A Tencent System Shock acquisition has been announced, with Otherside Entertainment stating that the Chinese-based game conglomerate will be "taking the [game's] franchise forward."
A couple of days ago, it was revealed that the System Shock 3 and System Shock 4 websites were acquired by Tencent. No official announcement had been made regarding this transfer until today.
"We are happy to announce that Tencent will be taking the [System Shock] franchise forward," Otherside Entertainment stated in a tweet.
"As a smaller Indie studio, it had been challenging for us to carry the project on our own," the company continued. "We believe Tencent's deep capabilities and expertise as a leading game company will bring the franchise to new heights."
Otherside Entertainment had been seeking a publisher since mid–2019 to get this game out the door on time. Now, the Tencent System Shock acquisition means that finances shouldn't be that much of a problem, but a new dispute has emerged.
Tencent System Shock Acquisition May Face Trouble
While this acquisition may be concerning to some, there is another question on the table — does Otherside Entertainment (and consequently, Tencent) actually own the rights to the System Shock franchise?
As Destructoid reports, Nightdive Studio's CEO Stephen Kick disputes the ownership of the System Shock franchise.
"Nightdive owns the System Shock franchise and IP[.]" Kick said in a tweet, responding to a now-deleted tweet from gaming industry tweeter @Nibellion.
At this point in time, Nightdive Studio owns systemshock.com and is currently working on a reboot of the original game, collaborating with the original developers and working with a team of industry veterans whose experience includes Fallout: New Vegas, Mass Effect, and System Shock's spiritual successor BioShock.
Who actually owns the System Shock IP? Both companies have a claim to the rights, so this Tencent System Shock acquisition may be facing some more battles in the future.
Who do you think rightly owns the System Shock IP? Are you upset that Tencent is working with Otherside Entertainment? Let us know in the comments below!
