide Entertainment is attempting to revitalize. The studio ran a successful Kickstarter campaign for Underworld Ascendant earlier this year and raised more than $860,000 for the Ultima Underworld spiritual successor. The dungeon crawler is expected to be released in November 2016.

As for a release date for System Shock 3, there is no word. OtherSide Entertainment states the game is in the “early concept stages of development.” This suggests a 2016 release is likely a long shot at this point given the development timelines of Underworld Ascendant.

Are you excited to take on SHODAN once again in System Shock 3? Sound off in the comments below.

[Image via OtherSide Entertainment]