Remaster specialists Nightdive Studios are looking to move beyond classic PC titles by expanding their repertoire with PS3 and Xbox 360 games. Nightdive Studios has established itself as a credible developer when it comes to giving TLC to beloved older titles and while not every remaster project has succeeded in garnering praise from the PC community (Blade Runner), there are many that have. From System Shock 2 to The Thing, Star Wars Dark Forces, Doom I + II and Doom 64, Turok 1-3, there are quite a few feathers in their cap when it comes to bringing older games into the modern era and now according to CEO Stephen Kick, they are looking into expanding their horizons.
Stephen participated in an interview with VGC where he and director of business development Larry Kuperman touched on a number of topics ranging from the overall goal of game preservation to the challenges in acquiring rights to games and the processes it takes to remaster a game. While the list of older PC titles is vast their team’s skillset doesn’t have to be limited to just PC games and Stephen expressed that there are many titles that could be considered historical from more than just a popularity standpoint. During the interview, it was brought up that its been 20 years since the release of the Xbox 360, and the duo were asked if they had any interest in doing remasters from its library. Stephen responded “So yeah, Xbox 360, it’s like, I think it’s prime for remaster territory.” with Larry adding “We stand ready.”
The iconic PlayStation 3 is another console approaching the 20-year-old mark which also has an immense library of hit games. However, the PS3 was well known for its incredibly advanced processor which was equally difficult to develop games for. This presents greater challenges for anyone attempting to remaster those titles. Regardless the team stands ready for this challenge as well.
“So yeah, if we get to that, or I should say when we get to the PS3 era games, it will be a challenge that we have to face. But I think that we’ve had enough experience to where we can do a serviceable job on a PS3 remaster.”
Stephen Kick – NIghtdive Studios CEO
What about 007?
Rumors about a GoldenEye 007 remake or remaster have been circulating for some time. The Nintendo 64 title is among the top games made for that console and fans have been asking for it to make a comeback for years. Turns out it all came down to rights. Nightdive Studios spent a year working with MGM to develop its team and pitching the game for approval only to have it all fall apart due to a misunderstanding on who held the rights for the game. When Nintendo was approached about the possibility it reportedly expressed that it would never let a third-party studio work on its IPs.
Another popular franchise, System Shock, has also had folks wondering about another installment. Stephen explained that while their license does not permit making a third game it does allow them to create something that takes place in between the first and second. Nothing is in the works for right now but it is on the table. Stephen’s motto is never give up so fans of older titles shouldn’t give up hope either.