Video games being adapted for TV is something that is in vogue at the moment, with numerous franchises being opted by studios to convert them as either live-action or animated series for the "Small Screen." Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City is the latest announcement, with an official trailer being unveiled just last week. Now, the classic sci-fi PC title System Shock, another beloved horror series, will be joining the ranks of the other adaptations, as it too will also be getting turned into a TV series.
According to a tweet from Binge, the streaming service which combines watching with gaming, System Shock will be adapted into a live-action series with the studio teaming up with Nightdive Studios, the developer behind the remastered version of the game. According to a report from PC Gamer, Nightdive CEO Stephen Kick has said that he felt an adaptation of the game would be interesting, adding that it's the "perfect medium" to re-tell the "harrowing story" of what went on in the first game.
While Kick doesn't outright mention whether Shodan will feature in the TV adaptation, he does talk about the world's "rogue AI" which is almost certainly a reference to the game's antagonist. Probably one of the franchise's most notable characters, and probably one of the most memorable horror villains in recent gaming history, Shodan will also be featuring in System Shock 3, which is supposedly still in development, but has since changed studios.
The original and terrifying System Shock came out in 1994, pre-dating such horror classics as Resident Evil, and while it didn't leave too much of an impact on the PC gaming world, the follow-up did. The aptly-titled System Shock 2, which was released in 1999, became an instant classic, with its blend of science fiction horror and role-playing elements. While it's visually dated, what with it now being 22-years-old at this point, it is still an influential entry in the series, with the game's designer, Ken Levine, going on to make the BioShock series which takes a lot of aspects from System Shock.
While the third installment is still being developed, the System Shock reboot is due out possibly this year. Some new gameplay footage was shown off a few months back, with a supposed launch date of summer 2021. However, this appears to have been pushed back. All-in-all, it seems System Shock is making its way back into the cultural consciousness after a bit of a hiatus. The upcoming TV adaptation will certainly be an interesting way of showing the horrors of what went on in Citadel Station in a different way.
The System Shock live-action TV series is currently in development.
Source: PC Gamer