Nightdive Studios, the developer of the upcoming remake of System Shock, announced that it is being acquired by Atari. Nightdive Studios has previously worked with a number of publishers through its development of several remasters of classic FPS games such as Doom 64 and PowerSlave.
Atari is most known today for its early contributions to the gaming industry, specifically the Atari 2600, which was one of the earliest home gaming consoles to see major commercial success in the United States. The company recently reached its 50th anniversary and has been celebrating with a number of releases including a limited edition Atari 50th Anniversary box set that comes with 10 collectible cartridges of Atari 2600 games. Other releases include Atari 50: The Anniversary Celebration, a compilation of over 90 games that also serves as a digital museum of the company's history.
Coming down from its 50th-anniversary celebrations, Atari has announced that is acquiring Nightdive Studios in a deal that, according to Yahoo! Finance, is worth $10 million and is set to conclude by the end of next month. The acquisition was announced on Twitter by Nightdive Studios and its CEO Stephen Kick, who expressed enthusiasm at the opportunity to "continue resurrecting the games we love." Nightdive Studios has teased that it's working on more FPS remasters, as the developer is best known for its remasters of classic FPS games such as Quake and the Turok series.
The announcement on Twitter has gotten mixed responses from fans, with many wondering what this means to the development of the recently delayed System Shock remake or future projects from Nightdive. A consistent talking point from gamers was many asking when the studio would be providing an update for Blood: Fresh Supply, something that many fans have been waiting for. CEO Stephen Kick responded to one comment by jokingly saying that the acquisition will allow the studio to finally patch Blood: Fresh Supply.
Atari remains a recognizable name in the games industry, but recent activity like the Atari 50th anniversary NFT project has not helped it gain much popularity in recent years. However, last year's release of Atari 50 shows that the company has some interest in reviving past gaming endeavors, something that Nightdive Studios has been successfully doing for years. In this respect, Nightdive could be a perfect fit for the company and has the chance to put just as much effort into Atari's legacy as it did for that of the FPS genre. With the System Shock remake set to release this May and future projects likely in the works, fans can rest assured that there will still be more to see from Nightdive Studios.
Source: Yahoo! Finance