EA Finally Stops Pretending it Isn't Remaking Syndicate, Announces Syndicate Remake

@Mus said:

Played the first games all those years ago, loved them and still love the games. So this is going to be in first person. I think Starbreeze took a few pages out from Bethesda with Fallout 3. A risque maneuver by them, however I hope they prove people wrong and a good game can be done.

I liked the original style of the game. Shame they are not going to stick to Bullfrog's isometric strategy game. However I remain resolute that it will be a good game, if not, I shall be bloomin' annoyed if it is not.

Starbreeze can do good and unique first person games, so there's easily the potential for this to be at least pretty cool if not amazing. Plus we need more cyberpunk up in here.

Played the first games all those years ago, loved them and still love the games. So this is going to be in first person. I think Starbreeze took a few pages out from Bethesda with Fallout 3. A risque maneuver by them, however I hope they prove people wrong and a good game can be done.

I liked the original style of the game. Shame they are not going to stick to Bullfrog's isometric strategy game. However I remain resolute that it will be a good game, if not, I shall be bloomin' annoyed if it is not.

I have no idea what Syndicate is but I'm excited since this is a first person shooter from Starbreeze.

why not make it a DOTA rip off? instead of another FPS?? I'm not sure what a DOTA is but I hear it a lot these days

I always liked the between mission stuff in Syndicate more than the missions themselves. Controlling your whole squad was always a pain. FPS works just fine for me. I think this has promise, but it's still too early obviously.

@sthusby: Agreed. I think because it's 'FPS' people's perception is warped by the 'S'. Portal 2 is an FPS, but it's a completely different experience from say MW2. Right now there's really not enough data to go on to determine much about the workings of the game at this stage.

As for the people wondering why it's not going to be Isometric. The answer lies in the fact that they game wasn't that complex in the first place (it's no C&C or Starcraft). Sure it would be entirely possible to make an updated isometric version, but even it was 100% faithful to the original, it wouldn't be a title that set the world alight at launch in terms of sales or awards.

@Tennmuerti said:

FPS? - fucking pathetic

The game can be good or bad, like people said we can't judge yet.

But it's sure as shit isn't going to be a Syndicate game.

QFT

FPS? - fucking pathetic

The game can be good or bad, like people said we can't judge yet.

But it's sure as shit isn't going to be a Syndicate game.

I can't get angry about this as I've never played Syndicate. I'll be neutral about it and see if the game is fun or not regardless of name. I like Cyberpunk.

I miss Bullfrog.

I miss Bullfrog.

Not sure if I'm looking forward to this. Maybe its the first person shooter angle and that pretty much killed my interest in the new XCOM. Still, I'll keep an eye on it. Fond memories of playing syndicate and having one of my guys piss off a bunch of enemies, cheese it around a corner and then have another of my guys torch the crap out of the bastards as they came around the corner in single file. Ah, good times.

That thing you like because of its unique tactical gameplay is coming back as an FPS with RPG elements!!

I don't get it. Why are people complaing that it is first person? For me, a game is more than just it's point of view. You need to learn to look past if games are first person, third person or isometric, and instead appriciate it for it's main component, which is the quality of the content.

I'm more surprised that people are surprised that this is first person. What the fuck is wrong with you people and your expectations? Fallout 3 should have been the game that showed you that devs don't give two shits about the source material or original style.

Looks good, I can't get enough CyberPunk

Words cannot express the unbridled rage that flows through every vein in my body over this.

Wow.

So they're pulling a Hard Reset-esque release.

I've wanted this for years, but have no interest now that it sounds like it's so co-op focused. I'm a grown ass man; I don't have play dates.

@heatDrive88 said:

I will only accept this release if they include Miniguns, Gauss Rifles, and the Persuader. It's not a Syndicate game unless these things exist.

The Persuader was confirmed, if Shacknews is to be believed.

@the_dudefather said:

Theme Hospital: 9mm prescription

LOL, yeah, lets remake all of Bullfrogs old games as FPS games.

Is this one of those sites where you don't get notification of deleted posts? I made one last night and can't see it. I'm probably not looking hard enough but I have no indication in my message box the post is gone.

Anyone who cares about the license is going to know better or be disappointed. And the people who don't know, don't give a shit.

My only guess is that they are trying to emulate the movie industry in that way. But even then, less remakes pay-off than do, so...?

I don't get this. I have no nostalgia for either Syndicate or X-Com, but what is the point of it? What is the advantage to slapping old licences on these generic shooters? Anyone who still remembers and has fondness for those games will only get angry at you for shitting on their memories, and those who don't just won't care either way.

I never was much into Syndicate back in the day, but I'm still disappointed to hear that this will be an FPS. Why hate on the isometric perspective?

If you can shoot bullets from your augmented butt it'll be one up on Deus Ex. Oh, wait, nevermind, Deus Ex  already let you swirl your paisley coat and shoot bullets out of your arse. That's been done now...hmmm...how to break new ground?

@gladspooky@ZackHoagie: Not to mention, 80% of the people they're marketing to won't remember the first one.

I love you, Alex.

I have serious doubts about how good this can be. It's just not Syndicate anymore. FPS balls!!!

@PJ said:

@plaintomato said:

@Shuborno said:

@PJ said:

@Shuborno said:

Don't know what the point in resurrecting old forgotten IP...

A perk with using an old ass IP is that not only do you get the old fans thanks to nostalgia but you can market it as a whole new game for a new audience so...

I question how big that existing audience is with that old IP...

I'd agree with Shuborno on that one. Syndicate pulled you in because it was dark and different in a world of mostly games for kids, but relative to the sales that will be expected in order for the remake to be counted a success...the size of the original fan base has to be just a drop in the bucket. What using the old IP gets them is street cred - it changes the game from a Deus Ex inspired new IP into something that was around long before Deus Ex. Now even if they end up imitating [Deus Ex, Bladerunner, any RTS/FPS Hybrid], their PR can drop hints that these other IP's were inspired by Syndicate instead of vice versa. But I'm willing to hope it's not a Deus Ex cash-in and really is a worthy Syndicate reboot.

Like you said, they get street cred when using an old IP[...]

It's more marketing driven then anything to do with them loving the old IP so much that they want to bring it back.

I can buy this reasoning. I mean, we're here talking about it instead of not talking about it which must be worth something.

I've seen no reason to care about XCOM other than it being called XCOM but at least I know what it is.

@Danda said:

@A lot of people said:

Starbreeze is alright

Yes, but New Starbreeze is no Old Starbreeze.

http://www.1up.com/features/starbreeze-secret-history And this New Syndicate is no Old Syndicate.

+1 to this article. It's a good one.

I remember being surprised to see this article because for some reason I'd thought Starbreeze had folded after Riddick 2.

@gladspooky@ZackHoagie: Not to mention, 80% of the people they're marketing to won't remember the first one.

bullet-time and hacking mini games, ea is really pushing boundaries with this one. To be honest I don't really see the point of doing a syndicate game that isn't a rts, i mean it's just a generic future dystopia setting why not create a new ip or make an rts.  
Ach guess i'll never understand the guys in marketing.

It costs a hell of a lot less to take an old IP then it does to make a new one, duders.

This seems interesting since it's being made by the people who developed The Darkness but if it is going to be released early next year I kind of doubt it :/

Time to turn on the perusadertron and amass an army of civilians to fight for me

Whether or not it's a "good Syndicate game" kinda is irrelevant.  that game is 20 years old, and the number of people that that's relevant to is miniscule now.  Fallout 2 wasn't first-person, but that didn't illegitimize Fallout 3 for anyone with a level of reason.  Frankly, for a LOT MORE people now, the latter is what Fallout is, not the decade old games.   The number of people who'd care to play an old-style Syndicate or X-Com is barely anything now.  Call that selling out, or whatever you want, but really, the number of people that are offended by this compared to the number of people that could see this and just be like "Oh hey, this could be totally rad" is a huge fucking difference. 
 

It costs a hell of a lot less to take an old IP then it does to make a new one, duders.

Fuck this game  they turned syndicate into a console noob FPS for call of crap  noobs who don't even know what a fucking decent FPS even is. 
 
 
syndicate is not a fucking FPS  and this lame act of turning everything into a console noob FPS is getting fucking lame, it was fucking lame the first time they did it. fuck that xcom FPS too.

Theme Hospital: 9mm prescription

So long as they make an introduction sequence as bad-ass as the PC version of Syndicate Wars, Starbreeze have my money.

It's Starbreeze, stop worrying about someone ruining your beloved Syndicate. It'll be great. Those that complain, I wonder if they've even played a Starbreeze game.

• 2000 – The Outforce (Microsoft Windows)
• 2002 – Enclave (Microsoft Windows, Xbox)
• 2003 – Knights of the Temple (Nintendo GameCube, Microsoft Windows, Xbox, PlayStation 2) (Released only in Europe)
• 2004 – The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay (Xbox, Microsoft Windows)
• 2007 – The Darkness (Xbox 360, PlayStation 3)
• 2009 – The Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena (Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360)

Surprised this is coming out soon.

Is Deus Ex really doing so good as to make companies start working on knockoffs like some people are suggesting?

I hope it's doing all right.

@Shaanyboi said:

@gladspooky said:

@Shaanyboi said:

@gladspooky said:

@Shaanyboi said:

Wow... didn't take long for people to automatically start bitching about it being an FPS without any slight hint that this will be either good or bad. "Oh no! A PC game I played 20 years ago is being changed to maintain a level of relevancy with the times??? NOOO!" I loved Syndicate, just as I loved X-Com, but come on... have a little objectivity instead of being a bunch of uptight overnostalgic dipshits for fuck's sake...

Whether it's good or not doesn't really matter. The point is: Will it be a good Syndicate game? Well, no, because it's not a Syndicate game in the first place. It's just called that.

Whether or not it's a "good Syndicate game" kinda is irrelevant.  that game is 20 years old, and the number of people that that's relevant to is miniscule now.  Fallout 2 wasn't first-person, but that didn't illegitimize Fallout 3 for anyone with a level of reason.  Frankly, for a LOT MORE people now, the latter is what Fallout is, not the decade old games.   The number of people who'd care to play an old-style Syndicate or X-Com is barely anything now.  Call that selling out, or whatever you want, but really, the number of people that are offended by this compared to the number of people that could see this and just be like "Oh hey, this could be totally rad" is a huge fucking difference.

If those games are irrelevant and no one cares about them, then why make another one in the first place? If you're a fan and you want to revitalize an old franchise like Syndicate, wouldn't you want to reintroduce it to people the way you remember it? It's like taking an old game like Sinistar and reinvisioning it as an anime bullet hell shooter. The shooter may be great, but there's no reason it needs to be called Sinistar. And guess what, the whole "these genres are dead" argument falls apart if they just made it a downloadable game.

Because the name sounds cool lol.  Because they can atleast ring some sort of nostalgia or interest out of the name, and get some frame of reference as to what the game is about.  It's so that they can act like they were the REAL pioneers, and that the branding makes them legit.  It's a marketing ploy, and yeah, there are probably afew people on that team that want elements of it to still take cues from the original.   It's not like Shadowrun where there are little to no connections to the orgiinal concept.  It's not like they're actively TRYING to take a piss on your memories.  Getting all pissed off and rejecting this game immediately without any sign that this game will be good or bad based off of 3 or 4 screenshots is a far bigger dick move than a company in the entertainment business doing what companies in the entertainment business do.  If the game turns out bad, well fine, it turns out bad.  Then don't buy it.  But nothing about this has earned the immediate black-listing nostalgic fanboys (and some people who never played the original, but want to act all offended beause it makes them sound cool) are treating it with.

Clearly that nostalgia ploy is working out for them in spades. And no one is writing this game off. They're just writing the name off. Also, what are you talking about? That Shadowrun game totally had elves and deckers in it. You're just being a dick for thinking those developers were trying to piss on the legacy of Shadowrun. Won't you please think of their marketing division?!??!??

@ChaosDent: Very well put, couldn't agree more.

I actually just live a block or two from where Starbreeze is based, so gonna have to get myself into their office and make sure this is done the right way :-)

@plaintomato said:

@Shuborno said:

@PJ said:

@Shuborno said:

Don't know what the point in resurrecting old forgotten IP...

A perk with using an old ass IP is that not only do you get the old fans thanks to nostalgia but you can market it as a whole new game for a new audience so...

I question how big that existing audience is with that old IP...

I'd agree with Shuborno on that one. Syndicate pulled you in because it was dark and different in a world of mostly games for kids, but relative to the sales that will be expected in order for the remake to be counted a success...the size of the original fan base has to be just a drop in the bucket. What using the old IP gets them is street cred - it changes the game from a Deus Ex inspired new IP into something that was around long before Deus Ex. Now even if they end up imitating [Deus Ex, Bladerunner, any RTS/FPS Hybrid], their PR can drop hints that these other IP's were inspired by Syndicate instead of vice versa. But I'm willing to hope it's not a Deus Ex cash-in and really is a worthy Syndicate reboot.

Like you said, they get street cred when using an old IP. I didn't really mean that the old fans would buy the game, but more that it gets more buzz on the internet by being a reboot of an old IP opposed to a new IP that you have to put alot of money behind to get the buzz going. Its a double edged sword of course but on some level even bad publicity is publicity since you get the game out there through no real effort.

I'm not necessarily saying its a good thing to take old IPs and and make a completly different game out of it but it is a money saving way since you can ride the buzz from the old game and just focus on pushing the game mainstream instead of both the enthusiast press and the mainstream. Marketing is a huge part of a games budget these days and if you can cut it in any way is a win.

It's more marketing driven then anything to do with them loving the old IP so much that they want to bring it back.

This will be a bad example since the games are pretty much the same unlike XCOM and Syndicate. But Bioshock owes most of its success to System Shock. After they first showed it, it was called a spiritual successor to System Shock and that created a huge hype for the game that most likely wouldn't have been there if it had no connection to System Shock at all. Granted the developers behind it were a source for the hype as well but System Shock is pretty much loved by everyone and has a rabid fanbase. And if im not totally missremembering most of the marketing for that game was thowards the massmarket and didn't really create big events around the game for the gaming press.

It's Starbreeze, stop worrying about someone ruining your beloved Syndicate. It'll be great. Those that complain, I wonder if they've even played a Starbreeze game.

Taking bets that this won't be that good.