
Summary
In the latest episode of the official Atari Games Podcast, host Jason Plansky welcomed back Stephen Kik, the founder and CEO of Night Dive Studios. The two engaged in a lively discussion, primarily centered around the upcoming remaster of the classic stealth game "Thief: The Dark Project." Kik emphasized the significance of the original game, released in 1998, which set standards for stealth mechanics alongside contemporaries like "Metal Gear Solid."
Plansky highlighted the community's involvement in the remaster process, particularly through their Discord platform, where fans can submit game requests. However, Kik humorously noted the absence of requests for "Siop's The Mindgate Conspiracy," leading to a lighthearted exchange about fan engagement.
The conversation also delved into Night Dive's legacy of remastering classic games, with Kik revealing that the studio is currently working on several projects, including "Thief." They discussed the meticulous process of updating graphics and gameplay while maintaining the essence of the original titles. Kik expressed excitement about the advancements in technology, which allow them to enhance old games for modern platforms without losing their nostalgic appeal.
Plansky and Kik reminisced about the challenges and triumphs of game development, including Kik's journey from working on indie games to establishing Night Dive Studios. The two touched on the growing acceptance of remakes and remasters in the gaming community, as well as Night Dive's commitment to honoring the original creators and engaging with fans.
As the episode wrapped up, Kik encouraged listeners to engage with their Discord communities and to stay tuned for more updates on upcoming launches. The remaster of "Thief: The Dark Project" is highly anticipated among fans, and Kik reassured that the team is dedicated to delivering a respectful homage to the original while making it accessible to new audiences.
Show Notes
Nightdive is synonymous with meticulous remaster work. Be it for their treatment of System Shock, the Turok trilogy, Blood, or countless others, the name means something. That all started with one guy: Stephen Kick. CEO of Nightdive, his story is an entertaining one that starts with a bit of hustle, but is backed up by passion and dedication to every product that's come out since the company's inception. We talk about the journey, we talk about some fun anecdotes before Nightdive, and, of course, we talk about the upcoming Thief: The Dark Project Remastered.
Wishlist Thief: The Dark Project Remastered: Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/4200960/Thief_The_Dark_Project_Remastered/ Epic: https://store.epicgames.com/p/thief-the-dark-project-remastered-a4b0a3 GOG: https://www.gog.com/en/game/thief_the_dark_project_remastered PS: https://store.playstation.com/en-us/concept/10019830 Xbox: https://www.xbox.com/en-us/games/store/thief-the-dark-project-remastered/9P858BX7N341
Join the Atari Club on Discord: https://discord.gg/atariclub
Follow us:
Atari: X: https://x.com/atari BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/atari.com
Nightdive Studios: X: https://x.com/NightdiveStudio Discord: https://discord.com/invite/nightdivestudios
Stephen Kick: https://www.instagram.com/stephen.kick/
Jason Polansky: https://bsky.app/profile/jaysofdoom.bsky.social
More from Official Atari Games Podcast
Earlier this year, when Atari acquired Thunderful Games, it came with talent that led to its sterling reputation as an indie games publisher. One example of that is Andreas Beijer, creative director at Atari (formerly at Thunderful). Having contributed to hit games like this year's Planet of Lana II and REPLACED, he has a clear, if not so obvious, impact on a plethora of critically acclaimed indie games released over the last decade. How did he get to this point? What goes into making a game fun? And what's it like making a Stadia-exclusive game? Andreas was kind enough to join me and answer all these questions and more. Please enjoy!
One month after a certain "tactical espionage action" game debuted, Thief snuck its way onto PC with a radically different approach.. Its tough-as-nails stealth systems demand you take your time and plan the perfect heist as you sneak through the shadows, leverage low-tech gadgets like fire arrows, and only resort to combat as a last resort. It was successful enough to lead to many sequels across generations and inspire countless games that followed. So here we are now, 28 years after its initial release, with a remaster with the love and care that only Nightdive can deliver. Joining me to dive into the details are Nightdive's Daniel Grayshon (Director) and Josh Dowell (Programmer).
Hot on the heels of our last Toy Story podcast, we're back to cover the other half of our upcoming double release: Toy Story: Retro Roundup! Developed by Digital Eclipse, doing what they do best, the title features a collection of classic titles across generations, in addition to a plethora of behind-the-scenes footage and game documents to explore the history behind the games from your childhood. Returning to the podcast is the legendary Chris Kohler (editorial director at DE) to run through all the features of the game, including some brand new features never before seen in a Digital Eclipse collection. What would those be? You'll have to listen/watch to find out!
In 2010, Toy Story 3 shocked the gaming world with an incredible game that served as a perfect companion to the film of the same name. Not content with a dynamic campaign that took players through the events of the film (and then some), the title included an innovative "Toy Box" mode that was practically another game in and of itself, letting you explore various zones, accomplish missions for franchise characters, and customize the world to your liking. Fast forward to today, and we're on the brink of Toy Story 3's return in the form of Toy Story 3 Complete Edition. Digital Eclipse has worked their magic to lovingly remaster it for modern platforms so new and old fans alike can easily check it out. Calvin Vu, Digital Eclipse producer on the game, makes a glorious return to the podcast to tell me (and you) what you can expect from the remaster. Enjoy!
Bubsy 4D has been out since May, and we know you love it. We know the biggest problem you all had with the game was one thing: you wanted MORE. More Bubsy. More levels. More challenge. More skins. Just more everything. And you didn't want to pay anything for it. Fortunately for you, we heard your demands and just dropped the Black Hole update for Bubsy 4D. For a small fee of zero dollars, you're getting more levels. You're getting more challenge. You're getting more skins. You're getting more everything! And who better to break it all down in detail than the devs themselves? Please welcome back to the podcast, Fabian and Ben, cofounders of Fabraz, to do just that.